Dragon*Con Costuming Track

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BIOs

Panelists & Guests
Davey Beauchamp - Freddy Clements - Pamela Cole - Cruxshadows -
Marty Gear - Cheralyn Lambeth - Scott Merrill - Sharon Morgan
Chris Mueller - Dr. Chris Smirthwaite

Track Staff
Brian Holloway - Veronica Hitch - Renee Huff - Misty Burton - Julia Kessler - Justine Dalke

Panelists & Guests
in alphabetical order by last name (where applicable)

Davey Beauchamp davey_beauchamp

Davey Beauchamp is the editor of the Writers for Relief anthologies, a charity project featuring the works of top science fiction and fantasy authors. He has written a Young Adult novel, The Amazing Pulp Adventures Radio Show Starring Mister Adventure, which has been turned into an award nominated podcast.

Freddy Clements - Jacksonville State University freddy_clements

Freddy Clements is currently a Professor of Drama/Faculty Costume Designer at Jacksonville State University in Jacksonville Alabama. He holds a BA in English/Theatre from Emory & Henry College, VA 84 and an MFA in Costume design from Virginia Commonwealth University, VA 88. He has designed costumes for various theaters including Wayside Theatre in Middletown VA, CPCC in Charlotte NC, Converse college department of music Spartenburg SC, Barter Theatre in Abington Va and Theatre In The Square in Marietta, GA. On the University level he has taught courses in costume design, costume construction, stage make-up and advanced stage make-up.
You can contact Mr. Clements at jsudesigner@aol.com.

Pamela Cole - Costumier pamela_cole

Pamela Cole worked in the costume industry in the Chicago area all through high school and during college. She is a graduate of Goodman Theatre in Chicago with a costumier degree, where as she is a degreed designer and builder of costumes. One of the foremost authorities in period pieces in the southeast, Pamela has been designing costumes in the Atlanta area for over 35 years, serving major dance companies, opera houses, theatres, and reenactors in all time periods. Mrs. Cole is currently working with the Capitol City Opera Company on the production of "Don Pasquale." With an impressive and lengthy work resume, Pamela Cole has been judging costume contests for Dragon Con and various costuming guilds and conventions for years.

Cruxshadows

Always a crowd pleaser, Jessica and the girls with the Cruxshadows Fairies have long been Costume Track favorites and good friends as well. Join us this year as we invite the Cruxshadow, Rogue, Jessica, and their fairies back to discuss costuming for Goth and production events. Visit www.cruxshadows.com.

Kathleen O'Shea David - No Strings Attached kathleen_david

Kathleen O'Shea David started working with puppets when she was 2 and over 40 years later she is still "wiggling dolls" for fun and profit. Along the way she picked up a few more skills and careers. She has done just about everything from cancer research to rock and roll. Some of her favorite jobs have been in puppetry, theater and publishing.

"Negima". She is a book editor, the owner of No String Attached (Custom Puppets, Masks, and Dolls), and mother to Caroline David. Her costumes have won awards at various science fiction conventions both for performance and workmanship. Her puppets are in collections all over the world. Current projects include a puppet show based on two short stories by Neil Gaiman, making her Fairy Grandmother dolls, finishing up her novel, and creating the other puppets that keep running round her head screaming, "Make me real!" Check out her web space at: http://kathodavid.malibulist.com

Marty Gear - International Costumers' Guild marty_gear

In the 21st century, the future of costuming doesn't lie with the traditional sci-fi conventions and costuming events. Participants in those events are growing old, and it's harder to find the sort of youth and enthusiasm you need to keep any hobby going. That sort of enthusiasm can be found with Marty Gear. Gear and his late wife, Bobbi, were part of costuming before the parents of many of today's costumers were born. Gear has been part of the ICG since before anime conventions were fashionable, and he's tried to bring these notoriously independent events in line with the guild's costuming categories and judging guidelines. We welcome Marty back for his second year and he is sure to bring his wisdom, warmth, and genial nature to our events.
For more information about the ICG, go to www.costume.org

Cheralyn Lambeth cheralyn_lambeth

Cheralyn Lambeth is a professional prop, costume, and puppet builder/performer whose work includes multiple feature films (The Muppet Christmas Carol, Leatherheads,) TV shows (Dinosaurs!) and various interactive properties (Star Trek: The Experience at the Las Vegas Hilton.) She also writes nonfiction "ghost story" books with Schiffer Publishing.

Scott Merrill - Alabama Shakespeare Festival scott_merrill

Travis Scott Merrill does not remember a time in his life where he didn't have a need to create something from something else. Evan as a child he would take apart his toys and turn them into something new. Thankfully, he had a very understanding mother and a father who ran a boyscout camp that started him with wood and leather crafts at a very early age. All this combined with a grandfather who taught him all he needed to have his very own rocket ship in his backyard were two steel drums, a dryer door and his imagination, led him to believe he could build anything with hard work, an active imagination, and an understanding of his tools and materials.

