Good morning and happy start of Pride Month to those who celebrate — and we should all be celebrating, as loudly as possible, especially in this moment.
| Good morning and happy start of Pride Month to those who celebrate — and we should all be celebrating, as loudly as possible, especially in this moment. For our special Pride series this year, Hyperallergic will be bringing you stories on the queer and LGBTQ+ legacy of New York City, beginning today with a repository of lesbian history right in our own backyard. Staff Writer Rhea Nayyar visits the Lesbian Herstory Archives in Brooklyn, which holds tens of thousands of objects spanning zines, protest ephemera, literature, oral histories, and more.
Not so far from there, in the oldest surviving botanical garden in North America — Bartram’s Garden in Philadelphia — Editor-in-Chief Hrag Vartanian attends the debut of Joiri Minaya’s performance series Venus Flytrap, a floral frenzy that subverts the logic of extractivism. The title “suggests a danger that lurks in the shadow of its beauty,” Vartanian writes, “yet in Minaya’s performance, her rendering feels more like a warm embrace.”
In the news, Trump says he’s fired the director of the National Portrait Gallery — the first woman in the role, who championed diversity initiatives. But does the president even have the power to do that?
Lots more below — including a Pride Month-themed art book list to kickstart your summer reading , NYC mayoral candidate Brad Lander’s promises for the arts, and Lori Waxman on Tony Tassett in Chicago. — Valentina Di Liscia, News Editor | | |
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| | The artist’s performance reflects the evolution of its garden site from starkly colonial origins to a different type of cultural cross-pollination. | Hrag Vartanian |
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IN THE NEWS | | | Donald Trump said he has terminated Kim Sajet from her role as director of the National Portrait Gallery over her support of DEI. NYC mayoral candidate Brad Lander unveiled his arts and culture platform, which includes a program for doctors to “prescribe” art and the creation of a deputy mayor position for the sector. |
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PRIDE MONTH | | | Nestled between brownstones near Prospect Park, the Lesbian Herstory Archives houses the world’s largest selection of materials by and for anyone who identifies with the word. | Rhea Nayyar |
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| | | Dig into new and upcoming tomes on the long lineage of LGBTQ+ art, from Beauford Delaney’s bond with James Baldwin to iconic lesbian photographer JEB and Alice Austen. | Natalie Haddad, Lisa Yin Zhang, Jasmine Weber, Alexis Clements, Daniel Larkin |
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EXHIBITION REVIEWS | | | The Met’s exhibition expands Black fashion history by centering ordinary individuals and their dress practices. | Imani Wiliford |
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| | | I wanted to hate these artworks, then I wished to poke my finger through their holes, and finally they became a perfect aestheticization of the contemporary moment. | Lori Waxman |
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FROM THE ARCHIVE | | | Hundreds of photographs from the 19th and 20th centuries offer a glimpse at the life of gay men during a time when their love was illegal almost everywhere. | Hrag Vartanian |
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| You’re currently a free subscriber to Hyperallergic. To support our independent arts journalism, please consider joining us as a member. | | Become a Member |
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