Posts tagged point 64

Point #64: President’s Award – Sarah Wooten

2 Comments read Awards & Recognition, Conference, Events

Elayne Angel_high resBy Elayne Angel

One of my favorite things about serving as APP President is that I have the “job” of bestowing an annual award. There aren’t any formal or established criteria for me to follow, and in some ways that makes it even harder to reach a decision on the winner. That said, when I came up with the idea of naming this individual, I knew it was absolutely the right choice.

I wanted to make it clear during my brief speech at the banquet that it shouldn’t only be the super-sparkly, outgoing, attention-getting folks (such as myself) who are noticed. I wanted to recognize someone who is hardworking and highly participatory, but in a quieter, more behind-the-scenes way than some of us.

This person studied photography at the Art Institute of Chicago in 1992-93. They have been a professional piercer since 1998 and an APP member since 1999. This piercer worked in a studio as an employee for eight years, until 2006 when that business closed. They opened their own studio in 2007. This person is incredibly devoted, dedicated, consistent, and cares deeply about doing quality work.

This recipient has served admirably on the Conference Committee since it formed in 2008; she also volunteered at our annual events before that. She handles a task that is surely one of the most daunting and difficult with grace and compassion: She wrangles all of us speakers and our handouts and PowerPoint presentations so they are ready for Conference. Her patience and diligence are beyond measure. I’m a little embarrassed to admit she’s even had to goad me at times to extract my presentation materials.

Not only is this woman a wonderful piercer, a respected colleague, and a fantastic employer, she is also an amazing mother. She has aptly been described as “The APP’s best kept secret.” This woman has earned my deepest respect and is so deserving of recognition for her efforts on behalf of the industry and this organization.

Sarah WootenMy selection for the 2013 recipient of the President’s Award is Sarah Wooten.

Thank you so much Sarah for all that you do. You earned this award so quietly and gently, yet thoroughly. Congratulations!

Preferring to make receiving the award a positive and pleasant experience, I did not require her to address the audience at the banquet. I am aware that this woman of many talents does not have public speaking high on her list of favorite things to do. So instead I suggested that she write something for The Point and here it is:

“I am feeling honored, humbled, and a little overwhelmed with having been chosen to receive the 2013 APP President’s Award. I like to joke around that I have some sort of obsession with volunteering, but the truth of the matter is that it’s one of the most rewarding aspects of having a career in this industry. I strongly believe that the APP has done an immeasurable amount of good for piercers, both for our industry and for our community. To me, the ability to give back by donating my time and energy in such a direct way is really gratifying. Being a part of the Conference Committee allows me to work closely with people I respect and admire, and to help create this wonderful educational event that benefits fellow piercers. I had no idea in advance just how much hard work goes into each year’s Conference, but the result makes the effort more than worth it.

I’m incredibly thankful for the recognition. It makes me want to work harder and to do more. I’d also like to take this opportunity to encourage others to consider volunteering in some capacity. There are so many different ways to reach out and give something back, and I promise you’ll be glad that you did.”

Well said, Sarah!

Point #64: Josh A. Prentice Volunteer Award

1 Comment read Awards & Recognition, Conference, Events

Caitlin McDiarmid headshotBy Caitlin McDiarmid

I love that I get to give out the Josh A. Prentice Volunteer Appreciation Award each and every year. Unfortunately, as the years go by, there are fewer and fewer people who knew Josh and worked with him at Conference. Josh (then and now) reminds me to reach out and really find out how people are doing in their lives: to be genuine, give with the whole of your heart, smile more, and say you’re sorry when you make a mistake—and move on. He was just one person, but he still made a difference.

This year’s Josh A. Prentice Volunteer Award recipient is Luis Garcia.

Last year, as I was walking through the banquet hall getting ready to give Gus Diamond his award, I wondered to myself who would be the next recipient. At that very moment Luis walked by me, and I immediately thought, “Jesus, why did you not think of this before?”

