Exhibit "Last Night" by Artist Dave J Bermingham in Remis Lobby

The Governor’s Academy is excited to exhibit the works of artist Dave J Bermingham in the Peter C. Remis Lobby of the Wilkie Center of the Performing Arts through November 15. Bermingham’s work investigates identity formation through a “homo-historic” lens. Sculptures, writings, and mixed media work question identity from this queer perspective—positing his practice as a cipher and art-viewing as a form of cryptology. The viewer is encouraged to look past the surface, and deeper still, to uncover layers of self, time, bodies, and relationships often obscured or omitted from private and public histories.

Bermingham is a multidisciplinary artist with a Master of Design in Fashion, Body & Garment from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Fashion Design from Massachusetts College of Art. His work spans sculpture, performance, and fashion design, often exploring identity and cultural constructs. Born in Quincy, Massachusetts, Bermingham's New England upbringing informs his interest in identity politics. He co-founded the Industrial Stitchers' Guild and the Boston LGBTQIA Artist Alliance, serving as its interim director from 2017-2020. His work has been exhibited nationally, and he has held various teaching roles and residencies, including at MassArt, the Brookline Arts Center, and the TextielMuseum in the Netherlands. As drag performer Aquanette Prudence Jones, he has entertained in diverse venues.

The title, Last Night, is borrowed from Don McKellar’s 1998 film of the same name. The film follows a handful of people in Toronto negotiating the last six hours of Earth’s existence due to an unknown factor. Since learning of the apocalypse, each character grapples with their perceptions of truth and self. As a queer person, Bermingham has been aware of “the end” since adolescence, having come of age and reconciled with queerness in a middle-class Catholic household during the AIDS epidemic and millennial anxieties. An emphasis on the weight of time, themes of rebirth, glory and transfiguration, and fear, guilt, and shame around sexuality all contributed to Bermingham’s developing sense of self, and understanding these influences continues to inform his approach to artmaking.

Last Night will be displayed in the Peter C. Remis Lobby in the Wilkie Center for the Performing Arts on The Governor’s Academy’s campus until November 15. Please take some time to experience the dynamic exhibition and join us for a reception on Friday, November 15 from 5:30 - 7:00 p.m.

The gallery is open to the public 8:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. weekdays, and Saturday and Sunday by appointment. Please contact Shanna Fliegel to make an appointment.