Sixty models participated in this year’s Wearable Arts Show, whose theme “Seven Seas, Clean Seas,” was given both sentimental and environmental interpretations. (Emily Kwong/KCAW photo)
At the 7th Annual Wearable Arts Show this past Saturday (3-7-15), sixty models walked the runway. Some donned their own design, while others modeled on behalf of artists and designers unseen. The show is a part of Arti-Gras, a two-week arts festival organized the Greater Sitka Arts Council, and invites artist to create works meant for the human body.
76-year-old Bill Foster did a disco covered in political brochures, while 7-month-old Noah Apathy was covered in K-cups to recreate the scales of a carp. He skipped his nap to swim down the runway in the arms of his grandmother, Carole Knuth. For model Coral Pendell, artist Alexandra Dailey synthesized a ballet tutu out of pages from five different book genres.
“Consumed” by artist Alexandra Dailey and model Coral Pendell. Pendell performed a ballet down the runaway, modeling pages from books burned slightly at the edges. (Emily Kwong/KCAW photo)
Jeff Budd of the Greater Sitka Arts Council, who produced the show, said, “The people of Sitka are a tremendous audience. It was fun and funny and that is hard to beat.”
The handiwork on display was of endless variety: 780 used dryer sheets intricately sewn into samba ensembles, hundreds of bottle caps knitted together with wire in the shape of a heart, and silk on a coat lining depicting Mt. Edgecumbe at sunset. Laura Kaltenstein affixed a hula hoop to her back to represent the relationship between the moon and the tides.
“Aluminium Samurai,” by model/artist Emmie Fish. (Emily Kwong/KCAW photo)
The theme of this year’s show was “Seven Sea, Clean Seas,” which artists had the option to interpret. Many did. An aluminum samurai marched in armor forged from pop cans left behind at parties and bottle caps thrown overboard from fishing boats. Of the samurai, emcee Peter Apathy said, “Beware of this aluminum samurai, for if she sees you being ungrateful to the sea, you shall face her wrath.” Artist/model Emmie Fish walked down the runway to the song, “I See Fire.”
SLIDESHOWS OF FULL SHOW: 2015 Wearable Arts
Part 1: “The Ladies (and Gent) of the Doilies” through “Dinosaur meets Minecraft!”
Part 2: “Samba Expressions” through “Narwin Under the Sea”
Part 3: “The Sitka High School Radioactive Sea Creatures” through “The Seven C’s”
Budd, who tossed Tootsie Rolls to the audience in semblance of a toilet bowl to illustrate how humans contribute to pollution, was pleased with the creations. He said, “I think that the bar has again been raised again for the quality and creativity. I liked #16 “A Piece of the Ocean” – a middle school student [Morgan Feldpausch] was the artist and an adult family member [Danielle Rider] was the model – that is maybe a first. I am always surprised, delighted, and amazed with what people come up with.”
Danielle Rider sashays down the runway in a design by her younger relative, Morgan Feldpausch. The piece is called “A Piece of the Ocean.” (KCAW photo/Emily Kwong)
