MICHAEL ARAM

ALCHEMIST & ARTISAN Celebrates 30 YEARS at the Top of his Game MICHAEL ARAM

BY STEVE GOTTFRIED

HOW MANY ARTISTS CAN CLAIM BRAGGING RIGHTS TO HAVING ONE OF THEIR PIECES HOUSED IN THE VATICAN? Add to that the distinction of being openly gay and the list grows narrower still. Yes, in the beginning, there was Michelangelo, but times have changed and Michael Aram, the openly gay man behind the international brand bearing his name, earned this distinction in 2016, when the Armenian government commissioned a sculpture as a gift to Pope Francis on behalf of the Armenian people. The piece is a depiction of Noah’s Ark, a universal symbol of life and renewal which holds special significance to the Armenian people.

Michael Aram is celebrating his 30th year in business, growing from humble beginnings into an international lifestyle brand, with a flagship store in New York City and a museum quality gallery in the heart of West Hollywood, California. Aram graciously took time out of his schedule to talk about his craft, his inspiration and how his identity as a gay man has informed his art.

Regarding his 30 years in business as a designer, Aram says with a degree of humility “I like to call us a 30-year overnight success. It’s been something of a wild ride and we feel a profound sense of gratitude.” Wandering into his Los Angeles gallery is a bit like stepping through the looking glass, with a dazzling display of imaginative works of art. The same can be said of his website MichaelAram.com which showcases the enormity of his everexpanding brand -- encompassing everything from cutlery and home décor to furniture, jewelry, linens and signature sculptures. His home décor designs are organized around various motifs which take their inspiration from nature. His distinctive patterns bear evocative names like Butterfly Gingko, Calla Lily, Black Orchid, Ivy and Oak, Lodhi Garden and Pomegranate. Aram emulates in his metalwork what he describes as the “perfectly imperfect” quality found in nature. It did not come as a surprise when I learned that Barbra Streisand is among his more prominent collectors. But Aram takes great pride that there are affordable items at every price point, saying that he places the same intent and love into each of his creations.

One piece in his jewelry collection that caught my attention was the Vincent Cuff Ring which features a sunflower at its center and was inspired by Vincent Van Gogh. For larger scale sculptures, a signature standout titled “Dream” features a child’s chair with ladder reaching up to the heavens. Aram explains on his website that the sculpture was inspired by the children’s book Papa which is a popular favorite in his household. Dreamscapes could be considered the watchword for Aram’s design process. He always keeps a pencil and pad nearby, ready to jot down his thoughts when inspiration strikes. Other sculptures take their inspiration from mythology such as “Daphne” exquisitely depicting the transformation of a river nymph into a laurel tree.

Metrosource: What was the pivotal moment in your life that led you down this path?

Michael Aram: I studied fine arts and art history at Bates College, and continued my fine arts education at Studio Art Center International in Florence, Italy, followed by the Art Students League in New York City. But that educational foundation took on new meaning after a trip I took to India in 1988. I was awestruck by the craftsmen I discovered while walking down the streets of Old Delhi and was inspired to work along these talented craftsmen. The only people I knew who made things were artists, so to be able to create objects together with these skilled artisans was an amazing experience -- an experience that would later prove to be life changing for me.

Did you struggle at all coming to terms with your sexual orientation? And if so, how did you make peace with it?

At first, I was a little reticent to study fine art since I felt there were “implications” in identifying myself as an artist. My internalized homophobia thankfully did not prevent me from pursuing my passion and living my life fully. The Stonewall Riots happened on the night of my sixth birthday, and I always feel a debt to the men and women who forged a path of pride ahead of me. I came to terms with my sexual identity in college through our small Gay Student Alliance and through AIDS activism. Fighting for gay rights helped me self-identify as a gay man and to feel part of the community. What was your first signature design and how did it come about?

