Posts tagged ThePoint

Point 88: LBP 2019 Review

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by Luis Garcia

Photos by Autumn Swisher

I had the pleasure to attend the 6th Congreso Internacional de Perforadores Profesionales, and as  usual the Latinoamérica Body Piercing A.C. did not disappoint. Usually held  in fall during Dia de los Muertos, 2019 brought a change with it being held in the first week of April. Many attendees and instructors welcomed this, as the warmer weather made for more recreation time by the pool. The conference was held in Taxco, Mexico for the second year in a row. Taxco is a small mining town known for silver mining and silver jewelry.

The journey to the conference starts in Mexico City. Attendees and instructors met at LBP Board Member Axayacatl Nochipa’s studio, Ónix MX Estudio Tatuaje Piercing, for registration and to wait for the four large buses that would take us all down to Taxco for LBP. Many would dread a several hour bus ride, but the ride is always a lot of fun as everyone is excited for the conference and in great spirits. Before we knew it two hours had gone by and we were at the host venue. We had a few hours to settle down and have some lunch. Then there were classes before the opening party; a relaxed dinner by the pool with traditional local performers and dancers.

Now, let’s get to the best part of the conference: the classes and instructors! This year the instructors consisted of Sergi Tinaut, Didier Suarez, Emmanuel Rodriguez, Mauricio Torres, Aldo Gissi, Alicia Cardenas, Autumn Swisher, Paul King, Elayne Angel, Danny Yerna, Erika Gomez, Jef Saunders, Roberto Briseno, and yours truly. I got the chance to check out most of the classes taught by these instructors (except for the ones that were going on while I was teaching), and as usual all were stupendous. A personal stand out for me was Mauricio and Aldo’s class How to Elevate Your Studio to its Maximum Potential. They did some interesting things to make studio owners consider how they deal with their employees, and employees consider how they deal with their managers and bosses. Their approach created a great dialogue between the two groups. Another stand out for me was Paul King’s XXX History of Piercing in Porn, which isn’t shocking, as Paul’s classes tend to be very informative and entertaining.

Let’s not forget about the coveted jewelry expo, held in a lovely old church building. This year had more vendors than ever, featuring Namaste Adornments, Xamacalli, Gold Piercing, Tsar Jewelry, GL Pyrex Jewelry, Biometal, Industrial Strength Mexico, Diamonds MX, Kraken Jewelry, Ukuri Jewelry, Inari Organics, Quetzalli Jewelry, Gorilla Glass, Kiwi Jewelry, Sacred Symbols, Maya Jewelry, and Auris Jewelry. The expo hall was often packed between classes (and a little during classes), with everyone trying to maximize their time for buying all the gorgeous jewelry.

Mid week, the organizers set up a caminata (translation: walk or hike) through town to the center of Taxco and back. Guided by locals with donkeys carrying beverages, and local musicians, we walked through the small streets taking in the local architecture and artwork until we reached the zócalo (or “main square”), where we milled about the lively area and mingled with the locals. It made for an amazing evening.

As the conference came to an end, the Gala provided an interesting way to close out the event. After  dinner we were treated to a very powerful performance from Grupo de Danza Ozomahtli and Alfredo Martinez. The performance was a fusion of traditional Mexica (Aztec) and traditional Japanese butoh dance. They took us on a journey of all the animal energies of the Aztec calendar using slow rhythmic dancing that paid homage to Tlaloc, the Aztec god of rain.

The LBP always puts on a great conference for the Latin American piercing  community,  and  I  look  forward to hopefully being invited again to participate in the future. If you are a Spanish speaker, I highly encourage you to go and take part in this amazing experience.

Point 88: Membership Committee Update

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by Monica Sabin, Membership Liaison

Membership Committee

  • Monica Sabin, Membership Liaison*
  • Pablo Perelmuter, Membership Coordinator*
  • W. Barron
  • Sabrina Egan**
  • Vivi Madero**
  • Johnny Velez
  • Cody Vaughn

* New position

** Incoming committee member

APP Membership Corner (Series 1)

Now that we’ve returned home after the 2019 APP Annual Conference and Exposition, are you feeling inspired to join the growing number of industry professionals becoming Members of the Association of Professional Piercers?

