Shannon Michael Cane : Someone Great — A celebration

Our opening night bash, a night of queer rock, dance music and icons of the New York underground—a night about all about community and coming together in honour of Shannon Michael Cane.

Shannon Michael Cane was a maverick of the Melbourne arts scene of the early 2000s. While behind the desk of Polyestor Records and Outre Gallery, he was also throwing his infamous Witness Protection Program parties, and busy founding the groundbreaking gay zine, They Shoot Homos Don’t They?

In 2008, he pulled up stumps and moved to New York, where he revolutionised art book fairs during his time at Printed Matter, all the while, passionately lifting up emerging artists and moving arts culture forward with his passion, vision and humour. In 2017, Shannon passed away, leaving a huge void among friends and a vast network of collaborators.

So, in the year it would have been SMC’s 50th birthday, it’s fitting RISING’s opening night party will smudge outside the lines in honour of his work and memory.

For those who aren’t familiar with SMC, it's a perfect opportunity to get to know him and his favourite artists, friends and collaborators. And celebrate SMC’s positive force, which has inspired so many worldwide.

It’s a huge coming together in the name of friendship: those forged and those lost, but never forgotten.

Prepare for butt plugs, balloons, and general frivolity.

"Who wants to wait to get a gallery show? Who wants to wait to get representation? Who wants to buy into the boushy world of the art world? Let’s just make artist’s books and use the form as an artist’s expression. We can make a book for five dollars, and give it out to our friends for free. Or sell it for 10 bucks. It’s an exchange of ideas, a whole exchange of what art is supposed to be about. It’s supposed to be for everyone."

— Shannon Michael Cane, interview with Nothing Major, 2013