Kansas Commerce Department says no state funds paid for drag shows as Schmidt attacks Kelly
The Kansas Department of Commerce and organizations hosting two Wichita area drag shows dispute that any taxpayer dollars went to the events which have drawn ire from Kansas Republicans.
Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt, the Republican nominee for governor, held a press conference in Wichita on Monday to criticize Kelly after the Daily Mail, a conservative-leaning British newspaper, reported that Kansas taxpayer dollars had supported an open to all ages event in Wichita last weekend that included a drag show.
Schmidt called for Kelly to apologize for the administration’s role in the event.
“Most Kansans just do not support this,” Schmidt said. “And Kansans deserve to know how often and to what extent the Kelly administration has used our state’s good name, and even perhaps committed hard earned taxpayer dollars, to support these sexualized performances to children.”
Both events referenced support from the Kansas Creative Arts Industries Commission, a division of the state department of commerce that provides funding for the arts in promotional material for the events. But Patrick Lowry, a spokesman for the Kansas Department of Commerce, called the Daily Mail’s reporting “blatantly wrong.”
“Neither the Kansas Creative Arts Industries Commission (KCAIC) nor the Kansas Department of Commerce sponsored the DADA Ball event that took place October 22 or the Mall Monster Mash event scheduled for October 28,” Lowry said. While both host organizations have received grant dollars from the state, he said the dollars were not directly used on the events.
Speaking to reporters Tuesday, Kelly reasserted the inaccuracy of the attack and called on Schmidt to apologize to voters.
“If anybody needs to apologize, it is Derek Schmidt for deceiving the public,” she said.
Schmidt was unable to provide any evidence that Kelly or anyone in her administration had any knowledge that state logos had been used in promotional materials for the events.
“It is not credible to believe that the state had no knowledge that folks — to which it either provided funds or provided support — were going to use the state’s involvement in promoting it,” Schmidt said.
Schmidt said there’s a “suggestion” in the story that “at least some of the promotional material, that on at least some of the performances, it was public funding.
“So we’ll see what the facts bear out,” Schmidt said. “Look, this is a brand new story. It broke this morning. We’re all still finding out the facts. But it’s quite apparent from what’s already in the public record, this is unacceptable.”
Advertisements for the October 22 event, titled the Dada Ball, said it was supported by the Kansas Creative Arts Industries Commission. However, Kristen Beal, the founder of host group Harvester Arts, said mention of the arts commission was a mistake.
“This event and all programming that takes place at Chainlink Gallery Place is funded through the Knight Foundation and by private donors,” Beal said in an email.
The organization has received funding for a visiting artist’s residency unrelated to the Dada ball.
An upcoming Mall Monster Mash event scheduled for Friday in Wichita that will include a drag show has also drawn attention. The event will be hosted by OpenStudios, a program run by the non-profit Fisch Bowl Inc that offers free studio space to artists.
Advertisements included the Department of Commerce logo.
OpenStudios received a $10,000 Reimagined Spaces grant to cover utility costs and administrative costs in their space. Events hosted by artists, director Elizabeth Stevenson said, are entirely funded by the artist themselves.
At the request of the commission, Stevenson said, the art commission’s logo is placed on all their promotional material. However, she said, no funds from the state will go toward the planned Halloween event.
Lear Heath Studio, the group using the OpenStudios space for the event, posted on Facebook Monday evening that the event will go on despite the outrage.
“We had to erase a few posts about the event because of some (frustrating) marketing miscommunications. After a few inquiries, we’d like to clarify that the KCAIC is not sponsoring this event. Their logo was placed on former posters because of their relationship with Fisch Bowl Inc., who hosts the OpenStudios spaces at Towne West. No state funds were used in support of this event,” the post said.
Lauren Fitzgerald, Kelly’s campaign spokeswoman, called the episode an “embarrassing” attempt by Schmidt to hide from his record.
“With nearly three weeks left until the election, it’s clear his campaign lacks a message and is throwing out anything to see if it sticks – including lying to Kansans,” she said.
Joanna Rodriguez, a spokesperson for the Republican Governors Association, said the administration was now trying to run away from events because of the controversy.
In June, an event that included a drag show was held at a Lawrence art venue that has also received a Reimagined Spaces grant.
“It wasn’t until Kelly’s administration was caught sponsoring all-age drag shows with sexually explicit performances that they suddenly reversed their policy and wanted nothing to do with these events,” Rodriguez said.
The events drew particular anger from Republicans because they were open to all ages, but Stevenson noted that any children at the events would likely have been brought by their parents or guardians.
“Attendance is not mandatory, so if someone does not wish to experience this event, they may certainly choose not to attend and/or require the same of their children,” Stevenson said.
This story has been updated to include Gov. Laura Kelly’s comments from a Tuesday morning event in Topeka.
This story was originally published October 24, 2022 at 6:47 PM.
