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The 9th annual Valley Arts Alliance Wearable Art and Runway Fashion Show was performed at the Palmer Depot, with both a 3pm Matinee and a 7pm Evening performance.
Both performances were opened by Spin Cycle: Elaine Albertson, Kay Gouwens, Patty Meyer, and Jean Snyder. They are part of the Alaska Sound Celebration Chapter of Sweet Adelines International. |
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Randy Robinson and Hillary Saffran served as Masters of Ceremony. Both performances were sold out!
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Warrior Ice Queen
Designed and created by Dianne Boyd; modeled by Sherri Haag
The Warrior Queen wishes to encourage and fight for the empowerment of those who have been put down, pushed around, and made to feel like a zero.
The Queen’s weapons are a symbol of the power of your own voice.
This Warrior Queen’s outfit is made from Papier Mache, Sculpey Clay, vinyl and more.
So break some ice! Stand up, speak up, and roar! |
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Raven, Spirit of Alaska
Designed and created by Claire Childs and Tamora Harding-Childs; modeled by Claire
Before the 1800’s, totems could be spotted on the coastal shores of Alaska by explorers breaking through the ice across the vast oceans.
The raven totem was designed by Claire, and constructed by Tamora, to express the symbolism of Raven, the mystical spirit, the trickster, and the shaman in disguise, that takes flight above our landscapes and is honored in artwork and music across our great state.
The true ice breaker of Alaska mythology. |
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Plastique Wrappe
Designed and created by Elsie LeDoux; modeled by Jess Thompson at the 3pm show (shown here), and by Milly Flack at the 7pm show.
Avante Guarde gown made of plastics from fluorescent light fixtures and various other plastics, sculpted into a haute couture ensemble |
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Ice Slayer
Designed and created and modeled by Colleen Wake
Colleen started welding a year ago at Arctic Fires Bronze with Pat Garley. Give a girl a new toy, and look what happens! |
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Aurora Maker
Designed and created and modeled by Sierra Wake
It all started with a rainbow-colored Mohawk wig. Add some fiber optics and some multi-colored duct tape, and you’ll get something that makes you real happy! |
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Winter Warm Pelt
Designed and created and modeled by Ava Peticolas
Ava has spent years harvesting local animals, and now she has used the pelts to make a coat and hat to show off her collection. |
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Art on Fire—Raku Firing
Designed and created and modeled by Sandra Cook.
Sandra has been known to bust a few moves while working in her studio and this year the Latin rhythm and rap of Pitbull captured her imagination—her outfit –Fireball is made of emergency blankets and cellophane, and celebrates the iron pour and Raku Pottery firing at the 8 th Annual Art on Fire, at the Museum of Alaska Transportation and Industry this year on Saturday, June 27 at 10 am. Join us for a family friendly fun day of making Hot Art! |
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Tarpolina
Designed and created by Linda Lockhart; modeled by Courtney Lynn Cox
In almost every yard in Alaska there is some sort of treasure or junk hidden by a tarp. They are a ubiquitous part of living here. This creation celebrates the possibility that there is a creature that embodies the inner beauty of those tarps. |
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Alliteration Name Game
Designed and created by Nikalee, Maeve, and Whimsy Rath; modeled by Maeve and Whimsy
Icebreakers are games designed to help event-goers break the ice, to get to know a little something about each-other. In the Alliteration name game, participants sit in a circle and introduce them selves using an adjective that starts with the same letter as their name, followed by their name.
Here we have Magical Mushroom Maeve and Witchy Whimsy. These young ladies inspired and helped design and craft these outfits, almost entirely of salvaged materials.
Maeve says her choice was inspired by her love of her favorite mushroom, the Fly Agaric, and all things magical, woodland, and fairy. Whimsy has always been a little mischief witch and jumped on the opportunity to let her true nature sparkle. |
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You’re Giving Me Goosebumps!
Designed and created and modeled by Krista Goodie
This piece was inspired by the migratory bird, the Snow Goose. Krista has created this winter bird using a variety of materials you can find around the house. |
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No Treble
Designed and created by Nickie Jordan and Shannon Huber; modeled by Mark Loomis
Mark is sporting a beautiful skirt made with stuffed rubber gloves, while he dances to everyone’s new song. |
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Snow Time
Designed and created and modeled by Ginny Lawton, Pat Gakin, and Audrey Kelly
Winter would be incomplete without a break to play in the snow. Even snowflakes appreciate the opportunity to enjoy themselves by building a pile of snow into a snow person. |
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Poly Pioneer Peakimono
Designed and created by Niki Pease; modeled by Kim Strickland
Another tarp and tape original. This Poly Pioneer Peakimono is reversible! Kim is showing summer in this picture; the kimono reverses to winter.
This piece was sponsored by Benders of Hair and the Valley Arts Alliance for last summer’s Pioneer Peak event organized by the Palmer Chamber of Commerce. Since then it has appeared at Valley Arts Alliance productions AK Home Companion and Ice Castles (the event with the ice pyramid during Colony Christmas). |
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A Little Twisted
Designed and created and modeled by Barb Howard,Sharon Hein, and Julie Hopkins
There are many kinds of ice breakers, and we know sometimes the classics are the best. Tonight these models show us how to break the ice, using repurposed game sheets and wearing custom-made, home-dyed, hand-spun, twisted trim jackets.