I made a set of cutleries on my first trip to India with handles fashioned after twigs which I collected on my morning walks. Only six months after founding the company, the “twigware” serving set landed on the cover of the Neiman Marcus catalogue. That was a huge hit for us at an early stage. Without a studio, or a real model making space, my earlier pieces had a very “I made this” feeling to them which has become a hallmark for me. Looking back now, there is a romantic sense to how I started and how I have always been connected to the process. One of your design motifs is the gingko tree. Can you elaborate on how this image became pivotal to your collection?

The Butterfly Ginkgo tree is called that because of the shape and clustering of the leaves on the tree, it looks as though the tree is full of butterflies. I was very inspired by the idea of looking at flora and fauna, and the concept of metamorphosis. The ‘butterflies’ in my collection are made up of cast bronze leaves and twigs, and the vessels evoke the shape and texture of the butterfly cocoon. In my fantasy, as the butterflies emerge from the cocoon and land on the branches of the tree, they metamorphose into leaves and twigs.

APRIL/MAY 2020 METROSOURCE.COM Which of your creations is the most meaningful to you personally?

The Genocide Memorial piece I created – titled Migrations -- is a very personal and meaningful piece for me, since my grandparents were survivors of the Armenian Genocide. There was a short film created where I discussed the creation of the piece and its meaning which will soon be shown on PBS. It is a piece I can say I am proud to have created. The piece was inspired by my ancestors’ journey to survive, but I hope it also speaks to families of all immigrants whose forefathers fled adversity to create safer lives for themselves and their children. In making the piece I was able to express the victory of survival in a way that was positive, and allowed me to tell a painful story, in a creative way. Can you speak a bit about your background and how that influenced your approach?

Being Armenian, I grew up crawling on marvelous handmade carpets depicting floral and geometric motifs, such as the tree of life. We lived in an antique farmhouse where my parents instilled in me a love of nature and a love of beauty. My mother has always been an avid cook and loved to entertain and set beautiful tables. From an early age, objects were ideas infused with meaning. Even something as simple as my grandmother’s serving spoon serve as changing shapes and become talismans

of memory. I hope the work which I create today reflects that. My dad was the organist at the Armenian Church, so Sundays were spent listening to the ecclesiastical music and looking at the rich imagery connected to the ancient church’s traditions. Images like doves, pomegranates, snakes, Noah’s ark, grape vines, and sunbursts all decorated the chalices and sacramental objects, which lent me an innate understanding of the power of objects. How has your identity as a gay artisan influenced your vision?

My husband and I often reflect that our gayness has shaped our lives – and I think it would be hard to separate out the influences being gay has had on me. Probably, had I not been gay, I would have had a very different life and perhaps not turned to making art, which initially for me, was a solitary exercise that I did in a way to understand the world around me.

In terms of ‘vision,’ I do think that being gay has allowed me to connect to both my yin and yang sides, which in turn, perhaps gives me a unique perspective. My work, although made in a very robust, industrial way, feels poetic and peaceful, often depicting florals and nature. Sometimes I call it the ‘perfume’ in the room. Other times I make collections which are more abstract and express more of the art of making. I jokingly say that, in those collections, I am more in touch with my masculine side. I noticed that you have an “Adam and Eve” Vase. Do you have an “Adam and Steve” Vase?

Yes, we had gotten requests from some of our collectors to create that piece with two Adams and two Eves. The two Adam version is a hot favorite in our store in West Hollywood, and I must admit, a personal favorite of mine. I see that you and your husband have two beautiful children. How has your relationship and your children impacted your design ethos?

Anabel and Thadeus have given me so much and inspire and challenge me in so many ways. They are nine-year-old twins and have such distinct personalities. I enjoy bringing them into the design studio and hearing their thoughts on everything. Thadeus’ nickname in school is “nature boy” since he loves animals and all things from nature. He often opens my eye to things that sometimes I overlook. Coming through clearly in your work is your love of nature, and it seems you’ve focused on specific motifs in your collections (butterflies, branches). We search for the “perfectly imperfect” not “pretty pretty.” Because, ultimately, it’s suggestive of something else. It’s not that our work is inspired by nature, it’s nature as a reflection of our humanity - our life cycle. For me, this dynamic is so inspiring. That’s why we play so much with the idea of decay.

