LGBT POV

The Sisters’ Queer Art Walk

Join The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence for a night of Queer inspired art, fashion, performance & music at the first annual Queer Art gallery.   All Art will be auctioned silently with proceeds benefiting APLA’s Crystal Methamphetamine Program and Highways: a queer performance space.  The FREE event will be held in the heart of gallery row on August 12th during LA’s Art Walk.

August 12 · 6:00pm – 10:00pm

The Exchange (www.QueerArtWalk.org)

114 West 5th Street

Los Angeles, CA

The event was designed by Illuminaughty D’Disco A GoGo

An auction of classic works of art, such as this piece by the late Keith Haring, is being held Saturday Night to benefit AIDS Project Los Angeles. Other works by other world-class artists are also up for auction, including Basquiat, Hockney, Longo, Picasso, Ruscha, and Warhol, plus emerging artists –  and a never-before-seen, limited edition Richard Mille watch valued at $90,000.
 Click here to view images of selected artwork.

The silent auction is open to the public today, Saturday, from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.  There’s a VIP pre-reception and silent auction from 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.  This is followed by a red-carpet cocktail party and live auction from 7:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.

The Art Project Los Angeles event is being held at Bonhams & Butterfields, 7601 West Sunset Boulevard,
Los Angeles, CA 90046. ART PROJECT LOS ANGELES tickets, beginning at $50, are available at apla.org.

Confirmed celebrity attendees include: Kelli Bixler (Saturday Night Live), LeVar Burton (Star Trek, Roots), Jackie Collins, Joan Collins, Kevin Goetz, Anne Heche, Lanie Kazan (My Big Fat Greek Wedding), Brian Kirkwood, Barry Krost, Mark Ordesky (The Lord of the Rings; A Dirty Shame), Sara Rue (Popular, Less Than Perfect), Ed Ruscha, Greg Simonian (President, Westime), Darren Star (Sex and the City), James Tupper (Men in Trees). 

The LA Marathon - which for the first time ventured outside LA City limits – featured 25,000 runners – including about 200 supporters of AIDS Project Los Angeles. Please click inside for more information and a photo gallery shot at Sunset and Laurel in West Hollywood, across from The Laugh Factory.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger submitted his proposed budget for 2010-11 on Friday, designed to close a $19.9 billion gap over the next 18 months. His budget called for revenues and budget cuts, and a re-definition of the state’s relationship with the federal government – the Wall Street Journal says Schwarzenegger is looking for a federal bailout.

Schwarzenegger declared a fiscal emergency and called the legislature into a focused special session to prevent the shortfall from growing and to avoid further cuts. However – the governor not only spared the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP), but gave an $87.5 million increase from the general fund.

Here’s the video – and inside find more about ADAP and the full transcript of Schwarzenegger’s remarks with a Q& A with reporters.

Dana Miller, a former chair of AIDS Project Los Angeles and producer of their annual Commitment to Life awards, is a columnist for Frontiers In LA, where this piece originally appeared. As this column indicates, he has proposed re-shaping AIDS Inc in the past to make it more efficient. But given this dire economy and the loss of more funding, this might be a good time to jump-start the discussion.

In observation of World AIDS Day, the Williams Institute is hosting a panel on current developments in HIV/AIDS law and public policy. Topics discussed will include HIV/AIDS policy under the Obama administration, the impact of state budget cuts on HIV/AIDS prevention and services in Los Angeles County and California, and HIV treatment and prevention in the California prison system.