Queen of the Night, Christian Dior, NOLA Carnival, More!

So far 2014 has been nothing short of an art marathon. When I began working on the show Queen of the Night at the end of September, I had no idea I would be building new installations in the scintillating netherworld of the Diamond Horseshoe through March. Just when I thought the venue couldn’t get more opulent (or decrepid- depending on what room you are in)- set designer Douglas Little says ‘It needs MORE!’ Over the course of the winter months, I worked diligently with my seasoned cohort Jessie Flynn. We built bizarre sculptures out of champagne glasses lined the spiral staircase. The venue staff watched in horror as our flute towers grew. How could these seemingly precarious glass towers withstand the impact of the drunken masses? Never underestimate the power of precisely placed Loctite epoxy- and prayer... So far, so good!! We styled a rope tassel installation for our beloved mascot Luisa the Jaguar, revamped the ‘coral’ columns in the main ballroom, (changed the color, made larger, and sculpted dozens of golden jewels onto the façade,) and began an overhaul of the Mad Distillery bar. Next week I will be back on set to touch up a hot wax installation. Every time I step foot inside the Diamond Horseshoe, I am grateful for the life experience of getting to be an artisan hand in creating such a beautiful and unusual place.

In between jobs on set at Queen of the Night, I worked on a few installations in the Bergdorf Goodman windows. It is my 9^TH year as a freelancer in the BG visual department. In March, we did an uber ornate tropical rainforest Christian Dior spring extravaganza. My favorite aspect of working in the windows is when we are creating over the top surreal environments, that then become the ephemeral, bizarre backdrops of my life. I found myself at midnight in the spray booth, painting and glittering life size tropical plants and had a moment of satisfaction acknowledging that this is what I love to do and am especially grateful for the times I get paid to do it. 

                              Fashion by Christian Dior, Window design by David Hoey

Shortly after installing the BG Christian Dior windows, I found myself in another ultra surreal environment- styling decor for the Black Party at Roseland Ballroom with the team from ARCH Productions. This job was especially bittersweet because it would be the last time, I’d ever step foot in this hallowed venue. I fondly remember Roseland from my teenage years of going to massive raves and concerts (hanging out backstage with cypress hills!!) and as an adult working fetish events and tattoo conventions. This month the historic venue shuttered its doors and will soon be demolished to pave the way for yet another god-awful high-rise luxury condo. As a native New Yorker and an artist this trend is excruciatingly painful for me. My history has been paved over to the point that none of my coming of age landmarks are left. NONE. At times this makes me downright venomous. However, working on the new Diamond Horseshoe venue was healing in creating something new and beautiful in the heart of NYC that also paid tribute to my showgirl past life. As I spent my final day in Roseland setting up a sensual harem in the VIP section for the most epic gay sex party on earth, I thought maybe I will come back and help build a futuristic leather daddy rave club in my next life. R.I.P Roseland Ballroom. I will always love you.

 

So while the NYC I love is being gutted by ravenous developer vultures on a daily basis, leaving town and visiting other inspiring cities is great medicine. In March, I went down to New Orleans during Carnival for a fantastic adventure with my dear friend, costumer designer Charlotte Lily Gaspard. This talented maven can be found working in the costume shop at Julliard, the Public Theater, and the Delacorte for Shakespere in the Park. Our entire trip to the Big Easy was a whirlwind of decadent parades and parties, that required a minimum of three costume changes a day. Within two hours of stepping off the plane, I was at the 9^th Ward Marching Band parade and realized that for the denizens of New Orleans, costuming is SERIOUS. It is a visual representation of status and cultural pride. Charlotte brought me to a bonafide ‘Ball’ in Chalmette that featured a few enormous costumes she had been commissioned to make. The scale of the costumes was nothing like I have ever seen before!! Many were the size of a NYC studio apartment. Thus the term ‘costumes on steroids’ was born. I left New Orleans so deeply inspired with visions of getting wayyyyyy more ambitious with my own costume designs. Charlotte is currently teaching me how to make more sculptural headdresses and is taking orders for her unique custom designs.  Cheers to new inspiration, and a life of art adventures!!

