City of West Hollywood
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On June 26, 2023, the City of West Hollywood's City Council selected Pickle to serve as the City's Inaugural Drag Laureate. Pickle is a live-singing, powerhouse host, entertainer, storyteller, and community activist. She values education, community, and humor. She has been performing in drag professionally for eight years and has collaborated with many people and organizations to bring drag into people's lives. A Los Angeles native, she received her BA in Liberal Arts from Sarah Lawrence College. Pickle has focused on blending education initiatives into her drag work and runs the LA Chapter of Drag Story Hour.
She has partnered with many organizations to present unique and dynamic drag programming, including the Academy Museum, LACMA, the Aquarium of the Pacific, Tinder, the Music Center, Independent Shakespeare Company, the City of West Hollywood, LA Public Library, LA County Library, and many more. She has appeared on television's The Weakest Link, the Discovery Channel's Dodgeball Thunderdome, and Tyler Perry's Sistas.
She collaborates regularly with live musicians to incorporate big-band sound into her performances and is committed to exploring new technologies for the art of drag, including artificial intelligence and virtual reality. Pickle is dedicated to expanding drag as a medium both for herself and the community as a whole. www.pickledragqueen.com
As West Hollywood Drag Laureate, Pickle will serve a term of two years from July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2025. During the term, the Drag Laureate is expected to enhance the presence and appreciation of drag culture and arts in West Hollywood; promote partnerships with West Hollywood business and community organizations; celebrate the spirit and special qualities of the City of West Hollywood and its residents; and inspire an emerging generation of drag artists by celebrating and promoting drag history.
The Drag Laureate will work with City staff to serve as an ambassador for West Hollywood. Pickle will attend approximately 15 events throughout the year, including WeHo Pride and West Hollywood Day. The City will also organize a yearly event to celebrate drag history, promote West Hollywood drag culture, and invite the West Hollywood community to attend.
Recently, the City of San Francisco announced its inaugural San Francisco Drag Laureate, D’Arcy Drollinger, and it is anticipated that West Hollywood and San Francisco will work together to share best practices and ideas to enhance Drag Laureate programs.
The West Hollywood Drag Laureate program provides a $12,500 honorarium each year, and a $2,500 stipend for the annual City drag event, totaling $15,000 per year.
The public event for the inaugural Drag Laureate installation was at 3:00pm on Sunday, July 16, 2023 (International Drag Day), at West Hollywood Park. Images from the Drag Laureate Installation on July 16, 2023
REQUEST PICKLE FOR YOUR EVENT
The Drag Laureate will serve as an ambassador for the City of West Hollywood and attend approximately fifteen (15) events throughout the year, approved by the City, with an emphasis on several events during Pride month. Events may include City events (such as WeHo Pride and West Hollywood Day), events supporting the local business community (such as grand opening ribbon cuttings), and others as assigned. Attendance at events will be scheduled in close coordination with the Drag Laureate.
All Drag Laureate appearances must be coordinated with the city.
Requests are subject to the Drag Laureate availability and are not guaranteed.
Event requests must be submitted at least 30 days prior to the date of the event.
If there are questions about an Event Request a city staff person will reach out to the primary contact person for additional information.
All Event Requests will receive a notice of the status of the request within 14 days of the submittal.
Email requests to draglaureate@weho.org
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QUESTIONS: Rebecca Ehemann, Arts Manager, rehemann@weho.org, 323-848-6846
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2023-24 DRAG ARTISTS ROUNDTABLE
From September 2024 - May 2024, the City of West Hollywood invited drag artists to convene at four (4) Drag Artists Roundtable sessions led by Pickle, City of West Hollywood Drag Laureate. The solutions-based meetings were for any drag artist or anyone curious about starting drag. Each meeting had a focus topic for discussion.
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DATE |
TOPIC |
TIME/LOCATION |
DESCRIPTION |
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Wednesday, September 20, 2023 |
Design |
5:00pm Plummer Park Community Center |
In the first meeting, in a series of four drag artist roundtables, Pickle led a group discussion about DESIGN. How artists approach building a drag aesthetic, executing looks and the challenges they face. The solutions-based meeting was for any drag artist or anyone curious about starting drag. |
|
Wednesday, January 17, 2024 |
Technology |
5:00pm Plummer Park Community Center |
The second meeting was focused on TECHNOLOGY, including social media, AI, and other tools drag artists can use to support their work. The group also continued a conversation around suggesting a drag artist-specific grant to the West Hollywood Arts and Cultural Affairs Commission. |
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Wednesday, March 20, 2024 |
Solutions |
5:00pm Plummer Park Community Center |
In the third meeting, the group focused on finding practical SOLUTIONS. They talked "shop" about finding work as a drag artist, exploring new opportunities, professional tools and practices that they incorporate, and participants shared their own experiences with being a drag artist. |
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Wednesday, May 15, 2024 |
Professional Development |
5:00pm Plummer Park Community Center |
In the final meeting, the group continued a conversation around exploring new opportunities, professional tools and practices that they incorporate in their our own experience with being a drag artist, and discussion around the City of West Hollywood's Arts Grant Program. |
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News releases and information about the Program:
Laureate Expense Reimbursements - List of Pre-Approved Organizations & Events