Arts Wisconsin

Arts Wisconsin tells the stories of the arts throughout Wisconsin. Andrea Kreuzer understands the importance of sharing our stories. But, not every time we tell them, do our stories come in the form of a tale, or a vignette  Andrea presents stories through research and data. She tells the benefits from the arts through methods more common among policy and data analysis. This case shows how the arts permeate throughout society, not just a few ‘creative types’ Read on! 

We all know the importance of arts within education, but sometimes it takes a different approach to convince those not swayed by traditional arguments. Those of us who directly engage in artistic development, either through our careers or hobbies, have the privilege of seeing the benefits of the arts in our everyday lives. Unfortunately those not operating within an “art world” may not recognize the vast opportunities that an education including and continuing to involve the arts creates in our communities and within our own mindset. Andrea Kreuzer will be presenting at Arts Day, March 13, about how to bridge this gap and show all the benefits of arts in education. Andrea worked in Washington D.C. with the Arts Education Partnership, a research and policy based think tank committed to gaining a deeper understanding of how arts education affects students. She utilized academic research methods to advise policy makers and educators on the impact arts education has on the thought process throughout an individual’s lifetime. She has recently moved to Madison to take a job with the University as a professional development coordinator with the World-class Instruction Design and Assessment. Andrea is a perfect example of showcasing the benefits of a well developed and involved artistic community. Art is for all, not just those labeled “artist.” In our everyday life, we all can be artists.

For more information about the Arts Education Partnership and Andrea’s work, please visit: www.artsedsearch.org

Arts Wisconsin tells the stories of the arts throughout Wisconsin. Tryg Jacobson, founder and owner of Jake’s Cafe, will be featured on a panel discussion regarding development of the creative economy on Arts Day, March 13! Tryg’s inspiration comes from his past and future; he uses what he learned working with his father and solves problems for our next generation of artists. Read on!

The shores of Lake Michigan meet a spectacular building in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. Like the lake, the building’s massive size commands the attention of passer-bys, but inside this building there are more impressive feats being conquered. This building on the lake is Jake’s Café. Despite its name this is not a café of the usual sort. It is a place
where minds can work beyond the skull, where the plasticity of our brains can be molded beyond 1250 cubic centimeters. It is a place where Sheboygan, WI can get back on its feet and reawaken the inner creativity that has taken a blow from the past economic recession. It is a meeting of energetic professionals and inspired people.

It is Jake’s Café, a nearly 20,000 square foot campus of nearly 30 businesses and 50 individuals painting, filming, designing, building, creating, and thinking. Each individual is developing a new type of economy that departs from our traditional factories and moves towards innovation and an entrepreneurial spirit found only within ourselves, yet can expand to as far as we allow it. 

30 years ago, Tryg Johnson assumed his father’s position as
chairperson at Jacobson Rost Advertising. His father, Jake, created the
advertising company to focus on company branding and creating a trust between customer and company. In 2010, Tryg sold Jacobson Rost Advertising and from his father’s legacy, and using his namesake, created Jake’s Café. As manufacturing companies were leaving the lakeshore and searching for the cheapest labor costs, Tryg was looking to expand. Problems arise here, so why not stay here and fix them? Tryg did just that. He created a space that utilizes human creativity and innovation to address our economic problems. He discovered a way
to keep businesses here by bringing people together. Tryg continues the push to expand our boundaries of thought and how we perceive our world around us. Jake’s Café is now partnering with Lakeland College to involve students into the creative economy and to change the image of the two year college. With this partnership, Jake’s Cafe and Lakeland Technical College has been recognized by the Sheboygan County Chamber for a “Working Together Award.” The award highlights the great work these two organizations are doing together to further our creative economy. Jake’s Cafe offers internships to Lakeland students in anything from architecture to film production.

