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JEROME in Los Angeles

9/17/2023

"Pictures Girls Make": Portraitures
Curated by Alison M. Gingeras

I am pleased to announce that Jerome Caja is included in the new Blum & Poe exhibition — "Pictures Girls Make": Portraitures. It is curated by Alison M. Gingeras and is on display from September 9 to October 21, 2023 in Culver City (Los Angeles). This show is impressive, disarming and powerful. It takes up the entire exhibition space, spanning multiple rooms on two floors and feels more like a museum than your typical white-walled art gallery.

This exhibition places Jerome back into the contemporary art narrative outside of San Francisco, and alongside more than 50 other artists from the early nineteenth century to the present, including Elaine de Kooning, Joan Brown, Somaya Critchlow, and many more.

If you are in the LA area, don’t miss this show. It has four of Jerome’s “Little Lovelies” beautifully peppered throughout.

Make sure not to miss the wonderful secret room that has its own separate entrance from the patio area. It is marvelous! One of my favorite Jerome pieces — “Virgin and Her Cock” — is tucked away there. Even though the piece is the smallest work of art on the wall, it stands out next to the larger-than-life works in the room. When I was there for the opening reception, it was the most photographed piece in the room, and thanks to the new Barbie movie, you will understand why.

Lastly, The Jerome Project wants to give a very special thank you to Jeff Poe and Alison Gingeras. Jeff has been a huge champion of Jerome’s work since the 1990s. He was the one who introduced Jerome to Alison. She understands Jerome, and it is an honor to have her be a part of this ever-growing, strange Jerome family.

"X Studies the work of Pythagoras"
by Somaya Critchlow
circa 2022

EXHIBITION LOGISTICS:
Location: Blum & Poe (Los Angeles)
Phone: (310) 836-2062
Address: 2727 S La Cienega Blvd
Dates: Sep 9th - Oct 21st
Hours: Tue - Sat (10:00 to 6:00)
(Closed Sun & Mon)

PLEASE NOTE: All images here are from Blum & Poe's website and photographed by Hannah Mjølsnes.

"Aquarius"
by Jerome Caja
circa 1995

"Madonna and Child"
by Jerome Caja
circa 1995

"Oops"
by Jerome Caja
circa 1995

"Virgin with Her Cock"
by Jerome Caja
circa 1995

Excerpt From Alison Gingeras’ Curatorial Exhibition Statement

“Pictures girls make” is a quip attributed to Willem de Kooning who purportedly dismissed the inferior status of his wife Elaine’s portrait practice. Inverting the original dismissal into an affirmation, “Pictures Girls Make” is a rallying cry for this exhibition, which examines how different forms of portraitures defy old aesthetic, social, and ideological norms.

Both historically and contemporarily speaking, the portrait has always been far more than a rendering of a specific person’s likeness. Portraiture engages with ideas of identity, subjectivity, and agency. Moving beyond binary thinking, the exhibition strives to emphasize the diversity of subjects, complexities of biography, and array of individual characters that artists have been able to capture through various modes of portrait making.

For Full Description Click Here

by Anthony Cianciolo

JEROME in Manhattan

5/11/2023

If you are in the NYC area from May 11th to June 24th, be sure to see the new summer exhibition by Visual AIDS —“NO BIOS”. It is a group art show curated by Isis Awad with drawings, paintings, sculptures, and video from three generations of artists. It features artwork (including never-before-exhibited pieces) by Jerome Caja (1958–1995), Chloe Dzubilo (1960–2011), Stevie Cisneros Hanley, Reverend Joyce McDonald, Sofia Moreno, Pamela Sneed, Tabboo!, and D’Angelo Lovell Williams.

See logistics and programing below.

Big thanks to Isis Awad and Visual AIDS for including Jerome in this really special exhibition. This type of East Coast visibility for Jerome is so important, especially now, 28 years after Jerome’s death, when he was just on the cusp of national recognition.

Over the years, The Jerome Project and the estate have been working closely with Visual AIDS to insert Jerome back into the contemporary art narrative, give Jerome’s art the visibility it deserves, and reach the widest possible audience —“NO BIOS” does this!

Lastly, if you want to support both Jerome and Visual AIDS, then treat yourself to this lovely chapbook DUETS: Nayland Blake & Justin Vivian Bond In Conversation on Jerome Caja that Visual AIDS produced a few years back. There are still a few left in stock and it is a real gem.

DUETS: Nayland Blake & Justin Vivian Bond In Conversation on Jerome Caja

“Operation”
by Chloe Dzubilo
circa 2008–2011

“Have a Bearry Nice Day” [sic]
by Jerome Caja
circa 1995

"Pantyhose Cowboy"
by Stevie Cisneros Hanley
circa 2021

NO BIOS:
CURATED BY ISIS AWAD FOR VISUAL AIDS
EFA PROJECT SPACE
MAY 11–JUNE 24, 2023

LOCATION:
EFA Project Space
323 W 39th St, 2nd Floor
New York, NY , 10018
United States

Featuring artwork by Jerome Caja (1958–1995), Chloe Dzubilo (1960–2011), Stevie Cisneros Hanley, Reverend Joyce McDonald, Sofia Moreno, Pamela Sneed, Tabboo!, and D’Angelo Lovell Williams

GALLERY HOURS: Wed–Sat, 12–6PM
Opening Reception: Thursday, May 11, 5–8PM

No Bios showcases artists whose practice is deeply personal and biographical in nature, while resisting the art world’s tendency to reduce marginalized artists to their identity markers. Drawing in part from the Visual AIDS archive and artist registry, curator Isis Awad brings together a group of queer and trans artists of color, some of whom are living and thriving with HIV, alongside artists who have been lost to AIDS-related illnesses. In contrast to the somber, tragic, and alarmist overtones that often accompany representations of HIV and AIDS, No Bios presents mischievously playful and beautifully mundane artworks that speak to a determination to live beyond mere survival. A publication designed by Isai Soto will accompany the exhibition.

“This exhibition has nothing and everything to do with HIV. Some of the artists in the show live with HIV, some of them don’t. Some of them are still with us, and some of them aren’t. This is not an attempt to make sense of anything, or theorize a human’s relationship with a virus. What ties the artists in this show together is an unrelenting desire to make art against all odds; art that does not capitalize on its makers’ marginalized identities.” — Isis Awad

No Bios is presented as part of Visual AIDS’ annual exhibition program, which centers the organization’s expansive and living archive of artwork by HIV-positive artists. Each summer, Visual AIDS invites guest curators to organize thematic exhibitions that bring works represented in the archive into conversation with other contemporary artists.

Visual AIDS exhibitions are supported by a multiyear grant from the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, as well as general operating grants from the Lambent Foundation, the Marta Heflin Foundation, and the New York State Council on the Arts.

EXHIBITION PROGRAMING:

Opening Reception
Thursday May 11th at 6:00 PM

Catalog Launch & Reading with Pamela Sneed
Thursday May 25th at 6:00 PM

Artist & Curator Walk Through
Saturday June 17th at 2:00 PM

Visual AIDS Website

by Anthony Cianciolo

My Date with Joan Jett Blakk — by Jo Owens

6/16/2021

“People Who Are Proud Of Who They Are Challenge The Rest Of Us To Be Greater.”
— Helen Owens, hair, makeup and wardrobe specialist for “Jerome and Joan”

PRIDE has special meaning for me this year.

Alongside my sister Helen Owens, I'm excited to join Joan Jett Blakk as one-half of her hair, makeup and wardrobe design team as she launches her one-night-only revival of the award-winning 90’s-LGBTQ-San-Francisco talk show “Late Night with Joan Jett Blakk.”

Jo Owens (left) and her sister Helen Owens (far right) pose with team member Matt Riutta (center) and the fabulous Terence Smith aka Joan Jett Blakk.

Titled “Jerome and Joan,” and running in conjunction with the "Found: The Lost Art of Jerome Caja" art exhibition, the event celebrates Ms. Blakk’s friend and fellow activist Jerome Caja’s powerful, avant-garde contributions to the 20th-century art world as a voice for LGBTQ people. Ms. Blakk is a celebrated legend in the LGBTQ community, and I am looking forward to embracing the love and light she’ll bring to this event.

Of equal significance is that we’re honoring these two luminaries on a date which holds special meaning for me.

“Jerome and Joan” takes place on June 19, also known to many as Juneteenth. This day of celebration originated in the African-American community and commemorates President Lincoln’s signing of the Emancipation Proclamation, the decree granting enslaved people their freedom. (Fittingly, as I write this, the US Senate has just passed a bill that would establish Juneteenth as a federal holiday). As a cisgender Black female and LBGTQ family member who grew up on the heels of the Civil Rights Movement, I’m moved by the opportunity to celebrate Mr. Caja and Ms. Blakk on a day that represents power and pride.

“Understand Your Brilliance. Know Your Power. Believe You Can Do Anything.”
— SheCompass

The day I met Ms. Blakk at our hair and makeup test date I felt an instant connection. The moment Ms. Blakk’s alter ego Mr. Terence Smith climbed out of the car to greet me and my sister I saw past his signature 3-piece suit-and-hat wardrobe into the eyes of a black woman I instantly recognized.

Later, as I helped Mr. Smith slip into his Chanel-inspired jacket and elegant jewelry while he transformed into Ms. Blakk, a feeling of comfort came over me: I was with one of my own.

At that moment Ms. Blakk became a visual representation of the community of refined, forward-thinking African-American women that helped raise me into the woman I am today. These beautiful Black women were the leaders of the community and the glue that held Black families together. They were our Big Mammas in every way, helping to teach us Black children that we mattered, even when the world taught us we were invisible.

As I played in my mind Ms. Blakk’s historic 1991 mayoral run against Chicago’s Richard Daley, then her later 1992 and 1996 Presidential bids for the White House, I equated the thought with the pride I first felt as a child learning about Shirely Chisolm, the first black woman to make a run for the White House. Black women like these made me believe that I could do anything, even when the world at large considered my Black skin of zero value and purpose.

And here was one of my very own Big Mammas, looking chic and collected in her skirt and heels in my living room, reminding me that we Black girls are powerful and can be anything we choose.

Pride, indeed.

“In Knowing Our Power We Live As the Greatest Versions of Ourselves”
— from “Finding Our She-Compass”

What I love most about being a part of this project is its commitment to visibility for underrepresented communities.