This is what I know about Luis Garcia:Point64-Volunteer Award

  • He’s always been super friendly toward me.

  • He has an infectious smile.

  • He’s an amazing instructor at Conference.

  • He served as a board member, and he served honestly—with no bullshit, during a difficult time.

  • He can be brutally blunt, but always gets the job done.

  • He’s got pretty jewelry.

  • As a volunteer, he’s stood close to me many, many, many times while we figured out how best to solve complex problems that arose at Conference.  He understands the reason why we are here—and how best to serve the industry, the APP, the Conference, it’s attendees and vendors.

  • He’s got the respect of most—if not everyone—in our community.

  • He’s been an APP member since 1999.

  • He’s able to teach pretty much anything, and has done so at the drop of a hat.

  • He has a very big voice, gives big hugs, and has a big personality.

  • He is blessed with an abundance of passion.

Recently he talked (on Facebook) about his favorite flower being the passion flower. He called them Maypops, which I had never heard of, but somehow made sense coming from him. I don’t take his classes, but he’s taught me just the same—about being a good manager, about facing difficult problems head on, about being direct when you speak, and showed me how passion gives you strength in all things.

I think everyone in the banquet hall felt that I made a good decision in honoring Luis Garcia with the Josh A. Prentice Volunteer Appreciation Award. He is just one person, but he continuously makes a difference in his studio, at Conference, and in his life.

Congratulations Luis.

Point #64: Volunteer Thank You

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Caitlin McDiarmid headshotBy Caitlin McDiarmid

Our 18th Annual Conference and Exposition has come and gone, and I am proud to say it was our biggest success, personally and professionally. It’s been a tough year, and I have to toot my own horn, I f***ing kicked its ass! But I also didn’t do it alone, and a lot of the people who take care of things at Conference took care of me this entire year.

Throughout the year, I felt their love and their support. I got their cards and their presents during a tough time. They were strong, positive, and present. They shaved their heads, they got tattoos, they visited. This year—more than ever—I needed them and Conference. I needed all of the hugs, all of the laughs, all of the quiet talks in the wee hours, and all of the frantic moments solving problems as a team. I needed to know I mattered, that my work mattered, and I needed to know my team could step up and take on just a bit more and still shine, still produce a brilliant event. They could and they did.

I was so happy that I made it this year: happy and grateful.

Moreso than in years past, I need to thank the Board of Directors and the Officers of the APP for their support of me and my family. There really is no way for me to express how much having an employer with a heart can mean in times of need, and I want to thank them from the bottom of my heart.

I also need to thank all the attendees for their warmth and recognition. So many strangers come up to me these days at Conference and thank me, and it makes all the work worth it.  (I’ve received thanks at the Banquet Dinner before, but this year it really was something special.)

This year all the “Super” volunteers went through advanced online training—some more than one session—and many of whom pitched in to help with review of schedules, organization, and training. This year, we added four “Super” volunteers and three “Supers in training” (Al D.’s that we felt were exceptional last year). The Supers really are the backbone of the team; they do all the heavy lifting (so-to-speak) at Conference, and I have learned the more I stand back and let them do their work, the more successful they become—and the better the Conference is.

Registration Supers:

  • Alexander Kumaritakis

  • Anna York

  • David Kelso

  • Kendra Berndt

  • Theo Sheffler

  • Marah Kelso

Booth and Classroom Supers

  • Aaron Foster

  • Casey Hosch

  • Zane Nichols

  • Tiana McGuire

  • Kenny Hughes

  • Chadwick Jackson

  • Luna Duran

  • Autumn Spinks

  • Danielle Greenwood

  • Jezebel Voulé

  • Kristin Young

Our AV Supers

  • Gus Diamond

  • Allen Falkner

  • Brian Moeller

  • Badur Ramji

Supers-in-training:

  • Ken Seyler

  • Andrew Rogge

  • Monica Sabin

Special thanks to Will Spencer and Sarah Wooten; they are both “Super” volunteers and serve on the Conference Committee. They are my friends and work extremely hard in their respective areas of Speaker Wrangling/Registration and Raffle; they have my back all the time, and I could not do this job without them.

