FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Ruthchy Belizaire
Boston LGBTQ+ Museum of Art, History & Culture
ruthchy.belizaire@bostonlgbtqmuseum.org
www.bostonlgbtqmuseum.org
Boston LGBTQ+ Museum Announces 2025 Portraits of Pride Exhibition in Christopher Columbus Waterfront Park for Pride month.
BOSTON, MA Thursday, May 15th — The Boston LGBTQ+ Museum of Art, History & Culture is proud to announce the return of its annual Portraits of Pride public art exhibition, opening in June 2025 in celebration of Pride Month. This year’s exhibition will be installed at Christopher Columbus Waterfront Park (100 Atlantic Avenue, Boston), creating a striking, accessible outdoor gallery in the heart of the city.
The 2025 theme, "Legacy" honors LGBTQ+ leaders whose vision, advocacy, and impact have shaped the fabric of Greater Boston’s LGBTQ+ community’s political and activism past, the present, and future. Featuring 20 large-scale photographic portraits captured by acclaimed photographer John Huet between December 2024 and April 2025, the exhibition spans subjects photographed across Massachusetts—from Cambridge to Provincetown—as well as international sites such as Spain.
“This year’s Portraits of Pride is both a celebration and a declaration,” said Jean Dolin, President & CEO of the Boston LGBTQ+ Museum. “It affirms that the contributions of LGBTQ+ individuals to Boston’s civic, cultural, and public life are long-standing, far-reaching, and enduring.”
“We are lucky to be in Massachusetts with so much political history, understanding and allyship. In times where hate is on the rise and there are efforts to actively erase us, the Boston LGBTQ+ Museum is crucial because our work is rooted in historical stewardship, Artistic Excellence and Creative Freedom” Arline Issacson, Board Chair of the Museum.
This year’s honorees include a dynamic mix of public servants, advocates, creatives, and trailblazers:
Dr. Robert Goldstein, Commissioner, Massachusetts Department of Public Health
Philip Nardone, PAN Communications
Jerome Smith, Amazon
Paul Glass & Charles Evans, returning honorees from the 2022 inaugural Portraits of Pride, representing LGBTQ+ Elders of Color
Harold Dufourd, Founder, Bayard Rustin Community Breakfast
Gary Bailey, Simmons University
John Ward, Founder, GLAD Law
Gretchen Van Ness, LGBTQ+ Senior Housing
Chancellor Julie Chen, University of Massachusetts Lowell
David Aronstein, AIDS Action / Boston Alliance for Community Health
Jeff Perrotti, Founder, Safe Schools Program
Abe Rybeck, Founder, The Theater Offensive
Susu Wong, Tomorrow 360
Craig Bailey, Photographer
Arnold Carpenter and Joseph Reed, Community Advocates
Denise Simmons, City of Cambridge Mayor
John Lam, Ballet Dancer
Mary Boanuto, Civil rights Attorney at Glad Law
David Hodgkins, Coro Allegro
Kenneth and Greg Johnson
The exhibition will remain on public view throughout the month of June, free and open to all.
To celebrate the exhibition the Boston LGBTQ+ Museum will host a special “Portraits of Pride Soiree” on June 1st 2025 at the Connector on Federal Street.
The Portraits of Pride exhibition and soiree are sponsored by Eastern Bank Foundation and Boston Foundation with special support from Barr Foundation.
The exhibition is part of the Boston LGBTQ+ Museum’s mission to preserve and promote the rich history and artistry of LGBTQ+ individuals across Massachusetts.
For more information about the Boston LGBTQ+ Museum, the Portraits of Pride exhibition, or how to support the Museum’s work, please visit www.bostonlgbtqmuseum.org.
