The San Francisco Mint paid homage to LGBTQIA+ culture in a remarkable floral celebration by Fleurs de Villes. The exhibition entitled PRIDE, ran from From June 16 to July 4, featuring fresh life-size floral sculptures honoring San Francisco’s LGBTQIA+ icons feature trailblazers, and pioneers. 

The picture shows a floral sculpture of a man
Harvey Bernard Milk was an American politician and the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in California, as a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. (PRIDE-Fleurs de Villes, June 16 – July 30, San Francisco Mint: image courtesy: Ritu Marwah)

Breathtaking, flamboyant sculptures featured progressive champions like Harvey Milk, Nancy Pelosi, Margaret Cho, and Dr. Nasser Mohammed as well as SF Pride president Nguyen Pham among others.

The figures captured the essence of each personality to perfection in the stance of their body and the wave of their hair, making each icon instantly recognizable.

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The picture shows a floral sculpture with an elaborate headress
SF PRIDE president Nguyen Pham (PRIDE-Fleurs de Villes, June 16 – July 30, San Francisco Mint (image courtesy: Ritu Marwah)
The picture shows hoes made of flowers
Shoes decorated with roses (PRIDE-Fleurs de Villes, June 16 – July 30, San Francisco Mint (image courtesy: Ritu Marwah)

The floral designs were created by local florists who paid close attention to detail in the coats and trousers made of leaves, shoes decorated with roses, and feathery grassy hair. Artistic floral ties, buttons, and cravats reflected their creators’ imagination. Colorful grasses invited touch and floral headgear displayed movement.

The picture shows a mannequin made of flowere
A floral mannequin (PRIDE-Fleurs de Villes, June 16 – July 30, San Francisco Mint: image courtesy: Ritu Marwah)
The picture shows a floral sculpture with an elaborate headress
SF PRIDE president Nguyen Pham (PRIDE-Fleurs de Villes, June 16 – July 30, San Francisco Mint (image courtesy: Ritu Marwah)

Visitors had opportunities to be part of the exhibit by wearing headdresses or wings and submerging themselves in the garden or leaning on a balustrade of flamingos.

The picture shows a mannequin with an elaborate floral headdress
A mannequin with an elaborate floral headdress (PRIDE-Fleurs de Villes, June 16 – July 30, San Francisco Mint: image courtesy: Ritu Marwah)
The picture shows a mannequin in a dress made of flower
A mannequin in a beautifil dress made of flowers (PRIDE-Fleurs de Villes, June 16 – July 30, San Francisco Mint: image courtesy: Ritu Marwah)
The picture shows a mannequin in a florak setting
Nancy Pelosi portrayed in a floral tribute (PRIDE-Fleurs de Villes, June 16 – July 30, San Francisco Mint: image courtesy: Ritu Marwah)

The backdrop to each creation and the foundation of each floral sculpture was distinct and visitors got to cast their ballot for the winning mannequin.

Fleurs de Villes was exhibited in the majestic San Francisco Mint with beautiful interiors and historic vaults – a treat in itself.

The picture shows a woman looking at displays in an exhibition
The Fleures de Villes exhibition (PRIDE-Fleurs de Villes, June 16 – July 30, San Francisco Mint: image courtesy: Ritu Marwah)
The picture shows two women looking at a mirror in a garden
The author and a friend in a garden and mirror display at the Fleures de Villes exhibition (PRIDE-Fleurs de Villes, June 16 – July 30, San Francisco Mint: image courtesy: Ritu Marwah)

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Ritu Marwah is an award-winning author ✍️ and a recognized Bay Area leader in the field of 🏛 art and literature. She won the 2023 Ethnic Media Services award for outstanding international reporting;...