Seen: The Softer Side of John Killacky

Former Walker performance curator John Killacky is known for bringing edgy—and timely—artists to the Walker. In the height of the Culture Wars, he welcomed artists dealing with AIDS, sexuality, gender, politics, race, and cultural identity, including Karen Finley, Bill T. Jones, Coco Fusco and Guillermo Gomez-Peña, and Ron Athey, among many others. In the course of writing for us about the political side of another artist of the era, the late Keith Haring, Killacky dug up a photo of himself from during his tenure here (1988–1996): outfitted in Haring merchandise and surrounded by children of Walker staffers, the image captures the softer side of John.

Read Killacky’s recent writings for the Walker:

The Political Provocations of Keith Haring

Story/Time: Bill T. Jones on John Cage

A Performance Chronology: John Killacky Remembers the 1980s

“Seen” highlights one-off photos of Walker life as captured by our staff.