by Alec Clayton
Midway into this first month of 2025, Tacoma Art Museum will offer a two-part interactive workshop led by Seattle-based artist Steven Miller. This begs the question: just what is queer photography? Any photograph shot by a photographer who identifies as queer or photos with queer-identified subjects or themes?
According to Rachel Ervin, Director of Marketing and Communications at TAM, it is both. “This two-part workshop will be sharing historical photos by queer artists of their community and themselves. The TAM webpage states, ‘Miller works primarily in photography and video. He’s been creative his whole life, previously working as a writer, performance artist, and musician.
His visual art is exhibited nationally and internationally, and his photographs are in public collections of museums, institutions, and universities around the country including TAM, Northern Georgia College and State University, and Seattle’s Public Art 4Culture.
His photographs have been published around the world, including articles in The Advocate, NY Arts Magazine, London Gay Times, Seattle Times, The Stranger, Seattle Weekly, as well as Milky, a monograph published by DECODE Books and Les Fleurs du Mâle, published by DINOAUR.
Steven Miller is a local artist with work in TAM’s collections. The museum approached him about creating the workshop. “As part of his practice, he’s been experimenting with cyanotypes, and we wanted to host a workshop about this unique photographic process,” Ervin says.
Miller works primarily in photography and video. He’s been creative his whole life, Miller asks, “What does it mean to document our lives through photography, and how do we want to see our LGBTQIA+ community represented?” The workshop will provide answers to this question. The first session will lead participants through a visual tour of queer photography. This session will be followed by a take-home assignment that will prepare attendees for the interactive portion of the workshop where they will learn how to produce a cyanotype that will be theirs to own. This workshop’s interactive portion is limited to 20 participants and is intended for an 18-year-old and older audience.
This first session of the workshop will also be a visual tour of queer photography from the earliest known practitioners to some of today’s creators. There will be a group discussion about the work shown, and participants will be encouraged to take a photo centered on their own community.
The second session will be a hands-on lesson in printing a cyanotype from start to finish from each participant’s image. Cyanotype is a19th century photography process that makes rich blue-toned archival photographs. Workshop attendees will be encouraged to wear clothes that might get stained. With luck, everyone will make a print that they can take home to keep.
WHEN:
1-4 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 12, TAM Event Space
1-4 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 19, Cheney Classroom
COST:
$50 for members, $60 for non-members. The hands-on workshop is limited to 20 participants, so register now to reserve your spot.
Register now:
https://2513a.blackbaudhosting.com/2513a/packagetickets?tab=3&txobjid=43cef960-5596-4b09-a475-c31a545a389b
WHAT:
Make Way: Queer Photography, Identity, and You, a two-part interactive workshop
LEARN MORE:
https://www.tacomaartmuseum.org/tam-studio/make-way-queer-photography-identity-and-you/