Support  Drag & Queer Art Today with Portraits of Drag

Help fight back against ignorance & hate with art & love.

Makeup being applied to a beautiful person

   Portraits of Drag   

is an LGBTQIA+ fundraising art project that highlights the importance & inherent beauty of drag.

My aim is to fight ignorance & hatred with honor & ferocity through portraiture!

The Project in Brief

This project aims to cumulate a portfolio of portraits of drag performers, all painted in oils. The portraits will be compiled into a coffee table style book with commentary and interviews. Portions of the proceeds will be donated to the charities of the drag performers’ choice. As of now, the following performers have agreed to join the cause:

  • Irma Gerd - Canada’s Drag Race S3 - Newfoundland, Canada

  • Jaymes Mansfield - RuPaul’s Drag Race S9, All Stars S8 -
    Las Vegas, NV

  • Jessica L’Whor - Denver, CO

  • Jolina Jasmine - New York, NY

  • Juiceboxx - Canada’s Drag Race S1 - Toronto, Canada

  • Jus Jahlisa -New York, NY

  • Kelly Mantle - RuPaul’s Drag Race S6 - Los Angeles, CA

  • Mariam T - San Diego, CA

  • Novaczar - New York, NY

  • Sapphira Cristál - RuPaul’s Drag Race S16 Runner Up -
    Philadelphia, PA

  • Spectra Electra - New York, NY

  • Stella D’oro - New York, NY

  • Todrick Hall - singer, actor, choreographer, RuPaul’s Drag Race, Broadway, the West End, YouTube fame, and more - Los Angeles, CA

  • Nymphia Wind - Winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 16 - Taiwan

  • Androgyny - New York, NY

  • Ashley Madison - Rupaul’s Drag Race Down Under S3 -
    Melbourne, Australia

  • Brigitte Bandit - Austin, Texas

  • Cheryl - RuPaul’s Drag Race UK S1, UK v. World S1, Canada v. World S2-
    Essex, UK

  • Coco Montrese - RuPaul’s Drag Race S5, All Stars S1, Drag Race Live -
    Las Vegas, NV

  • Delta Work - Emmy Award Winner, RuPaul’s Drag Race S3 -
    Los Angeles, CA

  • Dida Ritz - RuPaul’s Drag Race S4 - Chicago, IL

  • Eric Jaffe - New York, NY

  • Gala Varo - Drag Race Mexico S2, Global All Stars -
    Michoacán, Mexico

  • Hannah Conda - RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under S2, UK v. World S2 -
    Perth, Australia

Check Out the Fabulous Drag Performers Already Involved

  • Todrick Hall in full drag

    Todrick Hall

  • Jaymes Mansfield in full drag

    Jaymes Mansfield

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Ways You Can Help

Donation Levels

Total $25.00

The HoneyBee is committed to using your donation responsibly and transparently to support the funding, marketing, preparation, and other necessary costs associated with this project. The HoneyBee reserves the right to modify or terminate this fundraising campaign at any time without prior notice. No goods or services will be provided in exchange for your donation except as noted at the time of donation (i.e. $50 receives a copy of a portrait, $75 a copy of the project, etc.)

FAQs

  • Over the last few years, drag has become villainized. Religious, social, and political groups around the world are spreading misinformation. This ignorance and misinformation, including disgusting accusations of abuse, age inappropriacy, and grooming, has created a wave of misunderstanding across the world. Here in the USA, laws are actively being written and passed that are targeting the drag community and in turn the LGBTQIA+ community. For drag to remain as a beautiful, empowering expression of our pride and humanity, we have to take a stance.

    In the art world, there is a implied hierarchy of importance. Often called the “noblest form of painting,” portraiture tends to be seen as the most coveted and technically impressive forms of art, reserved for the most important of subjects. The most famous pieces of art known to the public tend to be portraits, i.e. the Mona Lisa, Girl with a Pearl Earring, Portrait of Adele Block-Bauer by Gustav Klimt, American Gothic, Van Gogh’s Portrait of Dr. Gachet.

    Despite growing acceptance, the drag community often lacks representation, particularly in art. This project aims to spotlight the beauty and diversity of drag performers through unique art portraits, contributing to increased visibility and representation. Using a historically significant form of art (one might even say heteronormative art), portraiture has the ability to convey importance, endurance, and beauty. Painting drag performers in this light helps to shed light on this marginalized group of the LGBTQIA+ community and begin to destigmatize drag.

    Art has the power to change things and to heal. We need to weaponize art to show the world the beauty and goodness that dwells within the heart of drag.

  • The project is well underway! While more performers are being recruited, portraits are being painted. Currently, I am the only artist involved in this project, but I have reached out to my artist friends (also in the queer community) for their interest in helping. With a goal of 30 portraits, we have a lot of work on our hands. The nature of oil paints does slow down the process as well, but as of now, I am aiming to begin production of the project for distribution by mid-late 2025.

    Updates will be sent to all interested parties as we continue to work through the portraits, advertising, and sourcing. If you would like to follow along on the journey but cannot donate at the moment, be sure to subscribe to my newsletter so you are up to date on all the news.

Special Thanks to the Following

Donors & Sponsors

BLICK Art Materials is one of the largest providers of art supplies within the U.S. with over 90,000 items available online, in our catalog, and at our retail locations. BLICK has been “Family-Owned and Serving Artists” since 1911.

Founded in 1988, R&F Handmade Paints manufactures unique and heavily pigmented paint lines. Located in Kingston, New York, R&F is committed to producing the highest quality paints with materials meticulously sourced from around the world.