Can you talk about your design process? Do you keep a journal?

Yes, it’s in front of me now. It’s here on my desk, and never out of arm’s reach. Sometimes, it’s full of meeting notes, sometimes it’s page after page of sketches. I also think a lot through words. Naming a piece is always intrinsically important. What’s the meaning behind it? What’s the connection? How do you turn your designs into reality? Is all the manufacturing done in India?

Yes, it all happens in the workshop and studio in India. There are over 200 skilled craftsmen, of various ages and experience. The most skilled artisans work directly next to my design studio and many of the craftsmen have been with me for decades now. I feel that they sometimes can finish my sentence creatively when I work alongside them - even though we don’t talk when we work. There is just something instinctive that happens. I sometimes say it feels like making musical improvisations. Nothing planned or discussed, just let the magic happen, and for everyone’s unique point of view and ‘feelings’ to be expressed in any particular piece. ■

Michael Aram LA

157 N. Robertson Blvd.

West Hollywood, CA 90048

Michael Aram NYC

136 W. 18th Street

New York, NY 10011

michaelaram.com

POSITIVE THOUGHTS I’m a Beautiful Black Queen Living With HIV, Not Stigma BY PORCHIA DEES

I AM A BEAUTIFUL BLACK QUEEN LIVING WITH HIV. It has taken a long time for me to come to terms with that statement, because the concepts of beauty and HIV don’t usually go together. Growing up poz and trying to cope with the stigma surrounding my experience has been challenging, to say the least. I am a part of the first generation of children who were born positive. I was born Dec. 5, 1986. At the time, my biological mother was using drugs and heavy in her addiction. If it weren’t for my aunt, who I call mom and who took legal guardianship of me, I don’t think I would be here today. My pediatrician told my parents that he didn’t think I’d live to see my 5th birthday, but clearly God had other plans. As a kid living with HIV, I was assigned a social worker who kept me involved in lots of events for children battling different life-threatening diseases. I attended camp every summer, which gave me the chance to be around other kids who understood what I was going through. We all had our camp “crushes.” But I would soon find out that dating at camp was a lot different from dating in the real world, and that the dating and hook-up guidelines we follow as a society are not inclusive of someone living with HIV – someone like me. My parents are old-school, African American, super-religious types, so I never had the sex talk. My social worker at the hospital didn’t say this to me directly, but in her attempt to educate me on HIV transmission, without realizing it, she led me to believe that I would never be able to have sex or have babies. And there was one huge thing she forgot to prepare me for: stigma.

The next time I learned about HIV, I was a seventh grader in Sex Ed. It terrified me. I remember sitting in a classroom of about 30 kids, with the health educator showing us all these disgusting pictures of sexually transmitted diseases and listening to how grossed out everybody was. When she started talking about my experience, I got quiet. The pictures she showed didn’t look anything like me. Instead, they were pictures of middle-aged, white, gay men or Africans wasting away. They were all pictures of people who were sick or dying; there were no pictures of people who were healthy and living. Everyone left class believing that if you have sex, you could get HIV. And that if you get HIV, you are going to die. It made me even more afraid to have sex, and it further deepened the notion in my mind that someone with HIV wouldn’t be able to have a normal, healthy sex life.

Throughout the years, I had to learn how to navigate dating and sex with HIV on my own. The only thing I ever learned about disclosure was from my mom, who told me to be careful who I shared my business with because people in this world could be cruel. Although my mother didn’t mean to, her advice, along with the isolation I was already feeling, further perpetuated stigma. She made me feel like I had something to hide, which in turn created more feelings of fear and shame. I struggled the hardest with stigma in my adolescent years. When I was younger and trying to fit in with the rest of society, it was hard for me to accept my HIV status, because it came with so many different misconceptions.

