Irma Bohórquez-Geisler 

Irma Bohórquez-Geisler is a photographer, biologist, professor, traditional craftsperson, and cultural leader for Mexican-Americans on Staten Island. She immigrated to New York from Mexico City in 1991. She holds a doctorate in ecological entomology from Oxford University. She is the founder, artistic and program director of the annual Dia de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) festival. Her photographs were featured in the New York Times in 2016, the 12th Julia Annual Margaret Cameron Award in Barcelona, and the first and second Alice Austen Triennial in 2019. She was awarded the Gabriela Mistral, Julia de Burgos, Frida Kahlo Award in 2017 as a photographer and cultural leader who preserves and promotes Mexican values and cultural heritage for younger generations of Mexican-Americans in New York. In 2011, New York City Councilwoman Debi Rose conferred on Bohórquez-Geisler the Staten Island Women Who Preserve History Award. Her photographs have been exhibited at numerous contemporary art galleries and museums. She has been awarded many grants for her photography, and for presenting Mexican traditions in the community, as well as many museums and schools.

The Alice Austen House

The Alice Austen House occupies a singular position, both geographically and culturally—on the water’s edge of Staten Island’s North Shore. Once the home, studio, and muse of pioneering photographer Alice Austen, the house dates back to 1690 and is one of New York City’s historic homes. Yet it functions today not as a static historic site, but as a dynamic contemporary arts hub.

The museum celebrates queer and women’s history while breathing new life into Austen’s legacy by engaging with current artistic, social, and personal exploration. For Austen, this home, now a public park, was a radical retreat and safe haven for her and her largely queer circle of friends. That spirit of refuge and experimentation continues today. We activate the house and grounds through our Queer Ecologies Garden, deep community partnerships, and sustained support for artists, fostering the creation of new work that honors the past while speaking directly to the present.

The museum and public park have been a National LGBTQ+ landmark since 2017.