Audrey Conrad

Audrey Conrad: Outside The Box

Those In The Transgender Community Find A Warm Embrace At Real Art Ways
...
"The interesting thing about it is it isn't the same group of people every month," says Audrey Conrad, among the minglers this December evening. She wears a knit mini and black knee-high boots.

"There are some hard-core Creative Cocktail Hour addicts who you'll see every month. But depending on what [art or music] is being featured, you get ...

Conrad is one of the event's "hard-core addicts" — self-proclaimed and such an advocate of Real Art Ways that the folks there had the good sense to ask her to join its board of directors about a year and a half ago.

If you've gone to a cocktail hour, fundraising event or art happening there, you've likely seen her. That's her in the short blond bob, chatting up old faces and welcoming new ones.

Dressed as she is this evening in her "girl persona," Conrad is also one of a dozen or so cocktail-hour regulars from the transgender community, all at various stages in their search for gender identity. For some, that's meant surgery; for some, that's meant cross-dressing, and for still others, something else entirely.

They come here, says Conrad, to find community in the accepting environment that Real Art Ways and its patrons have helped to cultivate.

But that search for community and identity isn't unique to them, or any one group, says Conrad.
...
Meaning is what first drew Conrad, a Midwestern native who moved to Connecticut in the late 1980s. She immersed herself in work for the first few years, which didn't leave much room for socializing. At the same time, she was still wrestling with her gender identity.

"For a long time, I really fought internally with myself," she says. "Society is always trying to put you in a box ... and as hard as I tried to fit into that "boy box," there was a part of me that just was not comfortable at all."

Yet, she wasn't entirely comfortable in the "girl box" either.

"I consider myself transgender, and I bounce back and forth," she says. That might mean her "girl persona" for going out on the town and her "boy persona" at her job in the tourism industry.

In the late 1990s, with that internal wrestling behind her, Conrad was ready to carve out a social life. She stumbled on Real Art Ways, attended a few art events and has been returning ever since.

Here, she says, she's found a vibrant group of people, provocative artworks and films — and a place in which she feels welcome as Audrey.

"And actually, I've found I don't have any difficulty here in Hartford, or Connecticut. I go pretty much anywhere in 'girl mode' and very seldom have anyone take notice of me," says Conrad, 61.
...
And, of course, there's Conrad.

"I'm not sure I've made a lot of deep friendships here. But I've met a lot of interesting, vibrant people," she says.

Audrey Conrad: Outside The Box
...
"The interesting thing about it is it isn't the same group of people every month," says Audrey Conrad, among the minglers this December evening. She wears a knit mini and black knee-high boots.

"There are some hard-core Creative Cocktail Hour addicts who you'll see every month. But depending on what [art or music] is being featured, you get , a whole different contingent of people," she says.

Conrad is one of the event's "hard-core addicts" — self-proclaimed and such an advocate of Real Art Ways that the folks there had the good sense to ask her to join its board of directors about a year and a half ago.

If you've gone to a cocktail hour, fundraising event or art happening there, you've likely seen her. That's her in the short blond bob, chatting up old faces and welcoming new ones.

Dressed as she is this evening in her "girl persona," Conrad is also one of a dozen or so cocktail-hour regulars from the transgender community, all at various stages in their search for gender identity. For some, that's meant surgery; for some, that's meant cross-dressing, and for still others, something else entirely.

They come here, says Conrad, to find community in the accepting environment that Real Art Ways and its patrons have helped to cultivate.

But that search for community and identity isn't unique to them, or any one group, says Conrad.
...
Meaning is what first drew Conrad, a Midwestern native who moved to Connecticut in the late 1980s. She immersed herself in work for the first few years, which didn't leave much room for socializing. At the same time, she was still wrestling with her gender identity.

"For a long time, I really fought internally with myself," she says. "Society is always trying to put you in a box ... and as hard as I tried to fit into that "boy box," there was a part of me that just was not comfortable at all."

Yet, she wasn't entirely comfortable in the "girl box" either.

"I consider myself transgender, and I bounce back and forth," she says. That might mean her "girl persona" for going out on the town and her "boy persona" at her job in the tourism industry.

In the late 1990s, with that internal wrestling behind her, Conrad was ready to carve out a social life. She stumbled on Real Art Ways, attended a few art events and has been returning ever since.

Here, she says, she's found a vibrant group of people, provocative artworks and films — and a place in which she feels welcome as Audrey.

"And actually, I've found I don't have any difficulty here in Hartford, or Connecticut. I go pretty much anywhere in 'girl mode' and very seldom have anyone take notice of me," says Conrad, 61.
...
And, of course, there's Conrad.

"I'm not sure I've made a lot of deep friendships here. But I've met a lot of interesting, vibrant people," she says.

Audrey Conrad: Outside The Box
...
"The interesting thing about it is it isn't the same group of people every month," says Audrey Conrad, among the minglers this December evening. She wears a knit mini and black knee-high boots.

"There are some hard-core Creative Cocktail Hour addicts who you'll see every month. But depending on what [art or music] is being featured, you get ... a whole different contingent of people," she says.

Conrad is one of the event's "hard-core addicts" - self-proclaimed and such an advocate of Real Art Ways that the folks there had the good sense to ask her to join its board of directors about a year and a half ago.
...
They come here, says Conrad, to find community in the accepting environment that Real Art Ways and its patrons have helped to cultivate.

