Jess T. Dugan is a renowned photographer whose captivating family portrait, Self-portrait with Vanessa and Elinor (2 days old), is a highlight of Reproductive: Health, Fertility, Agency. Their work is informed by their own life experiences, including their identity as a queer and nonbinary person, and reflects a deep belief in the importance of representation and the transformative power of storytelling. As the Reproductive exhibition nears the end of its impactful run at the Loeb, we are honored to welcome Dugan for a talk and discussion moderated by our Curator of Photography Jessica D. Brier.

Cosponsored by the Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center; Phocus, Vassar’s Student Photography Organization; and the Sociology Department.

Artist Bio

Jess T. Dugan (American, b. 1986) is an artist and writer whose work explores the complexities of personhood, relationships, desire, love, and family. While their practice is centered around photography, it also includes writing, video, sound, drawing, and installation. Their work is regularly exhibited internationally and is in the permanent collections of over 60 museums. Their monographs include Look at me like you love me (MACK, 2022), To Survive on This Shore: Photographs and Interviews with Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Older Adults (Kehrer Verlag, 2018) and Every Breath We Drew (Daylight Books, 2015). They are the recipient of a Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant, an ICP Infinity Award, and were selected by the Obama White House as an LGBT Artist Champion of Change. They currently live and work in St. Louis, MO.