Riverbank Arts to host "Phranc in Flint: Butch Essentials" pop-up exhibition during Flint Art Walk

What would a retrospective of your life's work look like? 

For Jewish folk singer, queer activist and multimedia artist Phranc, it's comprised of vibrant paper sculptures of clothing, accessories and other artifacts that follow her development as a young girl in the 1960s to coming out as a lesbian and beginning to engage in the feminist, LGBTQIA+ and punk rock movements of the 1970s. 

You can experience a portion of her retrospective by walking through "Phranc in Flint: Butch Essentials," a pop-up event and hands-on paper bow-tie-making workshop at Riverbank Arts during the Flint Art Walk,  6–9 p.m., Sept. 13. 

"Phranc was not only on the forefront of the second-wave of feminism and queer liberation movements, but she was also a force to be reckoned with in the Los Angeles punk rock community," said Audrey Banks, a graduate arts administration student at the University of Michigan-Flint and assistant at Riverbank Arts. "DIY is a huge part of the punk rock ethos, and you can see this influence throughout Phranc's work. She has long fought for more inclusive spaces in all the communities she belongs to, and I think that reflects Flint's spirit, too."

The pop-up will feature elements from Phranc's larger installation, "The Butch Closet," which is on exhibit at the University of Michigan's Institute for the Humanities through Oct. 25 and explores her 40-year career within the context of the aforementioned movements. 

"Phranc truly embodies our mission to create inclusive community spaces and — in her words — make the world less hateful," said Shaunda Bunton, assistant director of public programming and engagement at the Institute for the Humanities. "I was fortunate to attend 'Healing Frequencies' this past summer, produced by Riverbank Arts and the Center for Gender & Sexuality. The supportive, creative community they're fostering in Flint is impressive, and collaborating with them to bring Phranc's work to Flint felt like a natural fit. And it's even better that the timing coincides with the university's homecoming events, too!" 

Now in its second iteration since beginning a tour across the U.S. in fall 2023, "The Butch Closet" is more intimate and immersive and allows viewers to engage with the diverse aspects of Phranc's identity as they walk through her proverbial closet.

"I think that, no matter how you identify, Phranc's work will give you the space — even for just a few minutes — to connect with yourself and feel safe with others in the community," Bunton said. "And what is art if not a space to learn, share, explore, discuss and connect? What is art if not activism?"