Tryg is continuing the work of his father, as well as expanding upon it. He recognizes a shifting environment in Wisconsin. We cannot do business like we did in 1950, most simply because it’s not 1950. Tryg’s work with existing professionals and future contributors of our economy purports a vision of flexibility and creativity that can drive our minds for years to come.       

For more information, please visit http://www.jakescafe.net/ 

Arts Wisconsin tells the stories of the arts throughout Wisconsin.  Todd Schmidt, Administrator for the Village of Waunakee and a featured panelist at Arts Day 2013 on March 13, tells the story of the Waunakee Creative Economy Initiative, an innovative economic development program to grow the village’s creative sector and opportunities and brand Waunakee as a creative place.  Read on!

On a beautiful sunny Thursday afternoon in mid-June in Waunakee; a lovely little Wisconsin community of 12,000 people on the north side of Lake Mendota with a view of the capitol dome as it rests on Madison’s isthmus. Some of you may be thinking to yourself, “Ah, yes, the only Waunakee in the world,” which is expressed on the Village’s welcoming entrance signs.

A first-ever event is about to take place - scheduled for 3 - 9 PM - and will be held indoors at the Waunakee High School. Dubbed Waunakee’s Imagination Celebration, the event’s name itself leaves much to the imagination. Word had gotten around town about the event, but you nor any of your neighbors really know what to expect.

So what do you do? Enjoy one of the nicest evenings of the summer and spend it with your family doing outdoor activities? Or, head over to the high school for an unknown and untested event.

Amazingly, for approximately 1,500 Waunakee-area citizens, the choice was to come and experience the Village’s first ever Imagination Celebration. Upon walking through the door, attendees found a gathering of 60 exhibitors (all local citizens or businesses) showing off their creative sides. This was not your typical “craft fair.” Exhibitors were not allowed to sell anything. Rather, they were asked to answer the question, “What is it that makes you creative?”

The diversity of exhibitors demonstrated that creativity comes in many forms: candymaking, jewelry design, watercoloring, taxidermy, woodworking, quilting, chiropractic treatment, architecture, photography, cooking, physical fitness, cosmetics, dancing, videography, drama, model railroading, musky lure making, accordion playing, singing, and so on. One exhibit included a take-your-own-photo-booth, while another had a design-your-own t-shirt machine. A group of middle-school girls even showcased their abilities to create every-day items out of duct tape (easily one of the most popular booths on the floor).

Kids enjoyed visiting a petting zoo (that is, an interactive instrumental petting zoo). Demonstrations were held on floral arranging and cake decorating. Musical groups meandered among the crowed showing off their talents. The evening was then capped off by a Waunakee Community Band concert.

As Waunakee’s Village Administrator I learned something important from this event. Citizens are eager to rally around creativity, imagination, connection, artistry and innovation. It feeds passions and generates energy. All of these things are useful to enhance a sense of community, and gives people the chance to connect with where they live in ways which have never been harnessed before.

You can learn more about Waunakee’s Imagination Celebration at www.waunakee.com/celebration. Todd can reached at (608)219-0341 or by e-mail at tschmidt@vil.waunakee.wi.us.

The Cable Hayward Area Arts Council (CHARAC) works to connect and create networks of artists in the surrounding northern Wisconsin area. Creating a network expands community with the regional artistic community, as well as creating a vibrant and flourishing outpost for creative expression; it “creates a conduit,” said Pat Ruddle Dooley,CHARAC President. Artists are able to “encourage each other along the way in their work and learn from one another.” A viable network not only functions to keep artistic expression fresh and creative, but also to keep the people of Cable, Hayward, and surrounding areas connected to one another. “We’re so spread out here,” said Pat. Through the hard work of the CHARAC board and volunteers, they have been able to connect people, ideas, and creativity throughout the region.

CHARAC connects people in the Cable-Hayward area with enhanced artistic experiences and raising the level of awareness for all aspects of the arts. For example, CHARAC awards annual grants to four local area schools to fund arts projects and education. Through this program, the Drummond Middle/High School music appreciation class received a grant from CHARAC to tour the Madison Media Arts Institute, providing the students with an opportunity to imagine a future in the arts and learn about “music in media, business, and careers.” The instructor of the music appreciation class said that without the grant these kids would have never been able to gain this real-world experience in the arts.   