We have membership types1 for piercers, counter staff, jewelry specialists, business owners, and many more!

We would like to offer some tips to help you through the application process, including some of the common questions we receive!

  • Shoot your 360° studio walk through video horizontally—or you will have to reshoot 🙁
    • Videos that are shot side-to-side (rather than upand-down) provide an easier and more comprehensive viewing of the studio.
    • Generally this results in higher quality footage that makes the little details easier to see.
  • Before starting the application, use the Membership Requirements2as a checklist to gather all necessary documents.
    • Each application is specific to the membership type. During the application process, the applicant will be prompted for each item on this checklist, so preparing everything in advance will make the application process much more streamlined.
    • It can be handy to have all your documents organized in a folder on your computer. It will make life easier when it comes time to upload all your documents, since they’ll all be in one place!
      • This is especially helpful in situations of multiple applicants (coworkers) applying for the same studio!
    • Personal Criteria apply to all piercing membership types: Business and Associate Piercer.
    • Environmental Criteria apply to the studio location where the applicant will hold membership. Items under this heading will be required on all Business and Associate (Piercer and Non-Piercer) membership applications.
  • Renewal/resubmission of studio environmental criteria is required at least every two years if a Member joins the staff or if significant changes are made in the studio.
  • Print out the ‘Video Walkthrough’ section and carry it around with you while shooting your membership video! Everything we  are looking for is listed there, both requirements and suggestions. This will keep you from missing any areas or items, as missing items can cause a delay in application processing
  • Complete your application in one sitting
    • Neither yourself, the Membership Committee, or our Administrators will be able to access a partially completed application!
  • We want you to become a member!
    • We are our own worst critics. Many applicants tell us they fear rejection or harsh judgement. Our committee members work with every applicant directly and discreetly with any requirements or suggestions in order to help them achieve membership.
    • Every committee member is an active industry professional, working in studios. Many of us have been where you are and have all worked hard to obtain APP membership, just like you.
    • Think about it more like a mentorship, if anything!
  • Want to gain membership by the time your business opens or to attend our events as a Member? Plan ahead!
    • Application review and decision turn-around time can be upwards of 6 to 8 weeks, although the committee tries to keep that time as low as possible.
    • Pay attention to deadlines!

There are deadlines for obtaining membership for certain events such as our annual Camp APP: Members’ Retreat and our annual APP Conference and Exposition.

  • Research your jewelry companies and ask for mill or material certificates
    • There has been an influx of jewelry distributors or manufacturers using  non-conforming  titanium and making claims to meet APP minimum jewelry standards. Buyer beware! You can read more about this in Issue 873 of The Point: Journal of Body Piercing.
  • Mill certificates are typically many pages and are updated as often as a manufacturer obtains new material stock.
  • If you are provided with a one page mill certificate that is some years old, there may be an issue!
  • When in doubt, reach out to a Membership Committee volunteer or email members@safepiercing.org.

  • Checks & Balances
    • Committee members can not review applications for applicants that work in their own area.
    • Acceptances and Declinations are based off a set of fixed, publically available criteria known as our Membership Requirement.This means there is no room for personal biases to keep someone from gaining membership.
    • In all cases, applicants are notified of additional suggestions from the committee to increase health and safety in the studio.

If you have questions, someone may have already asked it in the APP Future Members4 forum. Of course, you’re also always welcomed to contact the Membership Committee by emailing members@safepiercing.org.

  1. “Membership Types,” Association of Professional Piercers, accessed August 7, 2019, https://www.safepiercing.org/membership_types.php
  2. “Membership Requirements,” Association of Professional Piercers, accessed August 7, 2019, https://www.safepiercing.org/membership_requirements.php
  3. “Issue 87,” The Point: Journal of Body Piercing, Association of Professional Piercers, published Summer 2019, https://www.safepiercing.org/docs/The_Point Journal_of_Body_Piercing-Issue87-Summer2019.pdf
  4. “APP Future Members,” Groups, Facebook, accessed August 7, 2019, https://www.facebook.com/groups/APPfuturemembers/

Point 88: The Golden Ticket Raffle

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Thanks so much to the above Conference Sponsors that contributed generously to the Golden Ticket Raffle and allowed the program to be a success.

