ARTIST BIO & CV (view as PDF)

HADASSAH DAMIEN LUXE is a Brooklyn-based, queer femme writer, multimedia artist, digital technologist, and community organizer who’s created, produced and performed political and participatory multimedia works all over the US and Canada. She toured personal and collaborative DIY art consistently from 2004-2016. Damien is a working-class artist who honors herstories with a feminist lens. She values community and makes socially-engaged works with LGBTQ and art for social change.

Her solo works include:

  • Escape Artists (2019): immersive game, premiere Lair Fera
  • The Whore of Babylon vs. the Lady Pompadour (2015-16) finding the root of femme evil
  • Not By Bread Alone (2013-2014), mermaids + powdered milk pass poverty
  • Exorcize (2011-2013), satirical and serious healing aerobics for all bodies
  • Hot Pink Mass (2009-2011), church for Trisha
  • Femmes Fight Back (2009-2010), interactive art honoring queer legacies

She was co-founder and co-artistic director of the performance art group Heels on Wheels, a working-class-led, multi-racial, queer femme art extravaganza; producing high-caliber radical, community-driven events across the USA from 2010 to 2016, including the annual Glitter Roadshow tour and Opentoe Peepshow monthly salon. Their 2015 anthology, Glitter and Grit, won a Lambda Literary Award in 2016.

Damien also: writes about progressive uses of technology at femmetech.org, teaches about finances at Ride Free Fearless Money, and researched the history of raised fists in US political art (www.raisedfist.femmetech.org). Her sci-fi novel Polyester can be read at damienluxe.com. Her professional time is spent supporting small businesses and startups and designing civic services.

Selected Solo Performance

The Whore of Babylon vs The Lady Pompadour—some hairstyles are evil, like me. 2015: Charm City Kitty Club [Baltimore]; JACK Theatre [Brooklyn]

Not By Bread Alone—who holds you when you’re walking alone? 2014: BAAD!Ass Women Festival, Bronx NY; 2014 Heels on Wheels Glitter Roadshow US & Canada; Encuentro 2014, Montreal.

Exorcise—community exercise to resist dissociation. 2012-2013: Heels on Wheels Glitter Roadshow Tours 2012 & 2013; The Rotunda, Philadelphia, 2013; Perver/cite, Montreal, 2012.

Hot Pink Mass—church for freaks and weirdos. 2010-2011: Hot Festival, Dixon Place, 2011, NYC; QUORUM Forum, Brooklyn, 2011; Femme Conference, Oakland, 2010; Heels on Wheels Glitter Roadshow US National, 2011-2012; international cabarets and community spaces.

Femmes Fight Back—an interactive queer rage installation. 2009-2012: presented in multiple cities at cabarets and community spaces; focused on community engagement. US and Canada.

Collaborative Performance Work

  • Rocky and Rhoda‘s Lesbian Past, co-creator with Ariel Speedwagon, 2015-2017. Premiere, JACK Theatre, 2015; NYC, Dixon Place, 2016 directed by Rudy Ramirez.
  • Queer Prom Queens, co-creator, 2015. LAVAstudio. With Heels on Wheels & co.
  • Hells Bells, Handbell Choir, w/ Ariel Speedwagon. Dec 2014
  • FEMME/ifest, co-creator, 2014. Encuentro performance & intervention. With: Sabina Ibarolla, Heather Acs, Andie Glick, Lizxnn Disaster, Jade Payne, LouLou von Kohl, Daniel Lang/Levitsky
  • ETLE Universe, writer, 2013-2015. The AO Movement Collective, NYC.
  • Department of Transformation 2012-2013 Assortment of Brooklyn/travelling circus-like artists cultural production.
  • Lez Miz, actor (Jean ValJean), 2013. Directed by Kestryl Lowrey. Dixon Place, NYC.
  • Hairsweet/Hirsuite, co-creator, 2012: Part of MIXploratorium, La Mama Galleria, NYC. With the MIX queer experimental film festival.
  • House of Trisha, co-creator, 2008-2011: collaborative photo project; Coral Short, Maya Suess, Allison Picard. NYC.
  • 18 Keys: Installation + video + soundscape at Purimschpiel, March 19 2011, with Terra Incognita
  • The Artist is Absent, actor, 2010: Re-performed Marina Abromovic’s durational piece, “Freeing the Voice.” Collaboration to queer Abromovic. 25CPW Gallery, NYC.
  • Exquisite Witness, co-creator, 2008: collaboration, musical, exploration of science with Allison Picard, Le Petit Versailles, NYC, October 11, 2008
  • Trash & Ready, co-creator. 2004-2005, Toronto.
  • Spoken word collaborations with Cate Smith, 1998-2000.