 “Art broadens our spectrum,” says Pat Dooley.  “Art has its own language and it helps expand our vision of our own world.” CHARAC sponsors areas events that both create exposure for local artists and display the fun of art to all northern Wisconsinites. In May, CHARAC will be hosting the “Wild About Art” event in Hayward. There will be a silent auction showcasing local artists’ work, live entertainment, and various food vendors. A portion of the money raised goes towards grants and scholarships given to arts programs like the one at the Drummond High/Middle School.

A shining accomplishment of CHARAC occurred under the guidance of board member Mary Ringlestetter who recently helped to establish the “Gallery on Main” in Cable, Wisconsin. This internationally recognized open air gallery of banners adorns downtown Cable and celebrates the creative minds of northern Wisconsinites. The outdoor gallery started taking designs for banners two years ago, with just two artists on display, and has quickly grown to 24 artists creating designs for the downtown gallery.   

CHARAC also sponsors an Art Crawl and Art Stretch in Hayward, the Artist Co-op gallery in Cable, and is working to preserve the Park Theater in Hayward as well as building a new performing arts center in that community. CHARAC is also looking to start offering community art classes, giving their member artists chances to teach their craft and local residents time to hone a new skill.

The Cable Hayward Area Arts Council continues to create opportunities for the people of northern Wisconsin. They provide, what at some times can be the most difficult aspect of the creative process: a starting point.

For more information, go to www.cablehaywardarts.org.

As Arts Alliance of Portage County Co-Director Elizabeth Aguillera says, “art is universal.”  The word itself, ‘art,’ is difficult to define, and can bedifficult to create; but what we do know is that art is everywhere. Art is beauty - however you want to define that. Art “enhances our quality of life, self-expression, and communication. It challenges our thinking, connects us to deep feelings, and makes us human,” says Elizabeth. For those reasons, the board, staff and volunteers of the Arts Alliance of Portage County (AAPC) dedicates their time to advocating for the arts.  

The move towards a county-wide arts alliance began in 2000, when Portage County residents, members of the Wisconsin Legislature, Wisconsin Arts Board, and the Wisconsin Assembly for Local Arts (now Arts Wisconsin) came together to create an “Arts Assessment and Plan for Portage County.” By 2004, the Arts Alliance of Portage County was created and immediately set to work to achieve its mission: “to connect, promote, and illuminate artistic expression, artists, and audiences across Portage County.”  

AAPC believes that advocacy for the arts is an ongoing task. Advocacy is “not a product you can show or buy,” says Elizabeth. It “starts with tiny steps and grows over time.” Advocacy is an ongoing process and a necessary groundwork for any artistic expression to flourish. It requires communicating and developing relationships with everyone in the community to show how arts benefit our lives. A painter needs some sort of canvass - and that’s what advocacy work does. It brings the painter his or her canvass; and even more, the finished product to the people. It’s what the people at the Arts Alliance are doing every day.    

Their hard work continues to pay off. The AAPC can brag of many accomplishments to date: creation of grant and counseling services for Portage County artists, “Buzz Around Town” networking events, the Central Wisconsin Film Festival, April ArtsMonth, the Stevens Point Sculpture Park, Arts Walk, and The Community Show. The people of Portage County have even been treated to a community concert and master class by world renowned musician Yo-Yo Ma with the Silk Road Ensemble! The AAPC supports a community of individuals working and creating together to form a vibrant and expressive society which allows all variations of human life to flourish.

