I am recruiting hearty weirdos to be part of the Mermaid Brigade, an elite force dedicated to reveling in the absurd and making sure an 8-foot-tall reverse mermaid sculpture doesn’t topple during its travels along the Takoma Park, MD 4th of July Parade route.
In May, I received a Weird and Wonderful Grant from the parade committee to create a life-sized, three-dimensional recreation of René Magritte’s Collective Invention. This is something I’d long wanted to do, as I’ve recently made plaster legs and fish bodies. I’m thankful for this opportunity!
Somewhere along the way of building the sculpture, I realized how sad and dreary it would look if I were to pull this monstrosity through the streets of Takoma Park on my own. Also, while I’d planned out the sculptural components, I hadn’t fully accounted for the movement of the sculpture, especially over hills. I could use your help!
Here are some questions you may want to ask and the answers:
What would I do?
One or more of the following:
1) Make sure the sculpture doesn’t topple.
2) Hand out stickers to kids.
3) Smile, wave, and encourage the audience to embrace absurdity.
4) Hold signs with surrealist sayings such as “ce n’est pas un défilé” (This is not a parade) or “The imaginary is what tends to become real.” I will make several.
5) Things I haven’t thought of yet that would add to the event and won’t require me to go over budget or make more things on short notice.
How long is the route?
The parade route is about two miles. I’d also like some people to help me walk the sculpture from my house to the parade, about a half mile each way. Art is suffering.
Will it be hot?
Yes. Very.
What should I wear?
Red, white, and blue, undersea themes, mermaid themes, or surrealist themes all work. Something else? Yes.
Why would I do this?
This is an act of defiance in the face of growing conformity! I don’t know if that’s true, but it will be weird, and we’ll do it together, and that could be fun.
Are kids invited?
Smaller kids may not do great in these conditions. Older kids may be helpful and able to endure the physicality of the endeavor.
Can I ________?
If you have read this far, you may be a creative oddball and have your own ideas about what to add. Contact me about it. I want to say yes to you, but I also want to stay thematically cohesive.
Still there? Please click here to sign up.
