Exhibiting difference: Aesthetic politics and lesbian of color film and video curatorial practice

This dissertation is a study of critical exhibition theory in relation to lesbian of color media professionals active during the early and mid-1990s. Through interviews, archival research of newspapers, newsletters, publicity materials, festival programs and exhibition catalogues, the dissertation posits lesbian of color, media professionals in an epistemological context informed by fine arts exhibition and its relationship to racialization, gender, class, sexuality and the development of national identity and citizenship status. The interdisciplinary approach of the dissertation incorporates critical theories and methods from cultural studies, women's studies, film and visual studies, and art history---specifically museum studies.; The dissertation does not assert either the primacy of a static cultural or ethnic identity nor does it determine the impact of these women's involvement by its containment within institutionalized structures. The study argues for consideration of the meanings derived from their presence within the fields usually marked by their absence. When lesbians of color, or people of color of any sexuality, make inroads into a field which determines visual aesthetic, such as independent film and video exhibition, it can signal a particular set of social and historical circumstances. This study undertakes a number of interrogations into that terrain including the following: How does the manner in which art historians are taught to engage with and interpret art in a Western context, as well as the power structure in traditional exhibition sites, impact curatorial practices? What impact to the field occurs when curators from marginalized backgrounds are able to take up the power and means of aesthetic interpretation? What is the legacy of curators who participated in the creation of both temporal and permanent venues that have increased the inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered (LGBT) people of color in exhibition and distribution networks? What changes occur in relation to the question of "quality" when curators of color have the opportunity to construct innovative exhibitions dealing with how culture creates meaning and informs aesthetics?...