The Sapphire Gayla: 45 Years of Gerber/Hart was the theme of this year’s Gerber/Hart Library and Archives (Gerber/Hart) celebration Sept. 24 at Rockwell on the River.
Emmy Winning NBC-5 Chicago Today executive producer and host, NBC-5 Chicago Matt in the Morning segment host and GLAAD nominated executive producer, creator and host of the Peacock streaming series It’s Ok To Ask Questions Matthew Rodrigues served as the event host.
Rodrigues said the event is the “first big girl gala” Gerber/Hart has held. He spoke about the importance of celebrating and preserving LGBTQ+ history to ensure it doesn’t get erased “at a time when that is actively happening. And it feels very scary.”
Gerber/Hart Board Co-Chairs James Conley and Kevin Nunley spoke about what initially drew them to the library and archives. For Nunley, Gerber/Hart was a far cry from his upbringing in Appalachia, Virginia with no internet. Conley said the tour he went on with his Loyola diversity committee showed him the LGBTQ+ community has always been a part of humanity.
Conley and Nunley also announced Gerber/Hart will be moving to a new and larger location in mid-2028
Gerber/Hart Operations Director Erin Bell presented Roland Hansen with his John H. Mueller Volunteer Service Award.
Bell spoke about Hansen’s 15 years as Columbia College Library’s Head of Access Services and Space Planning and his role as School of the Art Institute of Chicago Flaxman Library Reader Services Librarian for 20 years among his other accomplishments.
Bell also said Hansen has been a mentor to her and an “excellent teacher who has taught many Gerber/Hart volunteers the basics of library service and special collections processing.” She added that Hansen has extensive knowledge of Gerber/Hart’s library offerings and archive collections and “makes suggestions in mere moments and has friends with connections at libraries around the country” which has helped her immensely.
Hansen, who received a standing ovation, joked that he might be the oldest surviving Gerber/Hart volunteer at age 77. He also acknowledged all the other volunteers who have helped Gerber/Hart grow and thrive over the years.
Gerber/Hart Community Outreach and Strategic Partnerships Manager Jen Dentel presented Carrie Barnett with her Friendship and Freedom Award.
Dentel, who is also Barnett’s friend, said her first memory of Barnett was when she attended a Gerber/Hart book sale in 2014. She said Barnett was a “font of knowledge” for her and was the reason she stayed at Gerber/Hart. Dentel added Barnett “has the best stories” to tell and “best taste in weird movies and above all else, she was kind and gentle with me as I was grappling with my own sexuality in my early 20s.” She said Barnett created an environment at Gerber/Hart to “become the welcoming and inclusive space it is today” and her leadership they were able to expand what they do.
Barnett, who also received a standing ovation, said her first time as a Gerber/Hart volunteer was 37 years ago, and chronicled how the library and archives grew from a location without a bathroom to where it is today. She spoke about the importance of the William B. Kelley & Chen K. Ooi Collection, and read a letter Kelley sent to Pearl Hart on Aug. 6, 1964, which might have been lost to time without it being preserved at a place like Gerber/Hart.
A new film, 45 Years in the Archives, directed by Eesha Patkar and produced by Gerber/Hart Development Manager Michael Rashid featured recollections from a diverse group of people who have been positively impacted by the library and archives over the years.
Former Gerber/Hart board member and former American Library Association Executive Director William Gordon presented a large donation he raised to Gerber/Hart in honor of his 90th birthday which took place that same day.
The event also featured a 45 Years of Gerber/Hart pop-up exhibit; performances by Chicago drag sensation Coco Sho-Nell who wowed the crowd with her interpretations of When You’re Good to Mama and I Am What I Am; Windy City Performing Arts members with their melodious and energetic renditions of Say a Little Prayer and Pink Pony Club; Chicago Kiki Queens member cabaret singer and performance artist Naveena Lovelace who showcased her bawdy version of Baby I’m Burnin and a joke-filled live auction led by renowned auctioneer Jesse Hernandez.
Rashid told Windy City Times Gerber/Hart raised nearly $150,000 at the Gayla.
