In celebration of its 40th anniversary year, Tom of Finland Foundation is presenting the Tom of Finland Art & Culture Festival 2024 - Art Speaks Through UsArt Speaks Through Us, sponsored by Diesel. This year, the Festival touches down in Berlin, London, and Los Angeles. The Festival in Los Angeles will take place from November 29 to December 1 and, for the first time, is being held concurrently with CLAW’s Leather Thanksgiving celebration.
“At the milestone of our 40th anniversary, the Foundation is more focused than ever on extending Tom of Finland's legacy by advocating for the creative freedoms of LGBTQ+ artists everywhere,” says Edward Cella, Tom of Finland Foundation’s Chief Executive Officer.
The world’s largest erotic art fair, the Tom of Finland Art & Culture Festival will take over the Hotel Indigo for its latest stop in Los Angeles. Over 30 artists, galleries, and vendors will present their offerings within a socially-friendly setting to socialize and buy and sell works of art, design objects, books, and other specialty items. The Festival will be open to the public Friday, November 29, from 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.; Saturday, November 30, from 10:00 a.m. to- 6:00 p.m.; and Sunday, December 1, from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Hotel Indigo Los Angeles Downtown (899 Francisco St 90017).
“This year’s Tom of Finland Art & Culture Festival is lining up to be uniquely special in that we are teaming up with CLAW to offer the public more diversity in the social activities being held under one big tent at the Hotel Indigo,” says Tom of Finland Foundation President & Cofounder Durk Dehner.
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Attendees of the Tom of Finland Art & Culture Festival Los Angeles will have access to various programming from both the Tom of Finland Foundation and CLAW. Events on offer include a screening of and panel about the new feature-length documentary House of Leather, Sticky Pages: Inside Stroke magazine moderated by Mark Timothy Hayward, Linda Simpson’s Drag Explosion, a reading from I Didn’t See It Coming by William E. Jones, a talk from Taschen book editor Dian Hanson on Tom of Finland, and the keynote address From The Studio by Paul Mpagi Sepuya.
“We are excited to be back for another Festival and a new venue celebrating our 40th Anniversary,” said Festival Lead and Foundation Creative Director Richard Villani. “Each year we work to change and grow the experience for the artists and attendees.”
“We’ve had a close relationship with the Tom of Finland Foundation for many years, and they are one of the beneficiaries of CLAW”, said CLAW President Bob Miller. “We’re thrilled to be able to bring these two great events together in the same place. For the attendees – it’s a lot to be thankful for.”
Finally, the Foundation will offer an exclusive limited edition fine art print commissioned especially for its 40th anniversary. The print is limited to an edition of 40 pieces, and they will be available for purchase at the Festival.
A special room rate at the Hotel Indigo is available to CLAW and the Tom of Finland Art & Culture Festival attendees and can be booked through the CLAW LA Leather Getaway website.
For more information and ticketing, please visit tomoffinland.org/artfair.