GAYLETTER

While it silently pains me to admit I am widely unfamiliar with the majority of Maya Angelou’s work, I do remember the first time I was introduced to her in high school. My religion teacher played a video of Angelou reciting her poem, “Still I Rise.” Needless to say it was a religious experience. Angelou’s articulation of thought and commanding composure was something I had never heard or seen before, and throughout her fruitful career she told her own story, boldly, brilliantly and proudly.

“Maya Angelou: author, actress, singer, poet, director, activist. Winner of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, multiple Grammy awards, a National Book Award finalist, and a Presidential Inaugural poet, but remarkably, she has never been the subject of her own biographical film, until now.” The documentary is asking for your help to make sure her story — which features commentators such as Common and Oprah — is aired on PBS in 2016. “This is a documentary for those who miss Dr. Angelou’s voice, and for future generations who need to hear her impactful words. Help us memorialize Dr. Angelou — her work, her life, her legacy.”

The world is rarely gifted a person who is able to span and master multiple mediums. Angelou was most certainly one of them. Let’s make sure her story gets told and back the project! …

Meet Joey, the 22 year-old Miami born, San Antonio bred, New Yorker. One of 12 children, Joey came out to his siblings at age 14 — though they claim to have known way before he did. That being said, he isn’t the only gay man in the family, his eldest brother likes men too, but there’s “No lesbians, [in the family] unfortunately.”

He is currently a practice manager, studying tax law and accounting at an NYC firm, but spends his free time exploring multiple artistic mediums. “I don’t have a definite dream job. Instead I have my own silly idea of a balanced schedule. To me having this corporate job provides an opportunity to balance not only my financial sanity but comfortably explore my artistic needs as a composer who ‘models’.” He balances work and play, “I tend to invest a lot of my ‘free’ time into art. Using the daylight for photo-shoot’s whether that is directing, modeling or make-up and at night to composing on the piano in a recording studio with friends. So to me, art is my free time.”

Joey first kissed a boy when he was a freshman in high school, but wasn’t necessarily dating at the time. “It took me a while before I found an example of commitment within our community,” he said. The same can definitely be said about New York. What’s monogamy anyways? Joey, though not that sexually active as a teenager  — thanks to his monitored upbringing —  has experimented with women, twice! …

I didn’t know much about Steven Arnold’s work before learning about this exhibition, that opens this Thursday, October 29 at Daniel Cooney Fine Art. One of the great things about doing this newsletter is that I get to learn about new things and people all the time. Here’s what I learned so far, Steven was based in LA in the 80s and early 90s, he was a protégé of Salvador Dali and was mainly known for his photography, but he was also interested in filmmaking, painting, illustration, set and costume design, and “assemblage” sculpture. “For several months he lived communally, taking LSD every day, experimenting with paints and costumes and taking up residence in caves. Arnold recalls: “This new drug [LSD] was so euphoric and visionary, so positive and mind expanding… I ascended to another dimension, one so beautiful and spiritual that I was never the same.” Now, his work makes more sense to me.

This is the first exhibition of Steven’s vintage prints. He created stunning and intriguing “tableaux vivants” surrealistic images photographed in black and white. “Arnold was diagnosed with AIDS in 1988 at the height of his popularity and died in 1994.” Also, don’t miss a Visual AIDS sponsored conversation on Nov. 3 between Esther McGowan (Associate Director of Visual AIDS) and Vishnu Dass (Exec Director of Steven Arnold Archive).

Below is a preview from Steven Arnold’s exhibition:

FREE, 6:00PM-8:00PM, Daniel Cooney Fine Art, 508 – 526 West 26th Street. …

I first laid eyes on the work of David Armstrong when I was 14. His book, The Silver Cord, which is filled with portraits of beautiful young guys, quickly became one of my favorites. Armstrong rose to fame in the 1970’s and went on to become an influential force in the world of photography. A year has gone by since his passing and in remembrance Nowness.com has released a short film created by Armstrong himself, GAYLETTER contributor Jack Pierson and Ryan McGinley. Entitled We Three, the film reveals an up close and personal look at a weekend in 2008 when McGinley and Pierson visited Armstrong at his home in upstate New York.

All three artists are shown creating together, their laughter and smiles suggest they are enjoyed every second of it. One of the best scenes is of a shirtless Ryan McGinley treading through the snow in heels and a pink tutu. But, what is most eye-catching is a snippet of what appears to be a moving photograph on the wall of Pierson drawing McGinley. The film is accompanied by a voice over by McGinley talking about the weekend and several other memories he had of his time with Armstrong. Spontaneous and intimate, We Three, is a sweet recollection of not just the artistic talent of David Armstrong, but also his kind character. May he rest in peace.

Click here to watch the video.

  …

Drew Harper has long been a friend and contributor to GAYLETTER for all the right reasons. He is well articulated, quick-witted, handsome, funny and this I report having only met him once.

In early June of this year, Drew stopped by an issue 3 meeting before departing to his parent’s where he would finish up writing Space at the Table, with his father, Brad Harper. Space at the Table is the tale of Drew’s own coming out and his gradual but temporary departure from his Evangelical Christian family and upbringing. The book came about after Brad found himself meeting with multiple Christian university students “who really loved Jesus, but had their own trans or gay story to tell.” It was here that Brad saw the opportunity to open up the conversation between religious views and the LGBTQ community

“My dad and I have been able to preserve our relationship, actually to even strengthen it, and deepen it, in the midst of our totally conflicting world views, but that’s not common,” says Drew. “Speaking from experience to parents and children, Christians and gays, individuals and communities, Brad and Drew offer hope for loving relationships in the midst of opposing convictions. Brad and Drew’s relationship showed us that there is a way for people who believe very different things to love each other, and we knew we had to help them share their story.”

They are asking for your help with publishing costs to bring their book to the marketplace and the conversation to national level. …