Fire Island: koitz’s photographs capture gay life in Cherry Grove
Photographer: koitz
Exhibition: koitz Gay Fire Island photography exhibition
Organizer: Arts Project of Cherry Grove
Venue: Historic Cherry Grove Community House and Theater, 180 Bayview Walk, Cherry Grove, Fire Island, New York
Dates: July, 2021
Historic Cherry Grove Community House and Theater, Cherry Grove, Fire Island — July, 2021. The photography exhibition by gay Fire Island photographer koitz brought together a selection of images documenting gay life, friendship, celebration and LGBTQ+ community on Fire Island, one of America’s most iconic gay summer destinations.
Organized by the Arts Project of Cherry Grove, the exhibition presented a small collection of photographs by the artist and photographer known simply as koitz, who has spent more than 15 summers visiting Fire Island with his camera.
The photographs capture everything from beaches and ferries to parties, friendships and quiet moments in the island’s distinctive natural landscape.
A photographic portrait of LGBTQ+ life on Fire Island
Located off the coast of Long Island, Fire Island has attracted gay men since the mid-20th century. The journey begins with a roughly 30-minute ferry ride from Sayville, after which visitors arrive in a place where private cars are largely absent and wooden boardwalks, beaches and water taxis shape everyday life.
For koitz, Fire Island holds a particular magic. “Fire Island is a very special place, magical in many senses.”
The photographer has returned to the island year after year, documenting its distinctive combination of freedom, friendship, nightlife and community.
His work is also closely connected to New York and Fire Island’s nightlife scenes. After moving to New York in 1994, koitz studied at the School of Visual Arts and the International Center of Photography. He also worked for four years at The Fire Island News.
Cherry Grove, a historic LGBTQ+ community
The exhibition took place at the Historic Cherry Grove Community House and Theater, at 180 Bayview Walk in Cherry Grove.
Cherry Grove is one of Fire Island’s best-known LGBTQ+ communities. Together with Fire Island Pines, it has become an important symbol of queer history and culture in the United States.
Koitz’s photographs explore different corners of the island, from beaches and ferries to the wooded area known as the Meat Rack, located between Cherry Grove and Fire Island Pines.
The photographer has described the Meat Rack as one of the island’s most famously adventurous and sensual spaces.
More than a decade of Fire Island summers
The exhibition brought together photographs taken over many years, including images from Cherry Grove in 2011, 2012 and 2019, the ferry in 2018, the Sunken Forest in 2018 and the Meat Rack in 2014.
Some of the photographs are spontaneous portraits of friends and visitors, while others take a more conceptual approach to the island’s landscape, bodies and queer identity.
The collection included works such as Friends on the Beach, Cherry Grove 2012, Madly Hatted, Ferry 2018, Dmitry & His Polaroid, Sunken Forest 2018, Feeling The Blessings, Cherry Grove 2011, Cherry Grove, 2019, Gay Pride Parade, Cherry Grove 2019 and From the Ashes, Meat Rack, 2014.
A celebration of freedom and community
For exhibition curator Parker Sargent, one of the strengths of koitz’s work is its ability to capture the celebration and sense of community that have long defined Fire Island.
The exhibition was also particularly resonant after a period of isolation and restrictions brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. Its photographs offered a vivid reminder of the joy, connection and togetherness associated with summer on the island.
Together, the images create an intimate portrait of an essential part of Fire Island’s LGBTQ+ culture: its beaches, parties, friendships and the sense of freedom that begins the moment visitors step onto the ferry.
The exhibition offered visitors a photographic journey through more than a decade of summers on Fire Island—and a glimpse into the enduring role of Cherry Grove as one of America’s historic LGBTQ+ communities.