FOLLOWING THE RAINBOW

spanning 5,000 years.

Works from premodern cultures, where gender and sexuality were experienced differently, mix with works by more contemporary artists. Some art is relevant to the experiences of gay males and lesbians while others speak more to transgender individuals or queer people of color.

Along the way, an ancient Roman statuette and Meissen figurine share the trail with 20thcentury American photography. Artists include Caravaggio, Frederic Leighton, Florine Stettheimer, Charles Demuth, David Hockney and Kehinde Wiley.

This is the first such public project from PathTrail, an “experiential storytelling service” that turns local stories, histories and attractions into multimedia activities.

With a B.A. from Harvard and a Ph.D. from UCLA, Lear is an authority on the erotic elements of Greek and Roman art. He sees the museum, and the art trail, as hugely relevant to today’s visitors.

“First and foremost, I want people to see that museums are not boring and stuffy but rather full of interesting and wonderful things – you just need to know the stories that bring the art to life,” says Lear. “I would like to pass along the message that all the varieties of sex and gender we encounter today have been present throughout all of history. People have the idea that everyone in history was a straight white male, but in fact history was not like that. It’s just the way we’ve been taught.”

The trail is meant for a general audience and has broad implications, says Lear.

“By uncovering the hidden histories of collections at places like the Atheneum, we get a fuller, richer view of the tapestry of human experience,” says Lear.