Dating and maintaining a social life became difficult for me, because of all the ignorance surrounding my experience. I dealt with many fake friends

APRIL/MAY 2020 METROSOURCE.COM and lovers who would gossip about me and disclose my status to people, with the intent of making me look less attractive. I started to internalize all the negative things that were being said. I never thought I’d be able to have kids; I didn’t know what I could do sexually; I didn’t think I would be able to find someone open-minded enough to want to date me. I watched my mom pass away from AIDS-related illnesses during my junior year of high school, so I never really planned for a future, because I didn’t think I’d live to be the age I am today (33 years strong). I went through this dark stage in my early 20s, and I almost died from rebelling and not adhering to my medication.

Stigma is killing people more than the actual disease now. Treatment adherence is greatly affected by the stigma. Treatment has come such a long way, and people are able to live long and healthy lives with HIV – if they can get connected to care and stay adherent to HIV medication. It is no longer a death sentence. It is a chronic, manageable illness.

I see it happen often. When someone is newly diagnosed, they internalize that stigma, which can lead to deep depression. They believe their lives are over and they will never be able to lead a normal, healthy life or find love. In my opinion, it’s because they struggle with this sort of pre- and post-diagnosis identity crisis and being positive becomes hard to accept. I don’t have a prediagnosis identity to refer to, but I do know what it’s like to internalize the stigma that has been programmed into our minds. The stigma has never sat well with me. Living with HIV is my normal, and I didn’t die. I am still thriving. I had to grow to understand that the insults, judgments and shade that people attempted to throw were projections of their own fear, misconceptions, pain and insecurities, and that it had absolutely nothing to do with me.

For so long, I just let people gossip about their perceptions of my reality. Even today, every time I get up and share my story, I am extremely nervous, and my anxiety starts to kick in. I think it’s because I am experiencing PTSD from all the stuff that I went through growing up and remembering all the things people said about me. But then, as I push through that fear, I experience this sort of liberating sensation. I get to portray my experience in the way that I want to, and I get to change the narrative.

In hindsight, I can’t believe I let stigma keep me silent for so long. Now that I have embarked on this advocacy journey, it is like I am seeing things through a new lens. I have discovered this new world full of people who can either relate to living with HIV, or with other parts of my story. By remaining silent, I was unconsciously allowing that stigma to thrive in the silence. Disclosure has been one of the scariest, most difficult things to deal with in my experience. Yes, I have encountered a lot of ignorance and hate, but I have also found a lot of people who understand me, like me, and love me regardless. Contrary to what people believe about my experience, it has been a blessing in disguise, and I know now that this is a gift. I believe God created me specifically for this purpose: to change people’s perspective on what it means to live with HIV. To know me is to love me, and the beauty in that lies in the fact that my whole being dispels the stigma.

I am a Beautiful Black Queen, and my status doesn’t change that. ■

REPLENISH THE BODY, BENEFICIAL CBD TREATMENTS FOR YOUR SKIN

BY JEFFREY JAMES KEYES

OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS, CBD HAS EMERGED AS A POWERFUL INGREDIENT IN SKINCARE AND GROOMING PRODUCTS. CBD (short for cannabidiol), is a chemical compound that can be found in the Cannabis sativa plant, also known as marijuana or hemp. In 2018, the passing of the Farm Bill made it legal to sell hemp in the United States. For those who are new to, or unfamiliar with, CBD, it’s important to clarify that CBD is the non-psychoactive part of the cannabis plant, so you’re not going to be sedated or get high from using it. Tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, is the other primary active ingredient in cannabis. If you’re looking for a more euphoric cannabis experience, choose marijuana. Recreational and medical marijuana is now legalized in states like California, Colorado, Illinois, Michigan, Massachusetts, and others. However, we are looking specifically at CBD and skincare. Hemp and marijuana, two main species of the Cannabis sativa plant, both contain CBD, but hemp has a higher percentage than marijuana. CBD itself is extracted from marijuana or hemp plants and often mixed with an oil like coconut, hemp, or olive oil.