We were graced this year with another outstanding group of Al. D. Scholars—they rivaled the “dream team” of 2011! They were extremely excited, incredibly humble, warm, and hardworking. Many of them gave impromptu thank-you speeches at the shuttle stop, and all of them grabbed the Conference experience with both hands and dove in.

  • Mike McInnes

  • Shorty Calma

  • Frankie Pistone

  • Nathan Grosvenor

  • Apple Murray

  • Dianna Brown

  • Jacob Spjut

  • Jane Marie Ravelo

  • Parker Webb

  • Ryan Feagin

If that list seemed longer than usual, it’s because it was. Thanks to JD Lorenz and Industrial Strength Body Jewelry, the funds for two additional full scholarships were made available—in Shannon Larratt’s name.

Believe it or not, I have a few more people to thank. In fact, I have more people each year approaching me to volunteer, and I hope that means that we are doing things right—that volunteering isn’t seen as a burden, and that people are beginning to understand that acting in service to the organization at Conference brings about a different level of joy.

This year’s love volunteers were:

  • Shannon Dey

  • Madicken  Engström

  • Brianna Belladonna

  • Kelly Zeien

  • Megan Naito

  • Chris Smith

  • Eric Grippe

  • Jared Silverman

  • Mark Montgomery

  • Marley Cote

  • Mike Araya Baker

  • Seven Wolfe

  • Justin Naffziger

  • Shea Derifield

I would also be remiss if I didn’t thank Courtney Maxwell and all of the mentors who—hopefully—made Conference a bit easier and more welcoming for our first-time attendees.

A special thanks to:

  • Gus Diamond – for giving “T” the tour, and for being you.

  • Sarah Wooten – for never ending hard work, showing that you’re human, and for introducing me (and others) to Bouchon.

  • Jezebel Voulé – for saving my ass before Conference and for making it sweat after (paddleboats).

  • Theo & Kristin – for schlepping me around Vegas.

  • Jacob Spjut – who got it, truly got it, this year—and shared it with me, so I knew I was doing things right.

  • Will Spencer – for stepping in and up on a moment’s notice when needed.

  • Courtney Maxwell – for showing grace and strength; for showing me how to fall down, get up, make the most of it, and turn it around so fast and beautiful it made my head spin. Now that’s a teacher!

And finally, every year I thank the two men in my life—Paul King and Thaddeous (“T”) Love—and this year is no different. Without these two guys I would not be the person I am, or be able to do the things I do. I was lucky enough to share part of my Conference experience with “T” this year, and I thank all of you for welcoming him, razzing him, hugging him, and making him see how wonderful it all is. (Thanks babe, for being there through all of it.)  And Paul, we’ll always have Paris.

Point64-Volunteers

Point #64: Shadow Suspension Experience, Body #5

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Jason Pfohl headshotBy Jason Pfohl

“Anonymous and uncertain, suspended in stress, the body realizes its obsolescence. Its stretched skin becomes a gravitational landscape. The suspended and pacified body is obsolete but not yet extinct. It has desires but does not fulfill them. It feels pain but remains silent and stoic. A body that neither thinks nor shows emotions. A suspended body is a zombie body. It does not think because it does not have a mind of its own nor any mind at all in the traditional metaphysical sense. To be suspended is to be between states. To be neither one nor the other. To be in suspense is neither to be able to participate in the present nor to anticipate the outcome.”
– Stelarc

I feel my naked body’s weight on the ground with ten hooks already through the skin on the front of my body. My hands grip the central wheel of the mainframe over my head, opening and immobilizing my chest. My gaze is aimed at the ceiling, focused on the central swivel system and the winch. My sight is obstructed and narrowed by the strap that will support the weight of my head when we are lifted into space, but technicians float in and out of my peripheral vision as they prepare the rigging, connecting the framework to me and to the other five bodies.

