A barbershop is perhaps the quintessential gendered space. Haircuts are often chosen from a poster picturing the same guy with different fades, each in a little box — an artifact University of Vermont art prof Ace Lehner describes as “a very minimal menu of masculinity.” Taking that as a point of departure, Lehner presents “Barbershop: The Art of Queer Failure,” a pop-up project at BCA Center in Burlington that’s part performance, part installation and part social-practice piece. The artist — who is not a trained barber — gives participants haircuts in queer styles. In compensation, Lehner asks not for cash but for the coif’s recipient to engage in an act of queer world building before their ’do grows out: Examples include covering over anti-trans graffiti, volunteering at an LGBTQ center or teaching their relatives about pronouns. Everyone, no matter their gender, is welcome, and people watching the haircutting also become part of the salon-style conversation. The piece is based in “queer failure,” an idea from academic discourse. “It’s not actually failing,” Lehner said. “We’re failing intentionally because these normative, narrow boxes do not suit,” they added. “In failing to conform, we’re actually exploding open what is possible.”
‘Barbershop: The Art of Queer Failure’ On view September 25 to October 3. Reception and artist performance, Friday, September 25, 5-7 p.m.; artist on site, Thursday, October 1, 1-4 p.m.; closing performance, Saturday, October 3, 4-6 p.m., at BCA Center in Burlington.
The original print version of this article was headlined “Fail Better”
This article appears in September 23 • 2026.
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