Exhibit Reception: Heart of WeHo, Cacti, and Angel of Compassion

The City of West Hollywood presents an artists reception for three exhibitions:

Heart of WeHo

Celebrating 40 Years of Cityhood in West Hollywood

Heart of WeHo celebrates the places of West Hollywood—its landmarks past and present, its street life, and its everyday spaces—through the eyes of 27 artists. All artworks in this exhibition represent physical locations within the exact 1.9 square miles of our City. Within this small but mighty footprint, there is so much to be explored.

Presented in honor of West Hollywood’s 40th anniversary of Cityhood, this group exhibition invites viewers to experience the city as seen by the artists who live, work, and create here. From iconic buildings and neighborhood corners to vanished venues and imaginary futures, the works on view reflect the layered identity of a city that has always been a beacon of creativity, inclusion, and transformation.

Some artists celebrate places that have stood for a century; others memorialize spaces that exist now only in memory. Together, their works form a collective portrait of West Hollywood—one that honors the mundane and the iconic, the historic and the ephemeral.

Participating artists include: Hera Anderson, Nathan Becker, Zoe Balsam Biggs, Joanne Chase-Mattillo, Kayte Deioma, Pascaline Doucin-Dahlke, Bruno Doucin, Rachel Finkelstein, Shelley Heffler, Robert Heavrin, Hao Jing, Robert Landau, Rupert Lyon, Benjamin Marker, Jeff McMullen and David McCullough, MisterOsborne, Mary Roth, LP Ækili Ross, Frank Rozasy, Little Ricky, Sküt, Gregg Shore, Small Scale LA (aka Kieran Wright), Ricardo Tomasz, Miggie Wong, and Christina Yi.

This exhibition is located on the uppermost floor of the library, and is on view until May 2026.

Cacti (Euphorbia, Monstrosus, and Mod Cactus Trio) by artist Dustin Gimbel

This collection of segmented ceramic and metal totems stands as a reflection on xeriscaping, a practice that embraces drought-tolerant landscapes to conserve water in an era of increasing scarcity. Dustin Gimbel is a sculptor and designer who is probably best known for his distinctive and often playful totems, which draw inspiration from desert and cactus forms. The sculpture is located near the library's main entrance, and is on view through June 2026.

Angel of Compassion by artist S.P. Harper

Angel of Compassion is a series of seven mixed-media paintings featuring images of jewels that were originally owned by Elizabeth Taylor and sold by her estate to benefit the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation after her death. Prior to their auction in 2011, these jewels were displayed on a four stop worldwide tour, including at the Pacific Design Center gallery space across the street from the West Hollywood Library. S. P. Harper paints and sculpts abstract geometrics using recycled materials, and is inspired by her grandfather who was a diamond cutter. This exhibition is located on the lower floor of the library near the children's theatre, and is on view until May 2026.

All three exhibits are free and open to the public during the library’s open hours. Learn more about the exhibits here. For questions regarding any of these exhibits, contact Mike Che, City of West Hollywood Arts Coordinator, at mche@weho.org.

RSVPs are required for the October 24 reception. Rideshare or public transportation including The PickUp is encouraged. Free Validated parking will be provided in the 5 story Public Parking Structure.

Pride Poets, which debuted in 2019 at the Cityof West Hollywood's WeHo Pride Arts Festival (when it was called the One City One Pride LGBTQ Arts Festival), will be writing free custom poems for attendees based on the prompt: Tell us about your favorite place in West Hollywood. What makes it special to you? Describe the sights, sounds, and feelings it evokes—or specific memories -- and why it holds a place in your heart. #heartofweho @wehoarts @wehocity @pridepoets

Exhibition Comments will take place at 8pm.