"Art collecting couple Charles Fritz and Leslie Lohman first combined their homoerotic holdings in the 1960s, and held ad hoc openings in their Soho loft soon after. They formalized the program in 1987, with the opening of a namesake foundation aimed at spotlighting LGBTQ+ art. The archive is 30,000-strong and includes work (painting, sculpture, photography, and more) by queer artists. In addition to well-known names—Robert Mapplethorpe, Keith Haring, Tom of Finland, Andy Warhol—there are works by many other lesser-known artists, including talents who didn’t survive the 1980s AIDS crisis. If you want to be guided around the museum, look for one of the regular, free, docent-led tours on weekends—you’ll also get a glass of wine to enjoy as you wander around. This museum is compact enough that 90 minutes is plenty for strolling through the gallery space." - Mark Ellwood
