{B/qKC}: Volume_2
Volume_2 launches {B/qKC} as its own standing digital archive and begins by telling the story of Soakie’s: a sandwich shop in Downtown Kansas City that, through an unlikely partnership between the Italian mob and two Black gay men, would become a booming Black gay nightclub from 1993 – 2004.
The launch of {B/qKC} as its own archive also means new forays of work, including installs at art gallery, Charlotte Street, and abolitionist-praxis applied essay to {B/qKC}‘s collected ephemera.
Featuring:
Nasir Anthony Montalvo
Zach Frazier (co-producer)
Funders + Partners:
Stories For All ($2,000)
Diaspora Solidarities Lab ($5,000)
BlaqOut ($3,000)
Vivent Health ($500)
Astringent Press (in-kind support)
Oddities Prints (in-kind support)
The Inaugural Collections
-
Gary Carrington (he/him/his) is referred to as a “pillar” in Kansas City’s queer pageant/event promotions scene. Specifically credited with founding a plethora of local pageant competitions, Gary has served several roles within KC’s Black queer community––including the management of Soakie’s: Kansas City’s former Black gay bar in Downtown Kansas City. The Gary Carrington Collection, an inaugural collection donated to {B/qKC}, consists of various photos from Gary’s time at Soakie’s, as well as clippings from KC Exposures.
-
Starla Carr (she/her/hers) has been a pivotal force in developing Kansas City’s drag king circuit over the past 30 years. Known under the performing name “MT,” Starla has been involved in Kansas City’s Black queer scene as a seamstress, choreographer, author and confidant. The Starla Carr Collection, an inaugural collection donated to {B/qKC}, consists of various photos from Carr’s time at Soakie’s in the early 2000s––particularly of KC’s Black lesbian community.
-
Tisha Taylor (she/her/hers) has made a huge impact on the local Black LGBTQ+ scene, particularly founding Kansas City’s annual Black Pride in 1999 and winning Miss Gay Kansas City America in 1996. Tisha was also instrumental in managing Soakie’s: Kansas City’s former Black gay bar in Downtown Kansas City. The Tisha Taylor Collection, an inaugural collection donated to {B/qKC}, consists of various photos from Taylor’s time at Soakie’s and Kansas City’s Black Pride in 1999.
The inaugural collections of {B/qKC} tell the story of Soakie’s: a sandwich shop in Downtown Kansas City that, through an unlikely partnership between the Italian mob and two Black gay men, would become a booming Black gay nightclub from 1993 - 2004.
{B/qKC}: The Archive Launch Party
Location(s)
The BlaqBox
Dates
03/01/2024; 03/11/2024 - 03/16/2024
Type
Solo Exhibition
Material(s)
Frames, photos, televisions, lace tablecloth, foliage, paper
On March 1st, 2024, Montalvo and Frazier hosted a Launch Party for the archive–which sold over 180 tickets weeks in advance of the launch. The Launch Party launched {B/qKC} as its own standing, community-based archive, and previewed its “Volume_2” exhibits (whereas Volume_1 was Montalvo’s initial research into their local archives).
Volume_2 specifically tells the story of Soakie’s: a sandwich shop in Downtown Kansas City that, through an unlikely partnership between the Italian mob and two Black gay men, would become a booming Black gay nightclub from 1993 – 2004. A dazzling display of Kansas City’s rich ballroom culture, Black queer camaraderie and chosen family, the inaugural Gary Carrington, Tisha Taylor and Starla Carr collections of {B/qKC}–each named after their eponymous shareholder–tell their own stories of this once safe space.
The Exhibit
captured by Jade S. Williams on film.
MERCHANDISE
In collaboration with Oddities Prints, limited edition merchandise was created for Volume_2 of {B/qKC}, using motifs and themes from the archive’s inaugural collections.
Location(s)
PH Coffee, BLK + BRWN., Café Corazón, Waterbird Coffee, Astringent Press
Dates
04/01/2024 - 04/30/2024
Type
Solo Exhibitions
Material(s)
Frames, photos, lace tablecloth, televisions, foliage
The Volume_2 Exhibit
In early 2023, after writing research and writing Volume 1 of {B/qKC} as a journalism series, Montalvo morphed the project into a multi-location, self-service exhibit from February 27th – March 4th, 2023 hosted at PH Coffee, BLK + BRWN, and Café Corazón.
Each location’s exhibit was curated as an altar, centering a particular figure from Montalvo’s research.
In picking exhibit locations across the City, Montalvo wanted to embrace various aspects of their own identity, and make their research as accessible, innovative and sexy as possible.
Café Corazón
gary_carrington_collection
PH Coffee
starla_carr_collection
BLK + BRWN.
tisha_taylor_collection
Waterbird Coffee
supplements_+_videos