Benjamin Fredrickson Pop Up Studio at Folsom Street East

Visual AIDS was a beneficiary of the 2015 Folsom Street East. As part of the fair's events, Visual AIDS Artist Member Benjamin Fredrickson took Polaroid portraits at a Pop-Up Studio during the festivities. People joined Fredrickson for a moment of spontaneous creativity and became part of this exciting instant photo project.

Fredrickson's Polaroids have been recently exhibited at the Museum of Art and Design, and his debut solo exhibition at Daniel Cooney Fine Art was reviewed widely, including by the New Yorker.

Folsom Street East is the largest fetish block party on the East Coast; this year’s theme is “THE NEW YORK YOU WERE WARNED ABOUT.” This year’s Street Fair directly benefited two NYC-based non-profit organizations: the New York City Anti-Violence Project (AVP) and Visual AIDS.

“Folsom Street East is a celebration of the rebellious spirit of the New York kink and fetish scene, and our imagery for this year’s fair depicts our community in all its vibrant diversity,” said Paul Harrison Phillips, Communications Manager for Folsom Street East. “We’re immensely grateful to have had the opportunity to work with Phil Jimenez to realize an ass-kicking vision of our modern city that never sleeps.”

Folsom Street East 2015 featured live stage entertainment representing the immense talents of the NYC LGBT and kink community, as well as a beer garden hosted by The Eagle NYC.