Aspen Public Art calls for costume creations prior to first Mall Fest parade
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times
Aspen Mall’s first Mall Fest 50 Parade will hit the streets June 27, with Aspen Public Art inviting residents and visitors of all ages to start preparing costumes now.
The inaugural free Art Parade will be an artist-led, people-powered procession of costumes and performances celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Aspen Pedestrian Mall.
“The pedestrian mall in Aspen is known as the living room of our community. I love that expression,” Program Lead of Aspen Public Art Lara Whitley said. “It’s this idea that people and visitors can congregate in safety, free from the intrusion of vehicles and the pressures of ‘pay to play.’ So it’s always been the place where everyone can gather in this wonderful community of residents and visitors.”
Starting at 10 a.m., the Art Parade will begin and finish at Wagner Park, followed by a block party at Aspen’s Sister Cities Plaza.
The Art Parade’s theme will be: “What do you love about this place?”
“Imagination is wildly encouraged,” Whitley said. She added in a press release, “One thing I love about this valley is how big we go for costumes. It’s a way to celebrate who we are and have some silly fun as a community.”
The Art Parade Costume Contest categories are: Creative Kids, Best on Theme, Best Use of Upcycled Materials, Larger Than Life, Blast from the Past, Best Group and Grand Prize.
Giveaway prizes for the best costumes valued at up to $750 will be awarded.
To be costume-ready for the Art Parade, registration is now open for hands-on opportunities to create parade outfits beginning next month. There will be free public workshops in May and June, and a tuition-based summer camp in June.
Everyone is welcome, but “the workshops are limited to 14 people, so all the spots will fill up,” Whitley said.
Art Director of the Parade and a Teaching Artist at the Red Brick Center for the Arts Reina Katzenberger will lead the workshops along with The Project Shop, helping students build their own costumes, props or masks. Katzenberger will also lead the creation of a group costume for any participants not wanting to do their own individual design — a replica of the Silver Queen statue, according to Whitley.
The four workshops are May 27 and June 13, 17 and 25 at the Red Brick Center for the Arts, beginning at varying times and lasting two hours. Students are encouraged to bring in reclaimed fabric, materials and ornamentation, if desired.
The Costume Design Lab is a fee-based summer camp for ages 8 to 11, which will give students the opportunity to design costumes for the Art Parade. The students will take short field trips through the community and use their observations to create wearable sculptures. The camp runs from June 22-26 at the Red Brick Center for the Arts. Tuition is $385, with scholarships available.
To participate in the Art Parade and be eligible for the costume contests, all entries must follow parade guidelines and be registered for the parade, which differs from registering for workshops.
More information, guidelines and registration are available at redbrickaspen.com.
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