 The AAPC is currently focused on working with community planning and strategic economic development. AAPC has established an ongoing conversation with elected officials and community decision makers about the importance of, and investment in, a local and regional creative economy. The AAPC is looking towards the future, to develop a special, non-outsourcable, economy: the community’s own creativity. By the end of this year, the AAPC, in association with various community, artistic, governmental, tourist, and economic organizations will launch the Creative Economy Inventory, a road-map to bring high quality, fulfilling jobs to Portage County residents. Bill Schierl, President of AAPC said, “Portage County is an exciting place to be right now as it embraces creativity as part of its economic future.”

The Arts Alliance has recently announced that members of Stevens Point’s Sanders family had confirmed its donation of the historic Fox Theatre to the Arts Alliance. The theater, located on Main Street next to the Q Artists Cooperative and the Central Wisconsin Children’s Museum, is “an important piece to the continued revitalization of downtown,” according to Stevens Point Mayor Andrew Halvorsen. AAPC and civic leaders will develop an action plan to reinvigorate the theater as a resource for the entire community.

To learn more about the Arts Alliance of Portage County, please visit: www.artsportagecounty.org or contact Elizabeth Aguillera at elizabetha@artsportagecounty.org, or, head on out to Portage County and experience their work first hand!

Years in existence:  20

Member organizations/businesses/agencies:  ~ 250 nonprofit arts and community  organizations, corporations and businesses, economic development organizations, educational institutions (preK-12 to higher ed).  

Member individuals:  ~ 225 artists, arts supporters, business leaders, educators, community-based activists

FaceBook fans:  4,130

Twitter fans:  2,436 (66% Wisconsin; 90% U.S.)

Legislative Action Center:  2,250 activists

Advocacy messages sent through Legislative Action Center:  750 messages sent by activists in 2012

Wisconsin communities visited in 2012(many more than once) – site visits, consultations, presentations:  30 (Amery, Appleton, Ashland, Baraboo, Bayfield, Door County (several communities), Eagle River, Gays Mills, Greenwood, Green Bay, Juneau, Kenosha, La Crosse, Land ‘o Lakes, Madison,  Milwaukee, Minocqua, Oshkosh, Phelps, Racine, Rhinelander, Sheboygan, Stevens Point, Superior, Three Lakes, Washburn, Waunakee, Wausau, Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin Rapids)

Regional, statewide, national conference presentations:  10 (Wisconsin Presenters Network, UW-Parkside Nonprofit Leadership Conference, Appleton Creative Economy Working Group, Eagle River Economic Summit, SW Wisconsin Economic Summit, Wisconsin Downtown Action Council Conference on Economic Development, Wisconsin Rural Summits (3), Erie (PA) Creative Economy Summit)

Email/phone contacts/conversations/technical assistance with constituents and the general public:  ~ 5,000 annually (answering questions, listening to ideas, providing information, resources and connections)

Arts Day 2012:  200 activists came to Madison from Superior to Kenosha to speak up for state investment in the arts, arts education and creative economy

Local Arts Conference (2 conferences, March & Nov.):  80 (at least 30 different communities were represented)

Rural Arts Management Institute:  7 community leaders graduated in April 2012

ArtsPeers Advisory Network:  3 community-based strategic planning projects

Wisconsin ArtsJobs:  50+ arts, arts education and creative economy jobs posted throughout the year

President - Debra Karp, UW-Parkside | Racine

VP - Ben Richgruber, Eau Claire Regional Arts Council | Eau Claire

Treasurer - Kate Rericha, Birch Creek Music Festival | Sturgeon Bay

Secretary - Carole Spelic, Green Lantern Studios | Mineral Point

Brad Anthony Bernard, Mt. Mary College/Community Arts and Funk Festival | Milwaukee

Caitlin Fitzgerald, Bolz Center for Arts Administration, UW-Madison | Madison

Daniel Goescha, Mill Paper and Book Arts Center \ Rhinelander

Ann Huntoon, Central Wisconsin Symphony | Stevens Point

Frank Juarez, Sheboygan North High School | Sheboygan

Christopher Naumann, On Broadway | Green Bay

Jennifer Terpstra, UW-La Crosse | La Crosse

Jonathan Winkle, Sharon Lynne Wilson Center for the Arts | Brookfield

For a look at how Wisconsin’s creative sector really lives and works,Wisconsin film industry leader Michael Keeney of Madison’s Key Media Entertainment recently sat down with three creative industry workers for a series of questions and answers.  The interviewees are:

