Biographical Statement

Arleen Olshan uses her artistic practice to preserve and pass on LGBTQIA+ history through her portrait series, "Dead Dykes & Some Gay Men," which focuses on celebrating LGBTQIA+ ancestors. Arleen has been active in the LGBTQ+ and Feminist Communities for nearly 60 years. In the late ‘60s, Arleen worked with Radicalesbians and Gay Activist Alliance, was the co-coordinator of the original Gay & Lesbian Community Center (now William Way), and co-owner of Giovanni’s Room (’76-’86), the oldest LGBTQ+ and Feminist bookstore in the country. Arleen always wanted to do work where she could be Out & Proud.

Artist Statement

I am an 80-year-old Jewish, Butch, Lesbian Feminist, Leather Daddy, and cancer survivor. My art focuses on cultural preservation, feminism, and LGBTQIA+ social movements. Fifty years ago, there was a fervor fighting for human rights, ending racism and misogyny, struggling for LGBTQ+ rights, and eventually working together to advocate for HIV/AIDS research. We did not know at that time that we had signed up for life. Now, more than ever, we cannot be complacent. “Dead Dykes & Some Gay Men” will remember and celebrate the lives of LGBTQ+ ancestors and their contributions. The project feels like one enormously entwined self-portrait. To paint and document their lives is to paint and document my own — my activism and theirs feel interconnected. I want to preserve the stories, histories, and joys of LGBTQIA+ communities. My art strives to demonstrate how our queer and trans ancestors laid the foundations for our liberation, raised consciousness, and challenged homophobia and transphobia. And most of all, I want to inspire younger generations and community members to be brave. We must continue fighting to maintain and secure the freedoms we have today and beyond. We must fight against erasure. For there are histories yet to be written…