Gilbert Lewis

Untitled [Dennis Dunwoody], December 2, 1981

Gouache on paper, 30 x 22.5", 1981

Courtesy of Woodmere Art Museum, Museum purchase, 2020

"Gilbert traded art for haircuts, and met Dennis at the salon of his friend, Victor DiMezza. I'm told that Dennis, like Gilbert, came to Philadelphia from the South, and built a life for himself as a gay man."

— William Valerio, in Gilbert Lewis: Many Faces, Many Figures, 2020
 
 
 

Alden Cole

Hymn to Him: Clifford Roberts

Assemblage of found objects, 38 x 14 x 10", 2015

"[M]y tribute to those friends and lovers who have died due to the AIDS epidemic, in particular Clifford Roberts whom I met in NYC in the wild and crazy '70s, and was quite honestly the best lover I ever had."

— Alden Cole
 
 
 

Vicente Ortiz Cortez

Amor

Archival pigment print on cotton rag, 24 x 24", 2021

"The piece is informed by the Mexican euphemism arroz con popote (to eat rice pudding with a straw), slang used to describe someone as homosexual, with or without any intention to offend. He likes arroz con popote."

— Vicente Ortiz Cortez
 
 
 

Arleen Olshan

Portrait of Joe Beam

Oil on canvas, 25 x 14.5", circa 1987

Private collection of Arleen Olshan

"Joe was an employee of Giovanni's Room during the years I was co-owner... He was very intelligent and frustrated by the lack of racial equality in the Gay Community. I loved photographing and painting him. I miss the connection we had. The painting keeps him alive for me."

— Arleen Olshan
 
 
 

David Lebe

Morning Ritual No. 28

Pigment print on paper, 4.75 x 6", 1994

Permanent Art Collection, William Way LGBT Community Center

"Maybe what got me started was the comfort I felt watching Jack carefully going through his morning routine, or maybe it was the sheer pleasure of capturing the light that filled the upstairs of our house most mornings that summer."

— David Lebe, in Long Light: Photographs by David Lebe, 2019
 
 
 

Selene NunezCruz

Art for HIV

Watercolor on paper, 16 x 12", 2018

"ART [antiretroviral therapy] involves taking a combination of HIV medicines every day to reduce viral load to undetectable levels. This therapy promotes zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths."

— Selene NunezCruz
 
 
 
 
 

William Way LGBT Community Center

1315 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107
P: 215-732-2220