Conclusion

Chinn is a founding member and Board President of the Queer Cultural Center in San Francisco, and a member of the Asian American Womens Artist Association in Oakland, California, the College Art Association's Gay and Lesbian Caucus, and the Consortium of Neighborhood Cultural Centers in San Francisco. She was Co-Chair of the Lesbian Visual Artists in San Francisco in 1995. She has participated in juried and curator exhibitions both as artist and organizer for lesbian/gay and Asian art, appeared on many radio and TV programs speaking about the need for lesbian/gay art exhibitions, has had several solo exhibitions, has been the subject of numerous articles and reviews, and has her work in several museum slide registries in California, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New York, and Washington D.C. But there is much work to be done to fully integrate the art of lesbians, gay, and people of color into the museums and galleries of the elite and affluent.

Chinn is at a crossroads in her life. Taking care of her father, squeezing in work on her current piece, keeping up with her duties and obligations with QCC, AAWAA and other organizations, has left her little time to herself. But she does not object or complain in the correspondence I've had with her. My last question to her was this: Have you made any personal sacrifices to be a part of your activist organizations?

"Admittedly participating in any arts organization does require a certain level of commitment in terms of time and energy. But the challenges of creating and shaping new arts opportunities, or programs that encourage vision and incubate progressive ideas, are important catalysts for social change. New art canons do not materialize all by themselves and Old World views do not give way without some amount of persuasion."

"It is at times a juggle to balance one’s socio-political energies with those required to produce art, but in a movement to affect such change or to unhinge the ideologies of the powerful few, artists and other cultural activists must pool their strengths and resources."

Throughout my research about Lenore Chinn, I was repeatedly amazed, educated, and exhilarated at the work Chin has done for women, lesbians and gays, and people of color. The incredible impact her work, in all areas of society, have had, and will continue to have, are of great importance. Her art is mesmerizing, her activism inspiring, and her honesty and candor throughout this research were refreshing. She fights tirelessly for the rights of those who may not be able to fight. She paints with a passion and trueness of heart that I have a hard time comparing with anyone else but the greatest of painters. Her willingness to keep up the good fight in every way is a spirit that I truly admire. I can only end this research with her words--mine are just not enough.

"Finally, I view art both as a pleasure and a tool. I feel a passionate commitment to my profession and, having been schooled in the history of Western European art, can only say that we have been shown time and again, in every significant era marked by prevailing cultural institutions, there have always been waves of artists chipping at the mortar. Progress may be glacial but mindsets have been cracked."