The Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art

The Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art provides a platform for artistic exploration through multi-faceted LGBTQIA+ perspectives – serving as a home for queer art, artists, scholars, activists, and allies, and a catalyst for discourse on art and queerness. We embrace the power of the arts to inspire, explore, and foster understanding of the rich diversity of LGBTQIA+ experiences. Through annual exhibitions, public programs, educational initiatives, artist fellowships, and a journal, LLMA forefronts the interrelationship of art and social justice for LGBTQIA+ communities in NYC and beyond. Our collection includes over 25,000 objects spanning three centuries of queer art.

LLMA was born in the spirit of liberation, amongst widespread battles for civil rights. Our co-founders put on their first exhibition of gay artists in 1969 in their SoHo loft; a radical and dangerous act when sharing this work publicly was still illegal. In 1987, during the AIDS pandemic, and in the face of political vilification, the institution became the first-ever nonprofit with “gay” in its name. In 2016, Leslie-Lohman became an accredited museum. This formal change helped us move from a foundation centered around gay, white, cis-male community to becoming an inclusive home for LGBTQIA+ art, artists, and community. LLMA is at a critical inflection point in our story and poised for significant growth. While the hallmarks that informed LLMA’s beginnings—creativity, inclusion, and activism— continue to serve as guideposts for the future, the new leadership is intent on amplifying our legacy through radical thought-leadership and support of fresh artist-led activities. Our aim is to center inspiring queer narratives, celebrate humanity, and forefront dignity during this complex time of sociopolitical evolution.