The stars are on the ground in New Orleans!!!

For more pix from our epic New Orleans Carnival adventures, check out the full album on the Parades, Parties, and Protests page.

**Queen of the Night @ The Diamond Horseshoe**

Deep below the bustling streets of New York City's Times Square theater district, in the nether regions of the Paramount Hotel lays a glittering world that pays tribute to the ghosts of theater and showgirls past. In its hey day, the Diamond Horseshoe was the "It" caberat club of the 1930s and 1940s that catered to New York City's fashionable set. The club shuttered its doors in the 1950s and remained dormant for 60 years until NOW. After many months of extensive renovations the Diamond Horseshoe has been revived and transformed into a labyrynth of spectacle that is home to an exciting new show. *Queen of the Night* is brought to you by a powerhouse team of internationally renowned producers and creative directors from the immersive theater, subversive nightlife, and fashion world. The cast of characters include playwright and producer Randy Weiner of the smash hit 'Sleep No More', Tony winner director Christine Jones, Thom Brown costume design, fashion maven Giovanna Batagllia as art director, and Douglas Little set design. The show boldly weaves theater, circus, fetish, and fine dining, while guests are immersed in opulent decor and sensual experiences. The evening is presented as a “dark debutante ball” given by the Marchesa, played by the striking Martha Graham dancer Katherine Crockett, with a supporting cast headed up by the Montreal circus troupe 'Les 7 Doigts de la Main.' Set designer Douglas Little brought me on to work as a scenic artist on his specialty installations at the Diamond Horseshoe. He is my creative soul mate, a very compatible blend of Scorpio glamorous, macabre, sex, magic. Executing his concepts is currently one of my greatest passions. My days were spent covered in beetles, butterfly wings, crystals, shells, glitter, and hot wax. I am deeply grateful for this dream job experience that I will remember for the rest of my life.

When I went on a site visit to the Diamond Horseshoe back in September it was not much more then a dry wall construction sight. I spent my first few weeks working out of a sprawling design lab on Park Ave sourcing materials, making samples, and hitting the pavement. HARD. There I was happily reunited with one of my favorite art partners in crime Jessie Flynn, who spent the last year building out the set for the highly acclaimed show ‘Sleep No More.’ As production got underway, the fabulous corset designer Paloma Soledad took on the role of Douglas’s daily assistant, and Jessie and I were sent over to the Diamond Horseshoe to work on the first of many secret rooms. We spent nearly 3 weeks COVERED in hot wax. 2013 was the year of the HOT. WAX. SITUATION. Just when I thought we might actually die from hot wax poisoning, our boxes containing 15,000 butterflies arrived from Thailand. Let the mandala’s begin!! Jessie and I took turns managing a small team of artisans, while simultaneously executing our own intricate butterfly wing mandala designs. I had fantasies about creating art with these delicate wings in a silent monestary on a mountain top, when in fact we were doing a site specific installation in the middle of high traffic construction site. The process was extremely arduous, but the final outcome is divine :)

 

2013 held a shocking revelation in that hot wax rivaled my love for sparkles! Nothing has ever rivaled sparkles before... Set design by Douglas Little

 

 My teammate Jessie Flynn is one of the most talented, hardworking gals that I know. She has a sharp eye, a steady hand, and she is NOT afraid to get dirty.

 The 'power gingers' Douglas and Paloma working through the wee hours, conjuring magic in the Park Ave design lab.

Upon finishing the wall of butterfly wing mandalas, we took a 2 week hiatus while Douglas went on a design job in Korea. I took that time to recover from severe sleep deprivation and a self imposed latte withdrawl. When Douglas got back from Korea, I embarked on another round of specialty installations. This time without the other assistants. My role morphed into the next level of personal assistant, project manager, and art installer. The ability to multitask reached unprecedented levels! My projects included extensive work on three of the secret rooms, embellish a sirens lair laden with thousands of iridescent shells, the Queen's molten wax chamber, adding beetle wings to compliment the butterfly mandala wall treatment, jewel encrusting columns in the main room, styling a dilapidated crystal chandelier installation, and numerous other extravagant details. While managing the different teams of freelancers, I would remind the new people that a big part of creating the magic is the installation must be seamless. Nobody should be able to tell whats underneath it or how you did it.

