(Screenshot via Winter Pride/Instagram)
ST. PETERSBURG | Winter Pride has announced this year’s second annual celebration will include “Global Rainbow: We Rise in Light,” an LGBTQ+-focused laser installation.
“At a moment when LGBTQIA+ visibility is being challenged nationwide, Winter Pride is responding with light, visibility and purpose,” the nonprofit shared Jan. 12. The group is fundraising to illuminate the city’s skyline with “a large-scale rainbow laser” from the Mari Jean Hotel Feb. 19-21.
Organizers say the inaugural Winter Pride welcomed 57,000 supporters to St. Petersburg last February. The festivities preceded the removal of the city’s Progressive Pride street mural and more, which inspired this year’s celebration to become even more visible.
Winter Pride Executive Director Rob Hall notes that “Global Rainbow: We Rise in Light” is about more than the removal of local art, however.
“It’s about the growing voices in Tallahassee and Washington that are actively trying to erase LGBTQIA+ people from public life,” he explains. “This is our response. We are choosing light over fear, visibility over silence and love over erasure.”
The installation will be provided by Global Rainbow, led by celebrated artist Yvette Mattern. Her large-scale laser works have appeared in New York, Miami, London, Provincetown, Las Vegas and Berlin.
“Throughout my work around the world, I’ve learned that light carries meaning far beyond aesthetics,” Mattern says. “In moments when communities are pushed into silence, light becomes a form of presence and protest.
“Bringing Global Rainbow to Winter Pride Saint Pete is about refusing to disappear, choosing visibility over fear, and reminding people that even in dark moments, we can still be seen,” she continues.
Fundraising for “Global Rainbow” is underway, efforts which were initially backed by Inclusive Care Group, from which Watermark Out News has requested comment. Winter Pride says they were “the first major contributor, along with donations from individuals across the community who believe in standing up for inclusion, dignity and belonging.”
The project is not yet fully funded and fundraising efforts continue here. Winter Pride also plans to host a launch gathering Feb. 19 at 5 p.m. to light the installation.
“When you donate, you’re not just funding an installation,” organizers noted. “You’re helping create a moment of collective visibility and hope.”
“For many in our community, these lights are meant to be a reminder that they are not alone,” Hall added. “This is a project we’re building together and we’re inviting others to help us bring it to life.”
David Fischer, a Winter Pride board member who owns the Mari Jean Hotel, also shared that the installation “reflects the heart of St. Petersburg and the strength of its community.”
Read more and view video below:
Winter Pride is scheduled Feb. 15-22 in St. Petersburg. Donate to “Global Rainbow: We Rise in Light” here and learn more at WinterPrideSaintPete.com.
