An evening with the artists behind two shows currently on display at the City Reliquary Museum:
Front room: “The Rabbits Knew: Drawings from The Rabbit Shows 2012–2025” Drawings by Mark Quinlan
Back room: “Slipping Into Forever Time” Paintings by Michael Craig Tracy
There will be artists talks with Michael Craig Tracy, Mark Quinlan, and City Reliquary founder, Dave Herman.
Each ticket includes 2 specialty drinks by Williamsburgh legendary bartender and artist, Mark Quinlan
Each ticket purchased is also eligible to win one of two prizes: – an original framed Rabbit drawing by Mark Quinlan – an original framed drawing by Michael Craig Tracy
On Friday, June 5, The City Reliquary and Coney Island USA proudly present Miss Subways 2026! This one-night-only extravaganza event celebrating NYC’s favorite mode of transportation takes place at the Sideshows by the Seashore Theater, 1208 Surf Avenue, from 7-10 pm. Tickets are on sale now! ($30 general, $10 for City Reliquary members).
A diverse lineup of contestants will represent their subway line of choice for a panel of local celebrity judges in Costume, Talent, and Interview categories.
The winner will receive the transit tiara, the subway sash, and the title of Miss Subways 2026. (Photo: Nate Dorr @rock_hyrax)
The winner will be crowned by Miss Subways 2025, artist and performer Bimini Cricket! (Photo: Nate Dorr @rock_hyrax)
Abby Fantastic (she/her/Mom), world-renowned burlesque performer and co-producer of Bounce House Burlesque. Representing the A train.
Jess Joseph (she/her), writer, educator, tour guide, and local history (including Miss Subways) expert. Representing the 2 train.
LuXury Leah (she/her), best known for wrestling in Subway Mania, but you should also know her cosplay and charity work through Critical Care Comics. Representing the 4 train.
Trudy Carmichael (she/her), Las Vegas lounge legend bringing improvisational grit and glamor to NYC. Representing the C train.
Alicia Kalsi (she/her), civil servant, award-winning vocalist, puppeteer, and pinball enthusiast. Representing the Franklin Avenue Shuttle.
Kaley Morrison (she/her), sketch and improv comedian, burlesque performer, writer, and advocate for Native and Indigenous artists. Representing the R train.
Sugar Hoops (he/him), creator and performer of circus musical works, specializing in aerial lyra, hoops, and rope darts. Representing the L train.
The Master of Ceremonies
Presiding over this year’s pageant, and bringing her talents to a new realm, is domestic doyenne Brini Maxwell. Described as part Donna Reed, part Mary Tyler Moore, Maxwell makes kitsch feel classy through her unparalleled personal flair for home design, entertaining and savvy household tips. She began sharing her domestic know-how on her eponymous show on cable access and later moved to the Style network. Her love of 20th century culture and design means she’s tickled pink to host Miss Subways 2026, following her turn as a judge of last year’s competition. She’s currently producing content for YouTube and acting as a muse for the art of her creator, Ben Sander.
Special Guest Announcer
Charlie Pellett is a veteran news anchor and reporter for Bloomberg Radio. Most importantly, as one of the designated official voices of the New York City subway system, Charlie Pellett asks riders to “Stand clear of the closing doors, please!” Before joining Bloomberg in 1992, Pellett spent a decade at 1010 WINS in New York City. He also worked as a news writer for CNN, as a disc jockey in Northampton, MA, and co-hosted a Friday night call-in show with former New York City Mayor Ed Koch.
The Celebrity Judges
Each of this year’s Miss Subways judges embodies creativity, love for New York City, and living life to its fullest extent. They’re artists, performers, tastemakers, advocates, and one of the voices of our daily commute.
Joe Coleman, Artist (Photo: Juho Liukkonen)Queerly Femmetastic, Brooklyn Bombshell (Photo: Jaycen Brooks)Bernie Wagenblast
Joe Coleman, Artist
Joe Coleman is a world-renowned painter, writer and performer based in New York. His microscopically detailed paintings have been exhibited for four decades in major museums throughout the world including one-man exhibitions at the Palais de Tokyo in Paris, the Kunst-Werke Institute for Contemporary Art in Berlin and the Barbican Centre in London. He was the subject of the award winning feature length documentary How Dark My Love (2025). In 2024, a 450 page monograph of his work and life, A Doorway to Joe, was published byFantagraphics. Joe and his wife Whitney were King Neptune and Queen Mermaid in the 2024 Coney Island Mermaid Parade.
