Description

The Krannert Museum will present the first retrospective exhibition of work by Millie Wilson, an influential yet underrecognized queer artist and pedagogue who taught generations at the California Institute of the Arts. Subtitled “The Museum of Lesbian Dreams,” the exhibition will survey three decades of Wilson’s practice—from signature installation works to lesser-seen paintings, sculptures, drawings, and collages—through which the artist explored feminism and queerness in the context of art institutions in which they are often erased. The exhibition will explore how Wilson merged absurdist imagery and tactics coined by Dada and Surrealist artists with conventions of museum display to foreground the assumptions and biases inherent in gender-based narratives. Objects of ephemera will additionally highlight how Wilson’s work enfolds LGBTQ+ cultures, art histories, and activism in the United States. 
This grant aligns with the AAP strategic goal 1a: To advance innovative museum projects that prioritize representation and equity through the preservation, study, and presentation of work by under-represented artists of color, collaborations with diverse external partners, and outreach to underserved communities.