Upcoming McGregor Pride events will celebrate inclusivity
By Audrey Posten | Times-Register
A pair of McGregor events are celebrating inclusivity and being one’s authentic self. The Left Bank Shop and Gallery will unveil its second annual “Pride in Art” special exhibit on Friday, June 6, and Paper Moon bookstore will follow with its third annual Incredible You Parade on Saturday, June 14.
Left Bank director Camille Sweet, an artist and member of the LGBTQ+ community herself, said last year’s inaugural Pride exhibit was the most successful event in the gallery’s history.
“We had almost 2,000 people in here in three hours. That’s never happened,” she said. “We had the highest number of donations in Left Bank history that night, and we had the highest number of friends wanting to join The Left Bank and McGregor-Marquette Center for the Arts’ mailing list. We had the highest sales in history, and over 95 percent of the things sold that night were directly out of the Pride exhibit.”
“It was moving, to say the least,” reflected Sweet. “I was so taken aback by the love and acceptance and the positivity our community brought out that night. That really shows what McGregor is.”
Pride in Art will feature seven LGBTQ+ artists—some returners, but also some new artists. Whereas 2024’s exhibit was predominantly male artists, 2025 will be largely female, Sweet added. The lineup includes herself and another Left Bank employee, Sara Whitewater.
“It will be exciting to see the perspective these women in our community are presenting,” Sweet said. “They are going to be showcasing things that have not been seen around here, or anywhere, for that matter.”
Many of the artists came to The Left Bank through word of mouth from previous artists and even TikTok.
“My TikTok account shows I work for a non-profit art museum, and I do a lot with some of our artists. They make TikToks with me,” Sweet said. “So I’ve had a couple people reach out to me.”
Pride in Art will open Friday with a reception from 5 to 7 p.m., and remain on display throughout June, which is LGBTQ+ Pride Month. Opening night will include food and drinks, as well as live music. Those who purchase from the Pride exhibit will receive a Pride bracelet pack.
Sweet is excited to see momentum continuing for Pride in Art.
“Last year was our first year, not our last year, and it’s just going to continue to build. We will not let anything stop us from continuing to have these events. It is important,” she shared.
Sweet is equally excited to partner with next door Paper Moon in celebrating Pride Month. The two entities have already been holding Crafting with Kindness together, at The Left Bank, on the second Tuesday of each month.
“Everybody is welcome from 5 to 7 p.m.,” Sweet said.
Paper Moon employee Candi Walker helps organize Crafting with Kindness. Projects to date have included making bracelets, earrings and vision boards. She said it’s a nice way to build a bond between community members.
Another way is through the Incredible You Parade, what Walker termed a “sneaky Pride parade.” The event began in 2023, based on the book Incredible You, which states, “You can be who you want to be, whoever you want to be, as long as you’re a positive and helpful person.”
“It’s a great book just to let anybody be their true, authentic self. That’s what we ask of anybody when they come to the parade. We want to promote everybody’s uniqueness and that everybody is welcome here in McGregor and at the Paper Moon,” Walker said.
The event starts with a reading of the book in front of the store at 10:30 a.m., then attendees make a loop around Triangle Park and back to Paper Moon. People are encouraged to dress up—as a baseball player, an artist, in fairy wings.
“Whatever makes you feel incredible,” said Walker. “We’ve had people come dressed in hippy wear, Renaissance wear and even rainbow Pride clothing. We had a girl come last year dressed in a black cat tail and ears because she wanted to be just like Pearl [the well-known shop cat]. We thought that was really cool.”
“We even have dogs who come in costume. It’s a lot of fun,” she added.
Paper Moon looks forward to the cross promotion between the two events.
“That’s what a community should be doing: supporting, lifting and building up each other,” Walker stated.
