Congratulations!
For everyone who supported the YYCRR Station between August 1 and November 30, 2019 for a value of $200 or more, they had a chance to answer a skill testing question for the last Bee Kingdon’s Gay Bomb.
We would like to congratulate the recipient of the Gay Bomb, Gary Koivisto.
Your donations, including Gary’s, raised about $50,000 in 2019! All of these donation will go toward sponsorhips of LGBTQ+ refugees and help to settle them in Calgary.
The Gay Bomb
Sir Elton John and Gary have art from the same collection. In 2010 Bee Kingdom Art Glass created five “Gay Bombs” to commemorate one of the US Military’s most fabulously bizarre proposals for a chemical weapon — a “gay bomb” (see below for a description of the military project). In 2011, while performing in Calgary, a piece of the collection was purchased by Sir Elton John. We understand that the Gay Bomb purchased by the legendary Pianoman is on display in his home. It is also now in Gary’s home.
The US Military Gay Bomb Project. The history behind the art work is that the US Military’s actually proposed a chemical weapon that would cover enemy troups with hormones that could purportedly turn enemy soldiers into homosexuals and make them more interested in having sex with one another rather than fighting. Yes, true. Just see the following:
About the Artists
The End of the Rainbow Foundation acknowledges and thanks Bee Kingdom Glass (BKG) for their wonderful donation. BKG is comprised of Ryan Fairweather and Phillip Bandura and is based out of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They’ve been a glassblowing team since 2002.
BKG is known for the colourful and playful approach to their glassworks. You might consider BKG as the Nintendo of the glassblowing world. Their focus is on approachable, cute art exhibitions and installations that bring out the joy and inner child in the viewer. BKG has exhibited, lectured, and collaborated, throughout the years in Berlin, Istanbul, Athens, Monterrey, Calgary and even Winnipeg.
BKG was awarded Avenue Magazine’s Top 40 Under 40 as well as the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Emerging Artist Award in 2010. They have been published in several books including the Pictoplasma Character Art encyclopedia and the New Artisans 2 by Olivier Dupon. BKG has exhibited, lectured, and collaborated, throughout the years in Berlin, Istanbul, Athens, Monterrey, Calgary and even Winnipeg. Their work has been collected and resides in private residences throughout the world and some work even rests in the child’s room of one of Elton John’s homes.
Bee Kingdom Glass offers glassblowing classes, corporate gifting, and often hosts glassblowing events at their studio where you can watch them at work and collect their glasswork.