Art, in its many forms, influences cultural perceptions and affects people personally. We treasure and embrace artists who share their talent, perspectives, and emotions in ways that we might not have contemplated. The existential beauty of art is that it makes us pause, reflect, or simply enjoy it and smile. In a gallery or public setting, exhibits create a shared sense of community, yet each piece may speak to people in wildly different ways. We believe in the power of art, and The Artist Tree supports diverse local artists by showcasing their work in our dispensary. If you’re Googling “dispensaries in West Hollywood,” you’ll find the best cannabis products, and, with the art we display, a different point of view.
In partnership with the ACCA Gallery and the City of West Hollywood’s Transgender Arts Initiative Grant program, The Artist Tree proudly presents pieces from the second annual LGBTQ+ HERITAGE 2020 exhibit on display in our West Hollywood dispensary. All of the pieces are available for purchase directly from the ACCA Gallery. Our large glass windows enable you to enjoy the pieces from the sidewalk, and we invite you to come inside and experience them on a deeper level. It’s powerful work, and here are a few examples of the unique pieces on display:
Hunter Reynolds is a visual artist, AIDS activist, and a Visual AIDS artist member. He was an early member of ACT UP, and in 1989 co-founded Art Positive, an affinity group of ACT-UP to fight homophobia and censorship in the arts. Reynolds has his roots in Los Angeles. As a runaway gay teenager, he escaped to LA in 1975 at the age of 15. He experienced 1970s West Hollywood, attended the Fashion Institute Design and Merchandising, and graduated from the Otis Parsons School of Art and Design in 1984.
Reynolds notes, “I could not have survived that journey which as you can imagine was filled with difficult obstacles and amazing stories. It was the new Gay and Lesbian Services Center which had just opened and the many gay men I had met of the 70’s who helped to mentor me through that difficult time, and I owe them and their spirits eternal gratitude.”
His pieces “Healing Hands Flying With Patina du Prey” and “Healing Hands on the Beach” represent that gratitude and are currently on display at The Artist Tree.
Chris J. Russo is an artist and filmmaker living in Los Angeles. Her work aims to give voice and visibility to women to portray them in the power and equality they deserve. For the past two decades, Russo’s award-winning short films have screened all over the world. She is currently completing her feature documentary film, Lady Buds, that tells the story of cannabis legalization in California through the eyes of six women cultivators, entrepreneurs and activists. Russo’s works, “Flower” and “How Blue The Sky Was” are currently displayed at The Artist Tree.
Johnny Cubert White is a maker of still and motion pictures. Known as a sensitive and instinctive artist, White made the most of his experience of dropping his camera by creating his #MyBrokenCamera series. His works from the series display unusual and astonishing visual results, such as prismatic halos, ambiguous architecture, and an overall sense emotional charged energy.
White’s works “Puscie Envy” and “Cerebral Hedonist” were created as part of the #MyBrokenCamera series and are currently displayed at The Artist Tree as part of the LGBTQ+ Heritage Exhibit.
As the founder, art director, and chief designer of The Bohemian Society, Victor Wilde is known for infusing the methods and attitude of visual art into his singular garments. He creates textiles with body-printing and uses politically charged symbols, words, and even gunfire to create texture and narrative in both his clothing and visual art. He distresses, deconstructs, and recontextualizes vintage clothing and unconventional textiles, literally tearing found fashions apart and recombining them into expressive, unexpected profiles. His piece, “Baggage,” is currently on display at The Artist Tree.
The City of West Hollywood provides funding support through arts grants to eligible artists and nonprofit arts organizations for the production, performance, and presentation of art projects in the City of West Hollywood. It’s a genuine honor to be part of the LGBTQ+ HERITAGE 2020 exhibit and serve our community. Cannabis and art go hand in hand. Come by The Artist Tree and take a few moments to broaden your perspective on LGBTQ+ issues.