Though the industry is still in its infancy and needs more conclusive, scientific studies, to date, numerous studies have shown that CBD oil has anti-inflammatory benefits when used topically. Rich in antioxidants, CBD can counteract free-radical damage while reducing the look of inflammation and diminishing wrinkles and skin dullness. CBD helps to decrease excess oil production, calm acne-prone skin, brighten skin, repair deep basal cells, deeply clean skin, as well as improving the skin’s response to aging factors. There are hundreds of skincare products currently available online and in stores and the industry is continuing to grow. Grand View Research predicts the global CBD cosmetics market will reach 1.7 billion by 2025, stating “the healing properties of CBD ingredients are expected to encourage the manufacturers to develop product infused with these ingredients thereby driving the market in the coming years.”

HIGH SKINCARE Highbeauty.com Melissa Jochim developed and founded High Beauty Inc. as a skincare brand powered by Cannabis sativa seed oil. All High Beauty products are formulated with nonpsychoactive food grade Cannabis sativa seed derivatives along with other nourishing plant oils, vitamins, antioxidants, and essential oils. The High collection features Cannabis Cleansing Foam ($28), Cannabis Facial Oil ($54), Cannabis Eye Gel ($42), Cannabis Facial Moisturizer ($40), Cannabis Peeling Mask ($46). The Cannabis Cleansing Foam removes impurities (and makeup) while hydrating and refreshing. The facial oil is perfect to smooth over your face and neck every evening. If you’re on the hunt for more all-day hydration, apply Cannabis Facial Moisturizer over the face and neck after cleansing and allow it the Cannabis to work in a harmonious blend with the product’s additional grape seed, cranberry, pomegranate, black cumin, troxerutin, and broccoli seed. Looking to soften the eyes? Dispense a few pumps of Cannabis Eye Gel and apply around the eyes, even your eyelids and reach your “highest eye-Q.” The Cannabis Peeling Mask can do wonders as a weekly treatment to maintain the skin. Apply a generous amount to damp skin and massage with a circular motion to remove impurities and dull skin. (Twitter: @highbeauty IG: @highskincare; Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/highskincare/)

DERMAQUEST cbddermaquest.com Dermaquest, award winning leaders in plant stem cell technology, launched a new collection of CBD skincare and wellness products. The launch gives Dermaquest credibility as the first professional brand to enter the CBD market with a complete collection. While their collection won’t lull you into a state of euphoria, their hemp derived 99.7% pure THC free CBD line launched last November. Dermaquest’s hemp is sourced directly from farms and extraction facilities in Nevada, Colorado, Oregon, and Kentucky. Prices for products in the collection range from $55-$120. A few notable items include CBD Tinctures Sleep Elixir Vanilla (PM), CBD Tinctures Daily Elixir Spearmint, and CBD Blue Light Defense SPF 30. Sleep CBD Tinctures Sleep Elixir Vanilla (PM) ranges from $85-$120 for a 1fl oz bottle, depending on the strength (500mg and 1000mg). A few drops under the tongue will promote a deeper, peaceful night sleep, while CBD antioxidants work their magic. A few drops of CBD Tinctures Daily Elixir Spearmint in the morning can relax the mind and body to reduce anxiety and allow you to start the day on a calm and peaceful note. Like the sleep tincture, the price ranges from $85-$120 for 500mg or 1000mg. Dermaquest has a nice array of topical creams including their CBD Therapeutic Massage Cream, CBD Pain Relief Cream, CBD Healing Balm, but with winter behind us and summer on the way we leaned into their CBD Blue Light Defense SPF 30. The advanced triple light defense technology in CBD Blue Light Defense SPF 30 ($65) provides the skin with lightweight hydration and ultimate protection from blue light, infrared and UV rays. (IG/Twitter: @DermaQuest; Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dermaquest/)

