Panel Discussion:

Rethinking a tradition for the 21^st Century

5:30 – 6:30 pm

Closing Dance Party 7-10 pm | MASKS MUST BE WORN

Join us for a discussion and closing reception on April 1, 2022.

Responding to the politicization of trans youth and inspired by Gabriel Martínez’s use of repurposed quinceañera dresses in his work,  Quinceañerx: Rethinking a tradition for the 21st Century invites us to rethink and broaden our concept of quinceañera traditions. In his 2022 multidisciplinary work, Paracaídas de Azabaches, on display at Taller Puertorriqueño, he brings awareness to this tradition. A quinceañera traditionally celebrates a girl’s fifteenth birthday and her transition from childhood to adulthood, typically involving a mass followed by a party. As in so many gender-based traditions, it asserts specific ideals of womanhood and femininity, which requires further analysis. The purpose of this discussion is to expand our definition of this coming-of-age tradition as less about becoming an adult and rather becoming more of who one is, an affirmation of identity. Given the abundance of anti-trans legislation we want to explore femininity and masculinity in all forms and affirm non-binary, gender-fluid, and trans experiences. Quinceañerx uses a queer lens to reimagine and update a familiar yet foreign tradition to many of us.

Dress code: 15ñerx Glam

Stay for the Quinceañerx-themed closing reception celebrating the culmination of Gabriel Martínez’s show Un Viaje Entre at Taller Puertorriqueño. With music by local DJ R3M SATIVA and a performance by Mia(The Body)Bombshell, refreshments, and dancing.