Events
Upcoming
27th March 2025 - American Folk Art Museum (Online)
17:00-18:15 GMT For the third installment of our series Both/And, curator Brooke Wyatt invites curator and writer Gemma Rolls-Bentley to present the curatorial framework behind Dreaming of Home, recently on view at the Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art in New York. More info here
3rd April 2025 - Labours of Love Exhibition Opening, Treadgolds, Portsmouth
6-8pm BST Labours of Love is an exhibition for UK Pride 2025 in Portsmouth. Featuring four brilliant artists - Boy Blue, Alana Lake, Daira Ronzoni and Emily Witham - the exhibition centres on the idea that love, for many queer individuals, is not simply a natural or effortless emotion, but a powerful act of defiance, perseverance, and self-determination. Register here.
4th April 2025 - Labours of Love Storytelling Event, Treadgolds, Portsmouth
11am-1230pm BST Join us for a panel discussion chaired by Gemma & Ricardo Reveron Blanco. The exhibiting artists, exhibition supporters and audience members will be invited to share their own experiences of queer love and community. Register here.
Past
8th March 2025 - Queering Power, The Box, Plymouth
11:30 - 13:00 GMT As part of Super Saturday at The Box, we will be exploring the exhibition ‘When will we be good enough?’ and Osman Yousefzada’s wider practice through a queer lens in this special in conversation event with author Gemma Rolls-Bentley. More info here
25th January 2025 - Women in Revolt! Hawthornden Lecture Theatre, Edinburgh
15:00 GMT Gemma Rolls-Bentley, curator and author of Queer Art; From Canvas to Club, and The Spaces Between, will be in conversation with artist France-Lise McGurn whose mother, Rita McGurn is a featured artist in the Women in Revolt! exhibition. More info here.
6th December 2024 - Soho House, Miami Beach
Join artist, designer and author Jon Key and Gemma Rolls-Bentley in a discussion about queer icons & fearless expression. RSVP is essential, please email events@theonline.gallery
26th November 2024 - Online
Gemma joins Vlad Zorin in conversation on his solo exhibition, Unmasked at Upsilon. This event will be online, time to be confirmed.
25th November 2024 - Richard Saltoun Gallery, London
Gemma joins a panel discussion with curators Linsey Young and Daria Kahn at the gallery’s new Erica Rutherford exhibition. More information is available here.
21th November 2024 - Outburst Arts, Belfast
Gemma joins the director of the Edinburgh Art Festival, Kim McAleese, in conversation at PaperxClips bookshop. More information available here.
16th November 2024 - Manchester Art Fair, Manchester
Gemma discusses ‘Building an Art Collection with Meaning’in a conversation led by artist Jez Dolan. Tickets are available here.
12th November 2024 - Konstfack, Stockholm
Gemma delivers her lecture ‘Between the Sheets; Queer Beds of Contemporary Art’. Full programme & information is available here.
4th November 2024 - Shoreditch House, London
Gemma and trans activist and author Charlie Craggs discuss both of their books at this event to support The Common Press
3rd November 2024 - Queeriosities, Copeland Gallery
Book signing with Common Press at Queeriosities, Copeland Gallery
17th October - 2024 The Courtauld Institute of Art, London
I'm honoured to be hosting the panel discussion Finding Queertopia with Fiontan Moran and Rene Matić. By reflecting on the past while looking toward the future, this discussion will consider how queer utopias might reshape the present through collective imagination and artistic expression. Tickets available here.
14th October 2024 - Coast Is Queer Festival, Brighton
Finding Queertopia: What We Can Learn from LGBTQIA+ Artists with Gemma Rolls-Bentley plus AFLO. the poet + Surprise Guests. Tickets are available here.
11th October 2024 - Moco Museum, London
Gemma Rolls-Bentley interviews artist Jake Chapman, who will be signing prints. 6-8pm. Please RSVP by emailing London@mocomuseum.com
10th October 2024 - Women in Art Fair, Mall Galleries, London
Join me for a talk with living artwork Daniel Lismore and trans non-binary photographer Bex Wade. We’ll be exploring themes of gender, identity, and the power of self-expression in the art world. Tickets available here.
28th September 2024 - Realms Exhibition Opening at Carl Freedman Gallery
Explore hidden stories and secret worlds envisioned by nine artists in this group show at Carl Freedman Gallery in Margate. The private view is 5-8pm on Saturday and open to everyone!
21st September 2024 - Hauser & Wirth Somerset
Gemma Rolls-Bentley and Gray Wielebinski on Queer Art. More details here.
17th September 2024 - Patricia Low Contemporary, Venice
In conversation with Anouk Lamm Anouk at their solo show From Humans, Horses and Hounds
14th September 2024 - Queer Bloomsbury at Charleston
Gemma Rolls-Bentley Hannah Quinlan, Rosie Hastings and Rene Matić at Charlston’s Queer Bloomsbury. Book tickets here
12th September 2024 - Unit London
Curating A Night of Burning Desires featuring queer conversation, performance, and Gori Mora's exhibition
7th September 2024 - MoMA PS1, NYC
Celebrating the book alongside Reynaldo Rivera's photography exhibition. Tickets available here.
6th September 2024 - Bureau of General Services—Queer Division, NYC
In conversation with Penny Arcade. You can find tickets here and can also watch the live-stream here if you’re not in NYC.
2nd September 2024 - The Visitors Center, Fire Island Pines
Book signing alongside artist Lola Flash
23rd August 2024 - Edinburgh Book Festival
16:45-17:45 GMT. In Conversation with Brigitte Baptise. Book tickets here
17th August 2024 - JUPITER RISING x EAF
JUPITER RISING x EAF invites audiences to explore, discover and celebrate underrepresented artistic voices, championing queer and QTIPOC experimental practice. Book tickets here.
12th July 2024, Ultraviolet Performances Night
An evening of performances by quer artists including Travis Alabanza, Whiskey Chow, Danielle Wilde & Campbell King.
4th July 2024 - Ultraviolet Opening Night, London
The launch of Ultraviolet, an exhibition co-curated by Gemma Rolls-Bentley & Ell Pennick of Guts Gallery featuring some of the biggest names in Queer Art.
27th June 2024 - Pallant House Gallery, Chichester
In Conversation Gemma Rolls Bentley & Simon Martin
23rd June 2024 - The Naughty Pine, Fire Island
Pool party book launch hosted by BOFFO, complete with music by Torres
20th June 2024 - Neue House
New York Book event & dance party