BEARDED & SHUCKED #7
7-CUM-11: 7th ANNUAL MERMAID MARCH IN THE DESERT
ART IN WANDERLAND, JOSHUA TREE, CA 2022
performance
with (L-R) Shelby, Alex Sheppard, Casey Sheppard, Aaron Sheppard, Gayle Austin, Mateo Ladd, Zoen
ART IN WANDERLAND, JOSHUA TREE, CA 2022
performance
with (L-R) Shelby, Alex Sheppard, Casey Sheppard, Aaron Sheppard, Gayle Austin, Mateo Ladd, Zoen
in conjunction with PRIDE, BLM, Juneteenth, Summer Solstice, Father's Day, Alzheimer's Awareness
in loving remembrance of Carole Caroompas, Cathy Allen, Ashley Fox and Dame Edna
all photos by Casey Sheppard (Case of the Nomads)
portrait by Sandra Goodin
“I don’t crave the sound of applause, I crave the sound of sharply indrawn breath.” –Dame Edna
COME ONE – COME ALL!
To the hottest show on earth (100'+)
It’s sure to wet your willy and stuff your grouse
Go ahead, hook the line, you little stinker
MO-JAV PERM-AIDS ARE SURF TO AROUSE!
YOU ARE INVITED TO THE PARADE THAT NEVER RAINS OUT!
The year's theme is 7-CUM-11
This expanded-plane phraseology (stay with me) references spiritual evolution (dontcha know),
perhaps even jazz chord transitions (la-la-la), or gambling pursuits (cha-ching),
but, for myself, it surely conjures visualizations of a VERY satisfying Slurrrrrpy pit-stop.
I invited my dear tattoo sensei, Gayle Austin, to manifest our 7th-year theme and T-shirt design; and boy did she ever deliver in shades-a-rainbow! Her beautiful T-Shirts are available online at cost + shipping for the month of June (sorry I can't manage the expense myself this year). BUT!/AND!/WAIT!...Gayle will be traveling into town with Shelby and Zoen to grace us with their radiant auras!!! YAAYYYYYY!!!
...so, as usual, please cum dressed "appropriately", mer-possums!
Pride has been extended to TWO WEEKS (MORE FIN-FUN!) this year kicking off with Bearded & Shucked (our beloved Mermaid Parade of the desert) on SAT, JUNE 17, 2023. Bearded & Shucked initially collaborated with La Matadora in 2016, so I’m excited to announce that Colleena and LaMa Gallery will host again! In tandem, La Matadora Gallery celebrates its 6th year in existence as our cultural and artistic gem, beautifying this corner of the desert. We shall par-tay!
B&S Mermaids celebrate the freakshow in us all INCLUDING direct respect for The Coney Island Mermaid Parade and its promotions of artistic expression, Pride, BLM, Juneteenth, Alzheimer’s Awareness, Mother Earth’s Summer Solstice, Father’s Day… and, of course, our treasured home of booty-and-bounty where the sea used to be, our very own Joshua Tree!
T-shirt design by Gayle Austin