Diego Montoya Brings Queer and Latin Artistry to Indianapolis Museum of Art with “Resplendent Dreams”

The Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields has opened its doors to “Resplendent Dreams: Reawakening the Rococo,” a vibrant exhibition that brings together the works of three contemporary queer artists—Diego Montoya, Robert Horvath, and Anthony Sonnenberg. Running from June 6, 2025, through March 2026, this exhibition is a celebration of opulence, self-expression, and queer visibility through immersive art, fashion, and historical dialogue .

Diego Montoya has become a household name in the world of drag and costume design, thanks to his show-stopping creations on “RuPaul’s Drag Race” and his Emmy Award-winning work as a costume designer for all four seasons of HBO’s “We’re Here” . Renowned for transforming drag artists into living artworks, Montoya draws from his queer and Latine heritage to craft visually stunning pieces that challenge convention and celebrate individuality.

His participation in “Resplendent Dreams” marks a significant moment: the transition from designing for performance to presenting his work in a fine art context. In this exhibition, Montoya’s gowns and costumes are showcased alongside the works of Horvath and Sonnenberg, offering museum visitors a rare opportunity to experience the theatricality, intricacy, and emotion inherent in drag artistry .

“Resplendent Dreams” invites visitors to step into a world where the lavishness of the 18th-century Rococo style is reinterpreted through contemporary queer perspectives. The exhibition features painting, sculpture, video, performance, installation, fashion, and costuming, blending historical and modern elements to explore themes of sensuality, artifice, and the freedom of self-expression .

Montoya’s extraordinary gowns stand out as exemplars of maximalist decoration and theatricality. Drawing inspiration from Rococo’s frivolity and extravagance, his work embraces bold color, lush textures, and intricate embellishments—elements that have defined many of the most memorable moments on drag stages worldwide. “This exhibition reclaims a historically devalued aesthetic of maximalist decoration as a form of subversion, self-expression, and visibility,” said Michael Vetter, PhD, Associate Curator of Contemporary Art at Newfields .

By presenting his fashion in a museum setting, Montoya also honors the artistry of drag and its importance as a form of cultural and social resistance. His work, alongside Horvath’s immersive watercolor room and Sonnenberg’s ceramic sculptures, offers a dialogue not only with each other but also with ten 18th-century Rococo masterpieces from the IMA’s collection, including paintings by Boucher and Fragonard .

Montoya’s designs pay tribute to the intersectionality of queer and Latine identities, infusing each piece with a sense of history, resilience, and pride. By bringing drag costumes—often relegated to nightclubs and television—into the respected halls of a major museum, “Resplendent Dreams” challenges artistic hierarchies and expands the definition of what constitutes fine art .

The exhibition is as much about honoring queer history and artistry as it is about reimagining the past. The curatorial team, including Vetter and the participating artists, deliberately selected Rococo-era works to highlight the latent queerness and sensuality of the period, creating a bridge between eras and identities .

Montoya’s presence in this show is a testament to the power of drag as a vehicle for both personal and collective storytelling within the LGBTQ+ community. His work exemplifies how queer and Latine creatives continue to shape mainstream culture and reclaim narratives that have long been marginalized or misunderstood.

With “Resplendent Dreams,” the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields signals its commitment to fostering inclusivity and amplifying LGBTQ+ voices within the art world. The exhibition’s immersive installations invite visitors of all backgrounds to experience the beauty, complexity, and resistance that define queer artistry today .

Advance tickets for the exhibition are available through the museum’s website and are included with general admission .

As Diego Montoya and his fellow artists reclaim and transform the Rococo, they remind viewers that art, like identity, is constantly evolving—and that every gown, sculpture, and brushstroke has the power to spark conversation, connection, and pride.