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LGBTQ+ Artists

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Photography by Edward C. Robison III

LGBTQ+ Artists

The artists represented in this collection reflect the varied and diverse individuals that make up the LGBTQ+ community in the United States and beyond. Identity categories relating to gender and sexuality have evolved over the past century (and longer), and remain a fluid subject. Some artists in the early to mid-twentieth century lived marginalized or closeted lives due to social taboos and restrictive laws, yet many found ways to express themselves through their art. Others lived bravely and openly, using their art to promote social justice issues, including AIDS awareness, research, and prevention in the 1980s and ‘90s. Artists working today continue to explore issues of identity, self-expression, intersectionality, and systems of oppression that affect not only LGBTQ+ people, but other marginalized communities as well. Through it all, LGBTQ+ artists create wide-ranging forms of beauty through the power of their artistic expression.

Collection Highlights
Photography by Edward C. Robison III
Robert Indiana
1966-1999
© Catherine Opie
Catherine Opie
1993, printed 2013
Photography by Edward C. Robison III.
Harry Fonseca
1980