Rae Senarighi, aka Transpainter, presents Portraits With a Purpose, celebrating unapologetic portraiture of vibrant transgender and non-binary power and joy.

Rae is a champion of storytelling through art, as a fine artist, designer, muralist, and cancer survivor working towards accurate and celebratory representation of the trans community. Rae currently resides in Madison, WI, but he makes a lasting impact throughout the world. His art has been featured in a wide range of art galleries, museums and universities, including international press and a Netflix special, as well as hundreds of billboards throughout the United States.

Rae’s work is exhibited in the gallery outside the City of Madison Mayor’s office from June 8 through December 6, 2022. The public is invited to view the exhibition in a digital format here: https://airtable.com/shrS5PghdCQsqjeKY

Although Rae’s work typically centers on representations of Trans artists, activists, and leaders, there is one exception in this exhibition. Rae was recently commissioned by Our Lives Magazine to paint a portrait of beloved gay rights activist, community leader, and public servant, Dick Wagner. Wagner worked for the State of Wisconsin for 33 years, and was the first openly gay member of the Dane County Board of Supervisors, including four years as the first openly gay county board chair in Wisconsin. Dick paved the way for generations of LGBTQ politicians, activists and public figures in Wisconsin. Wagner passed away on December 13, 2021 and will be sorely missed by all who had the pleasure of knowing him.

Rae has graciously donated the portrait to raise funds for the City of Madison’s Rainbow Crossings initiative, a project that wouldn’t be possible without leaders like Dick Wagner who tirelessly advocated for the LGBTQ rights we have today.

Friends of the Madison Arts Commission (FoMAC) is fundraising to support the rainbow crossings program (Intersectional LGBTQIA Pride). In Fall 2019 Alder Patrick Heck and then Alder Lindsay Lemmer worked with city staff to create a program to place rainbow crossings in Madison if funding for the project is provided by the community. The project will celebrate the contributions of the LGBTQIA community, including key figures like Dick Wagner, and signal to all that Madison is a welcoming and inclusive space. The City identified a spot at the top of State Street that for a pilot of the project that will cost $30,000.

Donate now at www.friendsofmadisonarts.org
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The Madison Arts Commission (MAC), an 11-member citizen commission appointed by the Mayor to advise the City about matters of arts and culture. MAC’s mission is to foster arts appreciation by initiating partnerships, developing new audiences, and sponsoring diverse artistic activities by emerging and established artists and arts organizations while preserving Madison’s rich artistic tradition. To support a full creative life for all, The Madison Arts Commission commits to championing policies and practices of cultural equity that empower a just, inclusive, equitable city.