in honor of Mickey
Mickey Harmon wasn’t just an artist—he was a force of queer creative revolution. As a co-owner of Good Stuff in Allentown, Mickey turned a neighborhood shop into a radical hub for LGBTQ+ connection, just steps away where his Intersect Art Festival would later erupt with live painting, drag and uncensored creativity. For seven years, Intersect wasn’t just an event; it was Mickey’s love letter to Buffalo with a one-day takeover where queer artists, musicians, and misfits could own their space, no apologies.
Mickey’s fingerprints were everywhere: from his murals like Stonewall Nation Mural on Allen Street to his board leadership with Allentown Association and LGBTQ+ History Project, where he fought to keep the neighborhood’s soul alive. For over a decade his murals like City of No Illusions mural at UB CFA, provocative exhibitions, The Male Erotic and Send Nudes, and leadership turned Buffalo into a canvas for LGBTQ+ visibility.
Mickey didn’t just make art—he built ecosystems. As a Tom of Finland Foundation member and organizer of the Switch: Queer Bazaar, he championed erotic artists and marginalized voices. His art proved public space could be both protest and poetry. When he joined the Buffalo Niagara Proud Alliance, it was with that same ethos: pride should be by us, for us—no corporate gloss, no apologies.
Tragically, Mickey and his partner Jordan were taken too soon, but their vision refuses to fade. This year, we are continuing Intersect in their honor: activating Allen Street with live art, sober spaces, and the same electric inclusivity Mickey demanded. We’ll spotlight local queer talent, just as he did, while pushing further. More BIPOC artists, more trans creators, more of the uncompromising authenticity of which he lived by.
Mickey’s Certificate of Recognition from the City of Buffalo called him a “cultivator of LGBTQ+ life.” Damn right. Our motto for Mickey—“Make space, take space”. In this magazine and beyond, we’re doing both. For him.