I cannot believe we did this.

There are times you dream up an idea. and then you sit on it.

LITERALLY.

We made a roller coaster.

this is the original plan. as seen on archival and fancy...um. cardboard.

sketch everywhere people.

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Ok, a little context: 

The Monument Avenue 10k is a race in Richmond, VA

(that's 6.2 miles) 

along historic Monument Avenue

which is a street.
but it looks like giant trees are holding hands over top of you.

with statues of Confederate Generals placed along the grassy median like cake toppers. 

later they added Arthur Ashe. 

So some are on horseback and some are holding tennis racquets.

______________

USA Today named this road race one of the 10 greatest in the United States.

There are 4 billion people who run it.

And I got that information from an accurate source. My brain.

I estimated the amount of people I saw. so.

4 billion.

and that is coming from someone who spent the last 3 years weaving through that crowd in a cumbersome costume.

(picture above is us in the roller coaster costume trying to stay in our starting wave. so difficult. people go nuts on race day and think they may possibly beat a coworker's time. and yes. on race day. that matters to them so much.)



all of this brings me to the best part:

The race has a costume contest.






enter @RVAcostume stage left


*cheers*



@RVAcostume is a group of friends that go over the top.
Thank goodness.




This year's cast.


RVAcostume teammates change around. but once a teammate. always a teammate. Hi guys not pictured. xo


(one year we ran the race as a curling team. except. well...
an athletic mocumentary? yes.

and once I paddled with them.)

6.2 miles in a costume means
a- you need to be able to run the race. and b- you need to own it. you need to own the fact that you dressed up. and commit.

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OK. Let me start over.

~ This Year ~

Let me start at the ugly beginning. 

Because let's face it. 

Beginnings. are. ugly.

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and later... funny.

when a costume is just a thought and the parts are all over a driveway. it is overwhelming.

(THANK YOU TO THE HUMPHREY FAMILY FOR YOUR DRIVEWAY AND GARAGE AND SUPPORT!)

awesome.

this is becca. sometimes she takes this exact picture. and all the time it is in front of something ridiculous.

in this case. a roller coaster construction project.

*

*

I typed 5 things to justify this picture. and deleted them.



_________________________________________________________



more crazies:

exhibit a. laura and rachel.

exhibit b. laura and rachel.


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Problems you never saw coming in your life

like this:

(cautiously driving with giant materials overhead.)


and this.






Laura and Corey try to store the base.







A lesson I have never ever learned:


Think about where you are storing something before you start building it.

*

*

We brainstorm the ideas for these costumes at bars and ice cream shops in our neighborhood.

*

*

This year we were about to run as a bowl of spaghetti. I mean. very close to going that route.
(meatball hats. sh)

But then we said. no.

no. we should be a roller coaster.

*

And timing worked out. in a bad turn of events.

when they cancelled the State Fair of Virginia. And we were not cool with that.




BECAUSE

I.Love.The.Fair.




It's just part of who I am.

I was raised on pickles and funnel cakes and betting games that have you gambling desperately for stuffed bears!

I got stung on the neck by a bee one year at the fair and a man took a cigarette apart and put the tobacco straight on my neck. THINGS LIKE THAT ONLY HAPPEN AT THE FAIR.



________________


but back to making our own roller coaster...

necessary tasks look crazy.

we had to weight the track as it dried. it sandwiched chicken wire to hold its shape.

________________________



oh, and also there was this:

someone got a tetanus shot about 10 minutes after this picture was taken. holla.

find the injury.

surprisingly, this ended in no injury.

and maybe we got some additional cardboard.

______________________

and then I found a beekeeping outfit. so I put it on.

*


*




hello truth.





I think when you learn that you love art you are destined to fight for it the rest of your life.










and sometimes that looks like this:




late night test runs of a coaster costume.

a late night to tie dye.

but we know we have to finish this out. to the max.

so we made a preview video that we released about a week before the race.

a costume trailer. yes.
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When you enter a race you have to pick up a race packet the day before.

so. 

We went. 

and I mean, 

WE: 

we took those balloons and props to the race expo and told everyone we were looking forward to using our ride tickets tomorrow.

We confuse.



there was a truck outside the packet pick up/ expo that made us feel at home.





and we happily answered the question in this booth.
what moves you: duh.


________










our smiles are all nerves and excitement.
and Laura's weather anxiety is through the roof as the forecast calls for definite rain.


__________________________

RACE DAY ALWAYS FEELS LIKE IT IS 8768 HOURS LONG.

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We woke up at 5:15am and walked down the road to a parked van on a dark street hitched to a trailer. 

(it feels exactly like it sounds)

And then went to get the coaster... and loaded it on the trailer.

