Making the Cut

ART SHOW AND SILENT AUCTION

Presented by Tall Lady Pictures

July 17th - July 30th

OPENING NIGHT RECEPTION

Saturday, July 17th @ 7:00 - 11:00 PM

Great deals on artwork by local artists!
Music by DJ TOO SARCASTIC

For more than a year now, local transgender filmmaker Ashley Altadonna has been documenting her attempts to raise the approximately $20,000 needed for her sex change surgery.  Many individuals and most health insurance companies view these procedures as cosmetic and believe they should not be covered under health insurance.  Through a series of interviews and fund raising events, ranging from rummage sales to drag shows, Altadonna hopes to explore the social, financial and personal pressures facing transgender individuals in her film “Making the Cut”.  On Saturday July 17th she continues her efforts by hosting an art show and silent auction at the Milwaukee Gay Arts Center. 

“This show is something that I’ve wanted to do for a while now,” said Altadonna.  “One of my goals with the film is to combine art with activism. This is probably the most direct approach to do it. I think this benefit does that quite nicely,” said Altadonna.  

Channeling creativity for profit is something Altadonna already has experience with.  Her most recent fundraising event was a film night at the Borg Ward, where she and her friends created musical scores for the silent films, Un Chien Andalou and Metropolis.   Other events featured local performers such as the Miltown Kings drag troupe or the Brew City Bombshells burlesque dancers. 

Altadonna is again turning to her friends for help. Local artists, Anthony Weber, Bernadette Witzak, Kim Wiess, Laura Gorzek, Sean Kafer, Kristopher Pollard, Kate Balsey, Maria McKinney, Nico Bennett, Carrie Kim, Joe Kirschling and Pamela Villanueva have donated works to be auctioned.  The show contains various media including painting, drawing, photography, collage, printmaking and video. 

The Making the Cut Art Show and Silent Auction will open at the Milwaukee Gay Arts Center (703 S. 2nd St.) Saturday July 17th, 7-11pm. The opening event features music by DJ Too Sarcastic. Light refreshments will be served.

Making the Cut runs through July 30th.   For more information please visit www.tallladypictures.com/makingthecut.html.

ABOUT ASHLEY ALTADONNA

Ashley Altadonna (b. 1979 Houston, TX) is a transsexual filmmaker living in Milwaukee, WI.  Her films, “Whatever Suits You” and “Playing with Gender” have been shown in numerous festivals from London, Berlin and Melbourne to New York, Seattle and San Francisco.  Altadonna is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee film department, and owner of Tall Lady Pictures LLC.  She has been making films since 1999.