Index of LGBTQIA+ Artists

The Index of LGBTQIA+ Artists is a research aid for increasing visibility and discoverability of publications in Watsonline, the online catalog of the Metropolitan Museum of Art libraries, by and about lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual artists. The index is intended to be a guide for navigating the library’s holdings, and not an authoritative list of all artists within this demographic.  

Inclusion in the Index indicates that an artist’s name appears in one or more Watsonline records. The extent to which each artist is represented ranges from a single entry in an encyclopedia or biographical dictionary, to more than 100 titles. Artists are included based on self-identification or other public acknowledgement of their LGBTQIA+ identity whenever possible. Some artists have been included on the basis of posthumous evidence or inference although historical circumstances may have precluded self-identification as queer during their lifetimes; these artists have been indicated with an asterisk next to their names. The geographic scope of this Index is international. 

Click the expand icon to view the index in full screen mode.

Entries for each artist include hyperlinks to: Watsonline searches; Wikipedia entries (as available) to facilitate discovery and introductions to the artist’s work; and Met Collection searches for artists with works in the Museum, when known.  

Please note that this Index is still in development and not a comprehensive list of all LGBTQIA+ artists represented in Watsonline; as such, we recommend searching Watsonline directly for artists not listed. We encourage researchers to share with us via email the names of additional artists whom they find documented within Watsonline, so that we may add them to this resource in future updates. Artists may also appear in additional publications held by Watson Library beyond the ones shown through the Watsonline search links referenced above: catalog records for group exhibition catalogs and general surveys rarely list all artists represented. Additionally, journal and periodical contents are not indexed within Watsonline and should be searched by publication title. We recommend searching Watson’s E-Resources Discovery Portal or directly in Watsonline for artists not listed in the Index.  

In sharing this index, we hope that in addition to facilitating awareness, discoverability, and wider use of Watson’s collection, scholars, specialists, curators, gallery owners, and artists themselves will identify and notify us of significant omissions and missing titles. Suggestions, offers, and donations of publications not held, and/or funds to acquire them, are welcome and appreciated. To support this initiative, please contact Jared Ash (jared.ash@metmuseum.org). 

Guidance and Assistance 

Reference help is available through Watson Library via email or online chat. Chat assistance is available Monday through Friday, 10am-4pm EST, by visiting Watsonline and selecting the Ask a Librarian pop-up on the right of the screen.  
 
For help via email, or other questions, comments, corrections, or concerns, please contact us at watson.library@metmuseum.org.   

Acknowledgements 

This project builds upon earlier library initiatives to raise the visibility of artists from marginalized communities in the Met Libraries, including the creation of the Index of Black Artists of North America, the Index of Asian American and Pacific Islander Artists, the Index of Indigenous and Native American Artists, and the Index of Latinx and Hispanic American Artists.  

Primary project members for this index are Jared Ash and Daisy Paul. Additional assistance has been provided by Marie Cyprien, Tamara Fultz, Macaella Gray, and Elizabeth Schneider.

Image (from Research page): Simeon Solomon, Dawn (Head of Hypnos), 1901[?].