On The DL

Trans-gression Multidisciplinary Arts Festival

by Natalie Hope McDonald

Opening reception Sun., May 4, 4-6 p.m., exhibit runs through May 30, Da Vinci Art Alliance, 704 Catharine St., trans-gression.org

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When Laureen Griffin began the Trans-gression artists' collective during the Philly Fringe Festival two years ago, she did so with the hope of advancing gender diversity among fellow artists. A dozen visual and performance artists have since joined the group and produced works that address gender identity for their first-ever multidisciplinary arts festival.

"Each artist interprets the theme personally," says Griffin, the event's curator. "Some talk about queer or trans identity, gay love and female identity." Others discuss race and class.

While visual art by photogs and painters — including Griffin, Deborah Caiola, Heather Marie Davis-Jones, Kristen Knobluach and Cathleen Miller — will be on display throughout the month, special one-off events will be also held, including a live script-in-hand reading of Tally Brennan's INTERview (May 18) between two characters, young and old, fighting for gay rights; and Justin DeForest's Transman Crossing (May 24-25), a performance of poems, dialogues and journals followed by a Q&A with the writer.

During the festival's film night (May 17), some notable shorts will be showcased, including Susan DiPronio's Nighthawks, based on her experience as a teen runaway, and Griffin's Busting Out, about breast implants. In addition, Justin Jain will screen Beauty Is, his taping of Philly theater troupe Hotel Obligado's show of the same name, about gay men's struggle with crystal meth addiction.

"Most of us are told our work is not sellable or not universal enough to have weight or significance," says Griffin. "My goal is to find artists with strong opinions to whom craft is also important."