Local Advisor
Mason Culkin

The local exhibit Mapping Queer Chicago: Past and Present looks at the past and the present and contextualizes Chicago as a city with a rich queer history. It aims to decentralize this story beyond the established queer enclaves of "Boystown" and to position the Latinx and Black Queer experiences in the city of Chicago. Mapping Queer Chicago: Past and Present begins a conversation reminiscent of Chicago's queer experiences while recognizing that many past and present queer places and spaces are not yet captured.

Biography

I am currently pursuing a Master’s in Museum and Exhibition Studies at the University of Illinois at Chicago and will obtain my degree in May 2020. I have a background in art history and entrepreneurship. I love to travel and have visited thirteen European countries, including Germany. I will be returning to Berlin this summer to present at the Queering Memory conference.

I am also new to Chicago, so this mapping project of queer sites and spaces has taught me a lot about this city. I love working with the Goethe-Institut and look forward to seeing the exhibition in its entirety in June.