Where It All Began

Photo by Pandaramic Panorama

Some of you might be wondering just how did Rusted Shaman Circus come to be. Was it alien inspiration from a another world? One too many apocalypse movies? Intense creativity? Pure dumb luck? A random Internet meeting? It was all of these.

In February 2016, a first-year stilt walker hobbyist and scareactor named CJ Saws put out a tweet asking if there were any other stilt walkers, acrobats, etc in the Huntsville, Alabama area. To his surprise, a local group called Geek Out Huntsville, answered the tweet. They mentioned a costumer, by the name of The Baconalia, would be someone worth talking with. With a thank you to Geek Out Huntsville, the two random internet souls exchanged Twitter names. Soon after, they agreed to meet in person.

A few days later, the stilt walker pulled into an unassuming strip mall in Madison, Alabama. It was home to Grounded Coffee. He was curious and happy to meet another creative in an artist's natural habitat: the coffee shop. The cool air and drizzle outside would not dampen what would later be a very important meeting between the two artists. They said hello and immediately talked of creative influences. They laughed over past experiences. They mused about futures and the directions they would like to go. Both souls agreed they wanted to be a part of something very different. That's when The Baconalia said, "I've always had this idea for a circus..." The stilt walker was intrigued. He agreed to try a costume event with The Baconalia -- just to see how it would go. What was there to lose? After all, he had building and experimenting with different stilt costume ideas for a year. If her ideas aligned with his and they got along, this could be good.

The first event for this new, nameless partnership was a costume night at Rocket Republic Brewing Company. The taproom was hosting a Mad Hatter night. After a quick coat fitting earlier in the week, The Baconalia's Mad Hatter costume, new feathers and all, fit the amused stilt walker. He chuckled, remembering her previous tepid, "How do you feel about feathers?" question as they walked into Rocket Republic. The minute they entered the room stopped and stared at the Steampunk March Hare and her tea time, black-clad counterpart. The duo knew they were on to something. The towering leather top hat, the myriad of dangling chains and pocket watches, the furry brown rabbit ears, and the matched brown bomber jacket, captivated the room. The spirits of the establishment might have had some influence too, but either way, it was promising first step.

Eventually, the new team would take the name Rusted Shaman Circus. They would add apocalypse, pirate, mermaid, and vintage circus looks to their growing costume stable. They would win costume contests, gain the notice of celebrity makeup artists, and debut new outfits at a a one-of-a-kind airport hanger party. And this was only the beginning for a fledgling performance art troupe that started from a chance meeting on the Internet. You know what they say, truth is stranger than fiction.

When Solidarity Becomes Unity

by Rhiannon M. Bacon



For Gay Pride month, The ARTery held an event for the artistic side of the rainbow in Huntsville. We called it ARTist's Pride. This was just days after the Orlando Massacre when many of us woke up Sunday morning to the news of the largest shooting in US history. Hashtags such as #OrlandoStrong were trending, as were the images of Florida performers (and performers all over the country) holding their hands, making a heart, standing in solidarity. 

The tragedy was felt deeply by us at Rusted Shaman Circus, and one of the art projects we did at ARTist's Pride, a week later, was a photographic collage. We asked people to participate in the project by holding their hands in the symbol of a heart. Later we would organize the photos in a rainbow collage. In the long run, we were really asking people in community spirit to stand on the side of love. 

It is now a month later and many more horrible things have happened in our country, and around the world. I kept putting off finishing the collage as more things happened. Solidarity no longer seemed the right word. Standing in solidarity is something you do when something happens to other people and you are not involved in it. We are ALL affected and involved by violence ANYWHERE. Yet, it is more important now than ever to remember what we are really made of, and what we really stand for. 

As I worked on the photos, which are only close-ups of hands, I thought about the people they belonged to, and I tried to remember what the people posing were like. It wasn't as easy I thought. With only their hands, a commonality, I had a hard time distinguishing modifiers like age, sex, and even race - they all become a little difficult to guess. Someone whom I knew was middle-aged might end up with hands looking like a teenager. Someone with tanned, sun weathered hands might end up looking middle-eastern. When all these things that we make divide us are no long discernible, they dissolved. 

Of course, we all do look different. We all are different inside, too. But we don't have to let that divide us. We can focus on our commonalities and stand in unity; we can focus on our differences and come out stronger.

It was a wonderful, unexpected consequence of making this artwork. Make things. They will always surprise you.

Did you participate in our project? Click on the image to make it bigger and see if you can find your hands!