Anniversary of AAH’s Designation as a National Site of LGBTQ History + Opening Reception | Jean Weisinger: Progress Towards Freedom and Love

“I take photographs to not only document these times and the lives of those who cross my path, but also to express myself. Photography is a passion born within me, a necessity that is not governed by monetary payment. It has become part of the progress toward freedom and love. Photographing is an act of love.”

Active in the 1990s and 2000s, California-based photographer Jean Weisinger has a deep-rooted passion for capturing the essence of people. Weisinger’s photographs have become a powerful tool in her fight against racism, sexism, classism, and violence towards women, children, and all living beings. Her work is “the way she gives back to her sisters and the universe.” For this exhibition, Weisinger collaborates with AAH Executive Director Victoria Munro to select images that represent decades of photographic work featuring women of color. Though her exceptional work has found its place in esteemed collections, including those of Alice Walker in San Francisco, the Caribbean Cultural Center in New York, Audre Lorde’s Health Center in Los Angeles, and the San Francisco Women’s Building, Weisinger is often not credited for the use of her groundbreaking images and has not had the resources to convert her vast 35mm archive to digital. Munro has worked side by side with the artist in her San Francisco studio to bring forth the best of her vast, largely unpublished canon. This exhibition stands as one of the first retrospectives of Weisinger’s career, showcasing her journey as a lesbian photographer of color documenting the achievements of women and the struggles faced by people of color worldwide.