About this Event
Join the Trans Poetics Archive at Mechanics' Hall. The evening is hosted by the fabulous Aquarius Funkk, featuring '26 Contest Winner, Lou Hoecker, and Keynote Speaker, Arisa White.
Arisa White is the Colby College Associate Professor of English and Creative Writing, and a member of the Maine Writers & Publishers Alliance’s community advisory board.
Friday, May 29 at 6:00 PM (doors 5:30 PM). $7 for Mechanics' Hall Members, $10 for general admission, no one turned away for lack of funds at the door.
ABOUT THE ARCHIVE
Trans Poetics Archive curates occasions for the celebration of trans narratives through collaborative multimedia programs.
We create, record and archive trans poetics and prose to establish representation for present and future trans poets and authors in Maine and beyond.
We are building a lasting record of our existence to counter historical, present and future efforts to ban, burn, or otherwise erase trans existence.
While Trans Poetics Archive is centered on trans poets and writers, most of the programming we offer is inclusive to all genders, allowing everyone who engages with our work opportunities for reframing gender.
ABOUT THE KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Arisa White is an associate professor of English and Creative Writing at Colby College. She is the author of Who’s Your Daddy, co-editor of Home Is Where You Queer Your Heart, and co-author of Biddy Mason Speaks Up, the second book in the Fighting for Justice Series for young readers. In collaboration with composer Jessica Jones, Post Pardon: The Opera marked Arisa’s debut as a librettist. Her poetry is widely published, and her collections have been nominated for both the NAACP Image Award and the Lambda Literary Award. She has also won the Per Diem Poetry Prize, the Maine Literary Award, the Nautilus Book Award, an Independent Publisher Book Award, the Golden Crown Literary Award, and the Airlie Press Prize. The poem installation, look after your heart is permanently displayed at the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens. She is a Cave Canem fellow and serves on the Community Advisory Board for Maine Writers & Publishers Alliance.
ABOUT THE HOST
Aquarius Funkk is an Afrofuturist artist currently based on Wabanaki territory (Portland, ME). Performer, producer, designer, facilitator, and world builder – they are an architect of experiences that bend time and shape reality. Their artistry is shaped by the traditions of vogue ballroom, neo-burlesque & drag, surrealism, esoteric practice, and radical performance art. After returning to Maine in late 2024, they began developing a body of work bridging their experiences as a Mainer with their journey living in Mexico for 9 years. This work includes writings, photography, experimental films, audio recordings, workshops, and live performance.
Aquarius is the director of Prismatic Productions, a Southern Maine-based production company creating events, media, performance, and visual art that centers Global Majority and LGBTQIA+ voices. They are producing the 2nd Annual Prismatic Ball during Portland Pride week, and they are developing a series of quarterly cabaret shows that feature the work of local and traveling Global Majority artists & performers.
Notably, Aquarius debuted a live solo performance entitled The Lone Flamingo at OUTsider Festival in Austin, TX in February 2024. In November 2024, their film Reflections From the Void was shown in the Phull Phantasy virtual showcase during Theyfriend Non-Binary Performance Art Festival. Most recently, they were featured in GLQ: A Journal of Gay and Lesbian Studies, Issue 32, in the research article (Anti-)Apocalypse and (K*ll-)Joy: An OUTsider Conference on the Couch Discussion.
PARKING & TRANSPORTATION
The Greater Portland Metro’s Congress & Casco Street Stop is directly in front of our building, served by routes 1, 7, 8, and 9B.
Street Parking: Available on Congress, Casco, Cumberland, Free Street, and nearby streets. Pay by meter or the Passport Parking App. Free after 6 PM, on Sundays, and between Parris and Alder Street. Some blocks may vary — look for posted signs.
Garages: The Arts District Garage (41 Brown St) has 250+ spaces, is open 24/7, and accepts credit card only, with entrances on Brown, Cumberland, and Casco. The Elm Street Garage (21 Elm St) is conveniently near the Portland Library. The Spring Street Garage is three blocks away at 45 Spring St.
ACCESSIBILITY
To enter our building, patrons will need to navigate a single step or use a modular ramp. There is a wheelchair-accessible elevator.
If you have a wheelchair or need accessibility accommodations/questions, please contact us at [email protected] or 207-773-8396.
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Mechanics' Hall, 519 Congress Street, Portland, United States
USD 0.00 to USD 12.51