Like Jerome and Joan, my sister Helen and I have spent decades using our art to uplift people who feel defeated and unseen. As a custom wig/prosthesis maker to women suffering from hair loss due to illness or disfigurement, my sister makes it possible for her clients to be fully themselves, regaining their hair, reviving their self-worth and ultimately repowering their self-esteem. And as podcast hosts and authors of the 7-time award-winning book “Finding Our She-Compass,” Helen and I remain dedicated to elevating, uplifting, and empowering people through love and inspiration.

I’m thrilled to be a part of this historic project! “FOUND: The Lost Art of Jerome Caja” runs through Saturday June 26, 2021 at the Anglim/Trimble gallery, part of the Minnesota Street Project and featuring items donated for exhibit by the GLBT Historical Society.

Jo Owens

Jo Owens is a 25-plus-year writer/communicator/storyteller, focusing on projects that uplift and inspire. She is co-author of the 7-time-award-winning book Finding Our She-Compass, and co-host/producer/editor of its corresponding podcast The She-Compass Show. She’s also partnered with her sister Helen Owens to empower others through art and provides hair/makeup/wardrobe assistance on set.

Owens has received awards for excellence in service and administration; she is also the winner of the Justin McCarthy Oratory Award, the Charles Lampkin Award for excellence in vocal performance, and was nominated by The Douglas Morrison Theatre in Hayward, CA for Best Actress in a Musical. She can be reached via email at joowens47@gmail.com and on Instagram at @joalwaysatwork.

Finding Our She-Compass: 15 Life Lessons For Women Voyaging toward Restoration, Reconstruction, and Renewal (paperback)

by Jo Owens

JEROME & JOAN: Late Night With Joan Jett Blakk

6/11/2021

EVENTBRITE RSVP: Please Register Here to Guarantee Entry

JEROME & JOAN: Late Night With Joan Jett Blakk — Anglim/Trimble Gallery presents a live talk show hosted by the legendary, award-winning drag queen Joan Jett Blakk. In honor of 2021 Pride and the new exhibition FOUND: The Lost Art of Jerome Caja, Jerome’s infamous drag performances and fine art paintings will be the topic of discussion.

SPECIAL GUESTS: Adam Klein (AKA: Miss Rena McDonald, musician, educator and co-author of Jerome After the Pageant), Gerard Koskovich (activist and founding member of the GLBT Historical Society), Jessica Tanzer (photographer and documentarian of SF’s lesbian/queer underground), and Anthony Cianciolo (filmmaker and founder of The Jerome Project).

LIVE MUSIC: San Francisco’s beloved Hipsteria — swingers and bringers of Swing, Latin Jazz and R&B — will be performing in the Hipsteriac Lounge on the ground floor.

LOGISTICS: This hour-long show is free and will start promptly at 5:30 PM. Please arrive early because space is limited. There is bleacher style seating on the main floor and standing room in-the-round on both floors. The event will take place in San Francisco’s Dogpatch at Minnesota Street Project (1275 Minnesota Street). Parking is available around the building and on nearby alleyways. Due to current COVID regulations and the uncertainty of state restrictions to be announced on June 15th, we ask that you be patient with us. Masks might be required. Please register your tickets here with Eventbrite, print them out and bring them to the event with you to expedite and guarantee your entry.

Please Note: We apologize in advance if we are not able to accommodate everyone’s needs and wishes.

Presented by: KFAG “Your Legs in the Airwaves”

Event Details
Title: Late Nigth with Joan Jett Blakk
Date: Saturday June 19, 2021
Time: 5:30 - 7:00 pm

Event Location
Minnesota Street Project
1275 Minnesota Street
San Francisco CA, 94107

Regular Exhibition Hours
Gallery: Anglim/Trimble Gallery
Open: Tue to Sat (11:00 am to 5:00 pm)
Closed: Sun to Mon

Contact Info
Phone: (415) 433-2710
Email: gallery@anglimtrimble.com

Special Thanks To:

Anglim/Trimble Gallery
Minnesota Street Project
GLBT Historical Society
Verasphere
Hipsteria
City Picture Frame
Hanson Digital Fine Art Printing & Art Scanning
Liza Wintersteller (Jerome Caja sugar cookies)
Helen Owens & Jo Owens (hair, makeup & wardrobe for Miss Joan Jett Blakk)
and most importantly, all the Jerome collectors who worked closely with The Jerome Project on this exhibition and shared their art with the world!

Joan Jett Blakk for President, 1992
Photo by Marc Geller

Jerome Caja was a master American painter and skag-drag performer. He was at the center of San Francisco late 80’s and early 90’s queer counter culture movement of art, AIDS and activism. He used trash, found objects, and anything you might find in a drag queen’s hand bag (lipstick, eye liner, makeup, nail polish, etc.) as his medium of choice in his paintings and his apocalyptic drag. Jerome died in 1995 from complications related to HIV & AIDS. Twenty-five years after his death, our culture is only just now starting to catch up with his vision.

Jerome Caja
Video still, circa 1990
by Electric City

by Anthony Cianciolo

JEROME CAJA: Toasters, Vaginas & Eggs

5/2/2021

On May 1st, my new exhibition, FOUND: The Lost Art of Jerome Caja, had a soft opening at ANGLIM/TRIMBLE gallery. It was part of what’s called “First Saturday,” a monthly San Francisco gallery-crawl at Minnesota Street Project. The show is nestled inside a free-standing alcove in the main gallery. Shannon Trimble, the owner and director of the gallery, said that this intimate, walled-off space is what inspired him to include Jerome in this group show.

As the gallery started filling up on opening day, a family with a little boy came strolling around the corner. When they first saw the Jerome portion of the show, they had a delightful, wide-eyed look of excitement. They were fully engaged and intent on not missing a single piece of the 80+ works of Jerome’s art (paintings, photos, drag ephemera, etc.).

It was beautiful to watch this family take in Jerome’s art as a playful exploration together. I snapped a lovely photo of them huddled around the central display case enjoying everything. Just then, the boy who was about eight years old, asked his mother — “Mommy, why does this woman have a toaster plugged into her vagina?” The mother said she didn’t know, and told the boy to ask me. I told him that while I didn’t know exactly what the artist had in mind when he painted it, I encouraged him to look at the toaster in relation to the other objects in the painting. We then examined all the sunny-side-up eggs that were also popping out of the toaster and raining down on the woman, who stands naked in a shower. This led to a lovely conversation about fertility, ovulation, and women having eggs inside them for reproduction. The little boy took in everything I said, and, with a smile, shifted his gaze to the adjacent paintings. He had a blast discovering all the other eggs in numerous paintings and joyfully pointed them out to everyone else in the gallery.

I love that this boy intuitively understood Jerome. His playful curiosity was beautiful to observe. I also love that his parents were so comfortable exposing him to challenging art. Once the family was done looking at the exhibition, I pulled the mother aside and told her how moved I was by my interaction with her family and how my parents would have been very hesitant for me to see such provocative art at such a young age. Without missing a beat, she replied — “Oh yeah, we have a gynecologist in our household, and we have these kinds of conversation all the time.”

It is moments like this that confirm why I am doing what I am doing with Jerome Caja’s art and artistic legacy. I believe that Jerome wanted people to enjoy talking about uncomfortable, complex subjects that can easily be misunderstood or, even worse, dismissed.

Visitors at central vitrine
(opening at Anglim/Trimble)
May 1, 2021

FOUND: The Lost Art of Jerome Caja
(panorama shot of exhibition)
May 1, 2021

Untitled (nude woman in shower with toaster and eggs)
by Jerome Caja, 10 x 7 x .5 inches, circa 1995
(private collection)

FOUND: The Lost Art of Jerome Caja

The show is up until June 26th and is by appointment only. You can use the link located at the bottom of the homepage on the ANGLIM/TIMBLE website to schedule a half hour time slot between noon and 4:00 PM on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. If you would like a personal walkthrough of the exhibit, just contact me through The Jerome Project website and I am happy to accompany you.

Lastly, please stay tuned for an announcement regarding a special Jerome Caja event for this exhibition — THANK YOU!

Post by Anthony Cianciolo

New Exhibition "FOUND: The Lost Art of Jerome Caja"

3/15/2021

This is a jewel-box exhibition of paintings, sculptures, photos, and reliquaries rarely seen since Jerome’s death in 1995. These “Little Lovelies” (a term coined by Jerome himself) are exquisite miniatures painted with everything you would find in a drag queen's handbag (nail polish, lipstick, eye liner, glitter).

Humor and horror vie for center stage as Jerome’s imaginary cast of characters perform the Danse Macabre. Bozo the Clown feeds fruit pies to an emaciated Christ. Venuses with penises seduce fiery devils in the underworld. Eggs ascend to heaven sunny-side-up.

Jerome’s canvases include pistachio shells, lockets, discarded bottle caps, and small scraps of paper. Hidden within these elaborate works you will find human ash, locks of hair, fingernails, and even the artist's own HIV+ blood.

Also on exhibit are unfinished paintings discovered on Jerome’s palette when he died, various handmade accessories from famous performances, and wild drag photos of Jerome taken by loved ones.

Step into this vivid snapshot of San Francisco’s radical queer past and see for yourself the remains of a modern-day saint!

"The Virgin Bozo"
by Jerome Caja
circa 1995

“The vision for the gallery is simple. We intend to position artists and their work at the forefront of our attention and effort. We will maintain a vibrant exhibition schedule and grow educational outreach with broad, new initiatives and programs.” — Shannon Trimble

AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE: Limited edition framed prints of Jerome by his dear friend Anna van der Meulen (B&W 35mm film and color slides from the 80’s and 90’s).

Exhibition Details
Title: FOUND: The Lost Art of Jerome Caja
Curator: Anthony Cianciolo
Dates: May 1st — June 26th (2021)

Exhibition Location
Minnesota Street Project
1275 Minnesota Street
San Francisco CA, 94107
Website: minnesotastreetproject.com

Exhibition Space
Gallery: Anglim/Trimble Gallery
Open: Wednesday to Saturday (Noon to 4:00 PM)
Closed: Sunday to Tuesday
Phone: (415) 433-2710
Contact: gallery@anglimtrimble.com
Website: anglimtrimble.com

Please Note: Because of COVID regulations, we will know more about viewing options when we get closer to the opening date. Appointments may be necessary. Stay tuned for updates.

