We've always maintained a gay boner for Dede Wilsey. How could we not? She unironically dresses like a 16-year-old Disney princess. We love it. And we love you, Dede. But not everyone feels that way.
First, there was this item about something boring and very non-fabulous. Then there was this boring NYT piece. And then there was this boring thing about some curator getting fired. Prior to that, of course, there was THE GREATEST WORK OF NONFICTION ever put to paper.
But here's the thing, haters: You don't faze Dede. Nothing fazes Dede. "Like an exotic plant," SF Magazine beams, "the heat has not made Wilsey wilt, but thrive."
SF Mag goes on:
In fact, next month, Wilsey will be presented with the ArtCare Award for Excellence in Civic Arts by the San Francisco Arts Commission and the San Francisco Art Dealers Association. In classic form, Wilsey shrugs off any talk of vindication. "I don’t need a vote of confidence," she tells San Francisco, "although I do appreciate [the award]." Despite the verbal dodge, it's hard not to see the award as a public affirmation of her leadership and influence by Mayor Ed Lee, who was quoted approvingly in the press release announcing the award, and by the City's Art Commission, on which Wilsey served under Mayors Brown and Newsom.
Which is to say, Dede Wilsey is the Jinkx Monsoon of San Francisco society. Water off a duck's back, water off a duck's back.