Adrianna Newell: Still Here

December 12, 2024 - February, 2025

Reception: To be Announced

Still Here, comprises of looks into the world of queer people existing in rural areas and smaller cities. Unlike the spotlight on larger LGBTQ+ communities in metropolises like New York or Los Angeles, we shift our focus to explore the queering of space, existence, and a plethora of queer identities — from artists and creatives to farmers and beyond.

This project is the documentation of small intimate moments, capturing the nuances of true self-expression, within personal spaces — whether at home, outdoors, featuring environments and close-ups. Showcasing what they do, who they love, and ultimately who they are. In a time of massive homophobic, transphobic hate bills against the LGBTQ+ community, it’s important to highlight that queer people are here to stay wherever they choose to call home.

Adrianna Newell (b.1998) is a queer half-deaf black photographer working between the Catskills and NYC. She is deeply inspired by the many different identities of others and likes to investigate the intersectional frameworks. She addresses the unique complexities, connections, and interactions between people. Though there are differences, she finds a way of connection from her own experiences touching lightly on themes of queerness, racial identity, family, and being a woman. Her photos are as if you are in a different world and places you cannot necessarily pinpoint. She seeks to evoke an emotional intimacy and creates a sense of nostalgia for those that view her work.