Queer Joy, Museum Style | Katherine Ott Talk

Taking gender and sexuality seriously often disrupts the usual way museums operate. Practical issues related to the daily workings of the gift shop, object storage, and wayfinding have mundane solutions. When it comes to visitor happiness and telling full, compelling stories, things can get delicate. The complex and beautiful topic of American history elicits an alphabet of emotions, from awe and aggravation to vulnerability, wonder, and everything in between (X,Y, Z emotions are hard to find). This talk with Katherine Ott serves up the joy of working in a museum, saving queer history, and embracing the possibilities of America.

This free event is presented by the Friends of the Irving Museums as part of "Say It Loud: From the Shadows to the Mainstage," a speaker series amplifying LGBTQ+ voices and history in connection with the "Badge Of Pride: From Silence...To Celebration!" exhibition.

ABOUT KATHERINE OTT

Katherine Ott is a curator in the Division of Medicine and Science at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. She documents LGBTQ+ history, the history of gender and sexuality, disability, ophthalmology, dermatology, and other irresistible subjects. She has curated exhibitions on HIV and AIDS, the Stonewall Uprising, the Americans with Disabilities Act, polio, and prosthetics. She teaches graduate classes in American Studies at The George Washington University and is the author or co-editor of three books and many articles. Katherine responds to all pronouns and is energetically honing her queer superpower.

Host or Publisher Irving Archives & Museum