PAULA’S CHOICE Paulaschoice.com Over 35 year ago Paula Begoun shook up the beauty world with the pursuit of finding a solution to her own struggles with acne and eczema. In 1995 she launched Paula’s Choice Skincare aiming to provide smart, safe beauty, with products that are good for the skin and backed by scientific evidence. The newly launched Paula’s Choice CBD Oil + Retinol ($54) blends full-spectrum cannabidiol with natural medium-chain triglycerides to make CBD amble to penetrate and enhance how the skin handles 0.5% retinol. The CBD works to diffuse reactivity in skin, soothing redness, tightness, flaking, rough texture, and dullness. Paula’s Choice CBD Skin Transformative Treatment Milk ($49) is formulated to help calm reactive skin and target signs of aging. The weightless, cannabidiol-rich milk is a scientific breakthrough that soothes and reduces the reactivity in skin that causes discoloration, texture changes, and redness for a healthier, younger-looking complexion. (IG/Twitter: @PaulasChoice; Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PaulasChoice.Inc/)

VERTLY Vertlybalm.com Husband-and-wife duo Claudia and Zander started Vertly as a labor of love. Their organically grown, full-spectrum CBD is combined with fresh herbs that are slow infused for three weeks. Vertly offers small batches of handcrafted ingredients for their chic line of products, which includes Botanical Bath Salts ($29), Relief Lotion ($48), Cooling Workout Recover Body Spray ($45), Botanical Extracts Face Serum ($22-$110), Soothing Florals Face Mist ($55), and Lip Butter ($22-$24). Their Botanical Bath Salts features a unique combination of natural healing salts, minerals, botanical infusions, and cannabinoids formulated to calm the mind and body. The bath salts are a true standout, in part due to the blend of 50mg full-spectrum hemp Cannabinoid extract, active botanical extraction of arnica flower, MSM, and Magnesium. The additional essential oil blend of lavandin, lemongrass, and clary sage will promote a deeper sense of relaxation. The Vertly Relief Lotion offers the benefits of CBD, rich organic plant oils, slow infused botanical herbs, nourishing shea butter, and healing magnesium, packaged within the calming scent of citrus and lavender. The lotion additionally features Peppermint Hydrosol and Aloe Vera juice for a natural cooling sensation while helping to fight bacteria, body odor, and inflammation. Have room in your gym bag? Carry the Cooling Recovery Body Spray, a cooling blend of Aloe Vera, tension-reducing CBD, a slow-extraction of fresh comfrey root + leaves, Peppermint Menthol, and MSM. Spray and freshen up stiff body parts after a workout, if you’ve been out in the sun too long, or after a long workday. IG: @vertlybalm; Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VERTLYBALM/

ZONEIN Zoneincbd.com ZoneIn was co-founded by former NFL all-pro linebacker Lofa Tatupu, who needed a change agent and found CBD. ZoneIn CBD is specifically formulated to help with faster recovery while replenishing the body and targeting mind-body-movement so you can essentially “Zone In.” Products include Balance CBD Oil ($59.99), Balance CBD Capsules ($59.99), and the new Roll Deep, Deep Relief Roll-on ($49.99). ZoneIn’s CO2 extraction method preserves the full range of cannabinoids found deep in the hemp plant, sourced from farms in the U.S. (mostly in Kentucky and Colorado). ZoneIn’s Roll Deep, Deep Relief Roll-on contains 250mg Full Spectrum Hemp with CBD. Designed for fast-acting relief, Roll Deep provides a light, cooling sensation without the intense burn of menthol. It’s non-greasy, and fortified with coconut oil, camphor, and arnica. After rolling, enjoy the gentle eucalyptus scene that leaves you feeling fresh and relieved. IG/Twitter: @ZoneInCBD; Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ZoneInCBD/

FREE YOURSELF

A music and wellness event in Costa Rica invites attendees to reconnect with the essence of their humanity and embrace the power of self-acceptance. BY MEGAN VENZIN

TEN YEARS AGO, JAMES GANGEMI WAS INVITED TO ATTEND A WEDDING IN THE COSTA RICAN JUNGLE AS A PLUS ONE. On the eve of the nuptials, he came out to his best friend Alexa, and he pins that act as the moment he began living his truth.