Dawn Marie Svanoe, Madison, WI (DMS)
Co-Owner, Glitter to Gore, LLC
www.glittertogore.com

Dawn Emanuele, Milwaukee, WI (DE)
Make-up Artist/Designer
Moonhowler Productions

Joel B Talacko (JBT), Milwaukee, WI and Hong Kong
Haunted Attractions Design Director - Ocean Park Hong Kong
Owner - MoonHowler Productions Milwaukee, WI www.moonhowlerproductions.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What do you do?

• DMS: I am a make-up artist and makeup company owner.
• DE: I am currently a makeup artist for Ocean Park Halloween Bash in Hong Kong, China.
• JBT: I am the Haunted Attractions Design Director for Ocean Park Hong Kong’s Halloween Bash. I am also owner of MoonHowler Productions, a multi-focus creative company that focuses on the dark and spooky.

What does that mean, really? How do you spend your day?

• DMS: I do everything from special effects make-up to henna, beauty, gore, face painting, theatrical makeup and body painting. I spend my day shipping orders for my online stores that I co-own with Michelle Soltis… and planning for the next make-up job.
• DE: I work with a team of artists from AEO Studios based in Orlando with an office in Hong Kong. I start at about 11:30 am. I spend the day doing airbrush, hand painting, prosthetic application and applying realistic bald caps. This year my most difficult makeup is doing a realistic bald cap every night that has to do five shows a night as the MC who also does dancing. It takes about 2 hours to apply it. Making it real under all the stage lights with costume changes is an incredible challenge. All the other makeup a I do takes anywhere from two minutes for a simple scary face to 30 minutes for detailed zombie or beauty makeup.  Through out the day I am constantly problem solving. Let’s say an actor complains of a skin problem: I have to figure out if they are allergic (which is rare), if they scrubbed the makeup off too hard and now their skin is sore, if their skin is just too dry and needs moisturizer, if they just don’t like wearing makeup and are better in a mask, if they simply don’t like the design, or if they’re saying they don’t like airbrush so they can have the cute boy hand paint them —or they don’t like hand paint so they can have the cute  girl airbrush them. It really is asking question after question. Which becomes even more challenging with the language barrier and translators.      I will design new makeups whenever we get in a new costume — which can be almost nightly.     Then we are available through out the night for touch ups. In the meantime I fix masks, wigs, make bald caps, basically prep for the next day. By then it’s time to start removing makeups around 11:30pm to 1:30am. Finally it’s time to go home! The hours are long but I work with good people, so that helps. When I can, I walk around the show taking photos and enjoying what I work so hard to put together. 
• JBT: That depends a lot on the day and what needs to be accomplished. I might find myself at a drafting table or up to my elbows in paint, latex and sawdust. It might be leading a meeting of designers and tech departments to design an attraction that will need to serve 150,000 people in 25 days. It might be taking a train into mainland China for a contractor meeting or a marketing event. 

What training, academic, organized or otherwise, have you had to prepare you to succeed in your art?