Please help a “little twisted” break the ice at this party! |
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Solstice
Designed and created by Ginny Lawton; modeled by Kate Lawton and Michelle Spiegel-Freeman
Be it the ebony sky of December, or June’s brilliant one, the solstice stirs the soul and awakens it to the mystical.
Fur, velour, rhinestones, and silver stars depict the mysterious winter solstice when the feeble light appears, gains strength, and begins to overcome darkness.
Satin, ribbons, silk flowers, and adoring fun buttons represent the radiance of the summer solstice where the sun dances in full splendor and brightens our lives. |
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Volcanic Flash
Designed and created by Kayla Caraway; modeled by Kelly Caraway
Made with flowing fabric, wire, and fire, creativity flows free in this explosive masterpiece inspired by the power of volcanic eruption. This Girl IS ON FIRE! |
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Shell Game
Designed and created by Georgia Hollander and J.B. Cole; modeled by Jeannie Bitzen, Hannah Clawson, and Heather Pelletier.
We’re not really sure what is going on here, but this looks like a shell game by the Borialis Dancers. Talk to them to sign-up for dance lessons! |
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Chilly Consort
Designed and created and modeled by Niki Pease.
Another tarp and tape original! This glowing ice-cold “day of the dead” bride is made out of recycled “day of the dead” skulls, bones, and (of course) tarp and duct tape.. |
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No Ice Queen Here
Designed and created and modeled by Becky Oviatt.
We’re going to hand spin a yarn here for Forget-Me-Not fibers, the new fiber store in Palmer. This ensemble was spun together from old wool sweaters, felted, cut-down and up cycled into a mystical, magical elf coat of many colors, complete with pointed hood.
Hand-woven, hand-spun, and hand-dyed materials were used from the store, and no sheep were harmed in the making of this coat. |
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Winter Play
Designed and created by Nan Potts; modeled by Nan Potts and Mary Ann Cockle
Dressed in her finery, the Snow Queen is out for some winter fun. Her crown and collar of glittered foil, enhance her frosty features while her train, faux ermine and snowflake fabric, dons her regal shoulders. As she waltzes in a winter wonderland, she plans to use her gift of magic to animate her snowy creation—a snowman. |
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Captain Clean
Designed and created by Nickie Jordan and Shannon Huber; modeled by Jeff Huber.
Here he is—the warrior all women want! Captain Clean! His entire outfit is made of cleaning supplies—he is ready to satisfy…. |
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Crystalize
Designed and created and modeled by Sandra McMillian
Sandra always wanted to be a princess, and when a princess grows up she becomes a Queen. This Elizabethan up cycled gown crystalizes the recycling queen! |
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Alaska’s Backwoods Princess
Designed and created by Kelly Caraway; modeled by Kayla Caraway
Born and raised in Alaska, my daughter Kayla exhibits all the qualities of a good Alaska Backwoods Princess, from her head to her toes, and is the inspiration for this piece.
Every princess needs a tiara, but a backwoods princesses' tiara consists of horns from a buck she shot, fur from a rabbit she trapped and skinned. Next is her fur-trimmed kuspuk, and her Bunny boots.
She carries an axe, obviously for chopping firewood, but for many other uses as well, like chopping frozen meat to feed to the dogs, and a personal self defense weapon.
Lastly, the true Alaskan princess carries the Alaskan flag with pride: the stars of gold on a field of blue. The simple flag of our Last Frontier. |
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Queen Milly and Sir Steve
Designed and created by Ratchanee Jaemnaijit; modeled by Jessie Fay and Keldrake Wolf
The futuristic Queen Millie is accompanied by Sir Steve. Queen Milly is wearing a royal dress made from magazines, recycled PVC pipe and electrical wire from Facilities Maintenance trade at Alaska Job Corps. Sir Steve is wearing his armor made from magazines. |
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Golden Ice
Designed and created by Nadia Makitrina and Diane Tresham; modeled by Melissa Bentley
Clothing and accessories with attitude! From the new Steam Driven Boutique in Wasilla, we present the Steam Punk Wedding Dress!
The Steam Driven Boutique offers youth the opportunity to upcycle clothing into Steam Punk designs.
The Steam Driven Boutique is owned My House in Wasilla. My House—supporting homeless youth by offering a hand up and not a hand out. |
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Balls
Designed and created by Linda Lockhart; modeled by Hannah Kahlman
In 2009, Linda Lockhart created a piece called "Points." It included over 600 paper cone drinking cups woven into a cape. It was BIG and WHITE and SILVER.
This piece is Points revisited using Christmas Ornaments to recreate that amazing cape and elevate those sparking balls to a new level. Made with over 700 ornaments, feathers, plastic cups, curtain rods, curtains, Mylar and fabrics. Original music by Linda Lockhart. |
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Graffiti Gown
Designed and created by Claire Childs and Tamora Harding-Childs; modeled by Clair
Graffiti is the Ice Breaker movement of public self-expression. Forms of graffiti have exists since ancient times, and now have evolved, alongside our music culture, into a way people mark or “tag”, decorate, and express opinions regarding social and political messaging.
Spray paint graffiti paired with recycled material move seamlessly in this creation of papers, plastics, and paints. |
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Drop Dead Gorgeous
Designed and created by Elsie LeDoux; modeled by Jasmin Butrlakorn
An avant guard fashion piece from chandelier drops, plexiglass, and assorted plastic and crystal chandelier beads. |
