Oleander Pride canceled, but other LGBQT-friendly events ahead, including BMOA’s Art After Dark on June 27
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) – Rumors of Bakersfield’s indifference to art are not well founded and we have more proof at the Bakersfield Museum of Art, coming up later in June.
Organizers of Oleander Pride, an annual LGBQT event that takes place at Beale Park, in the heart of the city’s Oleander district, had a good problem this year. It had become too popular.
So they canceled the fourth annual event, citing its tremendous attendance. In a Facebook post, the organizers said of the June 9 event “it would take a massive financial and logistical lift to move it to another space, find vendors, arrange security, etc. …We are happy to support other local events.”
One such alternative is the Bakersfield Museum of Arts’ Art After Dark event on June 27, 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. The Theme – Resonantly Me: A Queer Artist’s Invitational. It’s 40 artists from queer communities all over California, including three from Bakersfield – David Gordon, whose oil on canvas is titled Safety in the Solitude, Alisyn Palla, whose metal sculpture is called Bleeding Heart, and Marshall Sharpe, whose acrylic and oil on canvas is dubbed Dance with Death.
Victor Gonzales, the museum curator, said this Art After Dark is special.
“We literally have enjoyed this particular event,” he said. “It really allows for the community to really participate in the freedom of expression and creativity. That’s like all things here at the museum, but for this particular one it’s highlighting that particular part of just expression in the arts themselves.”
The event is another opportunity for the Bakersfield arts community to celebrate its continued health and vibrancy, said Lauren Marty, the museum’s Marketing and Communications Manager.
“There’s a longstanding misconception that there’s no real arts and culture scene in Bakersfield, and so many organizations are working to rebut that,” Marty said. “You have not only the Bakersfield Museum of Art, there’s the Arts Council of Kern, there are local galleries, there’s Birddog Arts at the Tejon Outlets, there’s RAM Gallery, and we are all working together in our different ways to make sure that people know that the artistic talent is not just north of here, it’s not just south of here, it’s here in Bakersfield.”
There’s no age restriction for the event but museum staff urges parents to exercise caution with children under 18 because of some of the content.
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