The Storefront for Art and Architecture’s annual Critical Halloween is trying to bring a dose of reality to this year’s celebration—even if that means celebrating a day that is usually reserved for everything but reality. Perhaps, however, in a time of increasing unreality and (pun intended) dressing up the facts, a sobering celebration is what we need.
The theme of this year’s event is REAL and it has a very real focus. Instead of the traditional glitzy party—last year’s hole-themed event was at the Museum of Sex—Storefront is inviting people to come their Soho gallery to have a drink and watch the hotly-contested midterm election results roll in on Tuesday, November 6 (after those who can have voted, of course). In place of tickets for purchase, this year Storefront is asking that attendees become members and is pledging to match the funds raised from the memberships in donations to the Movement Voter Project “in support of issues such as economic fairness, racial justice, gender equality, immigration, LGBTQ advocacy, healthcare access, and environmental sustainability through electoral change.” (Current members can also give with their RSVP and the amount will be matched.)
Also, given that this Critical Halloween will be coming nearly a week after the actual day, instead of merely costumes Storefront is inviting ideas for slogans as part of what they’re calling the “Truly Democratic Costume and Campaign Slogan Competition,” which will be judged democratically by attendees rather than by jury as usual. They’re also inviting contributions to the event’s supporting bibliography, REAL REFERENCES.
