Location

Union Station Stop
KC Streetcar Shelter

Project Description

In skies of endless azure hue, Ladies fly, serene and true. A spirit guide, so calm and bright Who’s song dispels the darkest night. It whispers tales of peace untold, of coexistence, brave and bold. Where every person finds unity.

Moreno’s artwork will provide a calm and joyful visual prompt in a public space.
When we see the lady’s flying we see the chance to join them in harmony and ease and spread the joy.

Bio

Sue Moreno was born to Chicana and Indigenous Mexican parents on February 25th 1957 in Davenport, Iowa. She grew up in a low-income, multicultural neighborhood in the city’s East End. From a young age she wanted to play football with her brothers instead of cooking and playing with dolls as she was instead encouraged to. As a child of Mexican descent, Sue was segregated into a special class at school, then placed into vocational classes aimed towards hairdressing and secretarial work. 

For as long as she could remember, Sue knew she had no interest in boys. She began experimenting with her sexuality from sixth grade, when she managed to persuade her female friends to practice kissing with her. In high school, she started sneaking out to gay bars with her friends, where she was able to fully embrace her sexuality comfortably for the first time. 

During high school, Sue joined the sports team in shotput and track. Upon graduating, she was recruited for the University of Iowa by Nancy “Rusty” Barceló , advocate and supporter for Latino and Native American students, as part of a diversity campaign aimed at increasing the quota of Mexicans on campus. Moving to Iowa in 1975 was highly awakening for Sue. Here, she learned a lot about her sexuality, about being Mexican, and also being a woman. She became politically aware and started meeting other political gay women, finding a whole new liberating world opening up for her in the process. She joined The Women’s Resource and Action Center and attended gay rallies. Around this time, she started ‘coming out’ as lesbian to her family. Her family, in particular her mom, were incredibly supportive. 

After graduating in 1982 with a degree in teaching art, Sue accepted a Cooperative Urban Education position teaching art in Kansas City, Missouri. In Kansas she met Beverly, with whom she embarked on a relationship. The early 90s was a crucial time for Beverly and Sue. They attended the historic 1993 March on Washington and moved into Womontown, a revolutionary community by and for women in the city’s Longfellow neighborhood. Beverly and Sue were the first women of color to buy a house there. They then embarked on a project to buy one house there every year. Eventually, they moved out due to growing discrimination about their interracial relationship. 

Aged 50, Sue competed in shot put and wrestling at the 2006 Gay Games in Chicago, where she won a medal. After twenty-five years together, Beverly and Sue separated but remained best friends. In 2020, Beverly passed away from COVID-19. Although devastated, Sue was interviewed for Sandy Woodson’s Womontown documentary three days later. In 2023, she was also featured on an episode of Amy Poehler’s reality show, The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning, where she let go of belongings she had accumulated and processed the loss of Beverly and her life in Womontown. 

Sue still lives in Kansas City, Missouri, where she mentors young Latino artists in her local community. As part of this, she has contributed to MAYA The Exhibition at the city’s Union Station and A Layered Presence, an exhibition dealing with experiences of immigration and LGBTQIA+. She has been teaching art for over thirty-five years. 

Website | www.suemoart.com 

Instagram | @sumokcmo