Lesbian Avengers 1994 Protest for Alice Austen and Gertrude Tate's Lesbian Visibility. Alice Austen Park.

In my photographic work I often focus on the unexpected, the odd, the element of surprise. I have been privileged to find these elements brought to life by the activist communities I was part of. The creativity of activism has the ability to make change while bringing joy, often in the face of difficult subjects. As a photographer I have been able to document these activists while participating in the actions, giving me the advantage of a viewpoint from within. In 1994, the Lesbian Avengers action brought visibility to Alice Austen as a lesbian photographer, and also her community; this exhibit at the Alice Austen House brings the joy to a full circle.

Artist Bios

Saskia Scheffer

Saskia Scheffer (b. 1956, Almelo, the Netherlands) moved from a small town to study Linguistics at the University of Amsterdam. Soon her interest in photography proved more important and she left to focus on photographing her friends, the lesbian, and women’s communities in her life. Scheffer relocated to New York to continue her expanding photographic practice and was awarded a Bachelor of Arts at age 40.

“It is the communities I live and have lived in that have taught me the most: the photographers I met, my role as the photo collection coordinator at the Lesbian Herstory Archives, my 20 year job as an image metadata expert at the NYPL and my friends who form those communities.”

Organizations

The Alice Austen House

A vibrant cultural center, the Alice Austen House keeps the bold spirit of the early American photographer alive by presenting changing exhibitions of Austen’s pioneering historic photographs and of contemporary photography, providing education programs for students, offering a range of cultural programs for the public.
NYC Parks

NYC Parks is the steward of more than 30,000 acres of land — 14 percent of New York City — including more than 5,000 individual properties ranging from Coney Island Beach and Central Park to community gardens and Greenstreets. We operate more than 800 athletic fields and nearly 1,000 playgrounds, 1,800 basketball courts, 550 tennis courts, 65 public pools, 51 recreational facilities, 15 nature centers, 14 golf courses, and 14 miles of beaches. We care for 1,200 monuments and 23 historic house museums. We look after 600,000 street trees, and two million more in parks. We are New York City’s principal providers of recreational and athletic facilities and programs. We are home to free concerts, world-class sports events, and cultural festivals.