Queerly Femmetastic, Brooklyn Bombshell
Brooklyn Bred bombshell Queerly Femmetastic is a nerdy connoisseur of Blackness. Her pronouns are she, her, and ma’am. This Patron Saint of Multiple Orgasms is inspired by Black shake-dancers, strippers, and hoochie-coochie girls across generations. Known for snatching souls and taking titles, she is Miss Subways 2024, the Silver Tusk Awards 2025 Entertainer of the Year, and Miss Coney Island 2026. Queerly loves the smell of books, practicing sneaky splits, and the feeling of your money on her skin.
Bernie Wagenblast, voice of the New York City Subway
Bernie Wagenblast’s voice was first heard by folks in the Tri-State Area in 1979 when she made her debut on New York radio as a traffic reporter. Since 2009 her voice is heard daily by millions of riders on the New York City subway (“Please stand away from the platform edge!”). She also is the voice of the AirTrain at Newark Liberty International Airport and on PATCO in South Jersey and Philadelphia. At the start of 2023 Bernie came out as a transgender woman and has used her celebrity to raise trans visibility. More recently, she was asked by Lin-Manuel Miranda to serve as the voice of the train conductor on the Warriors album. She has been named as one of the grand marshals for the 2026 NYC Pride March. Follow Bernie at @cranford_radio
Miss Subways 2026 will be held on Friday, June 5, at Coney Island’s Sideshows by the Seashore Theater: 1208 Surf Avenue, Brooklyn, NY! We’ll celebrate our city’s iconic 24-hour transit system with a one-night-only evening of eclectic performance and civic spirit.
Tickets are $30, or $10 for City Reliquary members. Reliquary membership costs $10/month.
Want to come for free? We’re seeking contestants for this year’s event. Complete the application form at the link by 11:59pm on Tuesday, May 12 (EXTENDED!) to be considered! Finalists will be selected, and all applicants notified, by Friday, May 15.
Contestants will compete in THREE CATEGORIES evaluated according to creativity, originality, and skill:
Costume
Talent
Interview
Last year’s performances included a tribute to the R46 subway cars accompanied by a handcrafted puppet, an operatic ode to reading on the train, a draglesque number embodying a puddle of subway goo, contortion, comedy, and a subway rat rap. Feats of strength, humorous powerpoints, we’re seeking any kind of talent that embodies the spirit of NYC and the subway system that keeps it running. Show us what you’ve got!
More information about the event, including our judges panel and ticket information, coming soon!
ABOUT MISS SUBWAYS
The City Reliquary Miss Subways updates the historic “Miss Subways” beauty contest held in New York City from 1941 to 1976 (and resurrected once by the MTA in 2004) for the 21st century. The event expands on the progressive history of Miss Subways as the first racially integrated beauty competition and invites contestants of all gender identities, body types, and ages 18+ to apply. The first City Reliquary Miss Subways was presented in 2017.
Contestants representing their subway line of choice compete for the prized title of Miss Subways and the transit tiara. A panel of local celebrity judges will evaluate their costumes, talent performances, and answers to subway-themed questions to decide who will represent NYC straphangers as the next Miss Subways!
The winner will join an illustrious lineup. Past winners of the City Reliquary Miss Subways are artist and comedianLisa Levy(Miss Subways 2017), urban planner Parker MacLure (Miss Subways 2018), musician and director Dylan Mars Greenberg (Miss Subways 2019), marketing pro and performer Harmony Hardcore (Miss Subways 2023–the first since the pandemic), Brooklyn chanteuse Queerly Femmetastic (Miss Subways 2024), and multi-hyphenate performer Bimini Cricket (Miss Subways 2025).
ABOUT CONEY ISLAND USA
Coney Island USA exists to defend the honor of American popular culture through innovative exhibitions and performances. Presenting and producing exciting new works, our approach is rooted in mass culture and the traditions of P.T. Barnum, dime museums, burlesque, circus sideshows, vaudeville, and Coney Island itself. Preserving and championing a set of uniquely American visual and performing art forms, we seek to create an international forum for cultural preservation and discourse, and where Coney Island represents these impulses, we strive to make it once again a center for live art and entrepreneurial spirit. Learn more at https://www.coneyisland.com/. Follow on Instagram at @coney.island.usa and on Facebook at @coneyislandusa.
