“How would you like to be remembered?” “Oh I don’t know. Haven’t thought about that. Dead and gone.” Freddie Mercury A new portrait series by Pacific Northwest artist Chuck Knigge celebrates LGBT Pride Month and remembers the greatest voice of rock by playing dress-up with the most memorable queens of history, fiction, and pop culture. “Long Live Queen Freddie!” features oil paintings, watercolors, screen prints and digital illustrations, depicting the lead singer of Queen, Freddie Mercury, as equally iconic queens, ranging from historic figures, such as Queen Elizabeth I, to pop culture icons, like Queen Latifah and Queen Amidala. Queen has always been an influence to Knigge, who grew up with the grandiose sounds and images of Mercury and his crew. However, recently Mercury has turned from influence to inspiration, especially in light of the ongoing civil rights movement for the LGBT community. Wrapped in absurdity and silliness, juxtaposing Freddie Mercury’s many faces with the imagery of famous queens allows Knigge to create a social commentary in a digestible series. He wants you to have fun first, but not without raising questions about sexuality. The series will hang in two places this summer. Starting June 28th for Seattle Pride, you can see Queen Freddie at Saint John’s Bar and Eatery on E. Pike in Seattle. You’ll be able to see the series every day from 2pm to 2am, until its move to Tacoma, for a July 12th show at Fulcrum Gallery, to coincide with Tacoma Pride. You can visit the Freddies at Fulcrum from 12pm to 6pm, every Wednesday and Friday, until the end of the month. A portion of proceeds from art sales will be donated to organizations working for equal rights for the LGBT community. Reception Friday, June 28th 7-10pm Featuring music from Mr. Melanin* Saint John's Bar & Eatery, 719 E. Pike St, Seattle, 98122 http://www.saintjohnsseattle.com/ http://ghostgalleryart.com Reception Friday, July 12 7-10pm Featuring music from Mr. Melanin* Fulcrum Gallery, 1308 MLK, Jr. Way, Tacoma http://www.fulcrumtacoma.com/ Chuck Knigge is a Northwest artist, illustrator, and game designer. Known primarily for his comic illustration, he’s also translating these skills to large scale paintings and drawings. His work can be found in Popgun Volume 2, Zombie Bomb! Volume 2, and The Spoils of Crime among others. He has worked for Arenanet, as a UI Designer on Guild Wars 2. See more of his work at seakae.com. Media inquiries: Telephone: 206.422.8641 Email Address: sea_kae@yahoo.com, halleyrebecca@gmail.com Website: seakae.com Attached: "Amidala" - 3x4 feet, oil paint and spray paint on canvas Two show posters - Tacoma, Wash. and Seattle, Wash. -- Halley Knigge (Griffin) Freelance writer and public relations professional, working and tweeting for @MultiCareHealth http://about.me/halley_knigge