In a historical context, the LGBT community (organized or not) have worked within and supported the arts community for years, but because of social and political stigma, they’ve had to “stay in the closet”. Fortunately for us in Canada, we have come so far with human rights and freedom of speech that today we are now able to contribute openly to the arts and the communities we love without feeling the need to hide who we are. Not only that, but we are able to celebrate this fact and show our PRIDE! While the arts community and the LGBT can be mutually exclusive, often these two communities intersect and this is exactly where we want to point our lens.
10×10 started as 10 talented LGBT photographers who took a little time to shine a spotlight on some of the people who have made contributions to the arts over the years and captured the faces of rising new stars. It has grown into an an annual event with this years event being hosted at the Gladstone Hotel.
This year’s exhibition and book represent a celebration of some of the LGBT faces who have worked in the public eye and some who have worked behind the scenes to make our communities thrive. The book will be available of the portraits and proceeds help to fund the project.