The LGBT+ Archives Project of Louisiana, a local non-profit organization dedicated to preserving queer history, held its annual membership meeting on Wednesday, June 12, at the newly renovated Hotel Peter and Paul.
About 75 people gathered to hear keynote speaker Wayne Phillips give a presentation on the new exhibit he curated at the Presbytere, Grand Illusions: The History and Artistry of Gay Carnival in New Orleans. Phillips serves as the Curator of the Carnival Collection and Costumes and Textiles for the Louisiana State Museum. He is also on the Board of Directors for the LGBT+ Archives Project of Louisiana.
Grand Illusions brings together more than two hundred artifacts including posters and poster artwork, ball invitations and favors, costume designs, and a dozen amazing gay Mardi Gras costumes. In addition, the exhibit features newly digitized films of gay balls from the 1960s and 1970s. The exhibit will run through December 2020.
A short business meeting preceded Phillips’ talk. Frank Perez, co-founder and long-time President of the Archives Project, updated the membership on its achievements in the last year. This update was followed by several announcements and then Officer elections. Frank Perez was reelected President, Kathleen Conlon was reelected Vice-President, Jim Meadows was reelected Secretary, and Jessica Troske was reelected Treasurer. The remainder of the Board of Directors, who are elected every two years by the membership, were not up for reelection.
The mission of the LGBT+ Archives Project is promoting and encouraging the protection and preservation of materials that chronicle the culture and history of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender community in Louisiana.
The Archives Project’s purpose is educating the community on the importance of archiving LGBT+ historical materials and making them available for future generations to access, research, and study. By developing financial resources to assist in the preservation and availability of certain LGBT+ collections, the Archives Project helps promote the proper maintenance and preservation of historical LGBT+ material.
For more information, please visit https://www.lgbtarchiveslouisiana.org/
