Keith Cole (performance artist)

An alumnus of York University's Fine Arts program, Cole has worked in film and video, dance and theatre performance, both as himself and in character as drag queen Pepper Highway.

[5] Cole had an onstage role in the creation of Box 4901, an ensemble play about personal ads and queer love written by Brian Francis.

[8] Cole has had cameos in Queer As Folk, Locker Room for Pride Vision, Colin and Justin's Home Heist, and CBC's Baroness von Sketch Show.

[9] Cole has directed a number of experimental short films, including Toilet (1996), Nancy Boy vs Manly Woman (1997), Coyote, Beautiful (2002), and I Think I'm Coming Down With Something (2003).

While hosting a fundraiser at Buddies in Bad Times, the audience appeared to be losing interest in some of the performers — accordingly, during one of his introductions he pulled down his pants and began to urinate on the stage.

[11] Although he was publicly criticized by Fife House, the event's beneficiary, he has noted in subsequent interviews that the press attention he gained from the incident actually advanced his career.

Partly developed at a Drake Devonshire Residency in March 2015, the Thomson project culminated in #Hashtaggalleryslut, presented at the Art Gallery of Ontario in 2016.

The event was curated by Wanda Nanibush and featured found objects and imagined artifacts, video and performance incorporating a tribute to the late artist David Buchan and Cole as Thomson drowning in a canoe full of water.