The City Reliquary’s Panorama Challenge returns on Friday, April 17, 2026! The 15th edition of the beloved trivia game will take place at the Queens Museum’s Panorama of the City of New York, a scale model of the five boroughs created for the 1964-1965 New York World’s Fair.
Since the City Reliquary first launched the Panorama Challenge at the Queens Museum in 2007, the event has regularly drawn the top dogs in NYC trivia. Emcee Gary Dennis and Quizmaster Jonathan Turer, founder of KnowItAllNewYorker.com, are back with a new batch of city-themed stumpers including “Chronically Online” (NYC Viral Moments), “The Road Where it Happens” (The City on Broadway), and other areas of urban history and lore.
Ticketing and team registration are open! Buy online in advance for a discount ($25 vs. $30 at the door). Members of the City Reliquary or Queens Museum get an even deeper discounted admission of $20. A link to team registration will be sent with ticket purchase confirmation.
This exciting evening of trivia puts the whole city at your feet. Teams of Panorama Pros (experts) and Panorama Challengers (amateurs) get quizzed on all things NYC using the Panorama as a massive game board. The winning Pro team will become part of Panorama Challenge history when its name is etched on the Panorama Challenge Trophy alongside past Pro team winners.
Shuttle service will be provided for guests between the 111th Street 7 train station to Queens Museum.
Questions? Reach out to us at [email protected]. See you at the Panorama!
Intimate Portrait: Profile of a Mid-Century Manhattan Creative Couple on view in the City Reliquary exhibition hall, will host a closing reception on Saturday, October 18 2025, from 7 – 9pm.
Free and open to the public, no RSVP required.
Learn more about the exhibition and view new interview footage with curator Lee Berman at our exhibitions page.
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The City Reliquary will present the 2024 Miss Subways spectacle on Friday, July 18. We’re once again working with our friends at Coney Island USA, NYC’s historic nexus of the weird and whimsical. Join us at the Sideshows by the Seashore Theater (1208 Surf Avenue). Tickets are on sale now! ($30 general, $10 for City Reliquary members).
A diverse lineup of contestants will represent their subway line of choice for a panel of local celebrity judges in Costume, Talent, and Interview categories.
The winner will receive the transit tiara, the subway sash, and the title of Miss Subways 2025. (Photo credit: Kevin Jackson @actionjackson_tm_)
The winner will be crowned by Miss Subways 2024, Brooklyn bombshell Queerly Femmetastic! (Photo credit: Kevin Jackson @actionjackson_tm_)
Izzy B (she/her)Teresa Hui (she/her)Fortissima of the F Train (she/her)Pete Zaparty (they/he)Sally Ann Hall (she/her)Amazing Amy (she/her)Bimini Cricket (she/her)Emily Hupp (she/her)
Izzy B (she/her), transit justice advocate and performer. Representing the 1 train.
Teresa Hui (she/her), actor, opera singer, and marathoner. Credits include the Apollo Theater, the Brooklyn Cyclones, and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Representing the B/Q.
Fortissima of the F Train (she/her), operatic mermaid, community builder, and professional sparkle distributor. Representing the F train.
Pete Zaparty (they/he), artist and Irish dancer. Recently awarded “Best Plumage” in the Pigeon Impersonation Pageant on the High Line. Representing the L/M.
Sally Ann Hall (she/her), award-winning standup comedian and cabaret singer. Representing the J.
Amazing Amy (she/her), senior yoga practitioner and contortionist who spreads the yoga love. Representing multiple lines.
Bimini Cricket (she/her), comedic burlesque performer from the land down under. Representing the B train.
Emily Hupp (she/her), history buff and style icon, frequent participant in the Easter Bonnet Parade. Representing the 42nd Street Shuttle.
