Text - In This Body of Mine

Since its inception in 2015, the Strange Fire Collective has centered on providing accessible and socially relevant content that engages with current social and political forces. Through weekly interviews, publications, book reviews, exhibitions, and public programs, Strange Fire champions women, people of color, and queer and trans artists, writers, and curators. Each week, Strange Fire releases an original in-depth interview, which collectively form a growing archive of over 200 conversations that critically question the dominant social hierarchy and tell the story of our time.

In this body of mine, an exhibition at the Frederick Layton Gallery at the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD), featured 14 artists from the Strange Fire archive. The exhibition was organized in conjunction with the Society for Photographic Education’s Midwest Chapter Conference. As part of MIAD’s Creativity Series, the founding members of Strange Fire gave a keynote lecture on Friday, October 25, 2019, focusing on the core issues addressed through the work of the collective. They also engaged directly with students through class and studio visits as part of a short residency on the MIAD campus.