Virtual Queer Art
Talks & Tours
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What Makes an Artwork Queer?
The perfect introduction to what queer art is! Take a virtual queer tour of the Museum of Modern Art and get an overview of art history and queer history across the 20th century.
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What Makes an Artwork Queer? Part II
Level up on your queer art knowledge with What Makes an Artwork Queer part 2! Get introduced to several more queer artists and discover just how radical they can be.
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Frida Kahlo: Queer Icon
Frida Kahlo is one of the most original artists of all time. Find out how she weaved in her queer identity into some of her most famous artworks.
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Queer British Art
Based on the Tate’s groundbreaking exhibition Queer Britsh Art, this talk highlights some of the queerest artists Britain ever produced, from Oscar Wilde to David Hockney.
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The Queer Beginnings of Modern Art
Focusing on artists born between the 1864 and 1904, this talk explores the relationship between the beginnings of modern art and the emergence of a more visible queer lifestyle.
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Downtown 80s Queer Art Crawl
The East Village Art Scene that exploded in New York City in the 1980s is one of the queerest eras in all art history. Take a look at the queer artists who lead the scene.
My expertise
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I advised on the British Museum’s first ever LGBTQ+ related exhibition that overviewed 10,000 years of same-sex desire and non-binary gender identity across world history. I also spearheaded the campaign to get the museum to fly the rainbow flag, which was the first time the museum had flown any flag, other than the Union Jack, in its 270 year history.
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While being an active member of the V&A’s LGBTQ+ staff network, I also co-chaired a group called MuseumPrideLDN, which brought together the LGBTQ+ staff networks of over 40 cultural institutions across London and the UK to support each other in advocating for more queer representation within our museums.
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As Education and Programs Chair of the Smithsonian Pride Alliance I organized talks and programs on a wide range of subjects related to queer history and culture.
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I co-wrote the Museum of Modern Art’s first ever public queer tour of the museum and have since continued to give queer art talks and tours based on MoMA’s collection.
Reviews
“Far from a static slideshow, George mixed together video, audio, clever captions and a variety of photographs from the MoMA galleries to provide context and support for his insightful commentary on several artworks in the museum’s collection. This made for a dynamic presentation that deeply engaged us as a couch-bound audience. I was among those who felt like I was actually in the Museum of Modern Art for an hour.”
– J. Biersdofer, Co-chair The New York Times LGBTQ+ Network
“What I really liked was how the guide literally guided us around each of the images in focus, rather than say mentioning it briefly and then going into the background. It felt super fun too and there was just lots of nice little touches. Felt inspired to learn more.”
– D. Parlour, London Blue Badge Tourist Guide
“It was a polished and dynamic virtual journey through MoMA’s galleries and collections, with a momentum that made me forget I was sitting in front of my computer screen…But it was not only a very entertaining lecture: George came ready with flexible questions and made sure to yield the mic, giving our group time to exchange thoughts, experience, knowledge.”
– C. McCarthy, Archivist, The LGBT Center NYC
“I learnt a lot from George Benson’s queer art talks. George was highly informed and wonderfully entertaining, he expertly brought to life a topic and a collection that previously I knew little about. Art and the art world can often seem intimidating. Experts like George are invaluable for broadening the relevance of the modern museum or gallery’s collections.”
– W. Newton, Curator
“George Benson expertly took us on a journey through MoMA's galleries with insights into artists both well and lesser known and a few jokes along the way. Informed in content, light in tone, I would highly recommend this joy of a tour.”
– B. Shepherd, Head of Interpretation, The Victoria and Albert Museum
“The tour was witty, humorous but also very informative and well-paced. George has a nice, relaxed but also very professional style; he was extremely well-informed. It was a good strategy to allow space for audience reaction after each piece, made it more interactive and kept the audience involved.”
– Prof. A. Spicer
FAQs
How do the tours take place?
Talks and tours are hosted on Zoom but if you have a specific video conferencing platform your company uses (such as WebEx) I can adapt to what you want.
How long are the tours?
Each talk is as an hour long, including time for discussion and Q&A. If you would like a customized tour (longer, shorter, with more time for participation, etc.) I would be very happy to accommodate your needs.
What kind of participation do you offer?
Modern art is a gift to talk about! At the end of each stop on the tour I like to get a discussion going about the artwork we’ve seen. Utilizing Zoom’s functionality, participants are encouraged to communicate their thoughts, feelings, comments, and questions to really explore the art and ideas we look at together.
How much do the tours cost?
This is negotiable based on group size and budget, please inquire with me via email.
What group size do you cater for?
Tours accommodate up to 100 participants, but within that any group size is catered for.