ART
American LGBTQ Museum Hires First Exec. Director
Ben Garcia will be charged with initiating fundraising efforts
BY MATT TRACY
The board of the New
York-based American
LGBTQ+ Museum has
hired a new executive
director ahead of the museum’s
anticipated 2024 launch.
Ben Garcia, formerly the deputy
executive director and chief learning
offi cer at the Ohio History Connection,
will lead the LGBTQ+
Museum during a pivotal period
of development as it looks to stand
out as the city’s fi rst museum dedicated
purely to LGBTQ life, culture,
and history.
Garcia, who will assume his new
role on February 14, is charged
with spearheading the museum’s
fundraising efforts to support exhibitions,
educational programs,
and operations, according to a
January 18 announcement.
“To lead the American LGBTQ+
Ben Garcia has been hired as the American LGBTQ Museum’s fi rst executive director.
Museum into this next phase is a
dream realized,” Garcia said in a
written statement. “Together, we
will tell the stories of queer people
AMERICANLGBTQMUSEUM.ORG
in this country from its Indigenous
beginnings to the present; thousands
of stories that haven’t been
told before in museums. Stories
brought to life through the work of
LGBTQ+ creatives and scholars.
This museum will be a space of
celebration, connection, activism,
and deep meaning.”
Garcia is entering his new position
after several stints working in museums
and cultural centers in other
parts of the country. Among other
leadership posts, Garcia is on the
board of directors at Equality Ohio, a
statewide LGBTQ organization.
Richard Burns, the chair of the
museum’s board of directors at the
American LGBTQ+ Museum, said
Garcia “brings the experience,
knowledge, and vision we need to
lead our museum to our opening
in 2024 and beyond.”
The new hire marks the latest
step in the development of the
forthcoming museum, which will
be constructed at the New-York Historical
Society at the corner of 77th
Street and Central Park West.
NIGHTLIFE
Black Lesbians Open a Queer Haven in Chicago
Bar stands out at a time when spaces for queer women dwindle
BY NICOLE AKOUKOU THOMPSON
Nobody’s Darling, a Chicago
bar with its moniker
snatched from Alice
Walker’s poem, “Be Nobody’s
Darling,” is a long-awaited
Black- and lesbian-owned haven for
outsiders, misfi ts, and outcasts.
Located in the Andersonville
neighborhood of the city, proprietors
Renauda Riddle and Angela
Barnes, a business lawyer and an
event organizer, opened the LGBTQ
friendly space in May 2021,
responding to a need for community
based bars that also double
as a women-focused sanctuary on
a tree-lined street away from the
toxicity of Boystown.
Nobody’s Darling isn’t a large
bar: There are probably 10-12
stools along the bar, another 10
stools against the wall parallel to
Nobody’s Darling brightens the queer nightlife landscape as lesbian-led spaces dwindle.
the bar, and additional table seating
set up outdoors if the weather
permits. During busy afternoons
and evenings, the venue adjusts to
standing-room, and patrons can
dance to upbeat tempos and familiar
hits on their feet. What it lacks
in size, it more than makes up for
INSTAGRAM/NOBODY’S DARLING
it with charm and appeal.
Both stylish and mood-lit, Nobody’s
Darling is accessible. Alice
Walker’s beckoning words, “be nobody’s
darling; be an outcast,” are
placed prominently on the wall;
there isn’t a bouncer or any other
barriers to entry (beyond the examination
of vaccination cards);
and the crowd regularly comprises
an energetic congregation of
patrons of all ages, persuasions,
races, and identities. And when
it comes to its moderately priced
cocktails, Nobody’s Darling utilizes
queer, Black, and locally-owned
spirits for its libations.
The lounge pours up a bevy of
exciting beverages, including seasonal
citrus fl avors, elderfl ower,
and strawberry peppercorn shrub.
A visit to Nobody’s Darling proves
to be gladdening experience, and is
a rite of passage for queer folks and
allies seeking an uncomplicated
cheerful evening out with friends
and family.
Nobody’s Darling is located at
1744 West Balmoral Avenue, a
space previously occupied by the
now-defunct lesbian-owned wine
bar Joie De Vine.
JANUARY 27 - FEBRUARY 9,12 2022 | GayCityNews.com
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