Today we’d like to introduce you to Alice Wilson
Hi Alice, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’ve been a creative kid since I could hold a crayon. I suppose it started as a youngster, memorizing songs, poems, & parts in plays for church. By middle school I was participating in community theatre helping with props & eventually as extra parts on stage. I earned my undergrad in theatre performance from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 2004. I acted in a lot of small theatres in Milwaukee through 2018. I’ve worked as a figure model for artists & art classes since 2004 so that’s where the skill of being able to hold still for a long time came into play (pun intended). In the mid 2000’s I got to know a lot of people in a circus & sideshow troupe back home called Dead Man’s Carnival & began appearing in their shows off & on doing skits, comedic burlesque, etc. I had my own sketch comedy troupe from 2009-2014 called The Marvelous Unspeaking Troupe of Entertaining Scoundrels (The M.U.T.E.S.). In 2015 I did my first still character, a living painting of the Mona Lisa. After that I just kept thinking of additional ideas & creating more characters regularly. Since 2015 I’ve done about 31 or 32 characters.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
There have been some potholes in the road for sure. I have to regular apply to festivals, look for events, repair costumes, change out costume pieces, etc. The majority of events I perform at are outside so I contend with extreme weather conditions, getting pooped on by a goose, people occasionally doing things that are kind, etc.
The pandemic was the big one though. I am still recuperating financially from that.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
My specialty is performing living statue characters. They are what I’m most known for. I am most proud of creating a living for myself doing mostly creative and performative things and getting accepted into one of the most prestigious artist residences there is…Chateau Orquevaux, in Orquevaux, France. I did that for 2 weeks in August last summer 2023.
I made a new character there which I only recently named La Dame De La Fleur Bleue (The Blue Flower Lady).
Living statue as an art form is become more and more popular in the states but mine stand out because of my quality costumes/paint jobs, and makeup. The sheer number of characters I do sets me apart as well.
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
God & the people I love that love me back. Doing what I can to make the world just a little happier is important to me.
Pricing:
- $300 starting base rate
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gingerwhimsymke?igsh=YW5rejBwdTg3em53&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100080051124795&mibextid=LQQJ4d
Image Credits
C. William Hartmann
Keith Heffner