Femmes in glittering gowns fit for a fae queen, queer folk dressed as elves, and people on stilts with pumpkin heads are just some of the things you could see at this year’s First Friday: Faeded, at the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis and the Pulitzer Arts Foundation. On June 5, you can peruse local queer art, socialize with fellow fantasy lovers, enjoy a DJ set by Stazi, and watch the premiere of Faeded: The Opera, written and produced by Maxi Glamour.
First Friday: Faeded is a fantastical costume party that combines an art marketplace with community care initiatives and no shortage of entertainment. According to Maxi Glamour, the curator of Faeded, there will be 14 different art vendors for partygoers to visit, as well as a booth hosted by the St. Louis Treasury Department, which will provide education about the new Gateway ID and waive parking tickets up to $100. Additionally, Vivent will offer free on-site HIV and STI testing.
Stay up-to-date with the local arts scene
Subscribe to the weekly St. Louis Arts+Culture newsletter to discover must-attend art exhibits, performances, festivals, and more.
“Faeded was inspired by Black Faeday, which is a huge calling of Black fairy-lovers and Renaissance enthusiasts, because a lot of times people of color get excluded from fantasy,” Glamour says. “A lot of fantasy movies and video games fantasize about a world where Black people don’t exist. And so, this is fantasizing a place where Black people are the stars, the celebrities, the main central focus.”
Faeded has been going on for four years now, moving from Mississippi Underground to Crack Fox to its current home at both CAM and the Pulitzer. This year’s entertainment and artwork for sale will honor the theme of communal resistance, a theme that continues in the night’s entertainment. Glamour describes Faeded–The Opera as an anti-fascist fairy tale.
“We’re using fairies as an allegory of fighting for justice,” Glamour says. “In the story, we have a fairy that is clearly blinded by capitalist interests and exploitation and the removal of sacred grounds. We see the protagonist really being emboldened and aware to fight back.”
The opera will feature vogue dancers, Shawn Moses playing virtuoso guitar pieces (including a 15 musical intermission with loops, pedals, and effects), and Soumir as one of the headlining singers. The whole opera will be about 35 minutes and will utilize CAM’s new ceiling projector system to overlay trippy psychedelic visuals onto the stage and enhance audience immersion.
If you’re looking for an inclusive, judgment-free zone where you can let loose in a magical realm for a few hours, Faeded offers the perfect escape—all while supporting queer POC local artists. “I just hope the Black nerds out there can get their full fantasy on, and the femmes,” Glamour says.
Faeded is free and for all ages. In addition to free small bites, drinks will be available for purchase. The event will take place on June 5 from 5-9 p.m at the Contemporary Art Museum and the Pulitzer Arts Foundation.
