Conversations in the Arts- The Arts and LGBTQA+

Anu Annam, is an award-winning, internationally acclaimed exhibiting artist, art educator and curator, working in the field for 25 years. She is faculty at the Art League of Long Island in Dix Hills, NY, artist-in-residence for the Journeys program at Huntington Arts Council and conducts artist development programs at her studio, Anu Annam Arts & Illustration Huntington, NY. She has won multiple teaching grants from the New York State Council on the Arts for her work with at-risk and special needs populations.
Annam has been recognized widely for her community-based arts programming and fundraising. She is co-creator and director of Fantastic Funhouse which brings children’s cinema-themed art experiences to kids. She is co-director and co-founder of POP! Draw, which is a pop-culture drawing group geared for all ages of fans who love art. Annam also created and directs Art Center for Sphoorti Benefit, which has raised thousands to aid in the arts-based education of abandoned children in her original hometown of Hyderabad, India.
Annam has worked with queer advocacy groups since 1990, participating in the 1993 1,000,000-person March on Washington for Lesbian, Gay and Bi Equal Rights and Liberation. She has continued her social justice work through the arts on Long Island as a Film & Event Programmer then the Arts Director for the Long Island Gay and Lesbian Film Festival since 2012. She is Curatorial Director of this multiple Best Gay Event on Long Island’s (Outlook Magazine) Queer Cultural Visual & Performing Arts Event Born This Way & the MOSAIC Exhibition for the past 3 years, landing the community’s artists a full-page feature story in Newsday’s LI Arts. Her queer organization, BOPPI (Bisexual, Open, Pansexual, People of the Islands) has been the Community Sponsor and fiscal donor for this event, helping to bring to light the need for greater acceptance of midsexualities, non-binary folk, intersex, ace and the various romantic and relationships styles included in the LGBTQIA+ community. Amongst numerous awards in her career, Anu Annam has been honored for her Tireless Support of the Arts on Long Island by the Long Island Gay and Lesbian Film Festival in 2018. She accepted the honor while finally being able to see the progress that was the center of her advocacy mission for 28-years: queer acceptance, inclusion and unity within the community.
Annam holds a BA from Tufts University and Boston Museum School in in English Literature and Fine Arts. Select solo exhibitions include Le Salon d’ Art, New York, NY; Shrishti Art Gallery, Jubilee Hills, India, The New York Open Center, New York, NY, Baruch Performing Arts Center with Chitravina Ravikiran, New York, NY; and a mini-Solo Exhibit at the Islip Art Museum in NY.

Greg Fox is the artist/writer of the comic strip "Kyle's Bed & Breakfast" currently syndicated to a variety of LGBTQ publications across North America, and read widely online. Fox has published 5 collections of Kyle's B&B, one of which was a Lambda Literary Award Finalist for "Best Humor Book" of the year. In 2017, he had a Kyle's B&B story featured in the "Love is Love" anthology for DC / IDW Comics, which was a #1 New York Times bestseller and has raised over $165,000 for the victims of the Orlando Pulse nightclub tragedy. Fox currently resides in Northport, Long Island, New York, and is busy producing new episodes of Kyle's B&B, and working on several other projects for Sugar Maple Press. He also writes & draws the comic strip "Work That Flight Ring", a self-described "valentine/tribute/parody" to the Legion of Super-Heroes, a beloved comic book series of his from way back when!

Christie LaSpina has been an active member of the arts on Long Island throughout her life. She has been involved with theater as an actor, stage manager, technician and director all over our community. This led her to an audition where she met her partner and became co-producer of their theater company A Bite of Broadway. A Bite of Broadway has raised over $50,000 for several charities, namely Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. She is currently a proud Board Member-at-Large for the Long Island Pride Chorus -the oldest organization of its kind on the island - as well as a singing member and soloist. Spending time with this group of talented, passionate people has been one of the great joys of her life.

Matt Rosenberg has been working in Long Island Theatre since January 2008. Throughout his career, he has worked as a Stage Manager, Director, & Actor. He has Stage Managed over 80 productions for Broadhollow Theatre Company, Merrick Theatre & Center for the Arts, and EastLine Theatre. He has directed productions of Deathtrap, The Best Man, and On Golden Pond, among others for EastLine and has appeared on stage in The Normal Heart (Tommy Boatwright), The Butler Did It (Louie Fan), and Antigone. Matt currently serves as Production Manager for EastLine Theatre, where he has worked since 2014.

Dr. Nichelle Rivers, a multi-media artist and educator, is a native of Memphis, Tennessee. Her bold and vibrant depictions are not only inspired by her culturally rich childhood, but also by such iconic art figures like Faith Ringgold, Frida Kahlo, Romare Bearden and Jacob Lawrence. Her work is also inspired by her love of music and bringing to life spatial relationships and patterns. A social justice activist since she can remember, but it wasn’t until a little over two years ago that she realized that she must use her voice as an artist to convey the pain, the turmoil, the anger, the misunderstanding and lack of tolerance that exist in our society. She is still challenged by the diversity of her work and use this in preparation in what will be an explosion of creative passion on canvas. Simply put, creating art and being a voice for the voiceless keeps her sane.