Performance Tours

  • Heels on Wheels Glitter Road Show, Co-producer and performer 2010-2016: National Performing Arts Tour featuring queer femme spectrum performers; 60+ shows with 250+ artists. www.heelsonwheelsroadshow.com
  • Teaching Artist Tour, Co-producer and performer, Fall 2010: Kingsborough Community College, NYC; Southwestern U., Texas; Concordia University/Community Show, Montreal.
  • Femmes Fight Back Tour, producer and performer, 2009: Austin, Vancouver & more.
  • Grassroots Media Justice Tour, performer, 2008: San Antonio, Houston, New Orleans
  • Perpetual Motion Roadshow 35, with Jesse Dangerously and Cort Bulloch, July 2006
  • Trash & Ready Wordwhore Tour, Co-producer and performer, September-November 2004: Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal” multimedia performance with Tara-Michelle Zinuik, Zoe Whittall, Lisa Foad.

Video Art

“Hells Bells Handbell Choir: New Holiday Album! Save a Little Bell For Me.” with Ariel Speedwagon, December 2014.

“The Herstory of Lady Pompadour,” video 2014, with Ariel Speedwagon

  • Charm City Kitty Club, January 2015; Rocky & Rhoda 2015.

“PSA: Pompadour,” 2014

  • Charm City Kitty Club, Jan 2015; Tainted Love, Feb 2015

“Femme Footsteps,” video, 2013.

  • Opentoe Peepshow, Dec. 2013. Work-in-progress viewing.
  • Glitter Roadshow, April 2014, as part of Not By Bread Alone
  • Encuentro: Closing Night, curated by the Hemispheric Institute for Performance and Politics, Montreal, June 2014.

“Working Girl Blues,” video, September 2009.

  • Granny Boots, Toronto, ON October 2009. World Premiere.
  • Pay As You Go, Brooklyn, October 2009. NYC Premiere
  • Sex Worker Open University, London, February 2010; Lets Do It! Seattle, May 2010
  • Sex Worker Video Festival, Curated by Steen Shapiro. Copenhagen April 2013

“Gaybomb,” music video, December 2008

  • Trigger Festival, Toronto, ON, April 4, 2009. World Premiere
  • Maplechasers: Glasgow, Berlin, Hamburg, London, January 2010. European premiere.
  • Perver/cite, in Kino, curated by Coral Short, Montreal, August 2009

“Craigslist,” music video, October 2008

  • Homo a GoGo: Music Videos, curated by Silas Howard, San Francisco August 14, 2009 

Curation

  • Fuck You Dad: A Cabaret to end Patriarchy, 2013-2017
    Extended from Heels on Wheels programming, on Fathers Day.
  • Spark to a Flame, Dixon Place NYC, Curator, March 2015
    Visual and Video art show curated in tandem with launch of $pread Magazine anthology. Supported by the LMCC.
  • Opentoe Peepshow, Branded Saloon, NYC, Curator and co-producer, 2012—2015
    Monthly live art salon and community event with Heels on Wheels Roadshow. Supported by NYSCA and the Brooklyn Arts Council.
  • MIXploratorium, La Mama Galleria, Co-Curator/Producer, La Mama Galleria, 2012
    Month-long visual & performance art event, with MIX queer experimental film festival. 

Publications

  • Sorting Out Sliding Scale, Grassroots Institute of Fundraising Journal, 2016
  • Glitter and Grit: Queer Performance from the Heels on Wheels Femme Universe, Co-editor. December 2015, Publication Studio, Portland USA. Lambda Literary Award.
  • Polyester, released via blog 2014, written 2005-present.
  • “Kassie’s Story,” in The Uncensored Collection, ed. Private Commission, 2013
  • Vanifesto, zine, 2011. On van lust. Reviewed in MRR.
  • “Mirror Matter,” Zine with Ally Picard, Sept 2010
  • “Hooking vs. Hookups” in No More Potlucks Anonyme Issue 7, May 2010
  • Femme Family “Coming Out”, Zine 2009
  • “Femme Fuck Revolution” Femmethology, ed Jen Burke, Homofactus Press, April 2009
  • “It’s Just Blood,” Without A Net, ed. Michelle Tea, Seal Press, 2004
  • “Credit Card Freedom,” Geeks, Misfits and Outlaws, ed. Zoe Whittall, McGilligan, 2003

