Since June 2025, Spurlock Museum has hosted the exhibit “Rainbow Reflections.” According to the Spurlock Museum website, the presentation gives viewers a “glimpse into the rich and complex history of LGBTQ+ life, activism, and culture.” Carden Temple LGBTQ+ Impact Fund is funding the exhibit and has received artifacts donated for display from the Greater Community AIDS Project.
The showcase is situated at the museum’s entrance, with elements of the display peeking out at patrons before they pass the front desk.
The GCAP provided two threaded quilts that were in a subsection of the exhibit called “Threads of Memory.” The work of artist and activist Cleve Jones, who started the Memory Quilt Project, inspired the quilts on display.
The donated quilts honor Ron Steinhoff-Thorton and David French, two men from Illinois who lost their lives to AIDS. The tapestries are colorful representations of life that include information about Steinhoff-Thorton and French’s lives and what they did for the community.
“I really recommend that people look at the quilts and especially what GCAP does for the community,” said Ben Maki, visitor services coordinator at the Spurlock Museum. “They have been in the community for decades and have been very vital historically because the whole community was affected by the (AIDS) epidemic.”
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The rest of the display focuses on queer culture and explains why these elements are significant to the LGBTQ community.
Another large feature of the exhibit is the part dedicated to the art of drag. Complete with a mannequin dressed head to toe in a Pride flag dress and cape with a dramatic wig, the drag portion allows onlookers to see the art of drag up close.
The showcase also displayed smaller artifacts that still tell a story about the queer community. Trinkets from tea parties and balls are on display, as well as hand fans and a figurine of Aphrodite, who is associated with sapphic culture because of the poem “Ode to Aphrodite” by Sappho.
“Each of these pieces were chosen because they have a connection and they tell a story,” said Nicole Frydman, manager of communications and development at Spurlock Museum. “They help shed light on experiences, on history and on current events.”
The exhibit includes objects that represent different identities within the queer community. Audiences of the exhibit can track the history and significance of the artifacts and get a broader understanding of the background of the LGBTQ community.
“We exist to make space for people to learn about a lot of different cultural experiences,” Frydman said. “Sometimes that has to do with someone’s race or ethnicity, or a country of origin, and sometimes it has to do with lived experiences like members of the LGBTQ community.”
Everyone can view the exhibit and share the importance of queer experiences in the community. By highlighting local stories and emphasizing personal connections, the display aims to remind visitors that museums do not just hold objects of the past but act as a space for community identity.
For those wanting more information about the artifacts without viewing the showcase or talking with a curator, Spurlock Museum provides a booklet both in person and online, allowing everyone to educate themselves on the exhibit.
“The exhibit expands the audience of people who can come to the museum and find something that resonates with them,” said Emma Conway, sophomore in LAS and employee at Spurlock. “That’s important because we want to be able to appeal to the whole community and not just specific people.”
“Rainbow Reflections” offers education and remembrance through its vibrant artifacts and storytelling of the Champaign-Urbana community. The exhibit serves as a space to honor the past while celebrating the strides made by the queer community in the present. The exhibit will be open to the public until Nov. 9.