But that search for community and identity isn't unique to them, or any one group, says Conrad.
...
Meaning is what first drew Conrad, a Midwestern native who moved to Connecticut in the late 1980s. She immersed herself in work for the first few years, which didn't leave much room for socializing. At the same time, she was still wrestling with her gender identity.

"For a long time, I really fought internally with myself," she says. "Society is always trying to put you in a box ... and as hard as I tried to fit into that "boy box," there was a part of me that just was not comfortable at all."

Yet, she wasn't entirely comfortable in the "girl box" either.

"I consider myself transgender, and I bounce back and forth," she says. That might mean her "girl persona" for going out on the town and her "boy persona" at her job in the tourism industry.

In the late 1990s, with that internal wrestling behind her, Conrad was ready to carve out a social life. She stumbled on Real Art Ways, attended a few art events and has been returning ever since.

Here, she says, she's found a vibrant group of people, provocative artworks and films - and a place in which she feels welcome as Audrey.

"And actually, I've found I don't have any difficulty here in Hartford, or Connecticut. I go pretty much anywhere in 'girl mode' and very seldom have anyone take notice of me," says Conrad, 61.
...
And, of course, there's Conrad.

"I'm not sure I've made a lot of deep friendships here. But I've met a lot of interesting, vibrant people," she says.

Audrey Conrad: Outside The Box
...
"The interesting thing about it is it isn't the same group of people every month," says Audrey Conrad, among the minglers this December evening.She wears a knit mini and black knee-high boots.

"There are some hard-core Creative Cocktail Hour addicts who you'll see every month.But depending on what [art or music] is being featured, you get , a whole different contingent of people," she says.

Conrad is one of the event's "hard-core addicts" , self-proclaimed and such an advocate of Real Art Ways that the folks there had the good sense to ask her to join its board of directors about a year and a half ago.

If you've gone to a cocktail hour, fundraising event or art happening there, you've likely seen her.That's her in the short blond bob, chatting up old faces and welcoming new ones.

Dressed as she is this evening in her "girl persona," Conrad is also one of a dozen or so cocktail-hour regulars from the transgender community, all at various stages in their search for gender identity.For some, that's meant surgery; for some, that's meant cross-dressing, and for still others, something else entirely.

They come here, says Conrad, to find community in the accepting environment that Real Art Ways and its patrons have helped to cultivate.

But that search for community and identity isn't unique to them, or any one group, says Conrad.
...
Meaning is what first drew Conrad, a Midwestern native who moved to Connecticut in the late 1980s.She immersed herself in work for the first few years, which didn't leave much room for socializing.At the same time, she was still wrestling with her gender identity.

"For a long time, I really fought internally with myself," she says."Society is always trying to put you in a box ... and as hard as I tried to fit into that "boy box," there was a part of me that just was not comfortable at all."

Yet, she wasn't entirely comfortable in the "girl box" either.

"I consider myself transgender, and I bounce back and forth," she says.That might mean her "girl persona" for going out on the town and her "boy persona" at her job in the tourism industry.

In the late 1990s, with that internal wrestling behind her, Conrad was ready to carve out a social life.She stumbled on Real Art Ways, attended a few art events and has been returning ever since.

Here, she says, she's found a vibrant group of people, provocative artworks and films , and a place in which she feels welcome as Audrey.

"And actually, I've found I don't have any difficulty here in Hartford, or Connecticut.I go pretty much anywhere in 'girl mode' and very seldom have anyone take notice of me," says Conrad, 61.
...
And, of course, there's Conrad.

"I'm not sure I've made a lot of deep friendships here.But I've met a lot of interesting, vibrant people," she says.

Audrey Conrad [bio]
...
Audrey Conrad Board of Trustees

A familiar face in the crowd at RAW for more years than she cares to admit to, Audrey is a long time supporter of RAW as well as The Hartford Gay & Lesbian Health Collective and Our True Colors where she has volunteered and made presentations. Formerly Executive Director of The Connecticut Outreach Society (a Transgender support and social group), she speaks to high school and college students about gender issues and her life experiences.

Audrey was born and raised in the Chicago area. After graduating from Northeastern Illinois State University, she taught in City of Chicago public schools for five years prior to pursuing a career restoring, caring for and writing about historic railroad equipment. She compares her work to "being a zookeeper for dinosaurs".

Her spare time is divided between visiting museums and galleries, exploring industrial archeological sites, hiking and dancing. She is honored (and flattered) to be a member of the RAW Board.

Audrey Conrad [bio]
...
Audrey ConradBoard of Directors

A familiar face in the crowd at RAW for more years than she cares to admit to, Audrey is a long time supporter of RAW as well as The Hartford Gay & Lesbian Health Collective and Our True Colors where she has volunteered and made presentations.Formerly Executive Director of The Connecticut Outreach Society (a Transgender support and social group), she speaks to high school and college students about gender issues and her life experiences.

Audrey was born and raised in the Chicago area.After graduating from Northeastern Illinois State University, she taught in City of Chicago public schools for five years prior to pursuing a career restoring, caring for and writing about historic railroad equipment.She compares her work to "being a zookeeper for dinosaurs".

Her spare time is divided between visiting museums and galleries, exploring industrial archeological sites, hiking and dancing.She is honored (and flattered) to be a member of the RAW Board.