SF/Arts Curator Mark Taylor Offers Insight
“Outrageous is a woefully inadequate term to describe SF artist Jerome Caja's practice as a painter and drag performer. He often appeared (at any time of day) to be arriving from a wild night out, his tall, pale frame barely covered by ragged black lace and torn fishnets; the gentlest challenge smirking across intentionally smeared red lips.”

Excerpted From: SF/Arts Gallery Highlight

LEFT TOP IMAGE (B&W Photo)
Title & Date: Connie Krishna, c. 1983
Materials: laser ink-jet print on aluminum
Dimensions: 18 x 12 inches
Photographer: Anna van der Meulen

RIGHT TOP IMAGE (Painting)
Title & Date: Connie Krishna, c. 1994
Materials: nail polish on wood plaque
Dimensions: 7 3/4 x 5 3/4 x 1 1/2 inches
Artist: Jerome Caja

Post by Anthony Cianciolo

New Jerome Caja Film Shoot on Sunday, June 28th

6/26/2020

FILMING: People’s March & Rally, Pride is a Riot, and “Pride is a Protest” Jerome Poster

San Francisco’s Gay Pride parade was cancelled this year because of COVID-19. In its wake, and on the exact same day, two marches (People’s March & Rally & Pride is a Riot) are appropriately taking its place this Sunday, June 28, 2020.

In support of today’s Black Lives Matter movement, in celebration of 50 years of Gay Liberation, and in appreciation of Win Mixter’s new, fabulous “Pride is a Protest” Jerome poster — we are taking to the streets to film these historic moments (see filming logistics below).

We will also show our love and support to three of San Francisco’s drag legends — Joan Jett Blakk, Juanita More, and Jerome Caja by marching with protest posters honoring their fierce political contributions to radical social change!

All are welcome! You can join our contingent at any time.

PLEASE NOTE: Because of COVID-19 and California’s current state guidelines, we ask that you wear a face covering and maintain physical distancing when participating in our outdoor film shoot.

Four Part Film Shoot Logistics

Please wear your best Freedom Day togs and feel free to bring your own homemade protest signs as well. If you are willing to share your cell phone video footage with The Jerome Project, we will consider it for the feature film on Jerome Caja. You can contact us through our website here.

IMPORTANT REMINDER: This is a protest and because multiple marches are happening at the same time, this schedule may change. We are headed to where the demonstrations are. The following is a tentative schedule of what we think will happen on Sunday.

I: Filming at 10:30 AM — "People's March"

Spearheaded by Juanita More and Alex U. Inn and led by an all-black and brown committee of trans and queer activists, community leaders, artists, and performers.
Scheduled to begin at 11:00 AM.
Location is at the intersection of Polk & Washington (1800 Polk Street).
We recommend you get there earlier (10:30 AM) so we can be up close and have time to gather properly.
Historically this is the exact place where the first San Francisco “Gay-In” began in June 1970.

II: Filming at 12:00 PM (estimated time) — "People's Rally"

Also spearheaded by Juanita More and Alex U. Inn.
Location is on the steps of City Hall in San Francisco’s Civic Center.
This is where the People’s March ends and also where the Pride is a Riot March may arrive.
We will film the speakers and happenings.

III: Filming at 2:00 PM (Estimated time) — “Pride is a Riot”

Announced by an autonomous multiracial trans and queer group.
Scheduled to start at 12:00 PM on the corner of 19th & Dolores and the march is at 2:00 PM.
It is unknown where this march will head, but perhaps it will head toward City Hall.

IV: Filming TBD — "Pride is a Protest" Jerome Poster

Our final film shoot for the day will take place just a few blocks away from Civic Center, in Mid-Market.
Location is on the northeast corner of 7th & Market at the MUNI bus shelter.
Win Mixter’s fabulous Jerome Caja “Pride is a Protest” poster is part of the San Francisco Arts Commission’s “Art on Market Street” poster series.
If all goes as planned, we will take still photos of all of us gathered around Win Mixter & Joan Jett Blakk, bookending and spotlighting Jerome’s poster. We will also film several short “people-on-the-street” interviews in front of the bus shelter.
If this doesn’t happen on Sunday, we’ll schedule a shoot before the posters come down in August.

Pioneering Political Drag Sisters

Joan Jett Blakk is a fabulous drag persona created by Terence Alan Smith. She is most famously known for her Democratic presidential campaign against George W. Bush in 1992 — "Joan Jett Blakk for President." Her political aspirations were inspired by activist groups like ACT-UP and Queer Nation and their fight for visibility during the AIDS crisis.

Joan Jett Blakk was also a dear friend of Jerome, and she used her Oprah Winfrey-style platform as a way to help promote him and his art. Jerome was a special guest on the infamous Joan Jett Blakk Show, at Josie’s Juice Joint, along with other radical queers like Rena McDonald (aka Adam Klein) and Lynn Breedlove & Leslie Mah’s fierce SF LGBTQ+ punk band, Tribe-8.

LINK: Official Joan Jett Blakk Website

Juanita MORE! is a denizen of the limelight. For almost three decades the tireless hostess has blitzed San Francisco with high glamour, drag irreverence, danceable beats, culinary delectables, political activism and a philanthropic heart that has illuminated the entire city. Juanita remains a creation of fashion and glamour, generosity and nerve, inspiring those around her to make a positive difference in their lives and in their communities, doing it all with a timeless elegance and an innovative spirit.

LINK: Official Juanita MORE! Website

Jerome Caja was a master American painter and skag-drag performer. He was at the center of San Francisco late 80’s and early 90’s queer counter culture movement of art, AIDS and activism. He used trash, found objects, and anything you might find in a drag queen’s hand bag (lipstick, eye liner, makeup, nail polish, etc.) as his medium of choice in his paintings and his apocalyptic drag. Jerome died in 1995 from complications related to HIV & AIDS. Twenty-five years after his death, our culture is only just now starting to catch up with his vision.

LINK: Official Jerome Caja Website

To this day, these three drag sisters, Joan Jett Blakk, Juanita Moore & Jerome Caja, are pioneers. They challenge us in different ways with their own provocative political drag art.

Marching for Gay Freedom as opposed to passively “Celebrating” “Pride” is a necessary return to the event’s origins as a protest (see Win Mixter’s Pride is a Protest website here). It is also a well-needed shift away from the toothless rainbow capitalism we have grown accustomed to for 20+ years.

If Jerome were alive today, he would have joined in this march. He would have scrounged up his Sunday best skimpy lingerie, slathered on some cheap makeup, and marched behind Joan Jett Blakk and Juanita Moore as their freaky white sister-caboose. The Jerome Project actually has vintage VHS footage of Jerome doing this. In the late 80’s and early 90’s Jerome marched with the Chaos & Uranus contingent in Gay Pride, and instead of joining everyone on the float, Jerome chose to walk alone, behind the truck, as his own freaky individual float. Like always he stole the show.

All of this is in direct alignment with everything Jerome believed in and painted — radical social change!

Suggested Poster Themes

Black Lives Matter
Black Trans Lives Matter
Pride is a Protest
Jerome Caja as a beloved gender terrorist
Joan Jett Blakk for President
Any and all messaging regarding re-claiming and celebrating “Gay Freedom Day” as opposed to the innocuous and ubiquitous Pride

We Hope to See You There

If for whatever reason you are unable to join us on Sunday June 28th, but would still like to contribute, you can also make a financial donation to the GoFundMe page for the People’s March & Rally here — THANK YOU & STAY SAFE!

FRONT & BACK: Jerome Caja "Pride is a Protest" Poster
by Win Mixter

FRONT & BACK: Gay Freedom Day "Pride is a Protest" Poster
by Win Mixter

Joan Jett Blakk for President, 1992
Photo by Marc Geller

Juanita MORE!
Photo excerpted from
Loverboy Magazine

Jerome Caja
Video still, circa 1990
by Electric City

"Pride is a Protest"
Poster Logo Design
by Win Mixter

Black Lives Matter
Protest Poster

Post by Anthony Cianciolo

Jerome & The Supreme Court Victory for LGBTQ+ Rights

6/15/2020

It Is Moments Like This When I Miss Jerome the Most

Today I woke up and read the top news story of the day in the New York Times — “Civil Rights Law Protects L.G.B.T. Workers, Supreme Court Rules.” This is something so basic and fundamental that it’s shocking it even needed to be discussed in 2020. These are essential human rights we all deserve.

The first thought that crossed my mind after reading the Times headline was — “I cannot wait to see who is going to take to the streets today and celebrate!”

Politics Jerome's Way

Back in the 90’s Jerome Caja was always one of the first to dress up in drag and take to the streets of San Francisco in celebration of major LGBTQ+ victories. He would create a fabulous, scary, creature-of-the-night drag persona and proudly strut like a mangy peacock through the streets and alleyways in broad daylight. He was also a fixture at all the queer street fairs and holiday celebrations (Folsom Street Fair, Dore Alley Fair, Castro Street Fair, Gay Freedom Day / Gay Pride Parade, etc).

Daniel Nicoletta’s 1990 photo is an iconic and famous picture that captures Jerome in skag-drag on Halloween night in front of the Castro Theater. What you might not know is that Jerome handmade his spongy jewelry, Flintstone-style hair comb, and the perky, ruby-red fruity nipples that spring forth from his little girly bra.

Jim James’s 1990 photo is also another iconic image of Jerome. Here he is in San Francisco’s Civic Center dressed as Konnie Krishna with her leopard skin lingerie, rubber bald cap and plastic food jewelry accessories (glazed doughnut earring & kielbasa chain-link necklace).

Jerome was well informed when it came to politics and valued the importance of the voting process — especially with regards to California and local issues. In true Jerome fashion, he did it his own way. Jerome would get the local papers and gay rags (Sentinel, B.A.R., Bay Guardian, Chronicle, Examiner), read up on politicians, and discuss politics with his friends.

Activism Jerome's Way

Another lovely, little-known fact about Jerome is that he was an activist at heart, and he used his art as both a weapon and an educational tool. Jerome’s painting — The Happy Solders [sic], addressed 90’s politics about gays in the military and the heated controversy surrounding Senator Sam Nunn.

Nunn was a conservative Democratic politician who strongly supported the Don't Ask, Don't Tell (DADT) policy and actively worked to prevent gays and lesbians from serving in the military.

