Eye to Eye: Portraits of Pride, Strength, and Beauty

Eye to Eye: Portraits of Pride, Strength, and Beauty
March 1 – 31
Bob Ragland Branch Library

In honor of Women’s History month, we are turning the library into an art gallery for this special photography show about women who aren’t typically recognized during Women’s History Month: They are older women, and they are part of the LGBTQ community.

The women in the portraits grew up when coming out meant risking their health, their jobs, their housing, their families, their friends. To stay safe, many stayed silent for years. In these portraits, they break that silence to be seen as they really are, to show you that being openly LGBTQ is profoundly human and courageous. Their history IS women’s history.

Visitors are invited to view the photos anytime during the library’s open hours.

Photographer Carey Candrian is an associate professor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, and she serves on the National Board of Directors at GLMA: Health Professionals Advancing LGBTQ Equality. She came out to herself when she was 16 and didn’t tell her family and friends until she was 28.

She interviewed nearly three dozen older LGBTQ women (59-85 years old) during the first year of COVID-19 to understand their health needs and the challenges as they age. These portraits came out of those interviews.