He started Jacksonville State University as an art major and found theater by way of make-up effects. Once in the theatre his art talent flourished, painting murals in the scene shop, sculpting in the prop shop, and various mask making projects. He found his ability to see various shapes and how the could go together clicked with draping and pattern making. And one day realized, he was a theatre professional. It is difficult to tear him away from the costume and props shops. There are so many tools and so many things he can not wait to build. As a costume crafts artisan all his training in art, costumes and props all came together. For his resume, visit: www.crafts4stage.com

Sharon Morgan - Altered Tyme Corsets sharon_morgan

Sharon Morgan is the owner of internationally known Altertyme Corsets and is one the foremost expert on modern corset making. She has made corsets for various independent artists, most recently in Atlanta made independent film Psychopathia Sexualis. She has freelanced at several Atlanta based theatres including the Alliance, and worked for the JSU Opera as the costume designer. She spent three seasons at Tony Award winning Utah Shakespeare Festival as the senior costume tech and wardrobe supervisor. She is currently the Cutter draper, assistant costume shop manager, at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Theatre. She has understanding of historical thread tracing, which is a system of graphing to derive a pattern from the original garment without destroying or damaging the garment.
Visit www.altered-tyme.com.

Chris Mueller - Freelance Costume Designer chris_mueller

Chris is proud to be back for his second year as a costuming track panelist at Dragon Con. Chris is a recent graduate of the MFA Costume Design program at Virginia Commonwealth University and is currently embarking on his new career asa freelance costume designer. As a costume technician Chris has worked in regional theatres across the country as both a cutter/draper and patternamaker, and as a costume craftsperson. As a designer, he has barely scratched the surface with work at nationally acclaimed Hartford Stage Company and Long Wharf Theatres and an award for graduate level costume design from SETC.
Chris has also spent time as an educator, teaching three years of beginning costume construction at VCA, classes in costume crafts, and seminares in kilt-making. He has studied under Tony Nominated Broadway Costume Designer Toni-Leslie James, costume historian Liz Hopper, as well as Freddy Clements, one of his colleagues that is a guest panelist to the Costuming Track.
All that said, Chris still dedicates his love of costuming to Star Wars, Halloween, and all things Sci-Fi.

Dr. Chris Smirthwaite - The Smile Centre chris_smirthwaite

Dr Chris Smirthwaite is principal dentist at The Smile Centre, a multi-award winning dental practice in Cornwall UK. He has a special interest in cosmetic dentistry and dental implants, and is a regular presenter at national dental conferences. Chris has been a regular visitor to Dragon*Con for several years and has an active interest in role-play gaming and costuming. Chris says, "I spend most of my working day trying to turn beastly smiles in beautiful ones, it makes a great change to come to the 'con, and help turn beauty into The Beast!"

Track Staff

Brian Holloway - Costuming Track Director brian_holloway

Brian began his theater career at age of 7: appeared in a regional theatrical production of Fiddler on the Roof with his father. Since then, the acting bug has hit hard and became a full-time commitment. Although he dabbled in the medical field for a short time, he could not be kept long from the bright lights and appeal of the stage. After receiving his BFA in Performance Arts, he toured nationally with several theater organizations for about seven years and could be seen headlining in productions ranging from Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing and Henry IV, Parts I and II to musicals like Big River, Man of La Mancha, Kiss Me, Kate and Jekyll & Hyde, to name a few.
Brian got into science fiction when he was still in high school in Utah and has been and avid and regular convention attendee since he was 15. He also received theater degrees in costume and makeup design and has won national and regional awards for his design work. He even had costume designs for an original theatrical piece, HOTLINE!, displayed at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. While in Utah, he was fortunate to befriend Paula Crist, an actress and stuntwoman for productions like Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Battlestar Galactica and the TV series Planet of the Apes. Paula got him connected to the film industry and he has been fortunate enough to land limited work in such productions as The Patriot, Last of the Mohicans, Domestic Disturbance, Doctor Who: The Movie, Highlander: The Series, Shallow Hal and Star Trek (an extra in the background in The Motion Picture and in the Voyager episode "Nemesis").
Brian now lives in Charlotte, NC, and has had the great fortune to meet such wonderful people there and has learned much from local celebrities and fellow con-goers such as Cheralyn Lambeth, the 501st Squadron and the SCA Wardrobe Guild.
<email Brian>

Veronica Hitch veronica_hitch

This is Veronica's third year serving the costuming track. She was head of the costume department at Gordon College last year and is likely to be an assistant in the costuming shop at Kennesaw State University for the Fall semester, where she is a Theatre major. We are very fortunate to have her dedication and talents again this year.

Renee Huff renee_lassar

Renee learned to sew in self-defense. She loved doing reinactments, but the cost of the clothing was hard on a college student budget. Besides, it's all rectangular construction- how hard can it be? Well, after almost twendy years she's still fascinated by the different construction techniques for each period. She has dressed peasant to noble from Early Norse to Regency French, with a few Civil and Spanish-American War outfits thrown in. She plans her vacations around costuming displays, and has left drool marks on glass cases across four countries.
She's a jeweler by trade and her hobbies include fabric hoarding, writing, and playing with hot metal.
She is a regular fan of the Costuming Track and has been a contestant in the Costuming Contest since it's first year. We are very thrilled to have her come over to our side as a staff member this year.

Misty Burton misty_burton

Misty is a Georgia native and has been attending Costuming Track panels at DragonCon for the past three years. She enjoys finding new ways to be creative with whatever materials are handy at the moment. Although her career is in the field of elementary education she also finds time to create and sell jewelry as well as work with digital photography. Recently she has spent some time assisting the special effects team associated with Highland Rogue Films on the current project Plague of the Damned, directed by Jesse Bowden.