Palm Springs Pride organizers announced today that Palm Springs resident and pop artist Trevor Wayne is the poster artist for the 2023 Greater Palm Springs Pride Festival and Parade. The commemorative Pride celebration poster features Wayne’s iconic artwork.
“I am thrilled and honored to be chosen to do the art for Palm Springs Pride this year! I was asked to do this before the theme was selected - to which I never would say no, but I could not have been happier once I found out the theme! On the heels of last year’s “Say Gay” theme, I’m happy Pride is taking on this issue. I have so many friends who are professional drag queens, and I want to show my support.
Palm Springs is one of the few LGBTQ safe havens these days; I decided I wanted something that said “This way” and “We welcome you,” so I thought about using a roadside as if the viewer is on a journey and looking for a place that would accept them for who they are. Next, I wanted to create more of an icon for drag. Drag is so diverse. I felt portraying images of actual queens would only work by excluding so many types. I think of lipstick and high heels as drag symbols. So I made the image of the hand holding lipstick coming out of a high heel. Initially, I thought of the hand being a protest fist. While we must stand up and fight for our rights, I decided on something more positive. I thought of Mother Teresa. She famously would not attend anti-war demonstrations but would participate in pro-peace rallies. I chose Lady Liberty for the hand, focusing on hope and liberty for all.
Palm Springs Pride president and CEO Ron deHarte said, “Trevor’s commemorative poster ‘Drag Now. Drag Forever.’ highlights the theme and calls on the community to unite and support the drag community and fight anti-LGBTQ+ bills that threaten the freedom and equality of all.”
Trevor uses iconic imagery portrayed with just a little twisted sense of humor to warp what otherwise could be dark images into fun, playful art intended to make people smile. As a child, the art Trevor saw on merchandise, such as backpacks, mugs, and stationery, heavily influenced him, and he does not discount the role it plays on everyday items to bring joy.
The art on merchandise and his love of drawing Saturday morning cartoons led him to a career in art. Trevor sells merchandise of his art to stores across the county. Most notably, the Oklahoma City Museum of Art store, which houses the most extensive collection aside from Trevor’s store, the Trevor Wayne store located at 901 N Palm Canyon Drive, in Palm Springs, California, where he resides.
Palm Springs Pride Week, presented by the City of Palm Springs, is the largest annual event in Palm Springs. It's also the largest multi-day gathering of LGBTQ+ people in the Coachella Valley.
A traditional slate of Pride events to celebrate the power and resiliency of the LGBTQ+ community is scheduled for the 37th annual LGBTQ+ celebration on November 3 – 5. The Pride Parade and Festival will return to downtown Palm Springs, featuring multiple stages of live entertainment and an exhibitor marketplace.
The Palm Springs Pride commemorative poster and merchandise will be available soon at the Trevor Wayne Store and Destination PSP. Pride Week activities can be found online at pspride.org.