I’m very excited to announce my plans to visit each of the following cities to photograph burlesque performers for All That Glitters! I am actively seeking participants, so if you or anyone you know is a burlesque performer in these cities, it’s time to get in touch.
It’s been a while since I posted any kind of update regarding All That Glitters. I’m pleased with the progress so far, but I also realize there is much more work ahead of me.
When I began All That Glitters in June 2009 I set a goal to complete 100 portrait sessions across the United States by June 2010. To date I have completed 58 sessions throughout the Midwest, including Chicago, Madison, Milwaukee, Grand Rapids, Detroit and St. Louis, as well as Memphis.
I will travel to Minneapolis later this month and will visit cities throughout the East and West Coasts in the months following. I am currently funding the project on my own, but am actively seeking opportunities to make the completion of the project financially feasible.
In addition to completing the remaining portrait and interview sessions, my goal is to create a multi-media presentation of the content through a coffee table book, a documentary film, and gallery shows in cities across the country.
I have begun mapping out an intense road trip that will cover the East Coast and southern states, leaving only the West Coast to conquer. At the moment it appears likely I’ll take on the East Coast in the early Spring and head West during the Summer.
But wait, doesn’t that mean I’ll miss my June 2010 deadline? Possibly, but if I have the East Coast completed by that time, I will have gathered the majority of the content with only a handful of cities remaining on the West Coast. Either way, it’s good news to me because, without any outside funding, I wasn’t sure how I was going to manage to get to either coast. To finally see a cost-efficient plan on paper that can get me most of the way through the project makes me happy.
What’s next? Continue capturing content and edit, edit, edit. I have photos to sort through, videos to edit, transcripts to capture, and ultimately a script to assemble from all of the videos so that I can start putting together the final presentation.
Saturday morning I packed up the car and set off down the Kennedy Expressway, aka. US 90/94, en route to Madison, Wisconsin with the lovely Natasha Minsk as my travel companion. It was a quick trip at just under 2 1/2 hours.
My first portrait session for the day was with Ms. Behavin’ of Foxy Veronica’s Peach Pies. She welcomed us into her lovely home where I also got to meet her little ball of energy known as her son. We gave him the opportunity to choose his own stage name. “Beast” he wanted, so Beast it is! Ms. Behavin’ is a fantastic example of what it means to be confident while being a complete sweetheart.
Next up was Moxy Rhodes, also of Foxy Veronica’s Peach Pies. She introduced us to the kitties – Leonard & Baby Leonard – her boyfriend, one of her roommates, and her boyfriend’s nicely prepared garden that was beginning to show signs of life. Moxy wanted to be photographed in her bathroom and was very proud of her cleaning job. So much so that she apparently showered at a friend’s house after cleaning so that it would remain pristine for the photo shoot. Such dedication! By the way, while I didn’t get to see it for myself, I hear she’s very bendy.
I borrowed the wireless internet connection at Moxy’s house to find and secure a hotel room for that evening. Little did I know that there was a major football game in town that day, along with the Ironman competition the following morning. As a result, just about ever hotel in town was booked. I managed to find an affordable place on Priceline, but learned upon arrival at the hotel that they were booked up and Priceline had oversold their inventory. I resumed my search for a hotel and, with Priceline’s “sort of” help (which included 15 minutes on hold) we were placed in a decent inn a mile down the road from our first attempt. The inn served its purpose and even included free breakfast.
Sunday morning we headed out to find Foxy Veronica, who just so happens to be the Foxy Veronica in Foxy Veronica’s Peach Pies. She was impressed with herself for having full hair and makeup completed at 10 o’clock in the morning (and I very much appreciated it). She introduced us to her collection of kitties including Bug (so tiny and so cute, but watch those claws if you get too rough), Mr. Buddy Grimkin (non-stop energy, a show-off, and a bit of a bully), and the reclusive-yet-cuddly Kashmir. Foxy Veronica is a multi-talented lady involved in a variety of creative pursuits and has pulled together a great group of people for the burlesque cause in Madison. If you bump into her, ask her how difficult it really is to stand on a sofa in 4 inch heels.
We stopped for a quick lunch break at Ella’s Deli. This place is an ADD dreamland. Mechanised contraptions hang from the ceiling throughout the diner while shadowbox tables showcase miniature scenes with moving parts. We promised ourselves an ice cream treat back at Ella’s after the next portrait session.
The final session of the weekend was with Kitty LaRue, also from Foxy Veronica’s Peach Pies. She greeted us on the porch looking fabulous in her ruffled mini-tutu and corset. The photo session was a breeze and we captured some fun moments.
All of the ladies we met this weekend were kind, hospitable and so much fun to talk to. I’m looking forward to getting back up to Madison to catch them in action on stage.
Before heading back out on the road we fulfilled the promise of ice cream at Ella’s. The scoope each of strawberry cheesecake and turtle ice cream was delicious and just enough to give me the sugar energy I needed to drive back to Chicago.
A big Thank You to Ms. Behavin’, Moxy Rhodes, Foxy Veronica and Kitty LaRue of Madison, WI. You’ve joined All That Glitters and I sincerely appreciate your contribution!
This week has been a whirlwind of scheduling. I’ve been working on scheduling for three cities and research for three more all while trying to plan for the logistics of travel and lodging.
This weekend I’m going to Madison, WI. I have a couple of performers confirmed while I wait for returned phone calls to confirm additional sessions. If you’re in Madison and want to be involved then get in touch quick!
October is developing into Michigan month. I’m confirming sessions now for a long weekend in Detroit and I’m just starting to get the ball rolling on Grand Rapids. Plans are also developing for day trips up to Milwaukee, WI.
November will likely see a stop in St. Louis as well as some time in Memphis.
And now, back to making phone calls and sending e-mails!
Here’s an outtake from my portrait session with Jack Midnight. One of the exciting things about this project is having the honor to enter the homes of so many different people and seeing their unique home decor, amongst other odds and ends. In this particular case I got to meet Jack’s favorite son, Johnny Midnight, Jr.
