LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION commemorating the 20th Anniversary of the
Leslie/Lohman Gay Art Foundation

WHEREAS, It is the intent of this Legislative Body to commemorate those
events of historical significance which add strength, vigor and inspira-
tion to the cultural diversity and quality of life in the communities of
the State of New York; and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-
standing traditions, it is the sense of this Legislative Body to commem-
orate the 20th Anniversary of the Leslie/Lohman Gay Art Foundation; and
WHEREAS, The Leslie/Lohman Gay Art Foundation ("The Foundation") was
first designated as an IRS-recognized 501(c)3 non-profit organization on
January 18, 1990; and
WHEREAS, The Leslie/Lohman Gay Art Foundation was established to
provide an outlet for art work that is unambiguously gay and which is
frequently denied access to mainstream venues; and
WHEREAS, The Foundation's first public exhibition after achieving
non-profit status was Gerhardt Liebmann: Works on Paper from September
4-22, 1990; since then, the Foundation has had more than 200 exhibitions
of work by approximately 1,000 artists; and
WHEREAS, For the past 20 years, Leslie/Lohman has been the vanguard in
exhibiting, preserving and promoting explicitly gay art; and
WHEREAS, There is no other organization in the world like the
Leslie/Lohman Gay Art Foundation; it has a collection of more than 4,000
artworks spanning three centuries of gay and lesbian art; it displays
frequent exhibitions of contemporary and historical LGBT artists; and
its publication, THE ARCHIVE, is the only one of its kind dedicated to
the discussion of gay art and artists; and
WHEREAS, Furthermore, frequent lectures, tours and other special
events are held throughout the year; this organization is the premier
source for anyone interested in the rich art legacy of the LGBT communi-
ty and its influence on the mainstream art world; and
WHEREAS, The Foundation's Leslie/Lohman Gallery mounts several annual
exhibitions of work in all media by LGBT (and straight) artists with an
emphasis on subject matter that speaks directly to gay and lesbian expe-
rience, including, erotic, political, romantic, and social imagery and
providing special support for emerging and underrepresented artists; and
WHEREAS, Prior to the establishment of the Leslie/Lohman Gay Art Foun-
dation there was the J. Frederic Lohman, Ltd. Gallery at 55 Wooster
Street; it was then moved and renamed the Leslie-Lohman Gallery at 485
Broome Street; both were nominally commercial enterprises established
out of love and concern for art, eventually becoming an enclave for gay
art; it closed in 1981; and
WHEREAS, Apart from its own programming, The Foundation regularly
lends its gallery space to other LGBT organizations for events, exhibi-
tions, and fundraisers such as GMHC, Housing Works, Fresh Fruit
Festival, All Out Arts, Silvia Rivera Law Project, The Rema Hort Mann
Foundation, The Ali Forney Center, and The LGBT Community Center; and
WHEREAS, The Leslie/Lohman Gay Art Foundation has collaborated on
programming and exhibitions with a variety of partners, including: City
University of New York, The LGBT Community Center, Contemporary Arts
Center of New Orleans, and Central Connecticut State University; and
WHEREAS, The Foundation has provided, free of charge, a venue for the
book launch events for dozens of publications by LGBT authors and
artists; moreover, it has hosted dozens of staged readings of LGBT
themed stage plays and screen plays, providing authors, actors and

directors with a space to work out creative problems in front of a live
audience; and
WHEREAS, The Leslie/Lohman Gay Art Foundation has hosted dozens of
evenings of music, poetry, and performance art, and has organized and
held numerous scholarly lectures by writers, academics and artists on a
wide variety of topics related to its exhibitions; and
WHEREAS, Beginning in 2009, the Leslie/Lohman Gay Art Foundation has
devoted its 40 feet of street front window space to four annual exhibi-
tions of art by emerging LGBT artists under the age of 30; and
WHEREAS, Our society is greatly benefited by the purposeful efforts of
individuals who unite for the cause of improving the quality of life for
others, and who proactively work toward the goal of dignity for all;
now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commemorate the 20th Anniversary of the Leslie/Lohman Gay Art Founda-
tion; and be it further
RESOLVED, That copies this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be trans-
mitted to the Leslie/Lohman Gay Art Foundation.