Harvey Fierstein is a Tony Award-winning American playwright, actor and civil rights activist. Now he’s rattling the arts establishment again, this time as a quilter. This year is a big milestone for Fierstein. He is happy to announce his debut exhibition “You Made That?”, featuring close to 90 exquisitely crafted quilts. The organizing of the exhibition is a brilliant display of his tremendous talent. It provides a vibrant critique of social injustice, including a stunning mural with an anti-fascism theme.
Fierstein is famous for many things, including being one of the very first openly gay US celebrities. His amazing impact in the world of theater has resulted in earning him four Tony Awards. He’s been nominated for such iconic productions as “Hairspray,” “La Cage Aux Folles,” “Newsies,” “Kinky Boots,” and “Torch Song Trilogy.” As a testament to his genius, his contributions to the world of film prove he was a multifaceted artist.
Growing up in Coney Island as a Jewish, distinctly queer child, Fierstein cultivated by necessity an astute understanding of bigotry from an early age. He’s repeatedly stated how his own upbringing and experiences have uniquely positioned him to understand the importance of acceptance and celebrating diversity.
“I have acquaintances who had concentration camp tattoos on their arms,” he reflects, emphasizing the historical context that underpins his work and activism.
Fierstein requires no such license to create work in their passion for quilting. He was inspired by the craft shows on HGTV, which he refers to fondly as “hot glue heaven.” His focus now is on producing no more than one quilt per year, with his current collection totaling around 80-90 quilts. Each story quilt has a unique story to tell—mixing the individual tale of a child with the social message surrounding childhood trauma.
One particularly striking piece in his collection shows two black skeletons performing Nazi salutes. Today, this artwork is a beautiful but tragic reminder of the persistent dangers of fascism, intolerance and racism. “This war against the left: I believe there’s something very dark there,” he states, illustrating his conviction that art can be a powerful vehicle for political commentary.
Fierstein’s opinions about the current political climate are as frank as ever. He has criticized former President Trump‘s influence on the arts, particularly denouncing Trump’s takeover of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.
I love the Kennedy Center—I’ve performed there—but no, I won’t go near anything of Trump,” he asserts, expressing dismay over the disconnect between Trump’s appreciation for the arts and his lack of understanding of their significance.
Responding to America’s hostile climate toward gender and identity, Fierstein rails against reductive definitions of sex and sexuality. He observes too the ludicrousness of arguments asserting there are only two sexes at all. “The president of the United States announces there are only two sexes in the world! Well, you better call that God you say you believe in because there’s hermaphrodites… How stupid can you be?” he argues.
His transgressive persona fuels his condemnation of heterosexual men. “I am not an incredibly prejudiced person but, when it comes to heterosexual men, I don’t get them,” he states candidly. “They’re a bunch of assholes. Because there are so few straight dudes that I know that I really admire and respect.
Fierstein’s work transcends traditional boundaries. He describes theater as a side gig: “This theatre thing is like a side gig: it’s what I do when I can’t get work as an artist.” His pride and passion for art run deep within his being as an artist. It perpetuates the myth that creativity can be our escape from the world’s problems.
Alongside his artistic accomplishments, Fierstein is obviously in touch with the lessons history has to teach us. Along with many of us, he is concerned about today’s political climate and how it is reminiscent of past horrors. “There are people that actually think that what’s going on, arresting people and pulling them out of their jobs, is something good,” he laments.
“Fierstein maintains hope for the future. “I’m very old. I’ve lived through Ronald Reagan [who never said the word AIDS]. When Obama first raised his hand, I didn’t think—so you never know. You live in hope.”
As he goes on creating and fighting for more change through his art and practice, Fierstein is a model of resilience. His quilts are so many things – beautiful artifacts, brilliant works of art, and powerful statements that oppose intolerance and injustice.