woman in yellow top looking at wall artThe Lesbian Herstory Archives is pleased to announce the 40th anniversary with a special art benefit, hosted by Johannes Vogt Gallery

The event will feature:

·  Work by 140 lesbian artists.

·  All those who purchase a raffle ticket will leave with original artwork.

·  Artists, curators, gallerists, collectors, and art lovers will be present.

·  Moe Angeles, Robin Cloud, and Kay Turner will emcee and entertain the crowd.

This event will bring together generations of lesbian artists to support an organization that has served as an important resource and community space for lesbians for four decades. It will feature established and emerging artists, including Deborah Bright, Su Friedrich, Chitra Ganesh, Barbara Hammer, Harmony Hammond, Allyson Mitchell, Carrie Moyer, Annie Sprinkle, and Julie Tolentino, and many others (see full list below).

Among the artists will be many who participated in efforts in the 1960s and 1970s to make lesbians more visible in the culture and the arts. In 1977, the third issue of the journal Heresieswas published and focused entirely on Lesbian Art and Artists.

Harmony Hammond, a founding member of the Heresies collective, who went on to publish the influential book Lesbian Art in America, will participate in the benefit. Hammond’s current exhibition will also be on view at Alexander Gray Associates during the benefit. In addition, some of the artists who were part of the groundbreaking 1978 exhibition, A Lesbian Show, will participate in our benefit, including Fran Winant and Dona Nelson, as well as Flavia Rando, who is a member of the benefit organizing committee.

Many of the participating artists, such as Lula Mae Blocton, fierce pussy, DAM! (Dyke Action Machine), Angela Jimenez, Ulrike Müller, and Elvis Bakaitis, among many others, have also contributed, both in the past and the present, to the evolving understanding of what it means to be a lesbian artist.

The Archives works to keep alive the memories of our ancestors, and our herstory, and to bring together lesbians from across communities at events such as this. We invite our communities and friends to join us for this important celebration of our past and to make a critical contribution to our future.