A new exhibit at the University of Houston Libraries features artwork by Nick Vaughan and Jake Margolin, and is based in part on images found within UH Special Collections.

The Scene (Houston: 1969-1981) Hand-cut found road maps, sequined fabric 2017

The Scene (Houston: 1969-1981) consists of eight hand-cut found road maps based on photographs of Houston drag queens. The pieces fit together to make a large map of Houston. Simultaneous exhibitions with excerpts from The Scene are currently on display at the UH MD Anderson Library and Tony’s Corner Pocket through February 28. The complete exhibition will be on display at Devin Borden Gallery beginning March 30.

From the exhibition press release:

The Scene provides a glimpse into Houston’s diverse and thriving drag scene in the years between Stonewall and the beginning of the AIDS crisis, and reflects on the city’s historic and underappreciated role as a destination and refuge for LGBTQ citizens in the Gulf Coast region. Combining images of several of Texas’s most legendary drag queens (Naomi Sims, Mr. Tiffany Jones, and Donna Day) with less well known and amateur performers from the 1970s, The Scene celebrates the integral roll that Houston’s drag community played and continues to play in the LGBT rights movement.