THANK YOU TO THE BURGESS FAMILY FOR HELPING US WITH THIS PART.

(and for thinking it was cool.)

then the sun came up.

and the rain came down.

and the coaster rode to the race while we watched it and prayed it did not fly off into traffic.

it made it. 

and so did we.

WE WERE DROPPED OFF ON THE SIDEWALK WITH A ROLLER COASTER.

and this other guy there had the SAME shirt we did. so we added him to the team for .4 seconds.

eeek. waiting for the start. 

We have to get there early so people file in around us. Otherwise we would never make it into the crowd.

WE SCREAMED THE ENTIRE WAY. 

which cracks me up because we never saw that coming. 

maybe some screaming. but not the entire way. 

and not with everything we had. 

*

*

IT WAS THE MOST EXHAUSTING PART.

it needed major additional cardio training. that we did not do.

But we did a practice lap for a TV camera where we all let out blood curdling roller coaster screams. 

And instantly realized that it made no sense to ever stop screaming. 

I want to applaud everyone for staying in character.

despite the pain.

( !!  note the sign to the far right. )

When else do you have the job of looking afraid for an entire road race?

no lie. I think someone captured one of the times I was telling Becca I thought I may pass out.

constant major screams make you lightheaded... a little.

 

well. this is why the race is awesome.

he also had a great sign on his back. he was racing in honor of his partner.

We finished it. and the coaster was in one piece!

at the end.
we were delusional.

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soaking wet.
and exhausted.

*

Our work here is done.

one wheel.

_____________________________________


Do something that seems ridiculous.

It totally pays off in the end.

_______________________________________























I cannot believe we did this.




______________________________













___________________________________________

p.s. costume is my middle name. here are more costume facts:

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1. Once I thought I didnt have a costume for a party. and was slightly embarrassed to realize I owned all accessories/parts without having to buy anything. and I located them all less than an hour before the party.

2. My sewing station in my room looks like it may be a corner of a fabric store. I have so many ribbons. and this is a really good thing. some are glitter turquoise. yes... I said SOME. as in more than one.

3. Once I made 3 foot tall boots and my friend- WREN BALKUS wore them to mcdonalds and I recorded her ordering a happy meal at the counter. keep in mind she was nearly touching the ceiling in giant shoe stilts basically. everyone acted normally when this happened. she is my hero. 

4. Once I half-assed Halloween.......... silence

5. that will never happen again.

6. Once I won free dinner for about a week when I dressed as a peacock in a Florida CiCi's Pizza. 

7. I love Alice in Wonderland. I went by the name Alice when I worked in Disney World. That is what the kitchen staff of my restaurant called me. and I loved it with all my heart.  I have been Alice  on Halloween. I also have been the Queen of Hearts. and rode a bus through San Francisco as this the queen. check.

(want to ever know why I draw rabbits? it is partly because of Alice in Wonderland. sh. secret) 

8. I adore the Circus for a million reasons. one is costume.

9. I was a tornado one Halloween walking around with two other "disasters," I won a Justin Bieber journal. and other noteworthy things.

10. And....Once I made the best costume ever. but it was for my nephew. not me. 

please look. I sequined a SMALL CHILDS MITTEN!!!! (consider that a hint.)

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go all out.

I didnt win the kind of lottery that makes you 6402 million richer. but

_______________________________________________________



comment below about how you've recently won your own kind of lottery. 



because you need something to do while you wait for my next post (about running a 10k dressed as a rollercoaster.)

and frankly, I like hearing from you about things that are amazing/matter/may be funny and or inappropriate/ over the top/ important to maybe just you even... i mean. convince me i am not the only one who needs to tell the world.

about my love for the taco truck.

that parked near my houuuuuuuuuuuse.


yum.


____________________________________________________________

cant imagine I am the only one who has ever thought of this.

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MONUMENT AVENUE 10K 2012 and the art that runs it

@RVAcostume

(follow us on twitter. and if you arent already following ME! do that too @abernathyparade ) 

RVAcostume is a group of cool people. who commit to something odd and then own it.

It is a running art project. 

Literally. 

We run in an art project. 

We create these plans. build them. and then bring that costume to the amazing 10k race in Richmond.

The race goes up and back on historic Monument Avenue and we send a costume along the course. 

yes. we annoy people. 

yes. it is crowded.

yes. it is hilarious.

THE UKROP'S MONUMENT AVENUE 10K

So, when the race is approaching. Every second of my free time is in someone's driveway trying to fit whatever we are building into someone's garage. 

I say this because people always are gracious to help us out. 

And with collaboration, it is possible. 

so thanks to those that have helped this year. 

AND: 

The race is Saturday. 

So we released a teaser/trailer about our theme for 2012.

