Lost & Found: Exploring Dyke Spaces of the 70s & 80s
Where have all the dyke bars gone?" Lost & Found: An Exhibit Exploring Chicago’s Dyke Spaces of the ‘70s & ‘80s, named after one of the longest-running Chicago dyke bars, revealed and reveled in the rich history of Chicago’s once-thriving lesbian scene. With an extended exhibit at Reunion Chicago and sold out programming in October, 2017, the series elevated the conversation around erasure by asking the collective community how we can move forward to build environments that foster community and advance queer liberation. The exhibit sources its archival pieces of foregone eras from Gerber Hart Library & Archives and Windy City Times, and was curated by Ruby Western, Kristen Kaza, and Liz Weck.
In addition to the exhibit, the space featured a pop-up dyke bar and programming, including a queer comedy night, queer family day, an intergenerational panel of women who facilitate lesbian spaces of yore, and a closing Halloween party.
This exhibition was made possible by the support of Howard Brown Health, the Midwest’s largest LGBTQ+ health care resource.