Artista And Fashionista Seeks Photographers

This year I decided it is due time I embrace what I truly love. Costume. I have always loved to dress up. Even as a youngin. Over the years I have obtained a huge obscure collection of costume pieces. When I started hooping my collection got bigger. In 2009 I want to take on what might just be my biggest project yet. I would like to do an exhibit using photography and location to capture 20 costumes I am creating within the year. Each costume will have a specific location where it is shot that directly relates to the theme of the costume.

I am seeking local photographers who are interested in documenting some of these costumes. If the show goes as planned there could be up to 20 local photographers involved, I can provide killer costumes, make up and location. I cannot afford to pay for the photography but can promise that this show will have great exposure for those who participate.

The Shooting would not happen until the spring and summer of 09. Mostly shoots would be outdoors. If you are interested please contact me or respond to this post. I am anticipating this project to be a fun filled sassy adventure in self-expression and look forward to creating and collaborating with some of the very talented photographers who live in the valley.

Oh MY Goodness am I ecxited!!!

My show at faces opens in 6 days!!!! 4 years I have worked for this and it is finaly almost here! I feel like a kid at X-mas! These Burning girls have been waiting a long time to strut thier sassy stuff and now atlast they get thier day-(or 31 days) to shine, shine shine. I can not begin to express what this experience of co creating this window had done for me. I have learned so many things from working with the two desighners of Faces. I feel a surrge right now and a artistic shift is a comming. Faces has inspired me to THINK BIG, outside the box and to go for what I want and have always wanted! I am starting to think a lot more about making instaltions and massive sculptures that I can bring to Burning Man. I am thinking about theater and music and circus and costume. I am honing in, I am figuring out who I am as an artist and I must say it feel prety damn Good! Viva La Burning Girls! Viva Las Sass!

Megan E. LaBonte Brings Miniature Magic To Faces Holiday Window

Please stop at Faces on Main Street in Northampton and join local artist Megan E. LaBonte in welcoming the holiday season to the Pioneer Valley on December 5th, 2008 for the unveiling of a fantastic, magical miniature installation. Megan's work will be on display in a festive parade that will truley capture the imagination and hearts of many. Exuberantly inspired by the bizarre fashion and artistic-cultural phenomenon of Burning Man, Megan has created a series of work entitled "Burning Girls" consisting of over 70 handcrafted dolls and art objects. This instalation is a litteral mini wondreland packed full of fun fashion and celabration.
Megan is a long-time resident of and well-known character in Northampton, known for her hula hooping and performance art as well as her collage and mixed media installations. She has been showing her distinctive art creations in store windows for over a decade.
The opening night of this display is on Dec 5th. There will be a viewing of the window between 7:00-7:30. Questions for the artist? Megan will be there to converse about her work. A specially designed ramp will afford children an up close view. Hot chocolate and chai will be served on the street. Children and parents alike will relish in the visual imagery of this a prolific group of miniature fashionistas and handcrafted dessert divas.
Come the Holiday season in Northampton residents and visitors alike excitedly anticipate the holiday displays. Viewing the December Faces window has become a Northampton tradition of its own. You will not want to miss this Sassy, seasonal celebration!

Some thoughts on being an artist

Been thinking a lot in my thirtyith year about what it means to be an artist. Being an artist is not an easy path. Being an artist comes with a lot including presure and expectation but also it comes with passion and skill. I don't think I could live life any other way than the way that I am living. I love being an artist, I love having the power of creation at my fingertips. I live to create the next project. As I am growing older I am realizing that art is a very broad term. I am ejoying so much being able to cultivate the musical side of myself I have so often neglected.
I am 3 weeks away from my opening day at Faces. I have been building thier christmas window in the basement for over a month now. This is by far the biggest window I have ever taken on. The scale that I am used to working in (minatures) is about 3-7 inches. The Faces window is 23ftx 6ft. This is quite a jump for me. It has inspired me to do bigger instalations and starting to think about building very large sculptures. I will start creating my first big Burning Man sculpture on my dads land in the spring. My whole self in changing , the way I see the world, they way I create and what I create is changing to. I feel artisticly alive again. So much so that it is all I can think about these days.
Although sometimes it is hard to walk this path, I woulden't want it any other way!

Finding My Voice.

