The community gathered for a celebration of connection and growth at the 2nd annual Blooming with Pride at Red Butte Garden & Arboretum on June 13. The family-friendly event included art exhibits by local artists, hands-on activities and a self-guided tour through the gardens.
“Tapestry of Belonging”
Eight local artists participated in this year’s event. Caitlin Stewart-Johnson created the “Tapestry of Belonging” to portray the interconnectedness of the LGBTQ+ community.
“I wanted to focus on the woven aspect of the LGBTQ+ community, but also allyship. And so I tried to do that with the different colors and I tried to weave it in,” said Stewart-Johnson.
This piece was Stewart-Johnson’s first time working with florals in her art piece. She also had kaleidoscopes available for people to look through to get a different perspective of her work.
“Tapestries have been used for thousands of years to tell stories, mark important moments, and fill walls with what people care about most. With ‘Tapestry of Belonging,’ I wanted to create a living version of that — a floral installation that shares a message of love, unity, and pride for the LGBTQIA+ community and its allies,” said Stewart-Johnson. “To me, flowers are the perfect symbol: each one is unique, and together they create something vibrant, wild, and beautiful.”
“Alternative Routes”
Being queer saved my life. Often we see queerness as deprivation. But when I look at my life, I saw that queerness demanded an alternative innovation from me. I had to make alternative routes; it made me curious; it made me ask, “Is this enough for me?”
– Ocean Vuong
Meagan Bertelsen is a queer florist and dancemaker who created the piece “Alternate Routes,” inspired by Ocean Vuong’s reflection on queerness as innovation. The work offers an immersive, floral sanctuary honoring the vast spectrum of gender expression.
“As a florist, a lot of people call in and ask you, ‘I want flowers that are X gender.’ And you’re like, okay, well, what does that mean to you? You know, you kind of have to turn it back around. So I wanted the opportunity to make some kind of ‘gendered points’ on the spectrum and really use some of the textures and qualities because they are so expressive,” said Bertelsen.
Bertelsen created a three-dimensional gender spectrum to expand the way that people usually view the gender spectrum.
“[I] have strong genders on the bottom and then … almost like less saturated feelings as you go up through the dome,” said Bertelsen. “A lot of opportunities for people to identify how they feel and choose their placements as they want.”
Visitors were invited to contribute their own gender experiences by writing messages on colorful strips of paper and tying them to the structure.
“Over time, these handwritten reflections transform the dome into a shared archive of identity, memory, and presence. Inspired by global traditions like Tanabata and fairy trees, the installation becomes both a collective offering and a visual census of community,” wrote Bertelsen in her artist statement. “This is not just a floral display — it is a living, breathing map of how we belong to ourselves and to one another. It is an ode to queerness as resilience, curiosity and creation.”
“We Are One”
Alyssa Cumpton, a traveling sidewalk and chalk artist and muralist, often inspired by nature, created the mural “We Are One” as a play on words regarding a pride of lions. The two murals in the display represent the gay and lesbian communities.
“Pride is like a pride of lions, and then the mirrors were so everybody could kind of include themselves in the pride, and that was kind of the whole idea behind the whole thing,” said Cumpton.
Working in the landscaping field and doing murals combined all the things Cumpton enjoys into one art piece.
“A lot of people will grid them or, you know, kind of, I just kind of start, and I’ll just sketch it out real quick, and then I just start throwing paint on there, and then I just keep working it until it gets to where I want it to be,” said Cumpton.
In her artist statement, Cumpton connects the natural world to act as a stand-in for the LGBTQ+ community.
“Throughout the display [there] are mirrors. Take a look at them and try out your reflection in different ones [mirrors]. As you do, you can see yourself as part of the structure of the Pride. These reflective elements are meant to portray how all of us together must find our own Pride,” wrote Cumpton. “Not everyone will be able to see themselves in all the mirrors, and that’s okay. It might take a while, but eventually everyone can find their own place in the Pride.”
“Wayfinding: Authentic Natures”
Red Butte Garden staff came together to create an art piece fueled by compassion, imagination and an ability to make anything out of cardboard and zip ties. Brittany Tobler, Lauren Swidnicki, Quincy Jackson, Emma Pruitt, Sam Moreno, Adrienne Day and Shelby Carvalho all created pieces that came together with intention.
Carvalho, who has been working at the gardens since August 2023, shared that the piece honors the many paths that lead us towards truth and self-acceptance.
“It is supposed to represent the way that we all traverse through life and the challenges that we’re presented with, with the ultimate goal ending up in our own celebration garden that is supposed to represent self-authenticity, not only like in yourself, but within your community as well, and just kind of finding that peace,” said Carvalho.
“Wayfinding: Authentic Natures” is made up of five gardens that celebrate all who are navigating their own journey. The artist statement describes the gardens as written below:
- The Desert Garden represents endurance and courage. Even in the harshest conditions, we can adapt and begin again.
- The Forest Garden is a place of mystery and quiet transformation. It invites us to turn inward and trust what we find beneath the surface.
- The Alpine Garden symbolizes clarity and self-acceptance. Though the path may be steep, it offers the perspective that comes from living authentically.
- The Wetland Garden is inspired by the Great Salt Lake. This space embraces fluidity and growth, reminding us that identity flows, adapts, and deepens with time.
- The Celebration Garden is at the heart of the experience. This space honors wholeness, pride, and joy. It is a place to stand in the light of your most authentic self, embracing your strength, your struggles, and all the messiness that makes you whole.
“These gardens are not just landscapes. They are markers on a map we each must draw. They reflect where we have been, what we are learning, and who we are becoming. You are finding your way, and that is beautiful, brave, and entirely your own,” Carvalho wrote.
According to the Red Butte Garden website, “each exhibit showcases that, like plants, love thrives in all shades and forms. Just like plants, this celebration is for everyone – because plants are for everyone.”