Publications – unreleased

  • Choose Your Own Gay Teen Punk Adventure – 2001
  • Beer, Babes & Borders – 2004
  • The Fist is Still Raised – 2013
  • Trisha, Trash & Tears – 2014

Selected Performances

  • <and more 2016-2018 – see Ride Free Fearless Money>
    • Rocky & Rhoda show teasers: Wretched, Hot Fruit, Amorous Revolt, July 2015.
    • LAVAlentines, with Heels on Wheels, Feb 2015.
    • Tainted Love, queer art on lust & loss. Branded Saloon, Feb 2015.
    • Hells Bells Holiday “Hand”bell Choir, Submit & Opentoe Peepshow, 2014
    • “Femme Footprints” at SUNDAE QUEERBERET @ The Tank Pride Fest, July 2014
  • <and more 2012-2014 – see Glitter Roadshow>
    • Hot Pink Mass for QUORUM, Jan 23, 2011
    • Heels on Wheels Roadshow! April 2010 – June 2016
    • *Hot Pink Mass at the Lesbian Herstory Archives, April 3 2011
    • Femmes Fight Back at Pop Up Museum of Queer History at QUORUM FORUM 2011
    • Hot Pink Mass for QUORUM FORUM, Jan 23, 2011
    • Queer Sans Fin/How To Build a Fire Convergence: Montreal, Jan 8 2011
    • “Ghost-Girl Pushups” Macabaret, Philadelphia PA, Dec 8, 2010
    • “Hot Pink Mass” Philadelphia, PA Oct 15, 2010
    • “10 Things I Know About Science Fiction,” Rebel Cupcake, Brooklyn, September 9, 2010
    • “Hot Pink MiniMass,” Glitterati, Femme Conference, Oakland, August 22, 2010
    • “Gay Root” Slideshow, Rebel Cupcake, Brooklyn, June 17, 2010
    • “Road Blues,” Heavy Touching, The Delancey, NY, NY January 14, 2010
    • “TRISHA!” It’s All Wrong But It’s Alright, Niagara, NY, NY December 10, 2010
    • “The Hot Pink Mass & Femmes Fight Back,” The Hart Collective, Brooklyn, November 8 2010
    • “Femmes Fight Back + NYC Femme Revival,” Brooklyn, September 26 2009
    • “Femmes Fight Back” Roadtrip: July 26 – September 4, 2009
    • “Hot Pink Mass,” Faux Pas Cabaret, Montreal July 26, 2009
    • “Hot Pink Mass” HOT! Festival, Dixon Place, NY, NY, July 17, 2009
    • “Femmes Fight Back” Femme Family Party, Stonewall Inn, New York, June 6, 2009
    • ICE-9 CD launch, Pantyhos Dance Party, Brooklyn, April 17 2009
    • “Ice-9” Radical Queer Semaine, Monster Bash, Montreal, March 13, 2009
    • DayCamp, at the Vortex, Austin TX, February 28, 2009
    • “Femmetech,” Femme Conference Cabaret, Chicago, August 16 2008
    • “Butches Got Back,” Fat is Contagious Conference Performance, New York, February 23, 2008
    • “Ice-9,” Queeruption 10!, Coast Salish/Vancouver, BC, August, 2007
    •  “Waiting,” SWFAF Lick My Kitty Cabaret, San Francisco, CA July 22, 2007
    • “Ice-9” The Science of Sexy Cabaret, Seattle, March, 2007
    • “Ice-9,” Sista’hood Love Cabaret, Vancouver, March, 2007
    • Cabaret, Femme2006, San Francisco CA, August 12, 2006
    • “Training School for Maladjusted Robots,” Ladyfest Toronto, October 1, 2004
    • “Connectionist Manifesto,” Mayworks: Festival of Working People in the Arts, May 2004
  • General haunting of open mics, 1995-2001

Selected Public Readings

    • Tainted Love, February 2015
    • TELL, BGSQD, Curated by Drae Campbell, NYC, October 2014
    • TRIPS, Metropolitan Bar, Curated by Katie Liederman, NYC, July 2014
    • “Hooking vs. Hookups,” Red Umbrella Diaries, Happy Endings, New York, July 1, 2010
    • “Trisha, A Lexicography,” Brother, My Lover, New York, December 3, 2010
    • “Femme in Three Parts,” Femme Coming Out Zine Launch, New York, November 23, 2009
    • Writing Outside the Margins Festival of Queer Literary Arts, Toronto, August 24, 2008
    • Radar Reading Series, Hosted by Michelle Tea, San Francisco, August 7, 2007
    • SUNY Oswego Women’s Center, Oswego, NY, March 2007
    • Paper Airplane Cabaret, Toronto, September 2002
    • Bug Bowl Literary Festival, Rochester, NY, August 2000
    • Rochester Institute of Technology Literary Cafè, November 1998
  • and many, more!

