Written in Sand

This lecture is part of the Penny Stamps Speaker Series, with support from the Institute for the Humanities, Institute for Research on Women & Gender (IRWG), Department of Theatre & Drama 100th Anniversary, and the Lesbian-Gay-Queer Research Initiative (LGQRI).

Karen Finley is a New York-based performance artist, musician and poet, whose raw and transgressive work on sexuality and disenfranchizement has provoked controversy and debate for over three decades. Finley came to prominence in 1990, when she and three other artists became known as the “N.E.A. Four” when their National Endownment for the Arts grants were revoked after Congressional passage of a “decency clause.” Her performances have been presented at Lincoln Center, The Guthrie, the American Repertory Theatre, The ICA, The Steppenwolf, and The Bobino. Finley’s work is in numerous collections and museums, including the Pompidou in Paris and Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, and her awards include a Guggenheim, 2 Obies, 2 Bessies, MS. Magazine Woman Of The Year, NARAL Person of the Year, and NYSCA and NEA Fellowships.

Karen Finley will present her newest work, Written in Sand, a spoken word performance with musician Paul Nebenzahl, which includes performance pieces and writings on AIDS written between 1983 and 1994.