Brooklyn College and the Department of Art congratulate M.F.A. Program Coordinator Rachel Rampleman on the selection of her project Life is Drag for the Sulmona Prize Competition, a respected international contemporary art exhibition in Italy featuring artists from around the world.
The recognition marks another milestone for Life is Drag, an ongoing multimedia project exploring the artistic and cultural impact of drag performance. Since launching in 2019, the project has become one of the nation’s most extensive digital archives of drag performance, documenting more than 375 performances by over 200 artists across generations, regions, and creative disciplines.
Rampleman, a Brooklyn-based artist, archivist, and cultural anthropologist, recently mounted a major solo exhibition of Life is Drag at SoMad, a femme- and queer-led multidisciplinary arts space in New York City. The exhibition, presented as the culmination of her yearlong residency, featured 25 new high-definition video portraits spotlighting 12 artists working in neo-burlesque and experimental drag.
“Life is Drag” by Rachel Rampleman
Combining documentary filmmaking, video art, and ethnographic research, Life is Drag examines drag as a dynamic and interdisciplinary art form. Through video portraits and interviews, participating artists reflect on performance, gender expression, community building, and creative practice. Featured performers include multidisciplinary artist Amygdala, drag and burlesque performer Divina GranSparkle, community organizer Julie J., and King of Drag season one winner King Molasses.
Rampleman earned her M.F.A. in studio art from New York University in 2006. Her work has been featured by The New York Times, CNN, Artnet, The Advocate, OUT, Hyperallergic, and Gothamist, among others. Her art has been exhibited nationally and internationally at venues including the Shanghai Biennale, C/O Berlin, La MaMa, BAM, the Carnegie Museum of Art, The Andy Warhol Museum, and The American LGBTQ+ Museum.
