The above 37 dioramas were created by 23 artists associated with the Leslie-Lohman Gay Art Foundation as a scale model fantasy museum devoted to celebrating the accomplishments of Queer artists and culture. Gay and lesbian artists (and art lovers) were invited to create an individual gallery diorama illustrating a chosen aspect of queer visual culture, i.e., queer artists — famous and forgotten, queer driven movements, aspects of broad cultural influence in the fields of fine art, theater, dance, film, design, fashion and advertising, also political and social issues surrounding queer visual culture (censorship, confiscation and destruction of art and creating queer art in the closet).

Each person was given a box measuring 13" x 8" x 6" (with one side being open). They then created a diorama or model representing queer accomplishments in the visual arts.

These dioramas were delivered to the Foundation's gallery and then taken to the conference, InterseXions: Queer Visual Culture at the Crossroads, which was organized by the Queer Caucus for Art of the College Art Association and the center for Lesbian and Gay Studies of the City University of New York who hosted the event at the CUNY Graduate center in midtown Manhattan. The conference took place on Nov. 12 and 13, 2004. The conference was sponsored by the Steven J. Goldstein, MD, Charitable Fund, The Ph.D. program in Art History, CUNY Graduate center, and the Leslie-Lohman Gay Art Foundation.

NOTE: We recognize that the last spot on the Mall has been taken by the Museum of the American Indian and that this project was an exercise in futility, or, at least, tongue-in-cheek. Even so, we also recognize that this project has been a positive exercise and will make artists and the public more aware of the contributions GLBT artists have made to society and that these contributions are vastly under recognized and underrated. Perhaps this is the first step towards correcting the record.

These dioramas have been archived into the permanent collection of the Leslie-Lohman Gay Art Foundation and from time to time will be exhibited.

Special thanks to Tom Saettel, Roberto Garcia and Harvey Redding for their planning, design and muscle in putting this project together.

For a better appreciation of the contributions of the GLBT artist go to the MILESTONES: A TIMELINE OF GAY AND LESBIAN ARTISTS AND HISTORY page.

We invite your comments and opinions on the above. OR perhaps you would like to create a room of your own. New dioramas and comments will be posted to this page. Email your thoughts to Leslie-Lohman.
Thank you.

— WS