This painting illustrates how Jerome resisted and protested through his art. He knew he had a platform and a medium that reached people. He powerfully shared his views and insights with his community and, ultimately, the world.

If you look closely at this painting, you will see how Jerome used symbolism and satire to tell a complex political story. Humor and horror, along with clever, contradictory images are all part of Jerome’s provocative, artistic arsenal. He painted Nunn as a demonic nun with blood on one hand and a fiery crucifix in the other. To make this piece even creepier, Nunn’s flesh was painted with glow-in-the-dark nail polish. To contrast Nunn’s evil, Jerome painted an interracial gay couple tenderly holding each other arm-in-arm. The yellow smiley face wearing an army helmet and war paint is a perfect expression of Jerome’s subversive, kitschy humor.

2020 Foresight

The longer I study The Happy Solders, the more I realize Jerome was painting the future. Religious hypocrisy exposed; gays openly serving in the military; broad acceptance of interracial relationships — Jerome served up all of this with his signature black humor. It’s a political fuck you that says, “I told you so!”

Today was an extraordinary, historical decision by the Supreme Court to protect LGBTQ+ rights. I know that if Jerome were still alive today, he would have taken to the streets. We would have laughed together in celebration, and he surely would have painted about it too.

"The Happy Solders" [sic] — by Jerome Caja
(nail polish on wood plaque)
10 1/2 in. x 6 1/2 in. x 1 in.
circa 1985-1995

PLEASE NOTE: All images and photos in this blog post (except for Jerome Caja's painting "The Happy Solders") have been excerpted from other websites and the copyright belongs to the respective owners.

NYT Link: Civil Rights Law Protects L.G.B.T. Workers, Supreme Court Rules
Wikipedia Link: Samuel Augustus Nunn Jr.
Wikipedia Link: Don't Ask, Don't Tell
Website Link: Daniel Nicoletta
Website Link: Jim James

Post by Anthony Cianciolo

Justices of the United States Supreme Court

Jerome Caja on Castro Street, Halloween
October 31, 1990
by Daniel Nicoletta

Jerome Caja as Konnie Krishna, circa 1990
by Jim James

The Happy Solders [sic]
circa 1985-1995
by Jerome Caja

DETAIL: Sam Nunn
in a nun's habit
by Jerome Caja

DETAIL: gay couple
holding each other
by Jerome Caja

United States Senator
from Georgia
Sam Nunn

PRIDE IS A PROTEST: Jerome Poster at 7th & Market

6/9/2020

Jerome Caja is Honored and Remembered for His Radical Self-Expression in San Francisco's “Art on Market Street Poster Series” — June through August 2020

Check out Win Mixter’s new “JEROME CAJA: Pride is a Protest” poster on the Muni bus shelter at the northeast corner of 7th & Market in San Francisco's Tenderloin district. It is part of the “Art on Market Street Poster Series” from the San Francisco Arts Commission (SFAC), in celebration of the 50th anniversary of Gay Freedom Day.

It is a fabulous, large, double-sided, B&W poster. If you look closely, Win Mixter incorporates all of Jerome’s iconic imagery from his paintings and drag performances (nailpolish bottles, crucifixes, scary clowns, eggs, birds, worms, cocks, lingerie, smiley faces, frowning faces, and angel wings). In the center is a powerful portrait inspired by Catherine Opie’s famous 1993 cibachrome print of Jerome. I love that Win chose to have Jerome’s eyes closed. It perfectly captures Jerome’s centrality and centeredness during the explosive years of AIDS, activism, and art in San Francisco during the late 80’s and early 90’s.

Thank you Win Mixter and SFAC for including Jerome Caja in your 2020 Art on Market Street Series.

I also want to do a very special shout-out to Craig Corpora (Public Art Programming Associate at SFAC) for constantly keeping Jerome’s spirit alive in San Francisco — THANK YOU CRAIG!

Jerome Caja (detail) 2020
by Win Mixter

Jerome Caja (detail) 1993
by Catherine Opie

Jerome Caja "Pride is a Protest" poster located at 7th & Market street bus shelter, 2020
by Win Mixter & the San Francisco Arts Commission

2020 Art on Market Street Poster Series by SFAC

The San Francisco Arts Commission (SFAC) explores and calls attention to the diverse people, places and events of San Francisco’s queer culture. Win Mixter presents his 2020 project “Pride is a Protest,” a series of 36 unique black-and-white posters, covering 18 different subjects that re-center the narrative of our annual Pride celebrations away from rainbow capitalism to its original principles of resistance and rebellion.

Win Mixter (Designer & Illustrator)

“Over the decades, Pride in San Francisco as around the world has evolved into something vastly different than the original organizers envisioned. By centering on stories of resistance and radical self-expression, the project tries to recapture some of the brave and defiant ways in which queers have liberated themselves and demanded their own freedoms over the last 50+ years.”

Rebekah Krell (Acting Director of Cultural Affairs)

“The Arts Commission is thrilled to showcase the richness of San Francisco’s queer history through Win Mixter’s poster series. Our city has a legacy of activism and we are a world leader in advancing LGBTQ civil rights. Every year we honor the struggles and celebrate the achievements of our diverse queer community during Pride Month. Mixter’s tribute does both beautifully.”

LOGISTICS & DETAILS
WHO: Win Mixter & SFAC
WHAT: Jerome Caja's "Pride is a Protest" Poster
WHEN: On display in June, July & August of 2020
WHERE: Northeast corner bus shelter at 7th & Market Street
WHY: Celebrating SF's 50th Anniversary of Gay Freedom Day (Pride)

Post by Anthony Cianciolo

Ric Warren’s “Venus with a Penis” Finds a New Home

5/25/2020

Preserving, Protecting and Promoting Jerome Caja’s Artistic Legacy

This is at the core of our mission here at The Jerome Project. The removal of Ric Warren’s Jerome video from YouTube underscores the importance of our goal.

Several weeks back I got an email from my friend Ric, who was frustrated and annoyed with YouTube for pulling his Jerome Caja video “Venus with a Penis” off their website. Ric had first posted the video long before I even created The Jerome Project back in 2010. His video was key in keeping Jerome’s spirit alive for many, many years, and it was also instrumental in illustrating the need for a feature-length documentary film on Jerome.

Like many of us queers from the late 80’s and early 90’s in San Francisco, we are activists at heart and do not take No for an answer. Ric kept re-publishing “Venus with a Penis” many times, but it was always getting taken down for supposedly violating YouTube’s adult-content policies. It had been public for over 10+ years without any red flags or inappropriate-content problems.

Is it porn? Is it art? Is it pornographic art? Do we know it when we see it? It seems that Ric’s video is mistakenly getting flagged as inappropriate content or pornography based on the name alone, “Venus with a Penis.”

Or did Ric’s video get taken down because Jerome…

poses like a 50’s pin-up model on his back with his legs spread wide open?
attempts to seduces a goat outside while slinking around in women’s lingerie?
wields a Michael Myers-sized kitchen knife for our viewing pleasure?
fake pukes in a toilet and then attempts to fellate his own fist?
takes a bubble bath and enjoys himself orgasmically while Mr. Rubber Duckie is perched on the back of the toilet and watches voyeuristically?
performs ancient erotic theater in a bathtub and re-enacts un-consensual sex scenes between a troll doll and an innocent child doll?
has Mickey Mouse and Mini Mouse dolls talk dirty to each other while they frolic in the bathtub with him?

I am very curious to know which of the YouTube categories Ric’s film violates. Is it their “Nudity & Sexual Content Policies” or is it the new “Child Safety Policies”? After reading YouTube’s fine print, my hunch is that Jerome’s silly filthy “Mouseketeer” talk is what flagged Venus with a Penis as inappropriate.

Needless to say, I told Ric it would be an honor to permanently house his lovely Jerome video on The Jerome Project’s website.

— Thank you, Ric Waren!

CONTENT NOT ALLOWED ON YOUTUBE:
Hate speech, predatory behavior, graphic violence, malicious attacks, and content that promotes harmful or dangerous behavior isn't allowed on YouTube.

NUDITY & SEXUAL CONTENT:
Don’t post content on YouTube if it has any of the items below.

Depiction of genitals, breasts, or buttocks (clothed or unclothed) for the purpose of sexual gratification
Pornography depicting sexual acts, genitals, or fetishes for the purpose of sexual gratification

CHILD SAFETY ON YOUTUBE:
Misleading family content that targets young minors and families, but contains:

Sexual themes
Violence
Obscenity or other mature themes not suitable for young audiences
Family friendly cartoons that target young minors and contain adult or age-inappropriate themes such as violence, sex, death, drugs etc.

Other Jerome Caja Content by Ric Warren that is still up on YouTube:
PLEASE NOTE: Both of these videos are animated slideshows

Jerome Caja 1958 – 1995
Length: 00:06:56

Jerome Caja Paintings / Performance
Length: 00:01:02

Post by Anthony Cianciolo

THE JEROME PROJECT: 2020 Lewis Walden Vinyl Drive

5/17/2020

ATTENTION: Jerome Caja Lovers, DJ Lovers, Vinyl Lovers & most importantly Lewis Walden Lovers — As many of you have heard, our friend Lewis recently lost his entire record collection (5000+ albums). This music was integral to San Francisco’s queer counterculture nightlife in the late 80’s & early 90’s (Club Screw, Club Chaos & Club Uranus). Lewis Walden and Michael Blue created these clubs that set the stage for Jerome to perform his signature spastic go-go dancing and infamous skag-drag performances.

Jerome’s close friend, Adam Klein (AKA Miss Rena McDonald), said it best in his book Jerome After the Pageant — “Thanks to Chaos and Club Uranus for allowing the lunatics to take over the asylum.”

Let’s help build Lewis’s vinyl collection back up again. We all know that these types of personal art collections are way more than just stuff in the end. They are our archives, our history, and a lifeline in times of need. It is our intent to help out a friend right now, and with your help, let’s rebuild and create something new for Lewis!

THE JEROME PROJECT: 2020 Lewis Walden Vinyl Drive

PART I: If you have any vintage vinyl (especially club music from the late 80’s & early 90’s) that you want to donate, please fill out this GoogleDrive subbmission form and we can coordinate a local SF drop-off/hand-off. We will house your gifts and with the help of other Lewis Lovers (Don Baird, Stevyn Polk, Derek Boyle) we will transport all this newly gifted music to Lewis personally. It is our hope to be bringing him thousands of albums in a month.