A decade later, members of that same wedding party continue to convene on the Pacific Coast, in a town called Uvita located in the country’s southern zone. They still gather to celebrate love and unity, but now they are joined by a group of 9,000 friends who similarly embrace their own truths. Together, they make up the family of Envision Festival - a week-long music and wellness event for which Gangemi now serves as the official Marketing Coordinator.

With its large-scale production and dreadlocked crowd, Envision (which took place February 17th-24th at Rancho Le Merced) may, at first, look like a typical destination music festival. But it’s so much more -- described as a conscious partier’s paradise with a unique focus on health, spirituality and sustainable practices.

By day, yoga, movement and meditation classes take place inside Yoga Shalas (a gathering place for students of traditional yoga), while thought leaders on topics like permaculture lead mind-opening workshops. At night, the same devoted students descend upon sand-covered dancefloors, finding release to the sounds of world-class musicians like glitch-hop figurehead Tipper and Australian electro-rockers RÜFÜS DU SOL. Until sunrise, heavy bass blasts from sustainable stages, each constructed from regenerative materials like bamboo and driftwood. And the dance moves look different here – there is a primordial element to every shake and shimmy.

It’s a place to nourish both body and soul. Participants indulge in vegan eats wrapped in banana leaves with care. After sipping organic elixirs handcrafted by Envision’s resident coven, the Village Witches, attendees return their cups to a wash-station known as the “dish-coteca,” making the need for plastic water bottles and other single use items completely moot. Should someone feel under the weather, there is an herbal clinic staffed by medical professionals, who administer plantbased treatments and herbal remedies.

In short, Envision provides an ephemeral glimpse of a better, more considerate world - one that’s fueled by the “pura vida” (translation: “simple life”) sentiment that the Costa Rican people view in the same regard as law. Pura vida is about appreciating the little things, practicing acceptance and embracing all the goodness that life has to offer. When

APRIL/MAY 2020 METROSOURCE.COM we catch up with Gangemi he appears as “pura vida” incarnate, and all smiles while organizing Envision’s second annual Gay Pride Parade. He lends some insight as to how this popular activity came to fruition. “Being a member of the LGBTQ+ community is obviously a very important aspect of my life and my identity, so I wanted to figure out how to weave it into the identity of Envision Festival,” he says warmly. One night, while conversing with Envision Co-Founder and self-proclaimed “contemporary witch”, Sarah Wu, the duo uncovered an opportunity to shine a new light on the festival’s inclusive ethos. “We developed the Envision Pride Parade as an opportunity to blend our rainbow community together,” explains Gangemi.

Much like the event itself, the annual parade’s energy is palpable and infectious. It is a tsunami of positive affirmation for all involved. Just

before sunset, dozens of scantily clad community members and allies, take off on foot, waving flags, grooving to a disco-leaning catalogue, and amassing strength in numbers as fellow festival goers join the march. The destination is a high-energy dance party set upon Uvita’s stunning black-sand beaches where Envision attendees otherwise go to soak up some sun or watch the sunrise after a long night of raving beneath the treetops. “Envision was birthed out of love, and this offering is too,” Gangemi says of the Parade. “I want to give people a place to be themselves, a place where they feel welcome.”

The sun begins to kiss the ocean, but even as the vista grows dim, the light emanating from this body glitter-covered group (biodegradable, of course) is undeniable. It’s clear that Gangemi

is giving the people of Envision what he found here for the first time so many years ago.

“[After coming out], I went to that wedding, and the hosts asked me what animal I wanted to be.” Gangemi laughs, reminiscing on his choice of “dolphin.” But the animal he landed on was nothing more exotic than his authentic self. He remembers, “It felt so good for the first time in my life to truly be seen and to not have to wonder if I’d be outcasted or ridiculed for something I never had any control over. Now, I want to create that space for others within Envision, for anyone and everyone so we can all feel free together.” ■