Oddities and Peculiarium Worshop. New Orleans 2015 was a huge success. As many of you know what started out as a random little adventure that Katherine Engen and I cooked up several years ago, has become a quite the annual event...and how! It has evolved from a workshop to something much much more. Let me prove my point...
The Class
This year's theme was a carnival themed workshop so the class was asked to create a shrine honoring a sideshow freak or oddity. Click on the image to see the artist and the sideshow performer (I don't know the actual titles of the works so I merely named them for the character). Here's what was created:
The Parade
Katherine and I decided that we could not have a sideshow themed without our own parade through the French Quarter. Students dressed up in various sideshow ensembles and with the assistance of the Panorama Jazz Band we marched the evening away.
Did I Mention a Street Car Party?
That's right. We had a street car to ourselves to nosh and chat as we wandered the streets of New Orleans.
Sword Swallower Meet and Greet
How could I forget Ri Diculous our sword swallowing presenter of facts and trivia about Sideshow stuff...
What About a Burlesque Show?
We took the gang out for a traditional burlesque show with an excellent emcee who is also a very talented artist named Vinsanto Defonte.
The Grand Finale: The Krewe du Vieux
The last day of class also coincides with the first parade of Mardi Gras the Krewe du Vieux. A....shall we say...saucy parade that gets parade season rolling.
Next Year: Wizard of Odds
We have already started planning next year's event. A twist on the Wizard of Oz. Parades, cabarets, and perhaps a flying monkey or two is being figured out for 2016. More on that soon!
