Pride & Pittman: An Evening Among the Roses 2019

The Huntington Library, Art Collections & Botanical Gardens’

6th Annual An Evening Among the Roses

THE REASON  The annual An Evening Among the Roses is the Pride event for everyone — including LGBTQ family, friends, and the general public — to recognize and celebrate the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer members of the community for their many contributions to The Huntington. Fanciful garden party attire perpetually encouraged for the festivities, which are held in the expansive Rose Garden to help kick off Los Angeles Pride, on the first Friday of June.

THE REVELERS   Renowned LA-based artist Lari Pittman. Other notable guests included the Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles, CBS LA news anchor Jeff Michael, Bart Verry, Mark Arteaga, Chris Serrano, BG Casas, Laurie Dodd, Ed Solorzano, Fabiola Torres, Rebecca Haussling, Anthony Guthmiller, Griffin White, Sam Consos, and Nick and Effie Cacarnakis, among many, many others!

THE RECAP  With over 500 attending, the event was sold out many days in advance of the big day leaving many in last minute-crowd clamoring for tickets. It was truly a spectacular evening of friends, family and allies coming together to celebrate and thank the LGBTQ community for their vital intellectual and cultural contributions to The Huntington. The theme of the 6th annual event “Color OUTside the Lines” had been perplexing to some, but stretched the imaginations of many; from bespoke suit/hat ensembles and masquerade-like makeup to angelic fetish fabrications and living floral adornments (made in the spot by volunteers), once again the fashion did not disappoint.

The VIP cocktail reception held on the grand terrace of The Huntington Art Gallery began with a grand entrance through the gallery to view of rare collection materials, and finished off with a special performance by Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles. The party portion of the festivities began just slightly before the VIP reception had come to a close. After the honors and remarks, the dance floor got into full swing, and with the assistance of beverage sponsors Pomp & Whimsy Gin and VING Vodka, many were having a great time up until the DJ shut the party down.

Pittman was honored as evening’s special guest. The Huntington exhibited his Mood Books in 2016, and his works have been on view at other prestigious museums including the Getty, LACMA, and MoMA. Pittman’s works draw from a variety of aesthetic traditions, ranging from decorative art and design to advertising and folk art. His paintings and drawings are a personal rebellion against rigid, puritanical dichotomies, and his deployment of simultaneously occurring narratives and opulent imagery reflects the heterogeneity of American society, the artist’s Colombian heritage, and the distorting effects of hypercapitalism on everyday life.

For more information, visit huntington.org/Among-the-roses.

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Photography by Jamie Pham, Courtesy of The Huntington.