Whitney and Alice Austen House Present Roundtable Discussion

In honor of Women's History Month and Alice Austen's 150th Birthday, the Alice Austen House announces a collaboration with the Whitney Museum of American Art to present a roundtable discussion with prominent scholars on March 31 at 7 p.m., to be held at the Whitney, 99 Gansevoort Street in Manhattan.
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"As the museum celebrates Alice Austen's sesquicentennial this year, the Alice Austen house has convened a team of scholars to help the museum communicate the broader significance of the photographs, life story, and historic home of Alice Austen," states Alice Austen House Executive Director Janice Monger. "Austen is a fascinating and complex woman who created a large body of photographs from the late-nineteenth through the mid-twentieth century that give a glimpse into the world of a woman ahead of her time, a woman who went out on the streets of New York City as one of the earliest female street photographers. We are proud to partner with the Whitney and thank the National Endowment for the Humanities for the project funding to bring the scholars' insights to the public."

Five scholars will discuss the street photography and charged domestic imagery of the early American photographer Alice Austen (1866-1952). From their perspectives in a variety of fields, they will address major themes in Austen's life and work, including the New Woman, professional versus amateur photography, gender roles, same-sex relationships, immigration, and New York City history. The discussion will also bring to the forefront the loving and devoted relationship between Austen and her life-long companion, Gertrude Tate.
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The panel is comprised of Lillian Faderman, Lesbian and LGBT historian, and author of "The Gay Revolution"; Sarah Kate Gillespie, Curator of American Art at the Georgia Museum of Art, University of Georgia; Richard Meyer, Robert and Ruth Halperin Professor in Art History at Stanford University;
Lara Vapnek, Associate Professor of History at St. John's University; and Laura Wexler, Professor of American Studies, Professor of Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at Yale University. The discussion will be moderated by independent museum consultant and art historian, Denise Rompilla.
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"So many of the themes in Alice Austen's life and career will resonate for contemporary visitors," notes Karen Mittelman, director of the Division of Public Programs at NEH. "The National Endowment for the Humanities applauds the plan to draw on the insights of humanities scholars to tell the story of this significant historic house."
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New Eyes on Alice Austen has been made possible by the National Endowment for the Humanities: Celebrating 50 Years of Excellence. Additional support provided by Con Edison and, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.
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Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this program, do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

The New Eyes on Alice Austen program runs from 7-8:30 p.m. and includes a question and answer session. The event will be held in the Susan and John Hess Family Theater on the third floor of the Whitney Museum of American Art. Tickets are required ($8 adults, $6 for Alice Austen House and Whitney members).

For tickets, visit http://whitney.org/Events/AliceAusten. For information, visit Alice http://aliceausten.org/neweyes.