~BOUQUET~

Winter, 1979, the all-boys Jesuit high school I attended in Denver, brought me to San Francisco as part of a mini-course, to study subcultures within the city. I saw the vibrant shimmering breadth of the communities here and was awakened, seeing the world in an entirely new light. I’d found a place where I fit in, no longer feeling like the odd one out. In 1985,  I returned to San Francisco for graduate school and found the multicultural world I saw as a teenager was now mine to live. I identified, recognized my fears, and found inspiration - my own "cosmic dancer" moment. I've reveled in this rich, complicated place where many of us come to survive the deluges of oppression/repression/suppression, forming a collective strength in the face of continuing injustice.

I asked over 49 organizations, institutions and individuals to make flowers that represented their cultures and communities. I was astounded that 20 organizations agreed to participate during this challenging time.  These newly formed relationships taught me about communities and individuals negotiating how to come together in this particular moment in time.

This collaborative bouquet holds so much more than metaphors and symbols, it holds love, hope, friendships both new and old… and the creative zeitgeist of identifying, making and beauty. This is Bouquet.

 Commissioned by The Svane Family Foundation for the ARK Exhibition, September 2021

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The flowers:
Alliance Française: Iris | Artist: Cécile Chalouni
Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Center: Banig | Artist: Sammay Dizon
Au Co Vietnamese Cultural Center / Southeast Asian Arts and Culture Coalition: Lotus Flower | Artist: Hoa Du
Bayview Opera House: Bird of Paradise | Artist: Kook
Beach Blanket Babylon: Pineapple-Banana | Artist: Glenda Glayzer
Calle 24: Marigolds & Roses | Artist: Natalie Alemán
Chinese Culture Center of San Francisco: Yellow Plum Blossom | Artist: Yan Shao
Friendship House: California Poppy | Artists: Dauwila Harrison, Contracts & Compliance Manager, Navajo/Pomo/Paiute, and Summer Harrison-Little Cloud, 12 years old
Goethe-Institut San Francisco: Peonies | Artists: Anouk Wodianka, 6 years old & Bettina Wodianka, Cultural Program Curator, Alba Njangiru, 6 years old & Noémie Njangiru, Director, Astrid Kraft Alonzo, Director of Administration
Japanese Cultural and Community Center: Kanzan Cherry Blossom | Artists: Stephanie Doi, Development Manager, and Elena Nielsn, Membership Coordinator
Kaululehua Hawaiian Cultural Center: Lei | Artist: Kawika Alfiche, Kumu Hula
Korean Center Inc.: Korean Mountain Magnolia, Camelia, and Hibiscus | Artist: Sarah Kim-Lee
Museo Italo Americano: Lily | Artist: Selena Squarzanti
Pakistani American Community Center: Rose | Artist: Muneeba Zeeshan, President, Trustee
Rainbow Honor Walk: Bloom | Artist: Donna Sachet, First Lady of the Castro, and President of Board of Directors
SOMA Pilipinas Cultural Heritage: Sampaguita Flowers | Artists: Lolita, Ofelia, Zeny, Cecilia, Auring, Nanita, Natividad, Elmira, Virginia, Maria, Emelita, Tetet
The San Francisco Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band, The official band of San Francisco!: Band Logo FLower | Artist: Scott G. Shelp, Director-At-Large
The Transgender District: Flower | Artist: Juniper Yun, Program Assistant (she/they)
The Women’s Building: Dahlia Flower | Artists: April Martin, and Carey Lamprecht
United Irish Culture Center of San Francisco Inc.: Flowering Shamrocks | Artists: Jennifer Drennan, Dowling’s Librarian, and Sheila, Volunteer

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~  S  p e c i a l   T h a n k s  ~
Roberto Y. Hernández, Geraldine O’Brien, Judy Nemzoff, Mary Miller, Rhona Bittner, Joell Hallowell, Christopher Paddock, Rye Purvis, Tamara Freedman at SPOT Design, David Perry, Joyce Burstein, Léonie Guyer, Elina Frumerman, Jean Conner, Ryan Henden at Mark Ryan Fine Art Services, Wesaam Al-Brady, Shaikha Waleed Al Salman, Zack Sumner Schomp, Miles Roa, Charlie Byrne, Cliff’s Hardware, Just For Fun, and to all the Artists..
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© J. John Priola, all rights reserved