Zoe Leonard (b. 1961), a self-taught American artist and activist, has made an indelible mark on the way we see the world. She has spent her career challenging assumptions about documentary objectivity, organizing her subjects in a way that emphasizes subjectivity and visual authenticity, often examining the same subject—whether it’s shopfronts, chain link fences, or birds in flight—from multiple viewpoints. This practice transcends photography: Her provocative 1992 poem “I want a president” became a viral sensation in the pre-digital world, and continues to stoke dialogue to this day. 

Leonard comes to Cincinnati as major surveys of her work are opening at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles (MOCA) and the Whitney Museum of American Art in NYC. Leonard will be in conversation with FotoFocus Artistic Director Kevin Moore.

FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

– Reservations are not required but early arrival is recommended
– Free parking is available
– A public reception will immediately follow the lecture in the Great Hal