LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT MY GRANDCHILDREN?! Watch out, readers, we’re ’bout ready to wax poetical and frenetical and brag up on one of our own. Yes, we realize that we dip into the treacherous belly-button-lint-gazing territory of self-reflection with frightening regularity, but with bloggers and buddies the likes of which we affiliate, how the hell can you blame us? And as accomplished and full of ourselves as so many of us in the Gay Place Krewe are, there is one among us who shines above all shine. Dandy Unicorn is certainly a candidate, but even he bows his effulgent curly-Q unihorn to this magnanimous Gay Placer. Andy Campbell teaches art history at the University of Texas and Texas State University. This packed résumé of high-art goodness alone would usually be enough to sate the soul of most culture warriors, but, lezbihonest, Andy is kinda into boundary pushing. (And let’s save chatter about his impending dissertation on leather communities for another epic entry, shall we?) Aside from his art-prof gigs, Andy is also an art activist, a political activist, a pug companion, a member of the tribe (many tribes, in fact), a dancing queen, a stunning writer, a brooch collector, an art collector, a musician, a Blingee wender, a lover tender, a performance artist, a QueerBomber, an all-around great guy, and (hold onto your shorts) a comedian. Impressive! Were this all not enough, he is also a member in good standing of the Austin Femme Mafia. But to simply list the creds of our fabulous friend is not the mission of this blather. The mission is to tell you, dearest reader, that you may catch one Andy Campbell, live and in the flesh this week as the 3$Bills present the Big Gay Variety Show. You may also catch his genius curatorial splendor at Texas State over the next few weeks in the engaging and challenging mega-art show “SUBstainability” in San Marcos. Dang. Even we say, “Whew.” And on top of all of this, he still makes time to be our crying towel and brow unfurrower. Fancy that. (See Saturday and Wednesday.)
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This article appears in January 14 • 2011.