“I’m excited to see what it is going to be like,” says Barhorst. The Story Garden will provide the opportunity to tell those stories in a new way. It’s a time to be a part of the places we live and share stories with people who might not live it day to day,” says Barhorst. “It’s an opportunity to have community, connection and understanding. And, with a Pride Week unlike any other, more people are finding new ways to take part. “I think making this garden piece is more along my personal interest in what I enjoy doing,” they say. It doesn’t hurt that recycling materials is also a little more eco-friendly.įor Barhorst, an introvert, the Story Garden offers an opportunity to participate in Pride in a way that is more their speed than a big parade might be. You might not actually know where these things have been and what might have happened in their life.” “I just relate to it a lot better-of having that sort of story. Reclaimed wood features heavily in Barhorst’s other work as well, influenced by their master’s degree in historic preservation. “This lumber that was otherwise at the end of its life has found a new function in a sculptural piece,” they say. Artist Caitlyn Barhorst builds sculpture for Utah Pride Week’s Story Garden (photo credit: Hanna Walter)īutterflies have long had symbolic meaning for those who have come out as LGBTQ+, and Barhorst hopes their choice of materials helps translate that meaning.