• DMS: I’ve been an artist all my life. In my case it was just a matter of learning to work with another medium. I’ve had no formal training. I learn by watching others and playing. There are some great books out there too. I didn’t hurt that I worked for the owners of a major league growing makeup company either — Graftobian Theatrical. I learned a lot from them.
• DE:  Mostly I’m self-taught. I started doing makeup as a child using my grandma’s beauty makeup. In high school I sat in on one theater class, then ended up as the lead makeup artist for the drama department. That was back in the early ’90s. Over the years I’ve learned from books, magazines and any videos I could find. Whenever I can, I take seminars from top artists in prosthetic, beauty, face painting, and special effects. Also working on the Halloween Bash, I’ve been able to work with very talented people with very different styles. I also draw, paint and make costumes, so I think they all work together. I’ve worked with three artists that have been on the Syfy show Face Off. 
• JBT:  I have always studied art and drama in school, but I always found those classes restrictive and underwhelming. I always wanted to draw and paint, so I made it my goal to teach myself what I wasn’t getting in class. Between libraries and public television I learned a lot. I had to scrounge for information in the days before the internet and teach myself how to do makeup and effects. I was able to meet some amazing people who helped teach me new skills. When I decided to learn prosthetic effects makeup, I had the opportunity to learn from some of the best in the industry. I realized that designing haunted attractions would give me a chance to use all my skills. Everything I was interested in distilled into one field — scenic design, scenic painting, prop building, costuming, lighting design, sound design, acting, makeup effects, etc.  It was still the early days of the internet, but I focussed on collecting all the info I could on both makeup and attractions. I taught myself CAD skills and researched both the physical skills and the psychological tools needed to create a scary and entertaining event. I have toured nearly 200 haunted attractions around the world and got backstage tours and discussions for many of those. These days its a lot easier to find information and research anything on the web, but I still think the hard work in learning the skills I needed was instrumental to my success. If it would have been too easy, I may not have appreciated the knowledge as much.

Are there individuals who’ve inspired you?

• DMS: Not specifically… I pull from a lot of different inspiration… mostly sparkly stuff. LOL! I guess… Kevyn Aucoin for his amazing ability to transform ANYONE.
• DE: It’s hard to just list a few names after all over the years I have really worked with so many talented people. I see things from different styles and take things from here there. There is a bit of competitiveness with my peers. We Encourage and inspire each other but still have different styles. 
• JBT: More than I can list. Seriously, I try to find inspiration in all the people around me, either as something I would like to be or as something that I want to avoid becoming.  I will always cherish the haunted house stories I would make up with my father when I couldn’t sleep as a kid. We would trade off rooms as we explored these imaginary houses creating settings and monsters and stories in the dark.

What’s the most important skill or ability required to succeed in your field?

• DMS: Adaptability… if you can’t adapt and re-think your project on the fly, you will be railroaded every time. I seem to forget at least one thing I need for a shoot almost every time. But, I’m able to say, well… there’s nothing I can do about that now and adapt the look or the process.
• DE: Being able to go with the flow. If it doesn’t fit, ripped, broke be it needs to go on stage anyway NOW! Having a vast number of examples and knowing anatomy makes working on the fly easier. I also think that it is important to not just focus on one kind of makeup only. I use what I’ve learned from film productions, still photo shoots, commercials and weddings to make every makeup I do better than it would be if I’d’ve just focused on one type of makeup.
• JBT: Talking to people. They say its not what you know but who you know, but that’s not quite right. What you know (what skills you have) is tremendously important, but if no one knows what you can do, skills alone won’t get you very far. Being able to network is a major skill in any field. You need to be able to meet people, engage them, and get them interested in what you do. Even in todays era of social networking, people skills are still so important. If you can’t relate to that potential client in person, the coolest profile in the world can’t save you.  Even more important than networking is communicating on an interpersonal level. Learning how to get along with others (even if you disagree with them) is a huge skill. Learning to read people is highly valuable. Being able to understand not just the words but the subtext of a conversation is invaluable. Most important is being able to make yourself understood. If you can’t clearly express the ideas in your head, you will run into countless difficulties on your road to success.

How far can an artist go in your field, creatively, financially, professionally, and physically?

• DMS: As far as they are willing to let themselves go… I don’t think there are limits anymore. With the advent of online learning and social media… the sky is the limit.
• DE: Well I never could have guessed that because of Halloween makeup, I would be flown to China for the last seven years. And of course everyone thinks of movies, but Halloween at theme parks is becoming more sophisticated. This is also a job that I can continue to do for decades.
• JBT: That depends a lot on what you want. I don’t really view success based on money or position. I think if you can figure out what will make you happy and achieve that you are a success.

