The summer of 1969 was almost unprecedented in terms of historic events.

50 years ago today, on July 20, 1969, the U.S. landed a man on the moon. I’m from Houston, South Houston specifically, and my school mates had parents working at NASA which was very nearby. My friend Ronnie Cook‘s father worked there on the Moon Landing, specifically and packed the moon flag. (Btw, there was no atmosphere on the moon, so it had a built-in armature like an an umbrella so it opened didn’t just hang there.) And the very first word spoken from the moon? My hometown,

“Houston.

Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed.”

In June, the Stonewall riots in New York City began the modern LGBTQ movement. As a gay man living in NYC for decades, this events importance cannot be overstated. We just saw the city transformed for the month of June for #WorldPride.

And in August the Woodstock concert celebrated with 3 days of peace, love and music. It’s just minutes from my Gallery 52, which is housed in a converted gas station, that likely fueled cars going to and from Bethel, NY (where the concert was held. Not Woodstock, NY)

So, I feel personally connected to these events, as many Americans do.

I asked fellow artists Alan Belcher, Jack Early, Danielle Krysa, Scooter LaForge, Adrian Milton, Ruben Natal-San Miguel, Martha Rich and Matthew Sporzynski to interpret any or all of these events for this historic exhibit, 69/19: Woodstock, Stonewall & the Moon Landing.

It runs through Sept. 1 at Gallery 52 in Jeffersonville, NY. which is a member of Artsy where you can view more work, details and purchase work.