This Halloween for the first time in three years I left my hoop at home. Every Halloween I fill myself with great expectations of the night. Since I have learned how to hoop I have been performing on this magical night. As much as I love to hoop there is a whole secret world of expectation and pressure that goes with it. This year I wanted to be free of that and just enjoy the holiday like any other party goer. I ventured out with a small group of friends to the castle party in Montique. Brian Mque throws this party every year on his incredible property. I have heard of its legend for sometime but never made it there. Upon arrival I was thrilled and inspired to see so many people in the true spirit of this holiday. I quickly found myself under the stars around the fire. We started drumming and many joined us and brought there spirit to the fire. At one point in the night I got up and began to dance, in my tutu and leopard print to say the least I was feeling it. Surrounded by the music I began to sing. Channeling the night my voice was strong and I sang a song about what it is to be sassy. I have started singing just in the past three months, something have always loved t do but never felt like I could because of insecurities. It was a blissful feeling to find my voice and to have so many be receptive to the words which were coming from some higher place. I realized that night how I have always hid. Hid being my hoop, hid behind elaborate costumes, hid behind a shield of sass. I loved using my voice, singing songs and being musical. A side of me most people have never even seen. It was truly n uplifting experience. I think I might leave that hoop at home more often. I do not want to hide anymore.

Burning Girls: Comming Soon To A Window Near You!

Yes it's true, the Burning Girls, an instilation 4 years in the making is going to be installed at Faces Dec 1rst. I am simply thrilled to see this project finaly comming to fruition. I just want to share what a wonderful learning experience it has been to work with the Faces window desighners on this. I did my first store window when I was 20, but in my 10 years of window experience there was something misssing. That something I believe is a know how that you obtain from many many years of hard work and experience. Faces is known for thier windows, they put so much time and thought into them it is truley inspiring! I love working with them, it feels more like a mentorship then like a commisined window. We are becoming a team on this and begging to share the vision of the Burning Gorls. It is crazy to realize other artists can enter and effect the dream scapes of your creative mind!

Observations On The Human Heart.

Im my observations of my own heart I believe that hearts are close in nature to sea urchants. We swim in dangerous waters, sometimes we even seek out the darkest waters to inhabit. We open our hearts recognizing the bueaty and magic of life and love and then we get scared quickly retracting back into a state of isolation. It is a bizare ritual, one most of us know all to well. I am trying hard these days to move further out into the ocean with out getting eaten by the world and its synism. I am trying hard t stay open to the magic and not be afraid of what is out there. For living under a rock however safe it may be is not really living at all....

Feeding the fire.

I fed it to the fire
Who fed it to kali
Together they devoured.

Into the the autum air I watched it rise
then disapear
Offerings we brought her
And watched her as she grew.

Her power is everywhere
We sang to her, we danced for her.
She will not hurt you if you embrace her
She has come to help us grow.

And when in the morning I rose
I felt an air of lightness
Like something had been lifted
And my pain had somehow shifted...

Kali, Kali.

My Secret Life.

In my secret life
I drum on ancient floor boards
Surrounded by friends guitars and the stars

In my secret life I am a princess
My royality is celabrated and respected

In my secret life we sing and drum under the moon
All in awe of her lumanous beauty

In my secret life I am a force of nature
Whirling and twirling
Dancing with fire.

In my secret life I am an old wise woman
In my secret life I am a young naive girl

In my secret life we are finding our tribe
No spirits have come here accidentally

In my secret life I am a an ocean
Vast and wide.
My beauty and wisdom reflected back to me
In the eyes of others

In my secret life I am a warrior of love
I wear no gloves when battling skepticism

In my secret life there is a tribe of sprits
Watching over us.
Protecting us
Showing us how to love and create together as tribe.

I Love The Hoop Of Fire!

Update on my fire hooping adventures. Just have to say I have fallen inlove with a fire hoopng! I got my hoop last christmas and did not get to test it until June. I spent many months practicing unlit which I am greatful for. I have recently been practicing lit for the last three weeks as much as possible. My life right now consists of working on Faces Dec window and fire hooping. I have found a group of wonderful people who love to play music as much as I like to hoop. I really love dancing with fire, I had no idea how awesomley addictive it can be! When I am hooping with fire I just feel very alive and confident, I am getting better and better too. I can do it on my neck, knees and elbows now but I am not stopping there. I want to work on a whole new genra of the hoop; Flameinco Hoop Dance. A mixture of latin dance and fire. I am working with some very talented local musicians to make this a part of my act. The Sassidor is comming to life right in front of my eyes!