In every profession, there’s something that, well, sucks. What sucks about a career in your field?

• DMS: Time… or lack thereof. I’m a busy person with a family. I never seem to have enough time for everything.
• DE: Jobs are harder to come by. Some theater groups prefer the actors to do their own makeup. In Milwaukee people assume no one knows how to do what I can do, so they don’t ask. People also assume they can’t afford me without even asking.
• JBT: Striking out on your own and starting a business or freelancing is tough. Its scary — its scarier than anything I design! 
     As a freelancer or consultant you are on a job by job pay cycle. If the next job isn’t lined up, there are lean times ahead. If a client doesn’t pay you are in a world of hurt - especially if you put your own money into the project. Sometimes you need to supplement your income with jobs that you might not want to do, whether that’s a project your heart isn’t in or making sandwiches to pay the rent. This only gets harder as you get older and others rely on you. You are no longer just trying to keep yourself afloat to peruse your dreams, you’ve got responsibilities. The hardest part about working for yourself is the uncertainty. But the best freelancers turn that uncertainty into drive. They force themselves out of a comfort zone and find a way to turn things around.

And yet, there’s a reason you do it. Why? What are the rewards? Any highlights or stories you’d be willing to share?

• DMS: I keep doing it because when I see the reaction of people to what I do… it makes me happy.  A couple years ago I started a project with a good friend of mine named Colm McCarthy called “Extinction”. The entire project was framed around drawing all types; male, female, healthy, frail, ethnicity, age, sexual identity, etc… into one tribe by using a body art style based on the Xingu Indians of Brazil. The idea was that if we don’t start treating each other like one tribe, we would all eventually be hurtling towards “Extinction.”
• DE: I love the creative outlet. It really puts my brain to the test. I don’t just do realistic scary makeup, but also fun cartoon circus and glamorous beauty. It’s fun to get actors so excited that they hug me. When people are brand new to Halloween makeup and see themselves for the first time they’re amazed. Makeup and wigs really top off the character — even more than the costume. You can have Frankenstein makeup with a pink tutu and still know it’s Frankenstein. Makeup helps people come out if their shell. They have a chance to be someone they aren’t and do things out of the norm. It’s a way of experimenting with personalities. I’ve worked with several people that were dealing with major health/life issues. They’ve felt empowered by their transformations and it gave them a positive feeling about themselves again. THAT is why I do what I do!
• JBT: I sometimes think I do what I do because it is just what I do. I’m not sure what else I would be doing if it wasn’t this. Even when I rest there are thoughts of the next project or of ways to make projects I see even better. I think its in the way that I’m wired. Creating spooky things is just in my blood I guess. I have the best job in the world. I love the screams and shouts and laughter of entertained guests. I love to see the look of awe when a guest looks at something I created. I like seeing that an effect or illusion works just the way its planned. I love seeing my designs come to life and illicit a raw primal reaction.I get to teach shy teenagers how to make grown men cry (or urinate on themselves - yeah it happens). I get to help people, some who are painfully introverted, to go out and put themselves on display, to not be afraid, to be the ones that others fear. I have seen so much positive come out of these lessons. I have seen shy people find strength, quiet people find a voice, and many a misfit find a home.I have made friends on shows that are now huge parts of my life. The friends that I have made and the adventures I’ve had pursuing my creativity are worth so much more than money … but money is nice too.

 If you could start your career over, what might you do differently?