PART II: Make sure to double-check your contact info (name, phone, email) and don’t forget to hit the submit button at the bottom of the form so we can get back to you ASAP and coordinate a SF drop-off. It will be in the Mission District near the intersection of 22nd & Dolores. If you cannot drop them off, please let us know so we can arrange a pick-up.

PART III: Your gift can be either anonymous or personal. If you want, please feel free to use yellow stickies on your album covers and write your name and add anything else personal that you want to say directly to Lewis. We know he would love to hear from you.

PART IV: Spread the word. If you know of anybody that would like to participate in helping Lewis out, please share this link on your FaceBook page or kindly ask your friends and family if they would like to contribute. This is not about replacing what was, but is about building a new collection.

Lewis was a lifeline for so many of us here in SF back in the late 80’s & early 90’s. He was very generous to us all as a DJ and inspired many of us to build our own music collections. This is our way of thanking him. It is our hope that we as a community can pull together a couple thousand (or more) priceless vinyl gems so that Lewis has a new collection for his new home!

Lewis — WE ALL LOVE YOU!

JEROME CAJA
Go-go dancing at Club Uranus

JEROME CAJA
Crucifixion at Club Screw

PLEASE NOTE: Because this is a gift, we kindly ask that you not just dump a bunch of old vinyl to off-load it. Please select meaningful stuff with intent. Again any club music from the 80’s & 90’s is most appreciated (Rock, Industrial, Electronic-Dance, Techno, etc). We are also NOT limiting this gift to just vinyl; CD’s are also welcome. If you are not able to drop music off, you can also send it through the US post office via “Media Mail.” It is quite inexpensive. Contact us directly for the address.

ALTERNATIVELY: For all those Lewis Lovers out there that do not live in the Bay Area and would like to help, you can also order an online AMOEBA Music Store Gift Certificate here. If you decide to go this route you would not only be helping Lewis but also helping a local small business that has been shut down since mid March. Make sure to select “Ship to New Address” on AMOEBA’S form and insert this address info — P.O. Box 14842, San Francisco CA 94114.

LASTLY: To help Lewis track gift certificates, please make sure to also fill out the GoogleDrive submission form with your contact info — THANK YOU!

VINYL DRIVE: Online GoogleDrive Submission Form

VINYL DRIVE: Amoeba Store Gift Certificate

GOOGLE LINK: 2020 Lewis Walden Vinyl Drive Form
AMOEBA LINK: Purchase Music Store Gift Certificate
LEWIS WALDEN'S FB LINK: www.facebook.com/Dj.Lewis.SF
THE JEROME PROJECT'S FB LINK: www.facebook.com/thejeromeproject
THE JEROME PROJECT'S WEBSITE LINK: www.thejeromeproject.com

* All Jerome photos are excerpted from Lewis Walden's FaceBook Page

Post by Anthony Cianciolo, Derek Boyle, Don Baird & Stevyn Polk

NITZER EBB
That Total Age

REVOLTING COCKS
Beers, Steers & Queers

FRONT 242
Front by Front

SFMOMA: A Celebration of Jerome Caja

10/13/2019

On this special evening, SFMOMA partners with Visual AIDS to honor collection artist Jerome Caja (1958–1995).

Join artists Justin Vivian Bond and Cliff Hengst, as well as Anthony Cianciolo, founder of The Jerome Project, for a conversation with Visual AIDS staff about Caja’s life, work, and legacy.

A San Francisco Art Institute alum, Caja was a powerful visual artist, drag performer, and provocateur who transgressed the supposed boundaries of gender, performance, and art in the nightclub and art-world scenes of San Francisco during the late 1980s and early ‘90s. In his visual art practice, Caja was known for using unconventional materials — ranging from nail polish and eyeliner to human ashes — to express themes of spirituality, mortality, and sexuality.

This evening will include a presentation of rare archival video clips and ephemera from the artist, and is also the West Coast launch for the Visual AIDS book, DUETS: Nayland Blake and Justin Vivian Bond on Jerome Caja, which will be available for purchase. Refreshments will be served.

A Celebration of Jerome Caja:

Thursday, Oct 17, 2019

7:00 p.m. in the Koret Education Center, Floor 2

PLEASE NOTE: This event is part of SFMOMA's Local Affairs. It is free and open to the public; museum admission is not required.

IMAGE CAPTION: Jerome Caja, Portrait, ca. 1990; collection SFMOMA, gift of the artist; © Estate of Jerome Caja; photo: Katherine Du Tie.

Participants:

Justin Vivian Bond, trans-genre artist living in New York City; writer, visual artist, and performer on- and off-Broadway, in film, and on television.

Cliff Hengst, San Francisco–based artist and performer.

Anthony Cianciolo, founder of The Jerome Project, a multi-platform art history project created to preserve, protect, and further the artistic legacy of Jerome Caja.

Esther McGowan, executive director of Visual AIDS.

Kyle Croft, programs manager of Visual AIDS.

Post by Anthony Cianciolo

Candystore’s Blue Devil & Blond Venus

9/19/2019

Candystore’s Blue Devil & Blond Venus

Several months back Nayland Blake put me in contact with his friend Jarett Earnest, an art writer. Jarrett was looking to secure permission to use Jerome’s painting The Ascension of the Fruit Bowl on the cover of a new chapbook titled Hi Angels. The book is a collection of short poems written by Candystore. Each poem begins with the phrase “Hi angel” and then takes you on an unexpected journey.

It was a delight reading the elegant mock-up Jarett sent. I could easily see Jerome’s art paired with these poems. I was also intrigued by the name Candystore. Once I landed on Candystore’s website, I had a blast looking at provocative images of her in various outrageous, colorful, skimpy, flamboyant drag outfits (www.hicandy.store).

The similarity between Jerome and Candystore is uncanny. Both sexualize fruit and flowers while wearing little more than bits of lace. Candystore reminds me of Jerome in Ric Warren’s infamous San Francisco photo shoots!

I quickly learned that Candystore is a multidisciplinary artist, poet, and performer from San Jose who now lives in New York City. I loved the creative use of “She-he” as a gender-fuck pronoun on Candystore’s about page. It cleverly and powerfully flips the derogatory “He-she” phrase used in the early 80’s & 90’s to dismissively describe transvestites, transexuals and crossdressers.

Eventually Candystore and I talked on the phone. Within a matter of days we worked together to get permission from SFMOMA to allow us to use their high-resolution image of The Ascension of the Fruit Bowl. Claudia La Rocco and David Rozelle at SFMOMA helped expedite this process while under a tight deadline. Once the cover design was established, Candystore surprised me at the last minute by deciding to dedicate Hi Angels to Jerome. She asked me for six or seven more images of works by Jerome to use as illustrations throughout the book. How could I say no to that!

Clearly, Candystore gets Jerome and wants to introduce him to a whole new audience!

Candystore and I then sifted through a stack of images of Jerome’s art until she picked some beautiful pieces that have never been published before. The painting Hot Coffee To Go was one of them, along with a personal favorite of mine, a marvelous untitled metal container painting with a blond, nude Venus on one side, and a blue, nude devil on the other (see images attached). If you look closely at the Venus/Devil piece you will see Venus has a phallus and is standing on her half shell while riding the waves and holding a runny egg over her head. On the flip side of the piece, a smirking devil, standing on a pile of burning human skulls, holds a heated cast-iron skillet over his head, ready to fry an egg. Both of these images are painted on the outside of a metal clam-shell business-card case. Jerome’s lovely works of art are a beautiful complement to Candystore’s writing!

I know if Jerome were around today, he would be tickled pink to see his paintings published in this beautiful art book, Hi Angels, and I have no doubt the two of them would have been drag sisters.

Thank you, Candystore, it has been an honor to collaborate with you!

ANGEL of DEATH FANTASIES

Hi angel
I’m wet
I’m smelly
Yes it’s August and raining
But you notice what I’m wearing
I notice when you’re staring
I think I look hot
Like a wet model waist deep in the ocean
The Amazon rainforest is on fire
And still I think everybody loves me
In this floral pink raincoat
In this rising sea
On this melting planet
I feel hot, too
My raincoat is pure plastic
Cute sweaty plastic
You know that I can take it
To the next level, baby
I want to die in this rain coat
So it fuses to my skin
When the world ends
When we all liquify
Become atmosphere
Or whatever is left of it
A child smiled at me
They know we don’t have much longer
I might feel honorable
And crouch over them like at Pompeii
Incinerate together
Triple layer of pink goo
If you feel it
Let it happen

by Candystore

Special Thanks to the Shannon Michael Cane Memorial Fund

Candystore's book of poems, HI Angels, was made possible through the Shannon Michael Cane Memorial Fund, a grant awarded to first time exhibitors at Printed Matter’s Art Book Fair. As the previous organizer of Printed Matter’s Art Book Fair, Shannon Michael Cane (1974 - 2017) championed queer artists, DIY bookmakers, and freaks of all stripes.

Candystore at the 2019 New York Art Book Fair

All images of Candystore are subject to copyright and were taken by Jonathan Grassi. Candystore will be autographing and selling them at her booth at the 2019 NY Art Book Fair. For more info please contact either of them directly — THANK YOU!

COPYRIGHT: ©️Jonathan Grassi, 2018-2019
EMAIL: jonathan@jonathangrassi.com
WEBSITE: http://www.jonathangrassi.com

EMAIL: hicandystore@gmail.com
WEBSITE: https://www.hicandy.store

Post by Anthony Cianciolo

Photo: Jerome Caja
by Ric Warren

Photo: Candystore
by Jonathan Grassi

Photo: Jerome Caja
by Ric Warren

Untitled (outside): Devil & Venus
by Jerome Caja

Untitled (inside): Devil & Venus
by Jerome Caja

Photo: Jerome Caja
by Ric Warren

Candystore’s New Book Includes Jerome Caja’s Artwork

9/9/2019

Candystore & Jerome at the 2019 New York Art Book Fair

If you are in New York this week, check out the New York Art Book Fair at MOMA PS1. Candystore will be there to promote her new book with Jerome’s art and will be signing copies at her booth in the zine tent.

BOOK FAIR DATES:
September 20 - 22, 2019

BOOK FAIR HOURS:
Friday, September 20, 2019 (1:00 pm – 7:00 pm)
Saturday, September 21, 2019 (11:00 am – 8:00 pm)
Sunday, September 22, 2019 (11:00 am – 7:00 pm)

BOOK FAIR ADDRESS & LOCATION:
MoMA PS1 — Booth A79
22-25 Jackson Avenue
Long Island City, NY 11101

CONTACT INFO:
LINK: Candystore's Email
LINK: Candystore's Website
LINK: Candystore's Booth
LINK: Pre-order Hi Angeles
LINK: Printed Matter's Website

Special Thanks to the Shannon Michael Cane Memorial Fund

Candystore's book of poems, HI Angels, was made possible through the Shannon Michael Cane Memorial Fund, a grant awarded to first time exhibitors at Printed Matter’s Art Book Fair. As the previous organizer of Printed Matter’s Art Book Fair, Shannon Michael Cane (1974 - 2017) championed queer artists, DIY bookmakers, and freaks of all stripes.

**Pre-order books will NOT be shipped**

PLEASE NOTE: At the moment, the NY Art Book Fair is the only place where you can purchase Hi Angels. You can also pre-order the book on Candystore’s website for delivery at the fair. We will keep you posted on other options for those of you who are not in the NYC area. If you have any questions please feel free to contact Candystore.

**All Candystore photos by Jonathan Grassi ©2018**

by Anthony Cianciolo

Poetry Chapbook: Hi Angels
by Candystore

2019 Poster: NY Art Book Fair
by Printed Matter

New Jerome Caja Show at Sonoma State University

9/9/2019

Over 50 pieces of Jerome's art & ephemera is now on display!

The Sonoma State University Library is showing Queeries: Queer Artists & Identity from August 19 to December 13, 2019. The multimedia exhibit commemorates the 50th Anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising and the following decades of LGBTQ+ liberation, and features Bay Area artists Jerome Caja (The Jerome Project), Jeffrey Cheung, Seth Eisen, Jeremy Novy, the Queer Ancestors Project, and Silky Shoemaker.

Information about the artists and other resources can be found in the LGBTQ+ Resource Guide.

Originally showcased at the 2018 Sonoma County Pride Celebration, LGBTQI History: A Sonoma County Timeline 1950s-1999 is also on display. The show is located in the Library Gallery on the second floor of the Jean and Charles Schulz Information Center.

Jerome Caja Lecture & Reception

Save the date: Thursday October 3, 2019, for a free public lecture on Jerome Caja and his artistic process. This is part of the Fall 2019 Visiting Artist Lecture Series, in Schroeder Hall at the Green Music Center on the beautiful Sonoma State University campus.

The lecture will be from noon to 12:55 pm, followed by a reception in the library gallery from 4:00 pm to 5:30 pm (see logistics below). Please stay tuned. We will post more details about these events soon.

We hope to see you there!

RSVP: Email library@sonoma.edu or call 707.664.2397 for a reception parking pass. Parking $5 all other times.

DATES:
Opening Date: Monday, August 19, 2019
Closing Date: Friday, December 13, 2019
Lecture Date: Thursday, October 3, 2019 (12:00 pm to 12:55 pm)
Reception Date: Thursday, October 3, 2019 (4:00 pm to 5:30 pm)

LIBRARY GALLERY HOURS:
7:00 AM to Midnight (Monday to Thursday)
7:30 AM to 5:00 PM (Friday)
10:00 AM to 5:00 PM (Saturday)
Noon to 9:00 PM (Sunday)

CAMPUS LOCATION:
1801 E Cotati Ave, Rohnert Park, CA 94928

CONTACT: library@sonoma.edu

by Anthony Cianciolo

New Jerome Caja Show in Chicago at Wrightwood 659

5/26/2019

ABOUT FACE: Stonewall, Revolt and New Queer Art

ABOUT FACE: Stonewall, Revolt and New Queer Art is the latest exhibition to include Jerome Caja’s work. This is one of the largest group showings of queer artwork in North America and naturally a perfect place to introduce Jerome to new audiences. The show opens May 22nd and will be on display until July 20th (see details below).

One hundred eighteen pieces of Jerome’s art are hung in his signature salon style, much like the way he displayed his own work. This is an extraordinary collection of pieces, with everything from nail-polish container paintings, tip trays, assemblages, ink drawings, to a rare ceramic wall piece that is still intact. More than half of this Jerome collection has not been displayed since his death in 1995. The exhibition also includes Jerome pieces from two local Chicago collectors, one of whom was friends with him in Cleveland before he left for San Francisco. This is one of the largest groupings of Jerome’s art on display in over 20 years.

The curator of ABOUT FACE is Jonathan David Katz, PhD, Visiting Professor of Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies at the University of Pennsylvania and chair of the doctoral program in Visual Studies at the University at Buffalo.

The show is spread out over four floors in the Alphawood Foundation’s new Wrightwood 659 exhibition space. ABOUT FACE includes over 45 artists and spotlights over 500 works of art that range from photography, pantings, letterpress and silk-screen prints, sculptures, hand-made sculpted dolls, video and film installations, and much more.

Sneak Peak of the Jerome Caja Exhibit

This is a panoramic video illustrating the 118 pieces of Jerome Caja's artwork displayed on the 4th floor gallery of Wrightwood 659. The show is installed in five sections: Transgress, Transfigure, Transpose, Transform, and Transcend. Jerome is showcased on the top floor, in the Transcend section.

ADDRESS: 659 W. Wrightwood, Chicago, IL 60614
PHONE: 773.437.6601
EMAIL: info@wrightwood659.org

LINK: Wrightwood 659 Website
LINK: Exhibition Description
LINK: Make Reservations

PLEASE NOTE: Reservations are needed to view the exhibition. Use the reservation link listed above to select a date and time.

About Face: Stonewall, Revolt and New Queer Art is made possible by the Alphawood Foundation Chicago.

by Anthony Cianciolo

SFMOMA Acquires Jerome Caja’s Shroud of Buddha

12/16/2018

Written by Jeff Parker & Craig Corpora

The Shroud of Buddha (1992) is the first addition to Jerome Caja’s other artworks in the SFMOMA collection since the the artist’s death in 1995.

Jerome faced his own mortality from AIDS by tailoring three life-sized shrouds: The Shroud of Bozo, The Shroud of Glam-O-Rama, and The Shroud of Buddha, each one a perfect fit for his public personas: the clown, a drag queen, an enigmatic muse. The shrouds started out as rubbings of his made-up face, his living flesh forming the facial features. Ghostly smudges from mascara, eye shadow, foundation, blush, lipstick on his face were transferred to textile, stretched, embedded with his own “DNA,” then gloriously and elaborately embellished, and marketed as “genuine.”

Jerome described The Shroud of Bozo, “as wide as bed sheet, with hair out to here,” gesturing with arms spread. The Shroud of Glam-O-Rama was on a cheesecloth-type material, “wispy, sparkly, and delicate, so you could see through it in places.” The shrouds all included shadowy imprints of hands or fingers clutching the textile, supporting it in place; the artist taking creative control, shaping his own final arrangements. “You can tell it’s me in The Shroud of Buddha by my nail polish,” he laughed, flickering his red fingernails before his eyes.

Today it appears that only The Shroud of Buddha survives. Jeff Parker and James Collins purchased it from the artist in 1992 with the understanding that it would eventually be donated to the SFMOMA, and this unrestricted gift fulfills that promise.

The Shroud of Buddha was created for and premiered at The Remains of the Day exhibition at Southern Exposure Gallery in 1992. The Remains of the Day, guest curated by City Lights Books editor Amy Scholder and artist/designer Rex Ray, was a powerful testimony and elegy to the effects of AIDS on an artist’s career. Jerome Caja used a friend and mentor’s ashes, the cremains of Charles Sexton, who had died from AIDS the year before at age 34, to create works of art for this groundbreaking and challenging show. This exhibit was installed in San Francisco well before the ACT UP Ashes to Action protest where activists staged a “political funeral” to express grief and rage at President George H.W. Bush’s inaction, by dumping the ashes of loved ones who died from AIDS on the White House lawn in Washington, DC.

The Shrouds are ghosts and reliquaries of the vanished artist; as clown, as drag queen, and as a joyful participant in the sorrows of the world: “It really is me behind there, and I am watching you.”

Special thanks to Anthony Cianciolo of The Jerome Project and the Estate of Jerome Caja for their work in preserving and promoting Jerome’s legacy.

Collection SFMOMA – Gift of Jeff Parker &
James Collins, 2018

New Jerome Caja Book & Panel Discussion by Visual AIDS

9/9/2018

DUETS: Nayland Blake & Justin Vivian Bond in Conversation on Jerome Caja

Come celebrate Jerome at the New York Art Book Fair on Saturday September 22nd at MoMA PS1. There will be a panel discussion from 3:00-4:00 PM between Nayland Blake, Anna van der Meulen, and myself, moderated by Visual AIDS Programs Director Alex Fialho. This is an hourlong event launching the new DUETS Jerome Caja book, which features an insightful conversation between Nayland Blake and Justin Vivian Bond. There will also be 10 minutes of never-before seen vintage film footage of Jerome from the upcoming new documentary currently in production about Jerome Caja and his art.

Purchase Your Book Now From Visual AIDS for only $10.00

LOGISTICS
NY Art Book Fair
Sept. 21-23, 2018
Website: www.nyartbookfair.com
Website: http://visualaids.org/events/detail/visual-aids-at-the-ny-art-book-fair-2018

ART BOOK FAIR HOURS
Thursday (Preview), Sept. 20, 6-9pm (Ticketed)
Friday, Sept. 21, 1-7pm
Saturday, Sept. 22, 11am-9pm
Sunday, Sept. 23, 11am-7pm

LOCATION
MoMA PS1, Long Island City, Queens
(MoMA PS1 is located at 22-25 Jackson Avenue on 46th Avenue, Long Island City, NY)

DUETS JEROME PANEL DISCUSSION
Saturday, Sept. 22nd from 3:00-4:00 PM
(Hosted by Visual AIDS, moderated by Alex Fialho, and the panel includes Nayland Blake, Anna van der Meulen & Anthony Cianciolo)

VISUAL AIDS PANEL EVENT PAGE
Website: Jerome Caja DUETS Book Launch with Nayland Blake, Anthony Cianciolo and Anna van der Meulen

ONLINE BOOK PURCHASE ORDERS
Website: DUETS: Nayland Blake & Justin Vivian Bond In Conversation on Jerome Caja

Image Copyrights: Jerome Caja photo courtesy Jim James (www.photojimsf.com) & the painting Venus in Cleveland courtesy of The Jerome Project & Smithsonian Institution Archives of American Art.

by Anthony Cianciolo

Jerome Caja in Group Art Show — Objects of Mutual Affection

11/15/2017

Jerome at Royal Nonesuch Gallery in Oakland

Matt Sussman kindly invited me to speak about Jerome Caja on a panel that he organized titled Real Fictional Depth. This is in conjunction with the current exhibition, Objects of Mutual Affection, that features art from various New Narrative writers' homes, including a painting by Jerome on loan from Bruce Boone.

