Open Post: Hosted By This Orange County Gay Club’s Dolly Parton Mural
Dolly Parton may not want a statue of her erected in the Tennessee State Capitol, but she didn’t mention anything about murals in Orange County, CA! So Strut, a gay club in Costa Mesa, went ahead and honored the icon with a gorgeous 50-by-20-foot mural. The club’s CEO, Luke Nero, commissioned the piece from artist David Gilmore after Dolly donated a million dollars towards the new Moderna vaccine (she got her first shot last week!). David’s goal was to create a “glamorous” and “spiritual” portrait of Dolly, and I think he hit his target. His piece makes Dolly look like Mother Nature, blonde Jesus, and a 1970s Southern beauty queen all rolled into one.
David told Instinct Magazine that he’s been working six days a week for weeks to finish the mural, adding:
“Creating something fantastical, fabulous, over the top, and unleashing a rainbow of colors is fitting for a gay establishment and an especially for an icon such as her.”
Luke says he wanted his club to honor Dolly cuz she is the “very best of humanity.” He’s also dedicating the mural to the frontline healthcare workers of America, via The Advocate:
“Not only is she an icon in the queer community and beyond, but she is truly a model of inclusivity,” Nero told The Orange County Register. “It’s my hope that our mural will add positivity and a sense of togetherness … while recognizing the contribution of frontline workers.”
Strut is closed (and struggling to survive) because of COVID, but there will be a formal unveiling this Saturday. Here’s the Facebook statement announcing the mural:
https://www.facebook.com/strutbarclub/posts/726966101200724
And some pictures of the art being created:
A note to all the Orange County nogoodniks already plotting how they can deface this gorgeous masterpiece with graffiti: think again. But if you must add your mark, may I ask you that you exercise some self-control and simply spray paint some extra cleavage lines around Dolly’s titty area?
Pic: Twitter