Queer Constellations: 150 Photographs Trace Hidden Queer Lineages at Columbus Museum of Art

From October 16, 2026, to March 21, 2027, the Columbus Museum of Art will showcase 'Queer Constellations: Photographs from the Aronowitz Family Collection.' This exhibition, co-curated by photography critics Vince Aletti and Kaitlin Booher, features 150 photographs created by 75 artists. A significant portion of the collection comes from a generous donation of over 50 works by the Aronowitz family, complemented by an additional 100 photographs from their extensive collection. The exhibit's title draws inspiration from Andrea Geyer’s 'Constellations' series, which creatively reinterprets archival images of queer women. It highlights the impact of the photography market’s growth in the 1970s, enabling artists like Peter Hujar and Robert Mapplethorpe to forge new queer artistic lineages, particularly poignant during the AIDS crisis. Among the featured artists is Paul Mpagi Sepuya, whose 'Mirror Study' merges images and hands, challenging the distinctions between photographer, subject, and viewer. An illustrated catalogue will accompany the exhibition, including a dialogue between Aletti and collector David Aronowitz, along with an essay by Booher discussing artistic networks and queer photographic narratives.