Matt wanted to open up a discussion about Jerome’s legendary, rule-breaking, San Francisco underground queer performances.

Because the world was Jerome’s stage and never limited to just clubs and cabarets, Jerome was constantly performing in all sorts of unconventional creative ways and environments. I will share 3-4 video clips from my documentary film on Jerome Caja that illustrate the various platforms he utilized to capture our attention, and most importantly, to get his art out into the world.

The presentation is at Royal NoneSuch Gallery in Oakland on November 15th and will start at 6:00 PM. For details, see below. I hope to see you there!

EXHIBITION DETAILS
Title: Objects of Mutual Affection
Curated by: Matt Sussman
Hosted by: Royal NoneSuch Gallery

Dates: October 7, 2017 through to December 10, 2017
Hours: Sat & Sun from 1:00—4:00 PM & by appointment
Address: 4231 Telegraph Ave. Oakland, CA 94609

Objects of Mutual Affection presents art from the homes of Bay Area writers Dodie Bellamy, Bruce Boone, Robert Glück, Kevin Killian, and Jocelyn Saidenberg. Instigators and practitioners of what has come to be called New Narrative writing, these individuals have also been vital participants in the Bay Area’s visual arts communities. Their frequent collaborations with artists have included publishing ventures, performances, and exhibitions, alongside a steady output of writing on visual art, including essays, profiles, and reviews. The pieces in Objects of Mutual Affection provide a record of the overlapping social and creative worlds in which these activities have taken place. Filled with mementos of decades-long friendships, art world crushes, serendipitous encounters, and departed lovers, Objects of Mutual Affection is both an extended family portrait of a creative community and a reconsideration of “collecting” as something other than a private or financial enterprise.

PANEL DISCUSSION DETAILS
Title: Real Fictional Depth - An Evening of Performance & Video
Moderated by: Matt Sussman
Hosted by: Royal NoneSuch Gallery

Date: One night only on November 15, 2017
Hours: 6:00—8:00 PM
Address: 4231 Telegraph Ave. Oakland, CA 94609

In conjunction with the exhibition Objects of Mutual Affection, Royal NoneSuch Gallery and guest curator Matt Sussman are pleased to present Real Fictional Depth - An Evening of Performance and Video by artists featured in the exhibition.

Bob Glück and Dean Smith will present their latest video collaboration. Poet and visual artist Dee Dee Kramer will read from her selection of collage poems, and filmmaker Anthony Cianciolo will present rare footage of the late, great painter and trash-drag goddess, Jerome Caja.

FaceBook Event: Real Fictional Depth, An Evening of Performance & Video
Gallery Website: www.royalnonesuchgallery.com

by Anthony Cianciolo

Jerome Caja & the Bubble Lounges Panel

8/13/2017

Thank you all for coming out and participating in the vibrant panel discussion!

It was a full house with many familiar faces from the club scene and the art world. The panel used Jerome as a launching point for a public conversation about a misfit group of punks, activists, artists, dykes, trans, and queers who went to clubs like Screw, Chaos, and Uranus to celebrate life at a time when they did not know if they were going to make it out alive. Back then, the club scene, midnight cabarets and talk shows, and underground art galleries, like Rick Jacobsen’s Kiki Gallery, were integral parts of the activism and protests propelling the fight against AIDS in the late 80’s and early 90’s.

Panelists & Participants:

STEVEN WOLF started the evening off with thanks and appreciation for everyone’s participation. He set the stage for a lovely, heartfelt evening.

GLEN HELFAND was the moderator for the panel. He guided a conversation that was more historical than just nostalgic, with a strong emphasis on the impact the clubs, Jerome, and other artists of the era had on San Francisco.

ANTHONY CIANCIOLO presented vintage video clips from Club Uranus and the 1992 Miss Uranus pageant, which showcased the hair-raising siren sounds of Miss Rena McDonald (Adam Klein) and the nauseating splendor of Carnitas Jones (Cliff Hengst). Anthony also talked about the importance of Lewis Walden and Michael Blue in providing a forum where Jerome’s gender-fuck go-go performances and ugly pageants were as important as the audience’s cathartic participation.

ALVIN ORLOFF of the Popstitutes talked about the importance of Tony Vaguely’s huge body of work, including the Sick & Twisted Players’ productions of Exorcist: A Dance Macabre, A Very Brady Friday the 13th, and Texas Chainsaw 90210. Alvin had a beautiful slideshow spotlighting the unforgettable presence and work of the fabulous Diet Popstitute. He also shared all kinds of handmade Popstitute ephemera like club flyers, DIY plastic flower miniskirts, and a ridiculous, towering synthetic-hair hat that he modeled for us.

TERENCE ALAN SMITH reminded us that the queer uprising was not unique to San Francisco; it flowered simultaneously in Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, and elsewhere. Terence screened a wonderful excerpt from his interview of Jerome on the Joan Jett Blakk Show at Josie’s Cabaret & Juice Joint. Jerome teeters out onto the stage in skimpy, tattered lingerie. Joan, in tasteful cashmere, interviews Jerome as if they were on the Oprah Winfrey show. Jerome talks about everything from his childhood to having his art stolen from a San Francisco leather bar.

STEVEN MILLER shared several hilarious stories about Jerome. One involved Jerome chasing him around the club and demanding "Come here, you little sex dwarf!" Steven also talked about go-go dancing with Jerome and how he met his current lover through Jerome.

STEVYN POLK’s club Haagen Dazs in the Castro (circa 1988) was a precursor to Screw, Chaos, and Uranus. Steven brought the house down with a very ice-creamy Club Haagen Dazs story about Jerome that is too risqué to mention here. You will have to ask him in person.

LEWIS WALDEN, the man who made much of this possible, joined in the panel discussion. Lewis had no idea what was about to unfold that night.

It was wonderful to have a public forum to acknowledge Lewis and Michael Blue’s seminal contribution to the Art-AIDS-Activism era. Everybody cheered when someone suggested that Lewis start a new club. And most importantly, the ear-to-ear grin on Lewis’s face was priceless!

JESSICA TANZER, a brilliant photographer and activist from San Francisco, said what was on everyone’s hearts and minds — “Thank you, Lewis!”

MICHAEL FLANAGAN eloquently captured the evening with this post on Facebook: “I was reminded of the importance of bearing witness last night at the Bubble Lounges event. A panel member asked how many people had been to the clubs in question (Club Uranus, Club Screw, etc.) and over half of the audience's hands went up. Aside from remembering the good times we are there to remember the impact of our friends, who cannot be there. Their contributions live on in us.”

Anthony Cianciolo & Lewis Walden

Terence Alan Smith & Glen Helfand

The Tiny Bubbles group art show at the SFAC Gallery has been extended for a week, through Saturday, August 26, 2017. The show includes 50 pieces of Jerome Caja’s work. On August 26th, the Arts Commission will hold a special closing-night celebration and procession that honors the original gallery space on Grove Street in the Civic Center. Jerome had a multi-faceted and rich relationship with the SFAC Gallery in both of these spaces. We hope to see you there.

Lastly, thank you Maysoun Wazwaz and Meg Shiffler from the SFAC Gallery for hosting this event. We cannot wait to see the recorded video of the event when it goes live on YouTube.

by Anthony Cianciolo

Rocking Out With Jerome’s Mother Bernardine Caja!

8/7/2017

A big thank you to everyone who helped with the celebration & film shoot!

Monday night’s gathering at the SFAC Gallery was really something special. It was a magical night filled with many familiar faces from Jerome’s old SF stomping grounds (Club Uranus, Chaos & Screw).

The Jerome Project could not have pulled off this lovely party and film shoot without the help of our dedicated friends, supporters, and volunteers. We want to give a big, heartfelt thanks to the following people who were key in welcoming Bernie back to SF and supporting her participation in the documentary film about her beloved son Jerome!

Most importantly, I want to give a very special thank you to Bernie Caja. Thank you you for coming to San Francisco and participating in the documentary film.

Early on I made a promise to Jerome’s family to include them in on ALL things Jerome. Recently, when I was back in Ohio and having a meal with Jerome’s mother, I asked her to come on out and see her son’s work in the Tiny Bubbles exhibition that is on display until August 26th at the SFAC Gallery.

I said — “Bernie, there are 50 pieces of your son’s art on display in San Francisco right now,” — and with a devilish glint in my eye I also said — “Now… there are 5 or 6 pieces that I know are not your cup of tea, BUT there are 45 other pieces you would absolutely love to see! If you want, buy a ticket to come out. I will take care of the rest and get you back to the airport safe and sound.”

I thought this 83-year-old Catholic grandmother from Cleveland would probably not take me up on my offer. She responded, “That is very kind of you, thank you,” and the conversation moved on. Well boy-oh-boy was I wrong about that! Five days later I received an email from Bernie saying she would love to come to San Francisco. I was thrilled that she took me up on my offer and completely terrified of filming her.

Her willingness to come out started an avalanche that moved everything forward. I quickly assembled my crew, I called in all the favors I possibly could, and I started planning the shoot. This was the moment when I knew I was in full swing of production. Everything prior to this point felt like development.

And on top of Bernie's visit, Anna van der Meulen, the executor of Jerome’s estate and dear friend from Cleveland, also said she was coming out for the celebration. This onslaught of Cleveland love and support was completely intoxicating and humbling — thank you Anna!

Last Monday we interviewed Bernie & Anna in conversation about Jerome, his work, and his upbringing. In addition we captured the full day’s events, including Bernie & Anna en route to the gallery, their initial reaction upon seeing the show, and finally the two of them at the party meeting Jerome’s friends and loved ones.