  • Adeline Roz
  • Auris Jewellery Saint Petersburg
  • Body Gems
  • Buddha Jewelry Organics
  • Danila Tarcinale
  • Designs by Helen Andrews
  • Diablo Organics
  • Gold Heart Woodworks
  • Gorilla Glass
  • Grand Standard Displays
  • H2Ocean
  • Industrial Strength Body Jewelry
  • Jewelry This Way
  • LeRoi Inc
  • Maya Jewelry
  • Namaste Adornments
  • Netherworld Body Piercing Jewelry
  • Obscureye Designs
  • Oracle Body Jewelry
  • Origins Handmade
  • Onetribe
  • Precision One Jewelry
  • Pupil Hall
  • Quetzalli Jewelry
  • Sacred Symbols Jewelry
  • Scylla Fine Jewelry
  • Seasons Handmade Jewelry
  • Sleeping Goddess Jewelry
  • Steri-Wash
  • Steve Haworth Modified LLC
  • Tawapa
  • Tether Jewelry
  • Tsar Jewelry
  • Uzu Organics

Golden Tickets were provided (at no additional cost) to the first 500 eligible attendees who registered
for a full or partial Conference pass.
There were 50 unique winners, who received a $50 or $500 gift certificate from one of our Sponsors.
That’s a 1 in 10 chance of winning, just for registering early

Point 88: BPA: Fakir Musafar, In Pursuit of the Spirit

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From Inside the Archive: by Devin Ruiz-Altamura

I wasn’t prepared for the magic I felt when entering the completed exhibit room for the first time. I had probably handled each object in that room more than a dozen times over the past nine months, and written down their item numbers or descriptions just as many times. It didn’t make this collection any less powerful for me. I hope everyone else who got a chance to see the exhibit found it as moving as I did. This year’s  Body Piercing Archive exhibit, “Fakir Musafar: In Pursuit of the Spirit,” was our most ambitious to date. It was also the most comprehensive exhibit that has ever been seen on Fakir Musafar’s life and legacy. Featured were over 2,000 square feet of original images, digital media, and fabricated items, many of which had not been collected or displayed together under one roof since their creation. Visitors were led through the exhibit by a diverse crew of docents, all who had unique and personal experiences with Fakir himself and the Fakir Intensives School.

Fakir memorial altar, photo by John Balk

The exhibit opened with a timeline of the life of Roland Loomis, also known as Fakir Musafar. The timeline acted as a guide through the room and the objects. Next, a series of banners displaying all of the various personas that Fakir inhabited: Roland Loomis, Yogi Ankora, Fakiki, The Perfect Gentleman, Ibitoe, Golden Apollo, etc. Some of the first items displayed were examples of early corseting inspiration, and original National Geographic issues that planted seeds in a young Roland’s mind. It was extremely gratifying to see what parts of Fakir’s history were a surprise to the various docents and speakers. These little surprises really showed the amount of dedication that Paul King and Becky Dill put into their research, and the generosity that Cléo Dubios showed us in sharing some never before seen photos and artifacts. From there was a chance to see many of the various handmade masks, devices, jewelry, and tools that Fakir designed and fabricated for his own use in photoshoots and personal play.

Part of the Exhibit, photo by Devin Ruiz-Altamura

The transitional space between the first and second half of the exhibit held some of the work that served as an introduction to Fakir for many people, myself included. The film Dances Sacred and Profane could be viewed here alongside a performance Fakir did with Cléo Dubois, his wife and partner.

