Hudson County Community College to Exhibit Photos Chronicling the Early Years of the LGBTQ Rights Movement
March 7, 2016
March 7, 2016, Jersey City, NJ – On Wednesday, March 16th at 3 p.m., Hudson County Community College (HCCC) will hold the opening reception for the newest installment at the College’s Benjamin J. Dineen, III and Dennis C. Hull Gallery. The exhibit, “Looking Back/Looking Forward: NYC’s Gay Pride Parades 1979 – 1995,” will feature photographs by Stanley Stellar. The exhibit was curated by Hunter O’Hanian and is being presented by the Leslie-Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art. Mr. Stellar and Mr. O’Hanian, the Director of the Leslie-Lohman Museum, will be in attendance at the opening reception.
On June 28, 1969 a riot protesting a police raid against gays, lesbians, and transgender individuals took place outside the Stonewall Inn in New York City’s Greenwich Village. That event is considered the beginning of America’s LGBTQ rights movement, which led to the 2015 United States Supreme Court decision affirming the right to same-sex marriage.
During the summer following the Stonewall Riots, the first Gay Pride Parade was held on Christopher Street in New York in recognition of the Riots. The parade has taken place every year since, and was attended by more than 2 million people in 2015.
The insightful and historic photos in this exhibit capture the spirit of some of the individuals who celebrated at the parades from 1979 through 1995. They were pioneers in the LGBTQ rights movement. As a result of the ravages of AIDS, many of those pictured in Mr. Stellar’s works are no longer alive.
“We are very proud to have this powerful exhibit at the College, and we are grateful to the Leslie-Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art, and most especially to Mr. O’Hanian for making it possible” said HCCC President Glen Gabert, Ph.D. “We hope everyone will take advantage of the opportunity to view these extraordinary photographs and to learn about the history behind them.”
Dr. Gabert said the exhibit will be open to the general public through Sunday, May 1, 2016; there is no charge of admission.
The HCCC Benjamin J. Dineen, III and Dennis C. Hull Gallery is located on the sixth floor of the College’s Library Building at 71 Sip Avenue in Jersey City – just across the way from the Journal Square PATH Transportation station. The Gallery is open Tuesday through Sunday from 1 to 6 p.m.
On Friday, April 1st at 1 p.m., Stanley Stellar and Hunter O’Hanian will be the featured guests at the next installment of HCCC Foundation’s “Artist Talk” series. Details on that event will be made available soon.
About Stanley Stellar:
Brooklyn-born Stanley Stellar is considered one of the iconic photographers of the early period of gay liberation.
Having focused on graphic design and photography while studying at the Parsons School of Design, Mr. Stellar’s professional portfolio includes book and editorial design, as well as art direction for numerous magazines and publishing houses. His work has been shown in galleries throughout the United States and Europe, including the Leslie-Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art.
About Hunter O’Hanian:
Mr. O’Hanian joined the Leslie-Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art as the Museum Director in October 2012. Prior to that time he served for three years as Vice President of Institutional Advancement and Executive Director of the Foundation for Massachusetts College of Art and Design. He led two renowned artists' residencies programs, having served as the President of Anderson Ranch Arts Center in Snowmass Village, Aspen, CO, and Executive Director of the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown, MA. O'Hanian has a long career of non-profit board and community involvement. He holds a BA from Boston College, a JD from Suffolk University School of Law, and an honorary doctorate from the Art Institute of Boston.
About the Leslie-Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art:
The Leslie-Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art is the first and only dedicated gay and lesbian art museum in the world with a mission to exhibit and preserve gay and lesbian art, and foster the artists who create it. The Museum has: a permanent collection of over 24,000 objects; 6-8 major exhibitions annually; artist talks; film screenings; readings; THE ARCHIVE - a quarterly art newsletter; a membership program; and a research library.
The Leslie-Lohman Museum is operated by the Leslie/Lohman Gay Art Foundation, Inc., a non-profit founded in 1987 by Charles W. Leslie and Fritz Lohman, who have supported gay and lesbian artists for over 30 years. The Leslie-Lohman Museum embraces the rich creative history of the gay and lesbian art community by educating, informing, inspiring, entertaining, and challenging all who enter its doors.
The Museum is located at 26 Wooster Street in New York City. For more information, please log on www.LeslieLohman.org.