Nomination written by: APAP Advisory Board Member - Ramey Ko

Jeff Sheng has been an innovator in the movement to combine photography and visual arts with social activism since his career began just a few short years ago. While still studying for his MFA in 2006, he began exhibiting "Fearless," a photography project documenting high school and collegiate athletes who openly identify as Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Queer (LGBTQ) and are out to their coaches and teammates. In 2010, "Fearless" was exhibited at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver and at Nike World Headquarters as part of its Coming Out Week diversity programming.

Before efforts to repeal the Don't Ask Don't Tell policy that prohibited LGBTQ Americans from serving openly in the military started grabbing daily headlines in 2010, Jeff began collecting and exhibiting photographs of service members in uniform. In these photos, the subjects' faces are hidden by shadows or objects, representing the effect of DADT on soldiers and society alike. In the past few months, after Democrats escalated attempts to repeal DADT, Jeff's exhibit gained greater recognition and provided powerful imagery to strengthen the movement. His work was covered by a variety of media, including the New York Times, BBC Radio, and an interview with Bob Woodruff on ABC World News.

Sheng's photographs touch on patriotism, family, love, and shame in powerful ways that have effectively spoken to new audiences.  While art and social activism have always interacted, Sheng has been an innovator in the use of photography as a catalyst for social change. By tackling the issue of LGBTQ rights from another angle, his art can appeal to emotional and symbolic values held by many not otherwise open to LGBTQ rights or equality. His work also demonstrates that gaining media coverage can be done through powerful artistic projects as well as more traditional protests or actions. Grassroots activism is and should be about more than writing blogs, organizing boycotts, and lobbying Congress. It should also be about transforming the cultural and human context of society at the grassroots level in areas outside of direct political action, but which have a profound effect on policy outcomes.

Sheng is now collecting images for a new project on LGBTQ high school students and their experiences with suicide.