Remembering Flores McGarrell, 'Gender Outlaw' and Artist, Killed in the Haiti E

[Shana A]

Remembering Flores McGarrell, 'Gender Outlaw' and Artist, Killed in the Haiti Earthquake
By Winnie McCroy, Wednesday, Jan. 27 2010 @ 6:27PM

http://blogs.villagevoice.com/runninscared/archives/2010/01/remember_flo.php
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If you walk beside the long, stone wall in Williamsburg's East River Park down to the water and into the wilds slightly to your right, you will find a patch of scraggly little bushes. One of these bushes looks decidedly different from the others. This is Flo's tree.

This tough little Japanese plum yew was planted on Sunday afternoon as a memorial by friends of artist and transman Flores McGarrell, who was killed in the earthquake that destroyed Haiti on January 12. McGarrell was director of a community arts center in Jacmel, about 25 miles from Port-au-Prince. This irrepressible gender outlaw skirted the space between male and female just as fluidly as his art moved between film, fibers, 3-D pieces, and large-scale inflatable installations.

[Allamakee]

Trans artist Flo McGarrell killed in Haiti quake
Windy City Times
by Micki Leventhal
January 27, 2010

http://www.windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=24569

"Flo's interest in the culture of Haiti had much to do with the interactive nature of the Vodou religion," said Marilyn Houlberg, who had been with him in Porta-Au-Prince Jan. 10, talking about plans for an art exhibition for Mardi Gras. "But his thing was not anthropological research. He used his art to work on economic development. The arts of Haiti are what bring tourists down there. Flo was promoting and supporting the interests of the artists of Haiti, as well as making sure they had food and essentials. He was so generous; he became part of the culture."