Kickstarter

Hello Gara-Backers,

Sorry for not being able to get this message out sooner; it was a whirlwind weekend, and I am still decompressing and coming back to reality…

The opening night of GARAMANIACAL was an absolute blast and a total success!

Really, it could not have gone better; all the work looked AMAZING together, running such a wonderful gamut of mediums and styles; there truly is something for everyone in this show.   I am so proud of this show, so deeply humbled and full of gratitude for the artists that came along on this weird ride!  I can say sincerely that they're all superb people, and it was so great to connect and communicate with each of them as we ran up to show time; I truly hope we will have some more opportunities to collaborate in the future.   I will be posting a full wrap report on Garamania within the next day, with many pics of the work on display, so please watch for that! 

Beyond being such a stunning assemblage of great talent & great works, and beyond Jim and Nicole @ FOE being such great people to work with, we were helped by the weirdly mild temperature on Friday night, and the fact that the opening fell on one of Northampton's monthly Friday Art Walk events.  Downtown was packed, as was GARAMANIACAL!  People seemed very into the event and the art, and we kept a good crowd turnover going right 'til the end.  You could really see many non-initiates having and enjoying their first look at this very particular realm of art and culture.

We had a great in-house band (assembled and led by Dan Hornworm) which totally fit with the night, providing everything from creepadelic noise-scapes to menacing, King Crimson-esque grooves. 

My first outing as Garamike was, overall, a SMASHING success!  I had a great time in the suit and hopefully provided all those I came into contact with a memorable experience.  I wasn't able to get the feet and tail done in time for the show, but did have the head and hands.  When I first arrived in town in full gear, Jim took us over to his friend's vintage shop, Roz's Place, where the owner, Tim, had Garamike try on several different evening-wear options.  I settled on a brown polyester suit that must've been the height of fashion in Manila in 1976, and went really well with my Gara-colors.  Then I stalked around town for a bit, moving as only a mechanical meteorite monster can (sort of a jerky, high-stepping march), alternately bugging and entrancing passers-by, invading various galleries and businesses, and croaking about the show to anyone who would listen.  It was fun to "find the character" as I went along, and I think I still have much to discover about Garamike.

Finally entered the gallery around 7:00, to a general hush and some dropped-jaw stares... and proceeded to make much Gara-merriment for the rest of the opening!

I have to say that 6 hours... is a bit too long... to be in the suit.  In addition to being buried under rubber for all that time (the thick silicone of the mask covers/clings to my entire head and shoulders, then the weighty headpiece on top of that), the paint on the headpiece (actually thinned and pigmented rubber cement) had not fully cured yet, so I was breathing some significant fumes all night.  By about 8:45, I looked at my dear Nicole and said, "I think I need to get out of this... RIGHT NOW."  One serious sweat-mopping and face-scrubbing later, I felt a little less strange.  I then had a bottle of Schlitz; I didn't even know Schlitz was still being made...

All that said, I am VERY excited to pursue all of my various plans for this suit/persona, and look forward to getting back in costume soon!  Stay tuned!  

Finally, I want to mention that the show has already raised a nice chunk of funds ($175 in the five days the show has been up) for the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, between coloring contest entry fees and sale of entries on opening night; also, several artists have designated a portion of their sale proceeds from their works to the organization, so the number should climb even higher by the end of the show's run, on 3/04.

ALSO, now that the dust of the show-launch is settling, I will be turning my attention to BACKER REWARDS!  I'll be getting  my Rewards Survey out to all of you soon, and beginning production on all the goods shortly thereafter... really looking forward to it!!!

Again, thanks so much to all of you for being so GARATASTIC, so utterly PYGDERFUL, such amazing supporters!  Enjoy the pics and videos!

Sincerely Yours in Garamon,

Video:
Garamike trying on evening-wear @ Roz's Place

A quick walk-through of the show