See, they cancelled the State Fair of Virginia this year. 

um. 

not on our watch.

disclaimer: I actually have a mad love for state fairs and all things related. so this is an emotional piece. 

i kid not. 

well i sort of kid. 

but i am mostly serious.

________________________________________

more later post race. 

it is a heavy costume. I hope we survive with our shoulders still attached.

I'm going to be straight up honest.

_________________________________________________________________

THE CIRCUS SERIES

I adore the circus.
it is all things magical, beautiful, and slightly eerie.

Visually stimulating. in about 3920138 ways.



The circus is my aesthetic.








__________

The circus is what it looks like with my eyes closed. 

__________

I am thrilled to present my new series.
(there was a sneak peek in an earlier post.)









THE CIRCUS SERIES
thread.fabric.ink

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Circus Series 1:

If We Have No Peace, It Is Because We Have Forgotten That We Belong To Each Other

be kind.


______________________________________________________________________________





Circus Series 2:

Bigger Than Yourself

be moved.

__________________________________





Circus Series 3:

Dream Big. Dream Embarrassing Big. 

be brave.

______________________________________________

information on the series:



Prints are ALWAYS available of each piece. 
fine art prints are high quality, pick up the thread detail, and look identical to the original



With this series. because of the detail... I actually sew on each print. This means no two prints are alike.
I do this because I adore the series. and it felt right.


So,

Prints - unframed- are 180.00
Prints- framed- are 300.00

originals are 525.00


Status of originals:

Circus Series 1: If We Have No Peace, It Is Because We Have Forgotten That We Belong To Each Other (giraffe) is sold.


Circus Series 2: Bigger Than Yourself. (elephant) is available.


Circus Series 3: Dream Big. Dream Embarrassing Big. (lion) is available.


I will update the status of the originals above and change them as needed.

email me if you would like an original. or a print.

abernathy.parade@gmail.com

remember. prints are ALWAYS AVAILABLE despite having sold the original.


(This is their debut on the internet. ask fast.)


______________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________












______________________________________

So proud of this project. So proud of these students.

First things first,

I am alive. I had an art show.
 (Which is actually still up for two months...see previous post)

and I am still alive. 

Apparently people do live through them.

But seriously,

Being creatively exhausted is a beautiful thing. It means you literally gave everything you had in the time you were given. and zzzzzzzzz.

I may have committed to creating additional pieces just because I knew they HAD to be a part of this show.

Then I went MIA Rip-Van-Winkle-Style. 

Ew. What Happened. I went approximately 2910 days without a post. I needed a minute to catch up with life.

I can only blame my lack of sleep.
and recent addiction to WordsWithFriends. sh.

There will be a post about my show.
but for what it is worth:

if you were there,

Thank you. 

It was amazing to have you.
I wish I could have spent more time speaking to everyone. wow. thank you again.

_________________________________________________

but I am compelled to do a late night post about another project I am involved in.

It is a sensational collaborative art project.

You MUST know about it. 

and seriously. tell at least one person about it. I will hold you to that. I mean. tell the person in the cube next to you. or. I dare you to bring it up at a party.
I warn you. It is a crowd pleaser. 

_________________________________________________

It is a theater program giving opportunity 

to ALL STUDENTS.

The program is called- LIVE ART
Students with special needs and students without special needs learn together in theater.
They work on performance. They work on relationships. They work on being bold. 

Watch the excerpt:

LIVE ART is currently in the works...

__________________________

and needs your help.

_________________________

I teach and I sit on the committee where we brainstorm ways to lift this grand idea off the ground. 

And. 

Well. 

It is totally off. 

Classes have been in session since January and the students work very hard each week to dance, sing, sign, paint, tell stories, act, move,  and honestly... most importantly. they TRY NEW THINGS.

The program is not JUST the classes. (although this aspect of the program is so fulfilling that it will make you emotional to just be in the studio)

LIVE ART is about a big, wild dream. 

(are there other kinds of dreams?) 

The plan is to get these students on stage June 3, 2012. performing with Virginia musicians. 

These students will have a chance to shine on an unimaginable scale. 

Help them do that. 

follow the program on the Live Art blog. 

And / Or

Donate to LIVE ART. 

Follow this link and read about the program. 

if you feel moved, click SUPPORT US. and note that your donation is specifically for LIVE ART.

But by all means. Learn about it. 

______

on behalf of some of the most amazing students I have ever worked with. 

Help us make it to the stage. 

 

P.S.

I love this project.
You will keep hearing about it.
(Watch for LIVE ART updates)

I fight back tears at least four times per class. I'm telling you...it's moving.

You should see how kind kids can be.

You should see how hardworking kids can be. 

It reassures you about the future.

and reminds you there is power in art.

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