arts
Made in Fire Island: How Artists Were at the Heart of the LGBTQ+ Mecca
A new book shows that the work of Robert Mapplethorpe and Peter Hujar – as well as a new generation of artists – would not be the same without the New York island.
TL;DR
- Fire Island has served as a significant artistic and LGBTQ+ sanctuary since the pre-war era.
- Artists like Paul Cadmus, Jared French, Margaret French, Peter Hujar, Paul Thek, and Robert Mapplethorpe have all contributed to Fire Island's artistic legacy.
- The book 'Fire Island Art: 100 Years' documents this history, including the evolving role of women and the recognition of the island's complex past, including its history involving slavery.
- Contemporary artists and residencies are continuing this tradition, nurturing new talent.
- The island faces threats from climate change and political forces seeking to erase queer and trans people, prompting calls for its preservation as a sanctuary.