The Master of Ceremonies
Presiding over this year’s subway-themed extravaganza is performer and director Tom Meglio. Tom is the co-writer and host of the musical-sketch-comedy show Ze Follies Dorée!, which just completed a sold out run Off-Broadway at the AMT Theatre on 45th Street. He has performed at Carnegie Hall, 54 Below, The Slipper Room, and the Laurie Beechman Theatre. As a director Tom has staged productions at Adult Film Theatre Company, and The Brooklyn Centre for Theatre Research. Most recently, he served as the Assistant Director for Dilaria, by Julia Randall, currently running Off-Broadway at the Daryl Roth Theatre. @tommeglio@zefolliesdoree
The Celebrity Judges
This year’s Miss Subways judges come from the worlds of performance, comedy, and journalism. They’re artists who help make and keep NYC a cultural hotspot, advocates for the best of local culture, style icons, award winners, and the voice of our daily commute.
Brini Maxwell, domestic doyenneCharlie Pellett, Voice of the NYC SubwayElla Louise Smith, “Miz E with a Z”. Credit: Isambert PhotographyLisa Levy, Miss Subways 2017. Credit: Brian Zak
Brini Maxwell, domestic doyenne
Described as part Donna Reed, part Mary Tyler Moore, Maxwell makes kitsch feel classy through her unparalleled personal flair for home design, entertaining and savvy household tips. She began sharing her domestic know-how on her eponymous show on cable access and later moved to the Style network. Her love of 20th century culture and design means she’s tickled pink to be a judge for the Miss Subways Contest. She’s currently producing content for YouTube and acting as a muse for the art of her creator, Ben Sander.
Charlie Pellett, voice of the New York City Subway
Charlie is a veteran news anchor and reporter for Bloomberg Radio. Most importantly, as one of the designated official voices of the New York City subway system, Charlie Pellett asks riders to “Stand clear of the closing doors, please!” Before joining Bloomberg in 1992, Pellett spent a decade at 1010 WINS in New York City. He also worked as a news writer for CNN, as a disc jockey in Northampton, MA, and co-hosted a Friday night call-in show with former New York City Mayor Ed Koch.
Ella Louise Smith, “Miz E with a Z”
Co-Producer, Powell Leonard’s “The Kong Show” & Powella Production’s “We Make Events!” Ella Louise is an actress and performer. She appears as Miz E with a Z (and as her own twin sister) on Powell Leonard’s web series, “The Kong Show on TV,” filmed in Astoria, Queens. She is currently promoting an upcoming filmmaking workshop with independent filmmaker Keith Powell of Urban Artistic Films at Dave Silverberg’s film, photography and event studio, 3636 Studio, in the Kaufman Arts District, Long Island City, Queens. Ella was awarded Miss Congeniality at the Miss Subways 2023 event. She is thrilled to be a judge for the Miss Subways 2025 contest. Follow Ella Smith on Instagram at Miz_E_with_a_Z
Lisa Levy, Miss Subways 2017
Lisa Levy is a comedian, conceptual artist, and Miss Subways 2017 (the first postmenopausal Miss Subways!). Her performance work has been featured in publications such as the New York Times and The London Times. Her visual art has been exhibited at The New Museum, The Bronx Museum, SPRING/BREAK Art Fair, The Pulse Art Fair, and The Brooklyn Academy of Music. She hosts a weekly show on Radio Free Brooklyn, Dr. Lisa Gives a Sh*t, where she conducts funny, emotionally revealing “psychotherapy sessions” with a range of creative guests. @misssubways2017@drlisalevysp@lisalevyartwork
Miss Subways 2025 will be held on Friday, July 18, at Coney Island’s Sideshows by the Seashore Theater: 1208 Surf Avenue, Brooklyn, NY! We’ll celebrate New York’s favorite mode of transportation with an evening of eclectic performance and civic spirit.
Are YOU Miss Subways 2025? We’re seeking contestants for this year’s event.Complete the application form at the link by 11:59pm on June 25 to be considered!
This year, contestants will compete in THREE CATEGORIES evaluated according to creativity, originality, and skill:
Costume
Talent
Interview
Past talent acts have included a dance by a mad scientist with Doc Ock arms, a pigeon burlesque, an experimental soundscape inspired by the Q, songs about subway proselytizers, and an appearance by the Wicked Witch of the Upper East Side and an immigrant from Oz. We want to see what you’ve got! Embrace the spirit of the city.
More information about the event, including our judges panel and ticket information, coming soon!
ABOUT MISS SUBWAYS
The City Reliquary Miss Subways updates the historic “Miss Subways” beauty contest held in New York City from 1941 to 1976 (and resurrected once by the MTA in 2004) for the 21st century. The event expands on the progressive history of Miss Subways as the first racially integrated beauty competition and invites contestants of all gender identities, body types, and ages 18+ to apply. The first City Reliquary Miss Subways was presented in 2017.
