desleegallery

Unapologetic: A Banner and Button-Making Workshop
Saturday, September 2; 10 am – 2 pm

Join the Des Lee Gallery MFA Alumnx artist-in-residence Alex Rosborough Davis (they/them) for an intimate workshop on self-love, resistance, and camaraderie. Free materials will be provided to make signs, banners, pin-back buttons, and posters to elevate Queer voices. Children accompanied by adults are welcome. If you require any accommodations to participate in this program, please contact stulen@wustl.edu.

Shimmers of Utopia
Saturday, September 2; 6-9 pm

Davis and DJ Cassiana (they/them) present Shimmers of Utopia, a hybrid exhibition and dance party. Davis positions objects within the Queer club to activate this space as a site for desire, mourning, and revolutionary potential. They unite Queer materials, lights, defensive structures, and disco ball motors to investigate notions of Queer Utopia. DJ Cassiana will curate a playlist in response to Davis’ artwork. Gallery visitors will be invited to dance, engage with the art, and donate to the St. Louis Queer+ Support Helpline.

Warning: This installation includes flashing and moving lights.

About Alex Rosborough Davis
Alex Rosborough Davis (They/Them/Theirs), b. 1995, is a genderqueer artist from St. Louis, Missouri. They are a recent graduate from the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Art from Washington University in St. Louis with an MFA in Visual Art. Davis earned a BA in Anthropology-Sociology and Environmental Studies from Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois in 2018, where they managed a student-run bicycle shop and were heavily involved in student activism, primarily working on a labor rights campaign. 

During the final stages of their undergraduate studies, Davis discovered their passion for art-making after learning to weld. The following academic year, they were a post-baccalaureate fellow at Knox College, where they continued to develop their art practice. Their work has earned them recognition, including the Beverly Bender Sculpture Award, Sam Fox School Graduate Travel Stipend Award, and a Thesis Research and Production Grant from the Sam Fox School. Davis’ work has been included in several exhibitions, including a solo exhibition in Galesburg, Illinois, in 2019 and a group exhibition at the Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum in 2023. 

About DJ Cassiana
DJ Cassiana (They/Them/Theirs) is a non-binary Latinx DJ based in St. Louis, MO. Cassiana was introduced to Afro-Latin dance in 2017 and has evolved into a teacher, DJ, and sexual violence awareness advocate in their Latin dance scene. They started and continue to host and DJ Queer Afro-Latin Dance (@QALDANCE on all platforms) events in June 2022 to create a safe space to dance regardless of gender or identity and to recognize Afro-Latin roots in Latin dance music. They also teach Latin dance privately and open format DJ across the STL Metro Area and the United States.

Email @cbuehler1111@gmail.com for inquiries on private lessons, DJing opportunities, and more.

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