The 2026 Doll Invasion Auction: "THE MOST GORGEOUS, SPECIAL THINGS ON EARTH"

WE TOOK IT!

The second annual Doll Invasion Auction officially closed on September 8th after an extended run, raising over $67K in support of Queer|Art’s mission to expand intergenerational queer mentorship, get more money directly into artists’ hands, and fight back against repression and censorship.⁣ Alongside the funds raised from the Doll Invasion itself, that brings us to a dazzling total of over $110K! 

This year, we were incredibly fortunate to have our first physical exhibition of the auction between the galleries of SALMA SARRIEDINE and PARTICIPANT INC, allowing us to share the splendor of our auction offerings with our community in person. The exhibition, “THE MOST GORGEOUS, SPECIAL THINGS ON EARTH,” took its title from a quote by Venus Xtravaganza in Paris Is Burning: “Some of them say that we’re sick, we’re crazy. And some of them think that we are the most gorgeous, special things on Earth.” 

Crowds braved pouring rain on August 20 to fill the galleries wall to wall for our opening, mingling in the glow of Nelson Santos’s neon “POWER TO THE PEOPLE” before being graced with breathtaking performances by Qween Jean and Xina Xurner.

This time capsule of art, iconic memorabilia, historic objects and one-of-a-kind experiences  ranged from a signed copy of Freedom Is A Constant Struggle donated by Angela Davis to Sasha Colby’s makau fish hook from her entrance on Season 15 of RuPaul’s Drag Race to a songwriting workshop with MUNA. The politically urgent existed side by side with the hilarious; the spiritual, historical, and cunty all constituted one another, existing on a vast spectrum of (ir)reverence, ephemerality, and broad (sub)cultural recognition.

Undergirded by the spirit of intergenerational, interdisciplinary and intersectional collaboration, this auction was made possible by contributions from queer, trans and feminist legends including Molly Crabapple, Young Joon Kwak, Qween Jean, Amanda Lepore, Chelsea Manning, Chani Nicholas, Narcissister, Chappell Roan, Geena Rocero, Lena Waithe, Myha’la, Hannah Einbinder, and so many more. We are profoundly grateful to each contributor, to SALMA SARRIEDINE and PARTICIPANT INC, and to every single attendee who bore witness to the magic we made together.

Til our next ki… See you next year!