Photo by Paul King

Standing amongst the tour group for Paul King’s first guided tour of the exhibit, seeing Fakir on screen taking Kavadi, was another truly surreal moment for me. I remembered  being 12 or 13 watching that clip for the first time and thinking this was exactly what interested me the most. All these years later with half a decade of counter work at Cold Steel under my belt and a relatively new position with the Body Piercing Archive, I couldn’t help but be so thankful for Fakir’s unexpected influence on my life.

Photo by Paul King

The second half of the exhibit highlight ed Body Play Magazine and the Fakir Intensives School. Printed media, photography, and graphic design were all large parts of Fakir’s life; Body Play Magazine was the culmination of all of these passions and interests. Original working layouts of the magazine could be seen alongside their completed counterparts and final editions.

Photo by Paul King

The Fakir Intensives School was many people’s first hand experience with Fakir, and the foundation of so many memories. It was great photos or even be able to see themselves evolve over the many years they had attended or been an instructor. I love knowing that Fakir got to spend the second half of his life immersed in the community he desperately searched for in his early years. He got to witness first hand the impact he had on our industry, and on so many people’s lives—not something many get to experience in their lifetime.

Photo by Paul King

The backdrop for this more recent history was a grand display of the most iconic hand fabricated objects and sculpture associated with Fakir. The Bed of Blades and Bed of Nails from his first public performance at the 1977 international tattoo convention in Reno, Nevada, the Sword Swing and wooden and aluminum “encumberments” seen in various photoshoots, the horizontal suspension rig used for countless people’s spiritual flights, the Witches Cradle seen in Body Play Magazine, and the Kavadi featured on the poster for Dances Sacred and Profane. The sheer amount of work and devotion Fakir put into his spiritual endeavors and “body play” was inspiring.

Photo by Paul King

The culmination of the exhibit was a small curtained room that, once entered, dazzled the viewer with a bright display of red and gold. Before this room had even been filled, the impact of the change of color and tone brought those of us there to tears. The alter that was set up within was lovingly curated by Grin, a Fakir Intensives instructor and close friend of Fakir and Cléo. Flowers, candles, and sentimental objects were all present and served as a beautiful tribute to a person whose vast career and extraordinary life could hardly be contained within any exhibit walls.

The Body Piercing Archive would like to thank all docents, speakers, and volunteers that gave their energy, love, and time.

Special Thanks to: Cléo Dubois, Jim Ward, Annie Sprinkle, Veronica Vera, Ken Coyote, Paul King, Becky Dill, Ian Bishop, Allen Falkner, Dustin Allor, Cody Vaughn, Betty Ann Peed, Jef Saunders, Cynthia Wright, Yossi Silverman, Grin, Paul Fox, Jamie Biggers, Matte Erikson, John Balk, Theo Williams, Jenna Dittrich, Rafael Diaz, Pablo Perelmuter, Danny Greenwood

Point 88: Volunteers at Work

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Photos by Marina Pecorino

Here, and below; David Kelso and Alicia Lowe working the Registration desk during the week
Here, and below: Reuniting & welcoming new volunteers during the pre-Conference meetings and meals
Volunteers working classroom doors: Past and present Al D. Scholars, Victoria Rothman (2019) and Jamie Biggers (2016)
Mark Montgomery…
…and Ryan Clark
Here and below: Celebrating & relaxing after a successful week at the post-Conference Volunteer dinner in the Bellagio after pack-out

Point 88: The Silent Auction

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Our Conference Sponsors contributed generously, allowing our first Silent Auction to be a tremendous success. This year, many auction certificates were snagged early for their Bid Now price (75% of the wholesale value), allowing auction participants to take home a guaranteed discount on future inventory for their studios. Some bidders went the patience and risk route, which resulted in an exciting Thursday afternoon in the Auction booth. A small number of auction certificates were awarded for as little as 20% of their wholesale value!

We would like to thank everyone who participated in the Silent Auction. Your participation provides the Association of Professional Piercers with support that makes Conference happen and allows the organization to operate throughout the year.

