Mission & History

Project Mission

The Intimacy Project is a collection of images created by and for the LGBTQ community with the primary goal of combating homophobia. The exhibit uses photography and its subjects to showcase the diversity of LGBTQ people, the nature of our relationships, and the manifestations of intimacy experienced within those relationships. Pittsburgh Photographer Dawn Hartman created this ever-changing exhibit to promote visibility and positive representation for the LGBTQ community specifically.

Fear, misunderstanding, and lack of education are largely responsible for the negative perceptions of LGBT individuals that pervade the cultural consciousness. These distortions reinforce inaccurate perceptions of the love within our community. Dawn’s hope is that the images contained in this project will provide a diversified, realistic portrayal of LGBTQ intimacy that allows those lacking exposure to see the humanity of all individuals and the universality of love. She is also inspired by the potential to create positive, hopeful imagery in which LGBTQ individuals might see their own experiences reflected.

To date, more than 100 people have been photographed for The Intimacy Project. The exhibit was originally composed mostly of images from Pittsburgh, PA, and the surrounding areas. In order to achieve a more accurate portrayal of the contemporary American LGBTQ community, the project has expanded. Dawn is now working to photograph individuals and couples all over the US and document the diversity of our community on a national level.

Want to help? This ambitious endeavor would not be a reality without the support of allies like you.

Please Get Involved!

History

A note from the artist

This initiative began years ago as a single photo of my first girlfriend and myself, taken with a point-and-shoot camera. I was inspired and set out to document other lesbian couples in the Pittsburgh area. In efforts to fundraise for a trip to volunteer in Ghana, Africa, I had my first public opening of “The Intimacy Project” at Imagebox Gallery in 2008. The show was so successful that it funded my entire trip to Ghana and led to many subsequent shows and opportunities to share my work.

I began to focus my efforts on expanding the project beyond the Pittsburgh community. I conducted my first out-of-state photo shoot with a couple in New York City, then attended Pride in North Hampton, MA, and Columbus, OH, in an effort to connect with more participants. Since then, the Intimacy Project has visited nearly a dozen states. In 2013, the project became bicoastal with our first visit to the West Coast and San Francisco Pride.

I took a long hiatus from The Intimacy Project while I built the family chapter of my life. I have a family of 6 who are very supportive of me getting back out there to pursue my passion for photography and activism. Thus far, the project has been very well received in every city I’ve visited and I’m excited to continue to expand.