Music

  • ICE-9, 2009. Full-length CD. Live performances from this album were featured at Radical Queer Semaine, Montreal; Queeruption 10!, Coast Salish/Vancouver, BC; The Science of Sexy Cabaret, Seattle; Anonymous Party NYC.
    • Femmetech: Femme Conference Cabaret, Chicago; Queeruption, Vancouver; IDApalooza, TN
    • Butches Got Back: Fat is Contagious Conference New York 2008
  • Bad Girls Belief System, 2005. Full-length CD.
    • Release party @ Hurricanez, Toronto, ON, April 30, 2005  

Social Justice & Media Organizing 

  • Mix Experimental Film Festival, Board Member 2015 – 2019
  • Co-leader, Sci-Fi Action Club, 2015
  • Resident Scholar, Interference Archive, 2013-2014
  • Archiving & Media Maven, Work Hard/Stay Hard at Idyll Dandy Acres (IDA), 2010-2015
  • Media Co-Chair, Femme Collective, Femme Conference 2010-2012
  • Lead Organizer, Beyond Visibility, NYC Femme Gathering, 2012
  • Co-founder, NYC Femme Family, January 2008-2010
  • Art Director, $pread Magazine, January 2006-April 2009
  • Co-Founder, Hart Collective, August 2007-2009 

Invited Guest Lectures and Workshops

  • “From Publishing City Data to Solving Problems,” SXSW panel, Mar 2018
  • “Finance and Technology: What we can do,” Lesbians Who Tech Montreal panel, Apr 2018
  • “Hacking Capitalism: Divestment and Ethical Money”, Spirit Room Nov 2017, Brooklyn Library and Action Fair Apr 2017
  • “Tech Tools for Digital Engagement” OIDP Montreal, Workshop, Jun 2017
  • “Open Minds, Open Data,” Smart Cities NYC panel, May 2017
  • “The Ethics of Algorithms” Ethical Tech panel, ThoughtWorks NYC, Dec 2016
  • “Apocalypse HOW? Practicing Queer Resilience” 2015. ETLE Universe, w/ SciFi Action Club members Roo Khan & others.
  • “Sex Worker’s Rights Organizing: What’s Happening,” Brown March 2015; Evergreen State College, February, 2009;
  • “Out of the Archives and Into the Networks” Radical Archives Conference, NYU, April 2014
  • “The Fist Is Still Raised,” Forest of the Future, NYC 2013; Kingsborough, NYC 2013; Pittsburgh, 2013; Interference Archive, 2014.
  • “Femme and Revolution” Yale University, 2013
  • “Out of the Networks and Into the Streets,” Allied Media Conference 2012, Detroit
  • “Keepin It In The Family: Developing queered family relationships both platonic and sexy”. Perver/cite Aug 2011
  • “Science Fictions and Queer Visioning,” Pervercite 2011, Montreal
  • “Queer Girls Dreaming Away From Home,” Duke University March 30, 2010
  • “MFA in DIY,” UT Austin, Performance Studies Department, Austin TX, February 27, 2009.
  • “DIY New Media,” with The Hart Collective: US Social Forum, Detroit, 2010; Anarchist Book Fair, New York, 2009; Women, Action & the Media Conference, MIT, 2008
  • “Femme and Sex,” Femme 2008 Conference, Chicago, August 16, 2008
  • “Queer Performance Poetry,” University of Toronto English Department, April 2003

Websites

Research Projects

Ride Free Fearless Money, 2015 – 2019: Economics research project and financial literacy business.

The Fist Is Still Raised, 2012-2013: a visual culture research project on the history of the raised fist image in political art. There’s an online archive, and I do a live slideshow presentations.

Education

2013    Masters of Arts, American Studies: CUNY Graduate Center, NY

Focus on political and activist art; social movements; American cultural production

 

2002    Honours Bachelor of Arts: English, Philosophy, Semiotics: University of Toronto, ON