Uploaded March 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Join artist Lyle Ashton Harris in this intimate and insightful conversation at the Aspen Art Museum, hosted by curator Daniel Merritt. Recorded during President's Day weekend (February 2026), this engaging dialogue traces Harris's groundbreaking career, exploring themes of race, gender, sexuality, desire, identity, and the personal-political through photography, collage, installation, performance, and archival practices.
Discover the evolution of Harris's work—from early self-portraits and ruptures at CalArts and Whitney ISP, landmark exhibitions like The Good Life and Watering Hole, his transformative years in Ghana, the celebrated Ektachrome Archive (featured in Whitney Biennial, ICA Miami, and more), to recent Shadow Works (recently on view at Baldwin Gallery, Aspen). Hear personal stories behind iconic pieces, influences like Billy Holiday, AIDS activism, archival impulses, layering, and returning to past imagery for new meaning.
Expect thoughtful reflections on intimacy, memory, care, cultural history, and the artist's process—perfect for fans of contemporary art, queer theory, Black visual culture, and photography.
Featured artist: Lyle Ashton Harris (works in Guggenheim, MoMA, Whitney, Met, Tate Modern collections)
Know Aspen. Watch GrassRoots.
GrassRoots programming is made possible by the producers' creativity itself, direct contributions from viewers, members of the Roaring Fork Valley community, and through grants from the Pitkin County Healthy Community Fund, The Town of Snowmass Village, the City of Aspen Community Non-Profit Grant Program, and The Aspen Thrift Shop.
Founded by citizens of Aspen, Colorado in 1972, GrassRoots TV is the first and oldest community operated and programmed open-source media center and television station in the United States. Virtually all of the programming is created by local residents, occasionally with world renown guests.
In partnership with the American Archive of Public Media and the Library of Congress, GrassRoots is currently cataloguing, restoring and digitally archiving 700 of the most at-risk original video programs out of its 45,000 title Community Video Archive.
Help sustain this community treasure by donating now! Go to:
bit.ly/GRTVContribute
Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE, HIT LIKE and leave a COMMENT to let us know if you enjoyed this video, it is important to us and the community for you to become part of the conversation. Thanks for tuning in!
Download the GrassRoots Community Network iOS and Android apps
Subscribe for more videos: bit.ly/2Ycpi4P
Facebook: facebook.com/GrassRootsCommunityNetwork
Twitter: twitter.com/grassrootstv
Web: grassrootstv.org
Join artist Lyle Ashton Harris in this intimate and insightful conversation at the Aspen Art Museum, hosted by curator Daniel Merritt. Recorded during President's Day weekend (February 2026), this engaging dialogue traces Harris's groundbreaking career, exploring themes of race, gender, sexuality, desire, identity, and the personal-political through photography, collage, installation, performance, and archival practices.
Discover the evolution of Harris's work—from early self-portraits and ruptures at CalArts and Whitney ISP, landmark exhibitions like The Good Life and Watering Hole, his transformative years in Ghana, the celebrated Ektachrome Archive (featured in Whitney Biennial, ICA Miami, and more), to recent Shadow Works (recently on view at Baldwin Gallery, Aspen). Hear personal stories behind iconic pieces, influences like Billy Holiday, AIDS activism, archival impulses, layering, and returning to past imagery for new meaning.
Expect thoughtful reflections on intimacy, memory, care, cultural history, and the artist's process—perfect for fans of contemporary art, queer theory, Black visual culture, and photography.
Featured artist: Lyle Ashton Harris (works in Guggenheim, MoMA, Whitney, Met, Tate Modern collections)
Know Aspen. Watch GrassRoots.
GrassRoots programming is made possible by the producers' creativity itself, direct contributions from viewers, members of the Roaring Fork Valley community, and through grants from the Pitkin County Healthy Community Fund, The Town of Snowmass Village, the City of Aspen Community Non-Profit Grant Program, and The Aspen Thrift Shop.
Founded by citizens of Aspen, Colorado in 1972, GrassRoots TV is the first and oldest community operated and programmed open-source media center and television station in the United States. Virtually all of the programming is created by local residents, occasionally with world renown guests.
In partnership with the American Archive of Public Media and the Library of Congress, GrassRoots is currently cataloguing, restoring and digitally archiving 700 of the most at-risk original video programs out of its 45,000 title Community Video Archive.
Help sustain this community treasure by donating now! Go to:
bit.ly/GRTVContribute
Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE, HIT LIKE and leave a COMMENT to let us know if you enjoyed this video, it is important to us and the community for you to become part of the conversation. Thanks for tuning in!
Download the GrassRoots Community Network iOS and Android apps
Subscribe for more videos: bit.ly/2Ycpi4P
Facebook: facebook.com/GrassRootsCommunityNetwork
Twitter: twitter.com/grassrootstv
Web: grassrootstv.org
