The Queen For A Day group show began in 1991 as the brainchild of Marcella Swett while she was studying at Cal State University Fullerton. She gathered some talented friends to form a mostly all-female artist show.
“Queen for a Day started as a way to gather a variety of multi-media and multi-disciplined female artists in one setting. Having met such a cross-section of women, I also found some that worked in a similar fashion, so it was also a way to introduce these artists to one another. It was a celebration of being a creative entity or Queen. Some of my friends were being shut out of the white corporate male big boy art club, so it was also a shout-out to that force of rejection.
All who attended the reception were encouraged to wear a tiara and dress up in a royal manner. Male artists were originally excluded, but exceptions were made for men who were “queens”. The show became an event for drag queens to attend in full garb and really made it a fun event, a real ‘royal’ affair!
The third year (1993), the decision was made to offer a chance drawing to benefit a women’s cause. House of Ruth was given the proceeds we raised from work donated by artists participating in the show. Each year since, a women’s charity is selected to receive the benefits from the chance drawing, the artists knowing their art is giving support to women who need it, just as they have received the support of other women in the arts as part of the Queen for a Day show.”
Marcella Swett
The group show has continued growing in size to include more artists. The past three shows have included men, in the aptly named “Big King Show”.
2007 also included Prince and Princess artists including Marcella and Phillip’s son, Parker.