Same Toys, New Families
Wilco is a full-scale diorama of an entire town, built out of original vintage Fisher-Price Play Family sets — the same toys that, when they were made, came pre-loaded with a very specific idea of family: mother, father, son, and daughter. Nothing about the toys themselves has been changed. What’s changed is the makeup of the families.
New Neighbors Up Ahead
Seven families call Wilco home. David and Carl — a married gay couple, a pilot and artist / drag performer, with their dalmatian Brigid. Emily and Sandy, lesbian newlyweds raising a joyfully blended household they call the gay Brady Bunch. Orrin, Miguel, and Frank — a gay throuple raising daughter Sally together. Kai and Sam, a cisgender bisexual couple raising their kids Kit and Remy nonbinary. Karl and Louis, both bisexual, co-parenting with their ex wives daughter Madi and son Kris during summer vacation. Mark, a transgender father, raising his son Cal. And Nan and Kat, a lesbian couple splitting their time between an off-grid life and a downtown loft.
Waco’s Tragic History
The name Wilco is a play on Waco, Texas — where, in 1953, a gathering of gay men was raided in what’s now a mostly forgotten piece of local history, and where queer life is still often made to feel unwelcome. Wilco asks a simple question: what if Waco had chosen tolerance instead?
A New Start
Wilco is a fictional lakeside city built entirely out of real childhood toys, made to house diverse families the toys were never designed to support.
Are more families moving in? Stay tuned!
— Behan
