groups whose members succumbed to the epidemic.
Pride have grown very popular, with fifty-plus Verasphere
Creating Mrs. Vera and shaping the experiences that
participants in this past June’s Pride, marching in the
Mrs. Vera could instigate created ways for David and
outrageous costumes and hats they had made in workshop.
Michael “not to dwell on all the loss” going on around
The pair really enjoy the workshops for the great diversity
them; for the Audience, it was an opportunity to
of people who attend and then march—young teen lesbians,
participate in a distracting, transformative experience.
couples or single mothers and their child, older folks, anyone
Even when David and Michael themselves experienced
with a creative streak and a taste for the absurd and surreal.
medical problems related to being HIV-positive,
Besides the photos, the costumes and the archives, it may
Mrs. Vera magically gave everyone permission to be
be that Mrs. Vera’s and Michael’s greatest contributions have
silly and outrageous, with Michael there to make the
been simply the exuberant joy they seem to foment wherever
photographs, to bear witness and make art of it.
they go—LGBT events such as street fairs, parades, festivals,
The two have grown, together as partners and as
etc., sometimes supporting groups like the San Francisco
artists. Verasphere is a multi-platform, multi-faceted
SPCA, the San Francisco Public Library Bookmobile or the
archive for the pair’s photographic work. Michael
LGBT Center. “It is almost an ambassadorial role at times,”
archives the pair’s work, including the Mrs. Vera’s
Michael has written, “to remind people of the eccentric
Daybook Series of photographs examining everyday
aspects of queer life, both now and in another time. We
life, alienation, magic and survival—with a spirit of fun
have rewoven the torn fabric of community and created a
participation and lots of color; photos from their many
tribe, encouraging people from all walks of life to join in
appearances at the San Francisco LGBT Pride Parade
and celebrate simply being.”
and a June 2013 exhibit of costumes and photographs
Michael and Mrs. Vera consider themselves to be direct
at the Mills College Art Museum; “Lost/Found,” a short
descendants of the outrageous 1970s theatrical troupe the
film they made for the Frameline Film Festival 2012;
Cockettes, “turning up impromptu in many places, both
and a very successful exhibit at the Oakland Museum
appropriate and inappropriate . . . without the acid!”
of Art in 2013; and other events.
In so many ways—with their archives and exhibits; with
In June 2012, David and Michael curated, produced,
their impromptu “Daybook” shoots; with their design-your-
and with others walked the catwalk in a fashion show of
own workshops and event appearances; with their online
David’s creations for Mrs. Vera at the Beautiful Rebels
presence—these two men and Mrs. Vera are still out there,
Fashion Show, in conjunction with the Jean-Paul
giving people permission to be silly and outrageous, still
Gaultier Exhibition at the M.H. DeYoung Museum.
encouraging us not to dwell on loss and gloom, inviting
The Verasphere website includes a video of the catwalk
us to participate in larger-than-life silliness. Mrs. Vera’s
show. More current photos and other content can be
irreverent,
found on the Verasphere Facebook group page. Also,
might be the perfect antidote to the stormy future we face
one of the more ambitious members of the Verasphere
in 2017.
otherworldly,
all-inclusive
outrageousness
group created a Flickr page with over 3,000 images of Mrs. Vera and other members of Verasphere. Recognizing the uniqueness of David’s and Michael’s work, the James C. Hormel LGBTQIA Center at the San Francisco Public Library maintains the Verasphere Costume Archive. Some of those costumes were included in the Library’s exhibit, “Celebrating
You can further your exploration of Verasphere at www.Verasphere.com, move on their Facebook group at www.facebook.com/Verasphere, and immerse yourself in images of Mrs. Vera and her disciples at www.flickr.com/ groups/Verasphere.
the Past/Creating the Future” which ran from April 16 to August 7, 2016. The archive is housed on the third
Hank Trout is an Editor-at-Large for A&U: America’s
floor of the SFPL Main Library.
AIDS Magazine. His writing, and the best HIV/AIDS-
Expanding Mrs. Vera’s reach into the universe, David and Michael hold workshops for hat- and
related writing, can be found at www.AUMag.org. Free subscriptions are available.
costume-making at the San Francisco LGBT Center and in Oakland. (Workshops for Pride 2017 will be announced on their website.) The workshops before
Reprinted with permission of the author from A&U: America’s AIDS Magazine, March 2017