Los Angeles-based photographer Paul Mpagi Sepuya’s work has been featured in several standout exhibitions, including the latest Whitney Biennal among others. Now, the artist has launched an open edition print to help rescue a longstanding LGBTQ+ bar, Akbar, in Silver Lake, which has been around since 1994.
The establishment started a GoFundMe page called Artists for Akbar with a $250,000 target to help pay staff alongside other expenses through 2021. Sepuya is known for his work that puts a spotlight on queer intimacy and the gay community. The print features a work called Drop Scene Study (0X5A1118) that is available until January 21. Interested purchases can make a donation of $250 or more to Akbar’s GoFundMe and then send the receipt to artists@saveakbar.com. Shipment of the prints will commence in February.
The fundraiser has currently raised over $5,000 for the bar, as per Artnet. “The spirit of this print edition is that of a gift to say thank you to donors, to encourage giving, and, for me, as a way to give back to the community that has formed through Akbar,” Sepuya said in a statement.