• DMS: Push harder, earlier. I feel like I’ve waited too long to push this hard. And now that I’m pushing this hard, I feel like it’s taking too much time away from my family… either by physically taking me away… or mentally because I can’t seem to shut it off when I’m home.
• DE: Maybe I would have invested more time money and energy on just this. But the other things I’ve done make me who I am today.
• JBT: In hindsight there are a number of things I could’ve done differently. But if things had been different, that might’ve hurt other opportunities that I did capitalize on.  Lessons I learned that might have been more helpful to have known 15 years ago:
  • always get a contract
  • get to know a lawyer who willing to help you with contracts
  • if you are not good with something, do not be afraid to hire someone to do it. Asking for help is not defeat its proper asset management.
  • the more you hate paperwork the sooner you should do it
  • try to never use your own money on a project unless you are ok not getting it back if something goes wrong.
  • work with people better than you. You are never the best, there is always someone you can learn from
  • work with people smarter than you. Make use of the skills others have and are willing to share
  • get paid what you worth.

And what are you going to do next?

• DMS: I am really itching to learn how to make a foam latex or silicone prosthetic. I know I have the eye for it… just not the technical know how. I think that will take it too the next level for me.   I really don’t know WHAT will come next. I’ve never been good at planning. I like to take it day by day… every new day gives me new inspiration. I can’t wait to see what comes next
• DE:  I hope to continue teaching drama and makeup at the high school level. I’ve worked on short films, photo shoots, commercials and weddings; it doesn’t mean I won’t do other types, but I think Halloween is my favorite because of the variety involved.
• JBT: It looks like another year at Ocean Park in Hong Kong, but I am also looking at ways to get more involved in attractions back home in Wisconsin to work with my crew there again. The internet make communicating across the globe easier and I have amazing people on both sides of the planet that I love working with.  Right now, I am looking forward to being home for the holidays to spend time with those I care about most, and maybe get a little rest … maybe.

Racine’s Main Gallery program provides high school students with arts and work opportunities
By Julia Jacobson, UW-Madison student and Arts Wisconsin intern

While most teens head out to their first summer jobs in fast food, retail or babysitting, some Racine high school students receive a rare opportunity during these months: to work as paid artists. 

Supported by Racine Parks and Recreation, the Main Gallery program employs youth to collaborate with artists and produce works of art to be sold in auction during the summer.

The Main Gallery idea began in 1995 after Racine saw similar success in a youth gallery in Chicago, said Program Director Jason Mars.  Teens between the ages of 14-19 are eligible to participate.  After a competitive application and interview process, approximately 30 to 50 participants are selected, placed into core groups and paired with local artists and college student mentors.

“We choose young people who are interested, they don’t have to be especially talented.” Mars said. 

Some of the most popular projects the students create are furniture painting, photography and mural painting.  This past summer, some of the student artists pursued unique projects like mosaic work, multimedia pieces, jewelry and even painting rain barrels.

Many participants in the program go on to pursue arts-related careers or jobs: from developing photos in stores to arts education to becoming artists.

“For many of them, its their first job, so they are learning good work skills.” Mars added.

Although a portion of the program’s support comes from the Racine Parks and Recreation Department, the program also receives funding via auction.  Collaborating with the Racine Arts Council, a silent auction sells a majority of the students’ pieces at the end of the six-week program and has raised as much as $8,000.

Mars admitted it has been difficult to meet up with the huge demand for the program.

“It has been hard to keep the program going with the money we have been provided, and with budget cuts…it’s a struggle for a lot of arts programs, to keep the funding going on a long term basis.” Mars said.

Despite these difficulties, the Main Gallery program has found support through partnership with the Racine Arts Council, which assists with marketing and promotion of the final auction event in addition to the logistics of the auction. 

The Arts Council also organized a “gallery night” for the students, which allowed them to work on their projects outside and promote the auction.

Racine Arts Council Executive Director Denise McKee said she supports the Main Gallery program because it provides teenagers with an applicable experience.

“The reason I like the program, beyond the fact that its arts focused, is that it teaches actual life skills…the students have to apply, get references, have to participate, and these are all things they have to do in the real world.” McKee said.

For more information on the Main Gallery, contact Jason Mars at (262) 636-9428.

Photos of Main Gallery artists at work and their artworks: