A Dreamhouse of Our Own: Queer Barbie Exhibit Opening at Gerber/Hart
This Barbie is ready to party! Join us on August 5th to celebrate the opening of Gerber/Hart’s new display – A Dreamhouse of Our Own: An Examination of Dolls, Play, and Queer Identity. Please note this event is 18+
Doors open at 5:30 with the cocktail reception beginning at 6 PM! Curator Olivia De Keyser and Graphic Designer Steven Russell will speak at 6:30 followed by an artist talk from GNAT Glitter Kink.
Purchase tickets HERE!
Dress code: Wear your most fabulous attire! Costume contest to be held at the end of the program with a mystery prize!
Want to keep the party going? Join us for an 8:30 screening at our neighbors, the Leather Archives & Museum for a screening of Life Size (2000) starring Tyra Banks as a doll brought to life by Lindsay Lohan.
Please note that these events are both 18+ only! Drink tickets valid for both cocktails and non-alcoholic options (21+ for alcoholic options).
We can’t wait to celebrate with you!
Get your tickets TODAY!
A Dreamhouse of our Own is curated by Olivia De Keyser. Graphic Design by Steven Russell. Supporting Artist and Photography by Wren Lively.
ACCESSIBILITY NOTE
Gerber/Hart is located on the second floor of 6500 N Clark Street. An accessible elevator as well as stairs are available.
**please note – The Leather Archives & Museum’s building is only accessible by stairs and is located at 6418 N. Greenview Ave.
Both of these events are 18+ only
TICKET INFO & PRICING
$25 – Cocktail Reception and Film Screening
The full party! An evening exhibit opening and cocktail reception followed by a film screening! 18+ only!
This ticket gets you access to the exhibit opening – doors open at 5:30 with cocktail reception starting at 6 PM- including curator presentation and artist talk from GNAT Glitter Kink as well as a drink ticket for the cocktail (or non alcoholic option) of your choice – and a ticket to the film screening at The Leather Archives of Life Size at 8:30!
$20 Cocktail Reception ONLY
Celebrate with an evening exhibit opening and cocktail reception!
This ticket gets you access to the exhibit opening – doors open at 5:30 with a cocktail reception starting at 6 PM- including curator presentation and artist talk from GNAT Glitter Kink as well as a drink ticket for the cocktail (or non-alcoholic option) of your choice!
$10 Film Screening ONLY
This ticket gets you access to a film screening at The Leather Archives of Life Size at 8:30!
ABOUT GNAT GLITTER KINK
Gnat Rosa Madrid is a multi-disciplinary Chicago artist and designer whose work finds the tantalizing intersections of kink, garment, queer femme identity, and pink plastic girl toys. Through her brand GNAT Glitter Kink, (est 2013) Gnat produces custom and size-inclusive fashions made for worldwide clientele. In her pursuit of personal liberation and queer world-building utopia, she has engineered visionary fetish gear whose glittering materiality lovingly expands the aesthetics of the Leather Dyke community. Famous for her glitter harnesses, GNAT Glitter Kink has been strapped onto some of the world’s most influential queer drag queens, DJs, and performers. Her Barbie Dream House Harness Studio is located just blocks from the LA&M and Gerber/Hart Library.
ABOUT THE CREATORS
Olivia De Keyser (BA ’18, MLIS ’24) – is a librarian and archivist from the Chicago suburbs specializing in audiovisual preservation. Her current work focuses on the intersection of material culture, nostalgia, and identity. By working with film as an archival medium and studying the art of 35mm projection, she hopes to share her love for the history and artistry of cinema and inspire others to find new connections with the past. Above all, Olivia is passionate about curating exhibits and events that empower visitors to reflect on their relationships with the world around them. In Olivia’s Barbie Dreamhouse, you will find 1970s wood paneling, green carpeting, and a hand-me-down couch with the cushions just right to curl up and watch your favorite movie on VHS.
ABOUT GERBER/HART
Gerber/Hart is one of the largest LGBTQ+ libraries & archives in the world. Founded in 1981 and located in the Rogers Park neighborhood in Chicago. Dedicated to collecting, preserving, and making accessible the LGBTQ+ history and culture of Chicago and the Midwest.
ABOUT THE LEATHER ARCHIVES & MUSEUM
The Leather Archives & Museum was founded by Chuck Renslow and Tony DeBlase in 1991 as a community archives, library, and museum of leather, kink, fetish, and BDSM history and culture.