Contestants representing their subway line of choice compete for the prized title of Miss Subways and the transit tiara. A panel of local celebrity judges will evaluate their costumes, talent performances, and answers to subway-themed questions to decide who will represent NYC straphangers as the next Miss Subways!
The winner will join an illustrious lineup of past winners: artist and “first postmenopausal Miss Subways” Lisa Levy (Miss Subways 2017); urban planner Parker MacLure (Miss Subways 2018); musician and director Dylan Mars Greenberg (Miss Subways 2019); marketing pro and performer Harmony Hardcore (Miss Subways 2023); and Brooklyn chanteuse Queerly Femmetastic (Miss Subways 2024).
ABOUT CONEY ISLAND USA
Coney Island USA exists to defend the honor of American popular culture through innovative exhibitions and performances. Presenting and producing exciting new works, our approach is rooted in mass culture and the traditions of P.T. Barnum, dime museums, burlesque, circus sideshows, vaudeville, and Coney Island itself. Preserving and championing a set of uniquely American visual and performing art forms, we seek to create an international forum for cultural preservation and discourse, and where Coney Island represents these impulses, we strive to make it once again a center for live art and entrepreneurial spirit. Learn more at https://www.coneyisland.com/. Follow on Instagram at @coney.island.usa and on Facebook at @coneyislandusa.
Sorry all, we had to cancel this event. Stay tuned for a reschedule.
The Reliquary is open late to all this First Friday of June — and we will be hosting a BYO Broken Stuff repair salon in the back!
Reliquary resident repairman, Kyle Supley, will start by giving a brief demonstration at 7pm about refurbishing lamp sockets and clocks, a truly lost art in our now fast-paced, disposable world. Afterwards, he will be on hand with an array of tools to help you repair any small, household appliances you bring in. Think clocks, lamps, and other basic gadgets. (We wish we could help you with your smartphones, but nothing too complicated please!) While we can’t guarantee that we will be able to repair your gadget on the spot, we will do our best to diagnose what needs to be done and provide resources if we can’t make it work.
It’s $10 to reserve a seat at the repair salon, so get your tickets quick as this is sure to fill up! If you’d like to observe or simply want to swing by and check out the museum, the City Reliquary will be open from 6-9pm on Friday, June 6th with FREE ADMISSION. Beer and snacks will also be available, so come by and get civic with us!
Celebrity Drag King Murray Hill and “Voice of the Subway” Bernie Wagenblast to Headline
On All Saints Day (Friday, November 1), the City Reliquary will celebrate the secular saint of New York, the Statue of Liberty, in a blowout celebration emceed by celebrity drag king Murray Hill, “the hardest-working middle-aged ‘man’ in showbiz.” Tickets are on sale now.
The celebration will mark the release of the exhibition catalog for Liberty the Tattooed Lady, a show about the history of Statue of Liberty tattoos that opened at the City Reliquary on March 15 and will close in mid-January. Copies of the book will be available for purchase. The exhibition is the first devoted entirely to the history of Statue of Liberty tattoos and was curated by Daredevil Tattooco-owner and tattoo artist, Michelle Myles. Through a stunning collection of vintage tattoo art–including pieces never put on public display before–it shows how the Statue of Liberty has been embraced and embodied by American tattoo artists since the turn of the century. See it while you can!
The highlight of the event will surely be the Lady Liberty Costume Contest. The chance to compete is included with event admission. Contestants of all shapes, sizes, and gender identities are invited to display their creativity and love for our national icon. Please note, the City Reliquary does not have a dressing room. Contestants should arrive in costume!
Contestants will be evaluated on personality and costume creativity by a panel of three judges: transgender NYC transportation icon Bernie Wagenblast, who is literally the voice of the New York City subway system (“Please stand away from the platform edge!”); the reigning 2024 City Reliquary Miss Subways, burlesque performer Queerly Femmetastic; and 2024 Miss Subways first runner-up, comedian Dani Riedel.
After careful consideration, our fabulous judges will present the winner with a $500 gift certificate to Daredevil Tattoo and a copy of the catalog autographed by exhibition curator Michelle Myles. The second-place prize is a $250 Daredevil gift certificate and an autographed catalog.
