(Photo by Todd Franson, Metro Weekly)
Distinguished Service Award to Sharon Farmer
Presented by GLAA Secretary Miguel Tuason
GLAA 40th Anniversary ReceptionWashington Plaza Hotel
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Sharon Camille Farmer is a native Washingtonian who became the first African American and the first woman to serve as Director of White House Photography in 1999, after serving as a White House photographer beginning in 1993.
She attended Ohio State University, where she was a member of the Delta Sigma Theta sorority. She was also vice president of the student government, edited the school paper, and protested policies that interfered with relations between black and white students.
During her 37-year career, Sharon has worked for the Smithsonian Institution, The Washington Post and the American Association for the Advancement of Science, shooting news stories, political campaigns, cultural events, conferences and portraits. She has lectured extensively on photography and served on the faculty of American University, Mount Vernon College and Indiana University.
Sharon began working as a White House Photographer in 1993 and traveled the world capturing pictures of President Bill Clinton and Hillary Rodham Clinton. In that capacity, her memorable photos included the handshake between the late Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Yasser Arafat; President and Mrs. Clinton witnessing the launch of the Space Shuttle Discovery with astronaut John Glenn; and the swearing-in of Nelson Mandela as president of South Africa
Sharon has presented many exhibits at museums and cultural institutions nationwide including: Art against AIDS, Gospel in the Projects, and Our Views of Struggle. She was named a GLBT History Month icon by Equality Forum in 2010.
The "Queers in History" blog quotes Sharon as saying, “Never turn down a chance to show what you can do.” Her pursuit of those chances has provided inspiration to others and is a source of pride for all Washingtonians. It is my privilege to present GLAA’s Distinguished Service Award to Sharon Farmer.
