There are dozens of people who will be collaborating to bring about The Clock and, as our project progresses, you’re sure to see their mugs on this site. The people below are the main stakeholders within our small, but ever expanding Community Art Circus.
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Board Chair, Lead Cat Wrangler
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Marrilee Ratcliffe has been a writer, bartender, goat herder, library builder, limbo contest winner, mechanical engineer and a very proud municipal public servant. All of this experience has well prepared her for this next chapter of her life: being a ringleader in this Community Art Circus. Elephants and clowns need not apply.
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Board Secratary, Mandala Maker
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Kanya Lyons graduated from the University of Texas with a Bachelor of Science in Radio/Television/Film in 1999. She currently works for the Austin Public Library as the Public Information Specialist. In her spare time she makes stop-motion mandalas with the help of her daughter, Sachi. You can see some of her recent work here: www.andamandala.org
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Board Member, Lead Designer
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Dave Umlas has been involved in many large art construction and design projects, both private and commercial. Building on experience constructing theatre sets, he’s since moved on to wooden sculpture and metalwork, usually involving fire in one way or another. He hopes these projects will help people find the creative spark within them. He hopes to stay with this circus and never again have to run away and join the office.
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Board Member, Sound Specialist
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Jonathan Sylvan, aka Jonny5, strongly believes in the intangible power of music to transform and engage. J5 graduated form the University of Texas at Austin where he earned a Bachelor of Music in Music Theory with an emphasis in Electronic Composition. Interested in a synthesis of the natural and virtual worlds, a place where communication technology and art intersect, J5 is interested in interactive multi-media presentations and installations which explore the relationships and boundaries between the organic and the synthesized, the human and their medium of evolution.
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Board Member, Jane of all Trades
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erinbeth donnelly has been on adventure after adventure since jumping on a greyhoud bus from newark to reno soon after graduating high school. she has been a loving nanny to many families, built things out of other things, painted on scraps, performed with fire, taken many pictures, and has traveled most the united states with her dog. right now she is probably somewhere riding her bike to read a book or take pictures.
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Photodocumentarian, Kung Fu Master
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The Ira interest sent the spark and Kodak Instamatic gift photography 7, but is serious in the age has pursued the photography until on black & white darkroom class in San Francisco. In will relocate to Austin later (by music ambition in brains), he will start to experiment by the digital photography & choice movie process. In his spare time, the Ira performance drum is “I is precious, precious gun”, a place belt recently included in “2007 worst belt name onion’s name list”. He and study praying mantis style kung fu in American Kung Fu institute in Austin. Ira had first decorated corridor demonstration in recently eastern part Austin studio tour period. His work thinks the characteristic in 2006 the “calendar and to count his photograph in the” ignition person to appear inside “Kung-Fu a” magazine coming soon.
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Lead Carpenter
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Kaleb Allen’s artistic purpose is to bring a sense of wonder and whimsy to the people of the world. His “Surrealism NOW!” campaign has bewildered thousands of people from around the globe. He has been instrumental on many large projects and is skilled in metal work and custom furniture design and fabrication.
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LNT Coordinator
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Derek Menningen has spent almost all of his time on one stage or another. Most of the time it has been backstage, building, wiring, climbing, and jerry-rigging. During the last five years or so, the (C)ommunity has taken a front seat in most projects, pushing him along, testing him, and every time rewarding him. This time around you will probably find Derek educating the public on the “Leave No Trace” principle. You might find him monkeying on the clock too.
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Do it All Doll
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Miss Rebecca “Page” Smith is a multifaceted spitfire of an artist. Wood, metal, glass, fire-hooping, – her interests, abilities and energy have yet to find any boundaries. She is also patient, kind and compassionate, being a gifted teacher of children with special needs. Her future holds Montessori school training for these children and more brightness than we can describe. Miss Page holds a large match for the fire we are setting to the world.
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Super Handy Feel Good Obnoxitron
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Trevor Goodman is an always well meaning, very hard working, incredibly LOUD fella. And he nearly always has a smile on his face. He is a welder, an actor, a painter, a giggler and lover of life; he is well grounded and tied to a very long string. His Enormous Plans of Creative Glory are far reaching and very exciting; and we have every confidence that he will achieve them all.
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Flame Effects Engineer
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A sculptor and fabricator, Visker’s artistic jackassery and redneck ingenuity shines brightly in all of the oojah and oddities he creates. Though he working in a variety of mediums, ViSKER is most recognizable for his award-winning art cars Stumper, Noggin del Fuego II, Garden of Life, Slugodactyl, and Mr. Grote’s Ice Scream Truck. www.viskerkustoms.com
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Metal Work, Carpentry, Support Staff
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Izzi B., nee Noreen Long, has been playing with crayons and play-doh since she was old enough not to eat them. She has been honing her metal working and other skills over the last ten years. She really enjoys working on large collaborative projects, and is pleased to be part of this one.
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The Ears Have It.
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Sarah Skidmore has a fiery bright future. Skilled in oils, acrylics, watercolors and pastels, she has an impeccable eye for blending the surreal and the intimate from this realm. Her works are generally whimsical and poignant. She has recently been interested in glass and metal work and this project has served to increase her wood working and ‘cooking for 20′ skills.
Management, Flame Effects, Carpentry
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Julie Birsinger is an architect with a passion for, in no particular order, chickens, extreme Christmas light decorating, high performance building design and wacky waving inflatable arm flailing tube dudes. In recent years she has been the Restoration Project Manager on the infamous Beer Can House. And she is Super Mega Fun to be around.
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Carpentry, painting, outfitting
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Ava Thomas is a bucket of silly with a bachelor’s degree in journalism, a handful of years’ worth of newspaper reporting experience, a couple of political campaigns under her belt, and a new found penchant for welding and metal sculpture. Hobbies include large community art projects, losing herself in carpentry and metal work, long walks on nonexistent beaches, donating her spare time to Burners Without Borders, and setting things on fire. She has a heart of gold and a twinkle in her eye that says, “Mischief mine!”
Bar Raiser, Smart Guy
Berkey is a fan of the flaming arts. If you can set it on fire he wants to be there. His attention to detail can either be attributed to OCD, or the outlook of an eight-year-old. With a background in both I.T. and carpentry he has the ability to be comfortable working in varied roles. After recently relocating to Austin from Gerlach Nv., Berkey looks forward to being involved with more large scale community art projects.
Wise Prankster
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Shanta can typically be found exploring progressive synergy through community oriented & socially responsible labor. Additionally, he specializes in project facilitation, problem solving, self-organizing systems, consensus building, conflict resolution, social engineering, strategy & tactics, cultural studies, research & development. He also knows the best jokes.
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Katherine&Chris - Spire Production
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Katherine Searcy builds outdoor art installations to foster congregation and reflection. She is a ninjaneer, a weapons grade groover, and a serious problem solver with a love for hard math and power tools. Katherine finds a way to realize the vision. She and Chris Lord are frequent collaborators; their past projects include several large shrines, indo-persian archways, intricate wooden street spires, and a plaza-sized fountain. Katherine is grateful to be surrounded by brilliant flames every day.
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“Above all, we are coming to understand that the arts incarnate the creativity of a free people. When the creative impulse cannot flourish, when it cannot freely select its methods and objects, when it is deprived of spontaneity, then society severs.”
- John Fitzgerald Kennedy
