“Living, Not Just Surviving,” an exhibition that ran at the Main Gallery in the UW-Madison Memorial Union from June to September of this year, celebrated the life and legacy of Cass Downing, a.k.a. Cass Marie Domino, and her enduring impact on Madison’s LGBTQ+ and drag communities as an entertainer, activist, and trans woman.

Born and raised in Madison, Cass has been gracing local stages, pride festivals, club shows, drag competitions, TV, and radio spots since the 1980s. As arguably the longest-performing drag entertainer in town, Cass was one of the performers who brought mainstream visibility to drag locally. Over the last 40 years as drag branched out of the clubs and into drag brunches, drag bingo, and drag story hours, Cass has been at the forefront of this locally. She was the long-time host of the popular fundraiser for AIDS Network, Camp Bingo, from 2007 to 2020. She has also been a frequent invitee to host Drag Story Hour events in our region over the last decade, including in Beaver Dam, Beloit, Cottage Grove, Madison, Milwaukee, Rockford, Sun Prairie, and Watertown. A participant in different drag pageant systems since the 1990s, she won a national title in 2017 and has continued to win regional titles in Minneapolis, La Crosse, and Madison since then.

Cass’s Life Outside of Drag

Outside of drag, Cass Marie Domino is Cass Downing. She worked professionally as a Certified Nursing Assistant for 20 years, providing support and comfort to countless patients. For the past several years, Cass has worked as a job coach and vocational support for people with developmental disabilities. She enjoys her dogs, riding horses, traveling, and building connections and community. She and her husband, Ryan, are enjoying life together in Madison.

One of the things people appreciate about Cass is her vulnerability in openly discussing challenges in her own life. An important member of the local sobriety community, she celebrated 25 years of sobriety in 2025. In the early 2000s, at a time when HIV/AIDS was still deeply stigmatized, she came out as HIV+ on the front page of the Wisconsin State Journal. “I was told to be quiet for so long, that once I found my voice, I used it,” says Cass.

From Donation to Exhibition

The exhibit started last November as a conversation about items Cass wanted to donate to the Madison LGBTQ+ Archive. “I have a Trans Phoenix dress I will give you!” she said. Of course, with a career as a local drag artist spanning nearly 40 years, it quickly became apparent her donations to the Archive, along with her personal story, could make a meaningful exhibit.

The career retrospective uses documentary photography to show Cass’s beginnings as a performer within the vibrant drag community at the Hotel Washington in the 1990s. Her iconic Red Ribbon Dress is just one item used to celebrate her ongoing philanthropy for HIV/AIDS causes and her coming out publicly as HIV+.  Personal ephemera document her journey in recovery and embracing her gender identity. Children’s books, photography, and costumes represent her contributions to Drag Story Hour and her participation in the mainstreaming of drag in Wisconsin. Photography documents her 10-year commitment to mentoring young drag queens. Finally, a wall of sashes, tiaras, and awards showcase her drag accolades from 1990s Miss Gay Wisconsin contests, through her recent titles in Minneapolis, La Crosse, and Madison.

Creating the Exhibit

The exhibition is co-curated by the Madison LGBTQ+ Archive and UW’s Open House Learning Community seminar. Professor of Gender & Women’s Studies, and Art History, Anna Campbell, offered her spring 2025 seminar at Open House a choice of class projects they could work on. The class chose to work on building an exhibit honoring the career of Cass Downing. In explaining why they chose this as their project, student Cam Young says, “It’s not often that drag performers get celebrated in such a way, so the opportunity to create an art exhibit celebrating a local drag artist and telling her story was really exciting.”

According to Professor Campbell, “Working on this exhibit gave my students and me a hands-on opportunity to prepare a curated selection of Cass’s beautiful and historic gowns for display, while also learning from Cass herself about the context for these gowns—the life and decades-long career that she’s built in the face of so many challenges.” Evelyn Geier, a student in the class, explained, “I learned that Cass Marie Domino is a model for resilience, for courage, and most of all, for staying true to yourself and not letting anyone stop you. This gallery is her courage, resilience, and truthfulness laid out.” And Cam Young similarly noted, “Learning about Cass’s journey taught me that no matter the hardships you endure, there is beauty ahead, you just have to find it. If you embrace your authentic self, you can live, not just survive.”

Cam went on to say, “I hope that when people see this exhibit, it shows them the beauty and complexity of being a drag performer. Ultimately, I hope it serves as a testament to the resilience of the queer and trans communities, shows the beauty of embracing who you are, and challenges preconceived notions about trans people and drag queens. This exhibit is great for people of all ages, from all walks of life. Whether you’re a drag queen yourself or have never seen one, this exhibit will meet you where you’re at. It’s a great experience to take a few minutes and really soak in the beauty and culture displayed in this gallery.” Geier offers, “Drag is an expression of queer culture and the lives of its performers. I’d love to see more recognition of Wisconsin queer history and culture, and I hope this exhibit really brings that to light. We’ve been here, we’re still here, and we’re staying.”

Cass’s friend Julia McConahay, owner of Chrysalis Hair & Body on Madison’s east side, was intimately involved in the creation of the exhibit, including helping interview Cass for the exhibit text. In reflecting on what they hoped people might get from the exhibit, Julia offered, “I wanted to be part of this process because I know in my bones that the more education humans have about each other, and the more familiar we get with each other’s stories, the richer our communities and life experiences will become.”

Looking Back, Looking Forward

And what has it been like for Cass to be honored in such a way? “I never thought anything like this would ever happen in my life. It’s been a huge honor and very humbling,” says Cass. “This exhibit shows some of what I’ve done so far. There’s more time for me to continue doing this work, and I’m not going anywhere.”