Time is temporarily suspended. Thoughts flicker through my mind. My Point64-Shadow Suspensionpassing memories and emotions are only a reminder that I am losing my identity as an individual and becoming a mechanical support unit for a larger entity. I repeatedly return to focus on my breathing and observe the stillness of my body lying on the ground, interrupted by cycles of trembling and an accelerated heartbeat. As the lines connecting us are tensed and adjusted, pulling the skin upwards, I collapse my weight inwards, testing the elasticity of my skin against gravity while preparing for the inevitable.

The observers in the audience who expected a performance will be disappointed; this is not a theatrical event for entertainment. There is no concern for time limitations. Instead, this is the vision of the futurist artist, Stelarc, made into reality by Havve Fjell and his technical support team of more than thirty people from nine countries. Wearing face masks and nitrile gloves while the rigging is threaded and adjusted, Havve and his crew operate with the smooth efficiency of a medical team combined with the knowledge of alpine explorers, carefully calculating weight bearing loads and the practical concerns of lifting six bodies into the air. The hush in the room, and the rise and fall of the murmur of the audience as expectation builds, is all I know of the progress the technical crew is making. My nudity feels clinical rather than artistic: I am a specimen, an experiment, disposable. Our bodies can be replaced by other bodies that meet the same size and weight parameters. We are no longer individuals but structural elements, spokes on a wheel.

With a jolt, the amplified sound of the winch announces the bodies’, our bodies’, departure from the ground. The machine has no empathy and no concern for human sensation; a switch controls our position in space. I cannot see the others, as my movement and vision is constrained, but I am aware of them through the tension in the hooks in my skin. We are a single entity.

The technicians make adjustments.

There is no applause.

Point 64 - Shadow Suspension 2The structure begins to spin. There is no sense of being lifted, just the amplified sound of the winch as we are raised and lowered. The jolt on the hooks and flesh is the same regardless of upward or downward movement. The shadows on the ceiling are spinning, but I cannot make out individual bodies; we have become a living-kinetic sculpture—a biomechanical support system of six bodies alternating between tension and relaxation, spinning in Earth’s gravity. Time remains suspended. We spin faster and then slower; we are raised and lowered. I feel like the ghost inside the machine; deep serenity combined with awe of the sublime beauty of the constantly moving shadows in my peripheral vision.

Eventually, Stelarc’s voice informs us that the experiment is almost over.

The amplified sounds of the winch announce our return to the ground with the same cold indifference that hoisted us into space. The technicians reappear to unplug the bodies from the metal structure. The cones formed by the rigging quickly disappear, and the tension is cut. The bodies are released and the wounds from the hooks are cleaned and bandaged. We rise again to our feet, once again human.

About the performance: “SHADOW SUSPENSION WAS A COLLABORATION WITH HAVVE FJELL Point64-StelarcFOR THE DALLAS SUSCON 2013, ORGANIZED BY ALLEN FALKNER. IT WAS HELD AT THE LAKEWOOD THEATRE, DALLAS ON MARCH 30, 2013. 6 BODIES, 3 MALES AND 3 FEMALES, WERE SUSPENDED HORIZONTALLY FACE-UP IN A HEXAGONAL CONFIGURATION. THE BODY STRUCTURE WAS SPUN, WHILST WINCHED UP AND LOWERED DOWN AND THE SOUNDS AMPLIFIED. AN AESTHETIC SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM OF CAMERAS POSITIONED ABOVE, BELOW AND A HAND-HELD CAMERA ENABLED STREAMING OF THE PERFORMANCE FROMA MULTIPLICITY OF VIEWPOINTS. THE DURATION OF THE SUSPENSION ITSELF WAS 23 MINUTES.”
— STELARC