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All-Day Events

Pride Garden Showcase (All Day):

Witness a living art display as the Garden comes alive with vibrant blooms and plant arrangements created by different artists. Each exhibit represents the rich experiences and journeys within the Pride community, showcasing that, like plants, love thrives in all shades and forms.

Family Activities (All Day):

Engage in exciting activities for all ages, from craft projects and on-the-go science experiments to exploration stops and interactive games. Create lasting memories while nurturing a love for nature and promoting the values of acceptance and unity.

Self-Guided Garden Tours (All Day):

Embark on a self-guided tour of Red Butte Garden and Arboretum, highlighting unique plant species in our collection. Learn about how plants promote happy, healthy ecosystems and mirror the beauty of our community.

Share Your #BloomingWithPride Moments!

Follow us on Insta @RedButteGarden or FB @RedButte and share your excitement using the event hashtag.

Getting Here

Directions & Parking

Red Butte Garden and Arboretum Visitor Center and parking lot address:
300 Wakara Way, Salt Lake City, UT 84108

Additional parking is available in Lot 75 near the Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre. Free shuttles to and from the Visitor Center entrance will be available during the event.

You can find driving directions to Red Butte Garden HERE

And a more specific parking map HERE

Learn more about Red Butte Garden membership.

Join Us & Participate

Join Us
If your organization would like to participate in Blooming with Pride, contact us at jason.alba@redbutte.utah.edu

Share Your #BloomingWithPride Moments!

Follow us on Instagram @RedButteGarden or Facebook @RedButte and share your excitement using the event hashtag.

Alyssa Cumpton

Artist Biography

Alyssa Cumpton works as a traveling sidewalk chalk artist and muralist. Her art is often inspired by the natural world, be it through her backpacking adventures or through her job in the landscaping industry. She hopes that her art will inspire others to conserve the wonders of nature and inspire others to appreciate the beauty of the planet.

Alyssa's paintings combine geometric and stylized elements along with more realistic renderings of animals to create a style that toes the line between realism and abstract. She often uses neon and metallic hues to create a dreamlike atmosphere.

She holds a BFA in Fine Art and a BA in Criminal Justice, both from Boise State University. Recently, she completed several public art projects for the Cities of Sparks and Reno, and served as the 2024 Artist in Residence for the Black Rock–High Rock Emigrant Trails National Conservation Area.

Corey Kimzey

Artist Biography

My name is Corey Kimzey. My current art journey started by making presents for other people. While I was a student majoring in statistics I struggled with some mental health issues, so I decided it may help to make felt book pages as gifts. The process of making them brought me a lot of joy, and I loved seeing the joy they brought others. This project led me to explore more creative ventures like writing poetry, macrame, wood carving, flower sculptures, and many more. I love exploring all types of artistic mediums, but I especially love projects that involve nature or natural elements. I am truly grateful for what art has brought into my life.

I’m always interested in how art and math come together, and find that they often go hand in hand. I especially love exploring how shapes and patterns can be used in creative projects. Even as a child, I was always adding patterns to my homework. As a member of the LGBTQIA+ community, I am, truly, honored to be able to present at Red Butte Garden’s Blooming with Pride event.

Bekah Ogan

Artist Biography

Bekah Ogan has been an accomplished floral designer for over 10 years. Taking inspiration from emotions and visuals found within music, film and the world around her—she finds each flower has a unique emotion and mood—and she uses this approach to capture a special moment in each of her designs.

With expert training from a small traditional flower shop that took a chance on her when she was new to the art with no experience, she quickly proved to excel in floral design, especially funeral floral design work- thoughtfully capturing the essence of a person when creating her arrangements. This work allows her learn to express herself and her emotions creatively through flowers on a day to day basis. Her designs are full of whimsy, textures, and innovation, and she is always pushing herself to learn new approaches and take chances.

Bekah's work is frequently featured at the Eccles Art Center's Art in Bloom, and she has taken home several awards over the years. Bekah was also a featured artist in the 2024 Blooming with Pride for her piece "Despite everything, it's you."

Bekah's work is about living in a moment, whether it be cheerful or sorrowful, past or present. It is about finding solace in the brief moment flowers are here with us and always remembering that life is a cycle of withering and blooming.

@beksblooms

Gillian Ruppel

Artist Biography

As a queer book artist, writer, and recent graduate of the University of Utah, I’ve always been drawn to the quiet power of literature and natural imagery. While I deeply admire the vibrancy of Pride parades, drag shows, and nightlife spaces, those louder expressions of identity have often felt overwhelming to me. For a long time, I struggled with the idea that my queerness had to be loud to be valid. Over time, I’ve come to understand the strength in gentler forms of pride—stories pressed between pages, symbols tucked into petals, a bloom left on a windowsill.

Participating in Blooming with Pride affirms that there is room for all forms of queer expression—loud and soft, wild and tender. My hope is that people will feel a sense of quiet belonging at the event, and remember that queerness, like a garden, is made up of many textures, voices, and ways of growing.

Renee Salois

Artist Biography

Renee Salois is a florist and occupational therapist based in Utah. By day, Renee works at Neuroworx, supporting individuals with neurological conditions and advocating for accessibility and meaningful participation in daily life. By night (and weekends), Renee channels a lifelong passion for art into floristry, creating whimsical, textured arrangements that brim with life and color.

Inspired by the endless variety and resilience found in both people and flowers, Renee sees floristry as a joyful return to the simple, grounding beauty of nature. Each piece is a celebration of diversity —reminding us that, like flowers, every person brings unique beauty to the world. Through art and advocacy, Renee invites others to notice, appreciate, and connect with the richness that surrounds us all.

Caitlin Stewart-Johnson

Artist Biography

Caitlin is a mixed media artist and designer with a deep love for creativity and community. She has a degree in Art and Design with a minor in Art History. After becoming a mother, Caitlin rediscovered art as a vital form of expression and a way to stay connected to herself and the world around her. Her work often blends reclaimed materials, natural elements, and thoughtful composition to explore themes of belonging, identity, and visibility.

At the heart of Caitlin’s practice is a passion for activism and allyship—especially in support of the LGBTQIA+ community, where many of her closest friends and family belong. Her pieces are designed to celebrate and uplift, creating visual spaces where people feel seen and valued. She believes that art can be a powerful tool for change, and her work invites viewers to reflect, feel, and connect. Through opportunities like Blooming with Pride, Caitlin continues to use art to build a more compassionate, inclusive world.

Mal Strunk

Hi Flower Friend, I’m Mal!

I’m known for my big, bold, bright floral designs. I am a Utah native who loves locally grown and sustainable flowers. There is something magical about creating with what’s blooming and capturing the exact time and place you’re in.

I’ve been creating all my life, but the medium of flowers found me four years ago. Flowers were a refuge during my darkest days. Floral design came so naturally to me, and I’ve been in awe, watching my artistry bloom as I find myself again. In the past four years, I’ve gone through such a transformation and have even come out to my family and begun to live my most authentic life. Putting myself and my artistry out there is so difficult at times and more rewarding than anything I’ve ever experienced.

Last summer, I won a national competition for Florists’ Review magazine—Best in Bloom. I have designed weddings, events, personalized photoshoots, crowns for newborns, and so much more. This will be my third year designing an 8-foot-tall floral arch in the shape of Utah for Utah Flower Day.

Giving back to my community, especially my LGBTQIA+ family, is incredibly important. Seeing humans of all ages revel in the magic of flowers brings me joy! I am so excited to create my installation for the Blooming with Pride event and celebrate our incredible queer community.