Thanks again to our Conference Sponsors who contributed charitably to the Silent Auction:

  • Anatometal Inc.
  • Auris Jewellery
  • Buddha Jewelry Organics
  • Fakir Intensives
  • Gold Heart Woodworks
  • Industrial Strength Body Jewelry
  • LeRoi Inc
  • Maya Jewelry
  • NeoMetal Inc.
  • Pupil Hall
  • Quetzalli Jewelry
  • Regalia
  • Sleeping Goddess Jewelry
  • Steri-Wash

Point 88: The President’s Corner

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by Cody Vaughn

Hello dear readers of The Point: Journal of Body Piercing! I am incredibly humbled and proud to introduce myself to you all as the new President for the Association of Professional Piercers.

I would like to start by sharing with you all a little about myself. I was born and raised in Monterey, California. I have an amazing wife, Brittney Vaughn, and we both own and pierce at Vaughn Body Arts. We have three children and a big goofy dog named Lobo.

My love of body piercing started as a teenager while watching MTV late at night. I saw a pierced nipple for the very first time and well, here I am now (thank you, Red Hot ChiliPeppers).

I started piercing in 2004. I became an APP Member in 2009 and have been a volunteer with the Membership Committee ever since. I have also volunteered on other various APP committees on and off throughout the years, and have been serving as a Board Member since 2014. In addition to my volunteerism, I am a dedicated educator. I have been an instructor for The Fakir Intensives since 2011. Over the years, I have also had the pleasure of teaching at APP Conference and Camp APP in the United States, LBP in Mexico, and ruAPP in Russia. During my APP Board terms I have served as Vice President, Membership Liaison, and now as President. Needless to say, things have been very busy and exciting these past five years! But that is enough about me, let’s talk about APP Conference!

A few years ago a survey was sent out to APP Members requesting their feedback for Conference. The overwhelming response was that Conference makes the most sense in Las Vegas from a financial and entertainment standpoint. At the request of the membership, we started looking at other hotels to host our Conference.

Some were too small and couldn’t physically house all our attendees. Others were simply too expensive for the daily room rates. Then we toured Planet Hollywood. Making a very long and work-intensive story short, Planet Hollywood looked like the perfect next step for our growing conference.

Now, I’m one of those people that gets used to things and am fine with familiarity. I was always quite fond of Bally’s. I knew where everything was located. Huge group hangouts at the bar were always a sight to see. So why change it? I walked into Planet Hollywood thinking, “well if everybody wants a change of scenery, so be it, but what was wrong with Bally’s?” I am happy to say that I was wrong. So very, very wrong.

Our Conference at Planet Hollywood was simply fantastic. The overall look of the hotel felt updated and refreshing. The rooms were comfy and felt new and modern. And every room had a fridge!! (It’s the little things.)

The easy walk directly from the elevator to the conference space and Expo was incredibly convenient.

It felt wonderful to travel to and from classes without having to go through all the cigarette smoke on the gaming floor. I had the opportunity to speak with a lot of first-time attendees, long-time attendees, and vendors. The overwhelming amount of positive and enthusiastic comments about the new location were simply amazing.

It felt so good as a Board Member to hear how happy attendees were. Personally, this Conference was truly memorable because of the tributes for Fakir Musafar. Fakir was a friend of mine, my boss at The Intensives, and an altogether fun person to be around. He always seemed to have a new story I had never heard about something he did at some point. Did you realize Fakir was a puppeteer on a children’s television show for a little bit?

The Body Piercing Archive’s Fakir exhibit was breathtaking. In my biased opinion, it is their most amazing exhibit as of yet. Seeing all the amazing pictures and original items from Fakir’s body play journey and photography up close and in person was surreal.

Docent tours were lead by Cléo Dubois, Ken Coyote, Ian Bishop, Jef Saunders, Dustin Allor, Allen Falkner, Annie Sprinkle, Cynthia Wright, Betty Ann Peed, and Paul King; the tours were wonderfully done. Hearing each person’s unique relationship with Fakir was a memorable treat that I’ll never forget.

What a Conference! Smiles, tears, hugs, laughs. It was an emotional rollercoaster for sure.

I don’t want to give away any surprises, but with our next Conference in 2020 being our 25th anniversary, it is safe to say it’s going to be a special one.