           

A Sparkles and Jessie Flynn collaboration on the first butterfly mandala template and team leaders of the installation of the wall treatment. So grateful for our solid comradery and good flow. Thank you Jessie Flynn!

                               Custom bejeweling by Sparkles for column in main ballroom

After the Bergdorf holiday windows went up, my teammate of the last 8 year Sean Slaney joined us at the Diamond Horseshoe to style out multiple specialty installations including the 'Mad Distillery' bar. Sean and I have collaborated on a few wild installations so far this year, including this vintage chandelier falling through the champagne tower.

                              Sparkles heading up custom design beetle treatment for dining table.

Fabulous beetle table assistant Cherish rocked it!!!

With the show scheduled to open on New Years Eve, 12-15 hour days became the norm, often starting with 7am call times. At this point everyone involved was pushing themselves to the max, pouring their entire being into creating this show. The performers rehearsed so intensely. All the designers, directors, and producers were in meetings around the clock. The carp and scenic team hadn't seen daylight in weeks. It was exhilarating to be surrounded by people who are so deeply passionate about what they are doing. It became very clear to me that this line of work is an endurance sport. It takes just about everything you have, so you do it because you love it. As the days went on, everything was becoming increasingly surreal. My ability to concentrate on making very meticulous, detailed art was supremely tested as the performers were running tech, contorting, tumbling, writhing, and hanging from the ceiling, the director periodically yelling “orgy from the top!” being invited to try newly designed pearlescent cocktails at the Mad Distillery bar, or being tied up and whisked off by the performers so they could practice their one on one encounters with me. On  the final day before opening night, the director Christine excitedly pulled me up on stage to test out the audience participation elements. One minute I'm meticulously gluing beetle wings to the wall (40,000 of them!), and the next I am on stage being robed with rubber gloves, goggles, and a mallet... All in a days werk! Such a dream job, so very grateful!! The show is now open in previews getting great press, including New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Architectural Digest, and more. If you are interested in attending the show, tickets are available on the Diamond Horseshoe's website.

                                                              TADA!!!!!!!! <3 <3 <3
                                       Installation by Sarah Sparkles, Jessie Flynn and crew
             Set Design by Douglas Little for 'Queen of the Night' at the Diamond Horseshoe

*Bergdorf Goodman Holiday Windows 2013*

The fall production season rolled in full force this year, with a slew of rotating window installations, and holiday window production out at the Bergdorf warehouse. This is the time of year I live for! Where all I do is make art for a living, all day everyday on a dynamic team of highly trained artisans. This year’s theme is ‘Holidays on Ice,’ a wintery interpretation of iconic annual holidays. I worked on components for the Arbor Day, Valentines Day, and Halloween windows. I was also assigned my own take home project, of jewel encrusting a sleek black cat. 

                         Production artists Sarah Sparkles and Mia Radysh glittering the bloom

                              Production manager Demetrious Argyropoulos plays mad scientist 
                      with the resin's chemistry to create the authentic effect of ice-covered foliage.

Window design by David Hoey. Fashion by Giambattista Valli Couture and Oscar de la Renta

Holiday windows on display at Bergdorf Goodman 58^th Street and 5^th ave. through January 5^th

Black crystal p*ssy- custom jewel embellishment by Sarah Sparkles

 

                                  Sarah Sparkles, Jessie Flynn, and Douglas Little bejeweling
                                  the Bergdorf black widow spider at the Sparkledome studio.

 

Crystal spider and web designed by Douglas Little

 

'Glittering, high Gothic masquerade' Window design by David Hoey. Fashion by Naeem Khan.
Holiday windows on display at Bergdorf Goodman 58^th Street and 5^th ave. through January 5^th

In October, I took an unprecedented leap during holiday window season to work on the forthcoming show Queen of the Night assisting set designer Douglas Little. Queen of the Night is brought to you by a powerhouse team of internationally renowned producers and creative directors from the immersive theater, subversive nightlife, and fashion world. The show boldly weaves theater, circus, and fine dining, while guests are immersed in opulent decor and sensual experiences. Initially my days were spent in a sprawling Park Avenue office extensively sourcing materials, hitting the pavement, and making samples. Once onsite at the Diamond Horseshoe, I spent many days covered in butterfly wings and hot wax. For now that is all I can say about that. Queen of the Night opens New Years Eve 2013.

