Alvin Ailey

1931-1989

American dancer and choreographer who drew upon his black cultural heritage to revolutionize African-American participation in 20th century performance

Josephine Baker

1906-1975

African-American born French dancer, singer, actress, Resistance fighter and world-famous entertainer who refused to perform for segregated audiences

Gladys Bentley

1907-1960

Pioneering pianist and blues singer of the Harlem Renaissance who challenged established gender roles with her appearance and choice of material.

Divine

1945–1988

Singer and actor whose exceptional magnetism, radical artistry and flamboyant drag persona celebrated queer culture in film and theatrical appearances.

Keith Haring

1958–1990

American artist and social activist whose distinctive outline figures express universal concepts of birth, sex, love and joy.

Sylvester James

1947–1988

Multi-gold record singer and songwriter known as the “Queen of Disco” and “a visionary of queerness, music and race”

Frida Kahlo

1907–1954

Artist who used indigenous symbols, imagery, colors and traditions of Mexican culture to resolutely depict and celebrate women’s form and experience.

Freddie Mercury

1946-1991

Singer, songwriter and showman whose talent, versatility and commanding stage presence made him an innovative and dazzling global ambassador of rock.

Maurice Sendak

1928-2012

American writer and illustrator of beloved and groundbreaking children’s books who brought to life a luminous world of fantasy and imagination.

Chavela Vargas

1919-2012

Legendary Costa Rican-born, gender transgressive troubadour of Mexican song and cultural icon whose deeply moving performances expressed universal truths of romance, tenderness, heartbreak and hope.