COLLECTIVE REMEMBERING

How does the House Ballroom Community document and archive its stories and traditions for generations to come? Where does the Ballroom archive live and who are its archivists and documentarians? How is community documentation and archiving in House Ballroom an expression of resilience and an emancipatory praxis?  Join us for a moderated panel with four of House Ballroom’s most important community documentarian-archivists, in which they explore these and other questions.  Featuring Icon Ballroom Hall of Famer Luna Ortiz (photographer), Icon Eve Harlowe (photographer/videographer), Icon Felix Rodriguez Milan (videographer), the Rock-socking Noelle Deleon (videographer), and moderated by The Icon Ballroom Hall of Famer Founder Michael Roberson Maison-Margiela. 

Co-organized by ArtsWestchester, City Lore, LOFT: LGBTQ+ Center

This program is made possible in part through the Mid Atlantic Folk and Traditional Arts - Community Projects program of Mid Atlantic Arts with support from the National Endowment for the Arts.

@artswestchester @loftlgbtq

https://www.facebook.com/michael.roberson.129

https://www.instagram.com/houselivesmatter/?hl=en

Participating Artist Bios

Noelle Deleon is an Interdisciplinary Artist, Writer, Archivist and Dancer originating from Houston, Texas. As a Writer and Student, her artistic practice centers the dissection of Social Studies, with a focus on the importance of Black History and The Arts. As a Ballroom Archivist, she is committed to the history and progression of ballroom as a civilization and art form, with a focus on the cultural significance of femme queen categories.  

Eve Harlowe, a digital virtuoso since 1998, transformed her Photoshop prowess into an illustrious career in retouching, crafting narratives for fashion luminaries like JIBRI and Monif C. She later embraced photography in South Florida, infusing her images with a signature blend of skill and soul. As a proud Transwoman, she champions inclusivity, spotlighting Trans women in her work. Inspired by art movements and the arresting beauty of Grace Jones, Eve's creations exude a mesmerizing Afro-Futurist aesthetic, celebrating the cosmos and Blackness.

Luna Luis Ortiz, born in New York City in 1972, commenced his photography career in 1986 following an HIV diagnosis. During the late 1980s, Ortiz actively participated in the New York ballroom voguing scene, where his artistic talents, particularly in photography, flourished. In 1988, he embarked on a mission as an HIV awareness advocate for young individuals living with HIV at the Hetrick-Martin Institute, concurrently attending the Harvey Milk School. Over the years, Ortiz has devoted his life to HIV prevention and AIDS awareness globally. He has appeared on various television specials, including those produced by MTV, VH1, PBS, Telemundo, NY1, MSNBC, ABC, and Living in the Age of AIDS with Peter Jennings. As an artist, Mr. Ortiz's work has been featured in exhibitions at the Boston Center of the Arts, Whitney Museum, The Leslie-Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art, Museum of the City of New York, New Museum of Contemporary Art, Eternal Gallery in Paris, France, the LGBT Center/ Bureau of General Services Queer Division, and many others. Luna's work has also been featured in notable publications, including We are Here (Abrams 2021), Queer Holdings (Hirmer Publishers 2019), And the Category Is... (Beacon Press 2021), Glitter and Concrete (Hanover Square Press 2023). In 2007, Ortiz remained committed to HIV prevention and youth work at Gay Men Health Crisis (GMHC). At GMHC, he diligently contributes to the organization's social marketing initiatives, such as the GLAAD award-winning 'I Love My Boo' campaign. Additionally, he hosts youth workshops, kiki balls, conferences, and health fairs, engaging over 200 youth on a monthly basis. Furthermore, he organizes and convenes a committee of House and Ball members for the annual Latex Ball, which attracts over 3,000 participants globally.

Felix Rodriguez is a filmmaker and archivist of the LGBTQ Ballroom community. He has documented and been recognized as a preservationist of this Ballroom scene since the early 1990s. Additionally, he is an artist trained in writing, directing, and producing. He received his MFA in Dramatic Writing from the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University and has worked as a camera operator, editor, producer, and director for non-profit organizations such as the Gay Men’s Health Crisis and with networks such as f/X, WNET, Bravo, NBC, and ABC. Additionally, Félix has had a handful of plays produced, including Life’s A Drag, a play about a trans woman who is legendary in the ballroom scene but is not accepted at home by her Evangelical Christian mother. Félix received the Gay Men’s Health Crisis’ James Baldwin/Julia De Burgos Award for giving the ballroom community hope and life through his art. He is the 2022 Honoree of the Prime Latino Media Community Service Award and the winner of the Annual Gay City News IMPACT Award in 2022. In 2023 he won the Ballroom We Care Award for the contribution his archives have provided to the history of ballroom. He has conducted in-person screenings and virtual presentations of his archival LGBTQ+ ballroom footage globally. From Pace University in New York City to the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna, dance studios in the US, Russia, Canada, and the UK. He has also organized and hosted the Learn Your History Mini Kiki Ball for the past five years at the Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance (BAAD), an event whose genesis was in the Bronx, but has grown exponentially being presented at Lincoln Center for LGBTQ Pride Month.

Michael Roberson (moderator), MDIV, STM

Michael Roberson is a public health practitioner, advocate, activist, artist, curator and leader within the House Ballroom community. He is the founder of three major Houses—Blahnik, Maasai, and Garcon—and is Father to hundreds of children in the community. Roberson works as Adjunct Professor at The New School and Union Theological Seminary, where he teaches courses on Ballroom history and Vogue’ology, a pedagogy that places Ballroom’s performance traditions within a politics of emancipation. He is also founder of The Federation of Ballroom Houses and co-creator of the National Black Gay Men’s Advocacy Group and Black Gay Research Group, organizations focused on tackling health disparities within Black/Latino LGBTQ+ and Ballroom communities. Roberson has curated countless programs on House Ballroom culture and history. He is an international art and politics consultant and a member of the international sound art collective entitled Ultra-red” He also works as an Adjunct Professor at The New School University/Lang College NYC and Union Theological Seminary NYC.