This production season was seriously hardcore!!! While working 7 weeks on set full time, in my free time* (haha) I was crystal embellishing props for Bergdorf, launching my book Parades, Parties, and Protests, stage design for Mermaid Lagoon, décor for Bette Midler’s Halloween party, and performing at VOGUE- worthy exclusive events with my old friend Chris Flambeaux.You might ask how this is humanly possible? Well. Anyone who knows me well, knows that on any given day, my bed is COVERED in Swarovski crystals. And truth be told I spent the last 2 months sleeping with a crystal encrusted black cat. Yes! There were many days I would wake up and work from 4am-7am to bejewel the cat, then do emails, and then put in a full day on set. It was that crazy… And I loved it!!!! To live at full capacity, high on art, and adrenaline, doing what I love every waking moment possible is what I live for.

Fashion Week Windows, Bronx Botanical Garden Installations, and More!

 In my world, when Fall Fashion Week roles around, the Bergdorf windows go back into full swing and it is like going back to school. This happens during the last week of August, while many of my friends are traveling Europe or having their minds blown at Burning Man. This year's Fall 2013 Fashion Week windows celebrated the prolific 1980s fashion illustrator: Tony Viramontes. The windows featured installations that incorporated a large collection of his original prints, archival photos, and copies of the newly launched book 'Bold, Beautiful, and Damned' on the late artists life work.

After installing the Fashion week windows with my BG teammates, the next art adventure was missioning up to the Bronx Botanical Garden to oversee the de-install of the Wild Medicine: Healing Plants from Around the World exhibition that I helped install back in May with designer Douglas Little.  The Bronx Botanical Garden is one of my favorite venues to work in. It was a fantastic experience to install the Cacao hut in a simulated rain forest (minus the mosquitos!!!) and the Tea Pavilion overlooking a stunning tropical pond and lily pad installation. I apologize for not mentioning this installation sooner. I often have multiple projects in motion, but I fully intend to post more events and installations while they are still underway in hopes that more people will enjoy them.

                                                                       Tea Pavilion

                                                                        Cacao Hut

 Creating installations that are interwoven with nature is such a deep pleasure. In the final days of summer, I took a trip up to Growing Heart Farm with friends. We harvested wild flower and trimmed the over-ripe trees to acquire the decor for our community celebration.

 

                            decor by Mikiko Murakami, Ashley Cambell, Eduardo Darancou,
                                                         Kayla Jo, and Sarah Sparkles

Now the Fall season is officially in full swing. YAY!!!! The past few weeks, I have been out at the BG warehouse in full holiday windows production mode... I'm not allowed to post any sneak peaks from our secluded art lair, but I will say there has been a lot of glitter involved. I was also given a take home project-covering a featured prop entirely in Swarovski crystals. Needless to say, I am a happy girl :)

This photo was taken over the summer in the Bergdorf studio, where I was silver leafing for days... Xmas in August. Yes. Welcome to my world.

And if full blown Bergdorf holiday window production, and ongoing installations wasn't enough- I have just begun working for a massive theater set production that opens in December, am preparing to perform and do installations for multiple high end Halloween events AND planning the full-on launch party for my book Parades, Parties, and Protests at a unique, fabulous venue in Williamsburg on October 10th. If you haven't already- please like the Parades Parties and Protests FB page for more updates about the book. Last but not least, my first batch of hardcover books has arrived, and is officially available on Barnes and Nobles website. WOOOOOHOOOOO!!!!!!!  This is shaping up to be a seriously exciting season!! Stay tuned :)

Summer Shenangans: Chashama Gala, Mermaid Parade, Casa de Curiosa, and More...

