Today we’d like to introduce you to Vegas Flights.
Hi Vegas , we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I started the art of drag in 2018, after my childhood best friend past away in a car accident. It flipped my world upside down, and I needed somewhere to escape. I used my drag as a way to collide my artistic practices as a film photographer & painter, and created a world where I could be celebrated for things I was normally criticized for. In drag, you can be as feminine as you want, tell any story you want, find a space where every shade and size of bodies can be appreciated, which was completely different from my experience outside of drag. In 2021, I won the Rosebud & Thorn pageant, which is the oldest queer youth title in the world right here in Portland. I used my platform at just 19 years old to fight for accessibility to queer spaces, because it meant so much to me growing up and I know how much it means for youth and their families to find safe spaces for everyone to feel seen and find their community. In 2022, I collaborated with PrideNorthwest and created a mini project called “The Takeoff,” a show catered to all ages audiences with a cast of drag artists who were 15-21. I wanted any queer person who came to the show to see themselves in us, and we hosted these shows in big theatres as well as hosted Portland pride in 2024 with the project. I opened for Chappell Roan in 2023, as a part of her Midwest Princess tour date at the Wonder Ballroom. Afterwards, I continued to produce shows and spaces for community & artistic celebration. Graduated college in December 2024 with a BFA in Photography and was nominated in WillametteWeekly’s first ever Best Drag Queen of PDX category; being one of five artists to receive this honor for the categories first year of awarding. I continue to produce and create community, currently with collaboration with BlackWater Records, with my reoccurring show “Crash Landing!”
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Absolutely it’s been a journey. From the beginning of my career was navigating grief and this newly discovered art avenue. I was constantly pushed to the background, and was hard to get taken seriously. Dealing with chaos surrounded me, family members struggling with addiction & more death that occurred through my life, and finding out my true community that cared not just about myself as an artist and a peer but as a person when the wig comes off.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Vegas is the artistic blush babydoll of your dreams. She will always tell you a story, in her performances or her head to toe looks. I love collaboration, working with friends and peers I love and respect to help tell the stories I want to tell. I love photographing my own looks using 35mm film, but also love the perspectives my friends have captured through digital photography. Everything she does will be colorful, creative, whimsical, and takes you on a journey. You will always be left feeling something, no matter the song. I love big prints, lots of layering, and mixing things together that your normally wouldn’t pair but it works. There will always be a sparkle, and will always be heavily perfumed lol
What matters most to you?
I want to leave every space I walk into kinder than I found it. I care so much about uplifting those around me in my community, giving love back to those who have given love to me. Giving opportunity and being a part of the beginning of so many people’s stories and seeing the growth is such a gift. I just want to spread more love and more kindness. Have someone see themselves in me and feel seen, feel loved and know that they are special. Anybody can make magic happen, just hit the gas and go case after that dream no matter how much it scares you. I wanted to see someone like myself in the world, in media, for so long, that I decided it was time I became the person I wanted growing up.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.vegasflights.threadless.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/wakingupinvegass
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@wakingupinvegass