The filming and the event went far beyond my expectations. More than 100 people attended, many of whom also brought artwork from their private collections to share with the public and with Bernie & Anna. The documentary footage we got is absolutely golden — THANK YOU!

We will now be crafting a film excerpt with this new material, and I cannot wait to update you on all of that in the near future.

OX Anthony

Thank you ALL for your love, support & help:

Speakers & Presenters:
Anna van der Meulen
Bernardine Caja
Carl Paganelli
Meg Shiffler
Paul Karlstrom

Film Crew:
Allison Abbate
Bill Weber
Dan Damman
Jesse Dana
Joseph Applebaum
Matthew Riutta
Stu Maddux

Helping Hands:
Anna Paganelli
Barry Lawlor
Derek Boyle
Elena Greenlee
Jason Jakaitis
Laura Wagner
Maysoun Wazwaz
Shawn Case
Texas Star

Champagne & Brownies:
Mission Beach Cafe
Bill Clarke

Loaning Art for the Exhibit:
Bob Smith
David Faulk
Jeff Parker
Jeff Schug
Michael Johnstone
Scott England

Institutional Backing:
Anglim Gilbert Gallery
BAVC
CORE7
SFAC Gallery
SFFILM

Our Tireless Jerome Supporters:
Alvin Orloff
Ashley Pellouchoud
Caroline von Kühn
Curtis Lavery
Dana Jamison
Don Baird
Ed Gilbert
Haluk Kecelioglu
Jacques Savage
Jessica Tanzer
Jim James
Johnny Ray Huston
Kathy O'regan
Lewis Walden
Marc Geller
Matt Flynn
Michael Flanagan
Rick Gerharter
Shannon Trimble
Steven Wolf
Stevyn Polk
Travis Somerville
William Farley
Yvette Kamperin

by Anthony Cianciolo

Celebration with Jerome's Mother at the SFAC Gallery

7/18/2017

MEET JEROME'S MOTHER

Save the date and come celebrate with us on Monday July 31st from 6:00-8:00 PM! Together, let’s all lift a glass in honor of our beloved Jerome and make a toast to his mother, Bernardine Caja. She is coming here from Cleveland, Ohio to see her son’s art at the Tiny Bubbles exhibition at the San Francisco Arts Commission Main Gallery (located at 401 Van Ness Avenue). I am thrilled to announce that The Jerome Project will host and film this special event in honor of her. She has not been here since 1995, so let’s all gather and welcome her back with open arms.

For this private, one-night only affair, we will feature — in addition to the 50 pieces already on display — some very rare Jerome art, ephemera, and memorabilia that you probably have never seen.

Space is limited. Please RSVP directly to us by clicking on the red button below so we can plan accordingly. Light snacks and refreshments will be provided. We will also do a brief media presentation introducing our advisors and collaborators, and give an update on the documentary film.

Lastly, in the past whenever I have done similar gallery events, several Jerome lovers and collectors show up out of the blue with an original piece of artwork in hand. I love this! I am encouraging any of you who own some of Jerome’s smaller pieces to please bring them and share them with us. We would love to see them. I know Jerome's mother would also love to see them too.

We look forward to seeing you there — CHEERS!

-Anthony Cianciolo

www.thejeromeproject.com
www.anthonycianicolo.com

JEROME CAJA CELEBRATION
--------------------------------------------------
Reception & Exhibition Details
Monday July 31, 2017 (one night only)
SFAC Main Gallery (Veterans Building)
401 Van Ness, Ste. 126
San Francisco, CA 94102
Hours: 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM

PLEASE NOTE: This private event will be filmed, and if you do not want to be filmed, just let us know when you arrive. It is our intention to document this moment and showcase it as a celebratory event in the documentary film on Jerome.

by Anthony Cianciolo

Jerome Caja in TINY BUBBLES Group Art Exhibition

4/23/2017

San Francisco Arts Commission Includes Jerome’s Paintings

Come and check out the new San Francisco Arts Commission exhibition, TINY BUBBLES. This is the newest show to include Jerome Caja’s work, which opens on May 3rd and runs through August 19th at the San Francisco Art Commission Main Gallery (Veterans War Memorial Building, 401 Van Ness Avenue, across the street from City Hall). The group show features nine artists whose work is autobiographical, dark, imaginative, and humorous, and includes approximately 45 of Jerome’s pieces. Many of these Jerome paintings have not been exhibited publicly in decades, if at all. See the details below.

Thank You Steven Wolf, Meg Shiffler & Maysoun Wazwaz

Last month I was thrilled to get a call from Steven Wolf (independent curator & gallerist) asking if I could help locate some of Jerome’s art. Steven has long been a champion and lover of Jerome’s work. He was looking for a wide range of Jerome’s art — tip trays, crinkle paintings, container paintings, reliquaries, etc. — from San Francisco collectors. It was important for Steven to have Jerome in this show.

In addition, I want to give a very special shout out and thank you to both Meg Shiffler (Director of SFAC Galleries) and Maysoun Wazwaz (Manager of Education and Public Programs at SFAC Galleries) for making all the thankless, logistical work that goes into creating a show like Tiny Bubbles.

This has been a really enjoyable and lovely experience and I’m happy The Jerome Project could help with this endeavor!

by Anthony Cianciolo

Painting Detail - by Jerome Caja
Miss Piggy Serving Ham & Eggs
Circa 1990

Tiny Bubbles

TINY BUBBLES: A group exhibition curated by Steven Wolf

Tiny Bubbles is a group exhibition curated by independent curator and former gallerist Steven Wolf. The show features nine artists known for producing dark and often funny narratives set in imaginary worlds filled with characters that mirror their own searches for meaning. "Like bubbles in a glass of champagne, the effect of sharing space with these dramatically different worlds will be one of prickly effervescence," says Wolf.

With projects ranging from a multimedia installation by media and video game artist Porpentine Charity Heartscape to a new video collaboration by regional luminaries J. Otto Seibold and Boots Riley to audio by the anonymous prankster Longmont Potion Castle, Tiny Bubbles is sure to challenge and delight visitors.

EXHIBITION DETAILS
May 3, 2017 through to August 19, 2017
SFAC Main Gallery (Veterans Building)
401 Van Ness, Ste. 126
San Francisco, CA 94102
Hours: 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM

OPENING RECEPTION
One night only on May 3, 2017
SFAC Main Gallery (Veterans Building)
Hours: 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM

ARTISTS: Jerome Caja, Lisa Hanawalt, Porpentine Charity Heartscape, Longmont Potion Castle, Megan Reed, Kate Rhoades, J. Otto Seibold and Boots Riley, and V. Vale.

Image Credit: Lisa Hanawalt, Birds Hungry for Worms, 2014.

All SFAC Galleries & exhibitions are free to the public.

Jerome Caja in “The Queer Heroes Coloring Book”

12/4/2016

Check out this playful new addition to the Jerome Caja Repository

Stacked Deck Press just released “The Queer Heroes Coloring Book,” and Jerome Caja is one of the many iconic figures featured (Oscar Wilde, Frida Kahlo, Grace Jones, Marlon Riggs, Keith Harring, Divine, etc.). Artist Justin Hall created a really sweet B&W line drawing inspired by Catherine Opie’s famous 1993 portrait of Jerome.

The Queer Heroes Coloring Book ($15.00 Paperback) – July 29, 2016
by Jon Macy (Author, Editor), Tara Madison Avery (Editor)

"The Queer Heroes Coloring book features 40 true life LGBTQ heroes and icons. The coloring pages are provided by a host of today's most exciting and accomplished queer cartoonists, including Ed Luce, Jennifer Camper, and Howard Cruse. Also included are short bios of the subjects to guide further reading and inform a new generation about LGBTQ history."

Powell’s City of Books: The Queer Heroes Coloring Book
Amazon: The Queer Heroes Coloring Book

The Jerome Caja Repository

The repository is key to the historical preservation aspect of The Jerome Project. We are currently working with art historians to manage the repository and make it available for academic research. If you have anything related to Jerome Caja and are interested in finding a permanent home for your Jerome treasures, consider donating them to our repository. If this interests you, please contact us! For several years now we have been gathering, documenting, photographing, and preserving material related to Jerome (paintings, photos, videos, publications, and artifacts). The Queer Heroes Coloring book, by Jon Macy, is the most recent addition to the hundreds and hundreds of publications already in the repository.

by Anthony Cianciolo

Jerome Caja in the Art AIDS America Chicago Exhibition

12/1/2016

Today, December 1, 2016, is World AIDS Day, and it is also the opening of the Art AIDS America Chicago Exhibition. This show has now been traveling across the US (Tacoma Art Museum in Washington, Zuckerman Museum of Art in Kennesaw State University of Georgia, and the Bronx Museum of the Arts in New York) with Chicago being it's last scheduled stop.

For this final exhibition, the entire collection will be on display. Within the show are three beautiful Jerome Caja pieces: Bozo Fucks Death, Little Yellow Angels, and Shroud of Curad. If you are in the Chicago area, you should treat yourself to this exquisite show. It is like no other and is more timely than ever. The co-curators, Rock Hushka and Jonathan David Katz, succeeded in doing what no other art museum would risk – taking on a large-scale, uncompromising exhibition on art and AIDS. This is not to be missed!

Bozo Fucks Death, 1988
Nail polish on plastic tray

Little Yellow Angels, 1984-93
Nail polish and mixed media on plastic with artist’s frame

Shroud of Curad, 1993
Blood and eyeliner on bandage with artist’s frame

December 1, 2016 through April 2, 2017
Alphawood Gallery, 2401 North Halsted Street Chicago, Illinois 60614

Free Timed Admission Passes Recommended (click here to register online)

“This groundbreaking exhibition underscores the deep and unforgettable presence of HIV in American art. It introduces and explores the whole spectrum of artistic responses to AIDS, from the politically outspoken to the quietly mournful, surveying works from the early 1980s to the present.”

“Art AIDS America will culminate its national tour at the new Alphawood Gallery, established for this presentation by the Alphawood Foundation, at 2401 North Halsted Street (at Fullerton Avenue). The exhibition – opening on World AIDS Day, Thursday, December 1, and continuing through Sunday, April 2, 2017 – will be free and open to the public.”

Website: Art AIDS America Chicago

by Anthony Cianciolo

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