Collaborating with the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender (GLBT) Historical Society in San Francisco, artists E.G. Crichton and Kim Anno created “Lost and Found,” a mixed-media traveling museum composed of small installations that explored lesbian history of the San Francisco Bay Area–focusing on working-class and minority lesbians, who traditionally are a marginalized segment of a largely invisible population. The artists worked with the archivists at the GLBT Historical Society and invited community members to supply content for the work.
The museums’ exhibitions were presented at the GLBT Historical Society, the San Francisco Public Library, the Richmond Health Center, and in a group show at San Francisco’s LGBT Community Center. Each exhibit featured different works. Pieces exhibited included a map detailing the sites of long-gone lesbian bars, large-scale photographs, a sculptural video “book” based on lost lesbian history in San Francisco’s North Beach, a cloth-bound artist book of manifestos from the lesbian community, and an over-sized mock newspaper with articles based on oral histories of citizens of Richmond.
Artist E.G. Crichton’s practice spans both public and traditional art venues. She is a professor of intermedia art at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and a long-time resident of San Francisco. Kim Anno, an Oakland resident, is a painter, public artist, and professor of painting and ethnic studies at the California College of the Arts.
Founded in 1985, the GLBT Historical Society is home to a large and accessible community archives. Since its founding, it has “steadily and lovingly” rescued and preserved the history of the Bay Area’s vibrant GLBT presence, maintaining a strong activist base yet building an archives of national and international renown.