The organization tasked with preserving our past is dreaming of a bright future. Stonewall National Museum Archive & Library held its annual Standing On the Shoulders of Heroes gala at the Venue in Wilton Manors.
Three people, former congressman Barney Frank, philanthropist Jon Stryker, and music icon Janis Ian, were honored. When Ian took the stage the packed room stood still and listened to her calm voice deliver a difficult message.
“[Now we are in] an age of cruelty. And I ask myself a dozen times a day how did we get here? The only thing that makes sense to me is there is something in humanity that needs power. And there is an element in humanity that craves power and embraces the dark.”
The moment made an impression. Afterwards, Stonewall CEO Robert Kesten gushed “Janis Ian's presentation when she received her award and we unveiled her poster that was really memorable and powerful when she talked about how art and artists really bridge gaps and open doors and open hearts.”
Overall, Kesten estimates the event raised between $250,000 to $300,000 for the museum. At the same event, Kesten showed an artist’s conception for a new building to hold the archive. With floor-to-ceiling windows and a glass pyramid out front resembling the one outside the Louvre, it looks gorgeous and expensive.
“I think the most powerful part of the evening was a cross between the announcement of the capital campaign, and the short clip that we showed that showed just how important our community is to the history and the culture of the world,” Kesten said.
He also said that despite the well-publicized cuts to arts programs in 2025, the museum is doing well. Federal arts grants currently require a project to link to the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Kesten says the museum got money to do a traveling exhibit on a gay revolutionary who literally wrote books still used by the U.S. military today.
It’s these kinds of victories that drive Kesten and like-minded people who refuse to take government hostility lying down.
OutSFL is a sponsor of The Stonewall Gala. Our editorial team retain full independence in reporting and was not compensated for this coverage.
Photo by JR Davis.