 Summer time... and the livin' is.... HOT!!! Holy heat wave NYC. Now that I finally installed an AC in my bedroom, I am recovering from a (much-needed) mental vacation. Lots of swimming, sleeping, day dreaming, and walks in the woods. After so many months of working around the clock on finalizing my book, while working numerous art job... I needed a break. And whether I wanted one or not, 90+ degree weather for days can make that happen... In the meantime I have begun to start catching up on spending quality time with friends. As I sit down to write about the art adventures of late, I realize that many of my friends are interwoven in this story and are a huge source of inspiration. So grateful!!!

In June I was invited to be one of the featured artists for the annual Chashama Gala curated by AHzconcepts. Chashama is a fantastic arts organization that offers the invaluable service of providing New York City artists with free or low cost studios and gallery spaces.  For the Gala, I performed with my old friend Flambeaux as a live "human candelabra." He cast a mold of my body on the beach at Coney Island and at the event hosted an interactive installation, where the audience was invited to build a hot wax sculpture on my body. I was also asked to create an installation to compliment the performance so I designed the "Crystal Mandala" backdrops to invoke the essence of an altar. The show was a huge success, I far surpassed even my own expectations. :)

 

 

Shortly after the Gala- around the time of the Summer Solstice, is one of my absolute favorite days of the entire year: Mermaid Parade!!!!! It has been ordained as one of my high holy days. A national holiday! Better then Christmas. FOR REAL. Every year I get together with a group of my friends- some seriously talented costumers- and parade through the streets of our beloved home to the freaks- Coney Island. It is a special day when the faery mermaid pirate folk get to show New York City just how real magic gets ;)

Mermaid Day would not be the same without a romp on the beach with my dear fellow siren Kai Altair. The Brooklyn-based songstress/dancer produces the annual Mermaid Lagoon event to raise funds and awareness for the protection of our "Mama Ocean"

 Every Mermaid Day, my friends turn it out SO HARD. Some of them are in the ranks of the most talented costume designers in New York City. This year did not disappoint. Here are a few of my favorite costume moments from Mermaid Day 2013.

                                                        Kat Wise- Mermaid Parade 2013

                                                Machine Dazzle- Mermaid Parade 2013

                                                      Darrell Thorne- Mermaid Parade 2013

                                      
  Every year I design new costumes and accessories in preparation for Mermaid Parade. One of my greatest passions in life is designing and bejeweling costumes, jewelry, and accessories for glorious occasions of ethereal transformation.

 

                               Mermaid necklace, bra, and bag by Sarah Sparkles 2013            

2011                                                              2012                                                            2013

After the mermaid parade, I jumped ship and headed up to Casa de Curiosa-(also known as Curio and the Spire) my dear friends magick house in the mountains of upstate New York. Curiosa/Curio is the home of my dear friends Veronica Varlow and Burke Heffner. Burke designed this majestic creation after losing their old house in a devastating fire. Burke, Veronica, and lead carpenter Tyrone Featherly spent many months building this house, at times accompanied by different factions of our gang. One year ago, I was on the 4 person team that painted this epic 47ft tall castle. This summer we focused on the less glamorous, but very important work of doing returns (house moneyyyyy!) and cleaning up the grounds to transform it from a work site into a beautiful home.

 

                                       Casa de Curiosa/Curio- Designed by Burke Heffner

Back on the home front, all I want to do is go to the beach and swim laps in the pool. But a girls gotta pay them bills. In the past few weeks, I have worked with the Bergdorf visual team doing installations for all five streets of windows at the Men's and Women's store. I also started to prep props for the holiday windows out at the warehouse, and will be in the BG studio a few days this coming week working on holiday production. Yup, Xmas in July. Welcome to my world :)

Last but not least, the final stages of producing the hardcover edition of my book Parades, Parties, and Protests is fully underway. There have been some snags, but the end is near. The softcover is already available on Amazon. When I have the final hardcover book in my hand, that is when I will savor that I have just finished writing a book. In the meantime now that my brain is cooling off, I'm currently working on content for the website, FB page, and planting the seeds for fall launch parties. More info to come! Happy Summer <3