Thank you for having me as a Board Member these past five years! I look forward to one more year of service and I look forward to learning with you all at our next Camp and Conference

Point 88: From the Editor

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by Marina Pecorino, The Point Editor

Conference this year featured several sessions on the topic of representation and accessibility. I attended a fantastic discussion from Vanessa Delgado of Eastern Washington University on the topic of Cultural Competence and Inclusion, where the distinction between equality and equity was discussed. I was also allowed to share space with some of my POC colleagues during the POC: The Power of Color and Representation roundtable. I came home more aware than ever of the importance in using our individual platforms to help elevate those around us. Since returning from Conference, I have had more industry professionals than usual reaching out with an interest in volunteering or submitting articles. I love this!

Bring it on.

APP membership is not a requirement for submissions to this publication, although we do encourage Members to submit. We welcome writing, images, and video submissions to editor@safepiercing.org.

Is industry related writing, photography, drawing, and/or videography not your forte, but you’d like to help the organization and industry flourish? Or are you frustrated with an aspect of the organization that you’d like to see change? Maybe you just have an incredibly keen eye for details, fantastic organizational skills, or are particularly tech savvy. If so, I strongly encourage you to email volunteer@safepiercing.org. Julie Taylor has a survey to help identify your areas of skill and interest, enabling the organization to pair you with an appropriate APP Committee or project. There are dozens of people working behind the scenes for the Association of Professional Piercers all the time, sometimes from across the globe. Join us and our companion organizations like, LBP1, UKAPP2, RuAPP3, APPE4, and the brand new AUPP5. You can read about some of their international conferences and contributions later in this issue.

Representation is imperative in all its forms to ensure the diversity and well being of our community. Get involved. Be seen and heard. Add your perspective to our shared history.

1https://www.lbpiercing.com/

2https://www.ukapp.org.uk/

3http://ruapp.pro/

4https://www.appepiercing.org/

5http://safepiercing.org.au/

Point 87: Walk on the Wild Side with Annie Sprinkle

Comments Off on Point 87: Walk on the Wild Side with Annie Sprinkle read Body Piercing Archives, Conference, Events, Features, Industry History, Issue 87

by Paul King, Body Piercing Archive

On the cover of Piercing Fans International Quarterly (PFIQ)
Annie in the Mobilia Chair
Shopping for photo lights with Fakir Musafar in the early 1980s.

Having Dr. Annie Sprinkle speak at our conference has been a personal dream of mine for years. For those familiar with our community’s history, she needs no introduction or explanation for her importance, not to mention her greater celebrity within the performance art and adult entertainment worlds. She will be sharing her-story Wednesday May 16, 2019, at 12:30pm.

Don’t miss this unique opportunity to see an original lecture created just for the APP Conference:

Take a Walk on the Wild Side: an Exploration of Annie Sprinkle’s NYC Underground Piercing Scene.

Most often our piercing history has been told from a Westcoast male perspective. For the first time, Annie will take us deep inside the East Coast piercing scene: the parties, publications, films, and crazy personalities of the 1970s’ and 1980s’ New York.

Annie Sprinkle was a NYC prostitute and porn star for twenty-two years, then morphed into an artist and sexologist. She has passionately explored sexuality for over forty years, sharing her experiences through making her own unique brand of feminist sex films, writing books and articles, visual art making, creating theater performances, and teaching. Annie has consistently championed sex worker rights and health care and was one of the pivotal players of the Sex Positive Movement of the 1980’s. She got her BFA at School of Visual Arts in NYC was the first porn star to earn a Ph.D..

She’s a popular lecturer whose work is studied in many colleges and Universities. For the past seventeen years she has been collaborating on art projects with her partner, an artist and UCSC professor, Elizabeth Stephens. They are movers and shakers in the new “ecosex movement,” committed to making environmentalism more sexy, fun and diverse. In 2013, Sprinkle proudly received the Artist/Activist/ Scholar Award from Performance Studies International at Stanford and was awarded the Acker Award for Excellence in the Avant Garde. –Annie Sprinkle