“Weho@30: Art Aids Weho” Officially Opens To The Public On June 6

With An Extensive Related Programmed Planned All Summer-Long Through Close Of Exhibitions In September

Opening Coincides With Weho’s One City One Pride Lgbtq Arts Festival, Which Runs From Harvey Milk Day (5/22) Through End Of June Pride Month (6/30)

Each year, the City of West Hollywood celebrates June Pride month though the artistic achievements of its community with the One City One Pride LGBTQ Arts Festival, beginning on Harvey Milk Day, 5/22, and running through the end of June, 6/30. This year, as part of West Hollywood’s 30th anniversary of Cityhood, One City One Pride will spotlight the impact of AIDS on art and culture with “WeHo@30: Art AIDS WeHo,” which opens to the public on June 6. Art AIDS WeHo continues through September 13 with extended exhibitions—at the West Hollywood Library, ONE Archives Museum & Gallery, and Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles at the Pacific Design Center (MOCA-PDC)—as well as with diverse programming, performances, screenings, installations, and events throughout the summer.

On Friday June 5, there will be a special Media Preview for “WeHo@30: Art AIDS WeHo” including a reception at ONE Gallery and viewing opportunities for the exhibitions:

· Art AIDS America – A select sneak preview of Art AIDS America, a groundbreaking retrospective organized by the Tacoma Art Museum in Washington (the full show, the first comprehensive overview and reconsideration of 30 years of art made in response to the AIDS epidemic in the U.S., will run in Tacoma from October 3, 2015, through January 10, 2016, before traveling to museums in Georgia and New York). Featuring 47 pieces on view at two neighboring venues, the West Hollywood preview explores a wide range of creative expressions from the early years of AIDS to the present—with a look at national artists at the West Hollywood Library—and with a focus on California artists at ONE Gallery. Among the highlights are a 1985 portrait of Ken Meeks by Alon Reininger, 2014 self-portraits by Kia Labeija (who was born with HIV), art by Brian Buczak, the collective fierce pussy, recent work by Tino Rodriguez and Ann P. Meredith, and previously unseen photographs by Catherine Opie.

· Tongues Untied – Organized by The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles and Curatorial Assistant Rebecca Matalon at MOCA Pacific Design Center, this exhibition is titled after the landmark 1989 documentary film by poet, activist, and artist Marlon Riggs. “Tongues Untied” presents a selection of works from the Museum’s permanent collection by John Boskovich, Felix Gonazelez-Torres and others, as well as Riggs’ deeply personal and lyrical exploration of black gay identity in the U.S.

The activities and schedule for the June 5 Media Preview for “WeHo@30: Art AIDS WeHo” is as follows (all venues are within easy walking distance, and free validated parking is available at the City of West Hollywood’s five-story Public/Park Parking Structure on El Tovar Place. Parking validation tickets will be available at the West Hollywood Library reception. Additional (paid) parking is available at the Pacific Design Center or on surrounding streets (please read all signs before parking).:

· 5 - 7 PM - ONE Gallery: drop-in reception and viewing of “Art AIDS America” at ONE Gallery venue

· 6:30 PM - West Hollywood Library: guided walk-through of “Art AIDS America”

· 7 - 9 PM - West Hollywood Library: City of West Hollywood’s opening reception for “WeHo@30: Art AIDS WeHo” including comments from officials, food, and viewing of exhibit; open to the public and free with RSVP at www.weho.org/pride; press may RSVP to LDG@anet.net). This reception has generously been sponsored by Liberty Hill and Visit West Hollywood.

· 7 - 9 PM - MOCA PDC: Members’ preview for “Tongues Untied” – show membership card for free entry; non-member press may RSVP to: eseta@moca.org

For the public opening of “WeHo@30: Art AIDS WeHo” on June 6, exhibition hours and addresses are:

· “Art AIDS America” – ONE Archives Museum and Gallery, 626 N. Robertson Bl., West Hollywood, CA 90069, 11 AM - 7:30 PM

· “Art AIDS America” – West Hollywood Public Library, 625 N. San Vicente Bl., West Hollywood, CA 90069, 10 AM - 6 PM

· “Tongues Untied” – MOCA PDC, 8687 Melrose Ave., West Hollywood, CA 90069, 11 AM - 6 PM

Also on June 6, special opening day free programming presented by the City of West Hollywood’s One City One Pride for “WeHo@30: Art AIDS WeHo” includes:

11 AM - 2 PM - West Hollywood LGBTQ Mobile Tour: Stuart Timmons, co-author of the historical compendium “Gay LA” and author of “The Trouble with Harry Hay,” had planned to write three historical walking tours of different neighborhoods in the LA area. He suffered a stroke before his West Hollywood tour was completed. Now thanks to a team of helpers, the tour will launch with a colorful cast of characters, dressed from different eras and armed with historical knowledge, stationed along the route. Beginning at 11 AM, tour groups/shuttles will leave from the main entrance of the West Hollywood Library approximately every 15 minutes, with the last shuttle leaving at 1 PM. Information for self-guided tours may also be found after June 6 at www.weho.org/pride

3 PM – MOCA Screening of “Tongues Untied” in conjunction with the exhibit of the same name at MOCA-PDC. The film is introduced by Jamillah James, Assistant Curator at the Hammer Museum. In 2012, James was part of the curatorial team for “Dirty Looks: On Location,” a series that activated various spaces in New York that had previously been key sites in queer history, and will be shown alongside Marlon Riggs’ experimental video “Anthem”. The screening will be held in the City Council Chambers/Public Meeting Room at West Hollywood Public Library.

6 PM – Art Talk on “Art, AIDS, America” - Exhibition co-curator Jonathan D. Katz and exhibition artists Rudy Lemcke, Joey Terrill and others (TBA) debate the thesis of the exhibition; is in the City Council Chambers/Public Meeting Room at West Hollywood Public Library.

7:30 PM – A presentation by historian Glenne McElhinney (director of “On These Shoulders We Stand”) about a new street banner and historical research project called “Dancers We Lost”; in the City Council Chambers/Public Meeting Room at West Hollywood Public Library.

8 PM – “LA: A Queer History” screenings featuring: ‘Some of Your Best Friends’ (A look at the early LA Gay Pride Movement featuring Don Kilhefner, Rev. Troy Perry & Morris Kight), ‘Nancy From East Side Clover’ (83 year old Butch Chicana Lesbian legend Nancy Valverde recounts her experiences being out in 1950’s L.A.) and ‘L.A. A Queer History’ (a promo short for a documentary exploring the birth of gay liberation in LA).

About The City of West Hollywood’s One City One Pride Festival
Each year, the City of West Hollywood celebrates LGBTQ Pride Month with the One City One Pride Arts Festival. For 2015, One City One Pride will run from Harvey Milk Day (May 22) through the end of June Pride Month (June 30). In celebration of West Hollywood’s 30th anniversary of Cityhood, One City One Pride takes a look at what it means to turn 30 with the theme ‘WeHo@30, Life@30′. In addition, since the City was founded during the early years of the AIDS crisis, a major component of One City One Pride will be a look back at the impact AIDS has had on art and culture with ‘WeHo@30: Art AIDS WeHo’, which continues through September with extended exhibits and performances. One City One Pride was recently awarded a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to support its programming in 2016, when the theme will be ‘Into the Streets’, referring to a rallying cry used during the early years of the LGBTQ rights movement. More information is available at www.weho.org/pride.

Click this link to download a comprehensive overview file with complete event listings, press images, captions, and background information for WeHo@30: Art AIDS WeHo.