The Robert Giard Foundation

12/02/2022

New play about scholar, tattoo artist and documentarian of his own s*x life, Samuel Steward aka Phil Andros. Below 1988 photo by Robert Giard.

11/19/2022

Ned Rorem, 1923-2022
Photo by Robert Giard, April, 1987, New York City

11/07/2022

Doris Grumbach, 1918-2022
1991 Photo by Robert Giard

10/31/2022

It is with enormous pride in our accomplishments that the Board of Directors of the Robert Giard Foundation has made the difficult decision to close its doors at the end of this calendar year. The Giard Grant will continue to serve our community in a new home.

Established twenty years ago, immediately following Robert Giard’s death, the Foundation has played a critical role in helping the Giard Estate to organize, document, and exhibit Robert Giard’s photographs, and has organized public programming to explore photographic-based representations of s*xuality, gender, and the lived experiences of LGBTQ+ people.

Today, the Foundation is best known for the Robert Giard Fellowship/Grant for Emerging LGBTQ+ Photographers. Created in 2009, the grant has offered financial support to 15 photographers from around the world, and recognition to an additional 22 others. For the past three years the Giard Foundation has partnered with Queer|Art to administer the Grant.

Queer|Art is a vital and growing community-based organization committed to supporting, promoting, and showcasing the work of fresh generations of LGBTQ+ artists, as well as to recognizing the groundbreaking work of those who came before. We are honored that Q|A has made a three-year commitment to shoulder responsibility for the Giard Grant. We are confident that there could be no better home for the Grant in the coming years.

We are deeply grateful to every one of our donors for helping us to make our work possible, and we look forward with excitement to the announcement of the 2022-23 grant cycle from Queer|Art in the coming weeks.

07/28/2022

The Robert Giard Foundation, in partnership with QueerArt, is excited to announce the winners of The Robert Giard Grant for Emerging LGBTQ+ Photographers, Chen Xiangyun, and runner-up Camilo Godoy. We also celebrate the excellent work of three finalists: Heesoo Kwon, Giancarlo Montes Santangelo, and Fred Zucule.

Both of this year’s awarded projects explore the richness of intimacy within q***r communities—a particularly poignant theme after the isolation of the last two years. With 215 compelling applications for this year's award cycle, we are excited to celebrate and support the growing LGBTQ+ photography community!

Read more about the winner, runner-up, and finalists of the 2022 Giard Grant on our website: https://robertgiardfoundation.org/grant-winner-2022/

Congratulations, Chen and Camilo!

Chen Xiangyun 2022 Giard Grant Winner Chen Xiangyun is a Chinese le***an photographer living in Brooklyn, New York. Her art practice employs bookmaking, analog film and photographs. Her work is rooted in her s*xuality

02/13/2022

We're excited to inform you of a new exhibition of Robert Giard’s work at the Stonewall National Museum & Archives in the George Hester Gallery. Examining Giard's documentation of LGBTQ+ writers during the golden days of gay literature, this exhibition features ten large format vintage silver gelatin prints alongside a reading list curated by SNMA Executive Director Hunter O’Hanian. This beautiful show is on view in person until April 15 2022. The Stonewall National Museum & Archives is located at 1300 East Sunrise Boulevard, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304.

Current Exhibitions Mis-Information Ross Gallery Dates: October 2021- January 2022 Curator: Hunter O’Hanian In the early 1980s when the AIDS crisis began its impact on the gay community, many “experts,” authors and others promoted “cures” or “treatments” which the community gravitated ...

01/24/2022

*REMINDER* Applications to the 2022 Robert Giard Grant for Emerging LGBTQ+ Photographers close tonight, January 24, at 11:59pm EST.

This international grant, in collaboration with Queer|Art, provides an award of $10,000 for the winner, and $5,000 for the runner-up, to support the creation of new work by LGBTQ+ photographers. Named in honor of photographer Robert Giard (1939-2002), the grant focuses on supporting emerging LGBTQ+ photographers who document, depict, and interrogate past and present LGBTQ+ cultures. Funds can be requested to support new or ongoing work at any stage of development.

Prospective applicants should review application requirements and apply directly through the Queer|Art website:

The Robert Giard Grant for Emerging LGBTQ+ Photographers supports the creation of new work by emerging LGBTQ+ photographers whose projects address issues of s*xuality, gender, or LGBTQ+ identity.

01/17/2022

This Thursday, January 20th, 7–8pm EST: join us for an artist talk by Clifford Prince King, runner-up of the 2020–2021 Robert Giard Grant for Emerging LGBTQ+ Photographers. King’s work chronicles intimate, domestic, and tender moments of Black q***r masculinity. His most recent project is a deeply personal account of life with HIV: the side effects and routine, the moments of domesticity, the warm encounters of friends and lovers. Building on the artistic legacy of the AIDS crisis, King’s photographs tell stories of sensuality and life in his community. With Black gay and bis*xual men the most likely group to be affected by HIV in the US, these stories are essential, says King: “These stories are out there, but some of them have been lost. I think that while we still can, we should speak for ourselves, for the better.” Following his talk, Clifford will be joined in conversation with his friend and collaborator Paul Mpagi Sepuya.

As always, this event is free with registration. Donations will support the annual Robert Giard Grant for emerging LGBTQ+ photographers.

The Robert Giard Foundation presents: Clifford King in conversation with Paul Mpagi Sepuya

12/19/2021

The Robert Giard Foundation is deeply saddened by the passing of our founding board member Barry Klingman.

A lawyer by profession and our first treasurer, it was his idea to create the Foundation just weeks after Robert Giard’s death in order to advance his photographic legacy and care for his work. The Foundation is grateful for his many years of service and extends its heartfelt condolences to his wife Arlene and his daughter, Daisy.

(Photo: Barry Klingman, 1980, portrait by Robert Giard)

12/13/2021

RGF presents: This coming Wednesday, Allen Ellenzweig and James Polchin will take us on a whirlwind journey thought midcentury q***r photography, a who's who of transatlantic cosmopolitan culture, in celebration of Allen's beautiful new book "George Platt Lynes: The Daring Eye" (out now from Oxford University Press). Join us for "George Platt Lynes, the Daring Eye and the Daring Life."

Dec. 15, 6–7pm EST, free with registration:

George Platt Lynes, the Daring Eye and the Daring Life: Allen Ellenzweig in Conversation with James Polchin

10/10/2021

TOGETHERNESS: A Wonderful essay by Vince Aletti on Robert Giard, with a superb selection of portraits from 'Particular Voices,' in issue 34 of Fantastic Man can be viewed online: https://www.fantasticman.com/features/togetherness. Also in this issue, a photo essay by Paul Mpagi Sepuya about writer Brontez Purnell, available in print only. Fantastic Man is a classic semi-annual magazine with award-winning art direction that is as much about style as about substance. You can purchase issue 34 online with Bruil & van de Staaij or, why not!, treat yourself to an annual subscription: https://www.bruil.info/product/fantastic-man/

Photo: Robert Giard, Five Members of ‘Other Countries’, 1987

09/30/2021

A great opportunity for Canadian and international photographers: the Ryerson Image Centre is offering five fellowships for research related to photography in 2022. Applications due Jan. 28, 5:00 pm EST. See for details:

The Nadir Mohamed Postdoctoral FellowshipThis fellowship includes a $10,000 (CAD) stipend for travel, research, and other expenses. Candidates must hold a PhD degree. All proposals will be welcome, but we encourage projects that utilize the collections and resources of the Ryerson Image Centre and t...