If you’re going to raise money for a charity, you might as well have fun — and Jody Morlock definitely knows all about that.
Feathers, beads and big Hearts: Jody Morlock ’s masked ball in the East Village is a wild night for animalsIf you’re going to raise money for a charity, you might as well have fun — and Jody Morlock definitely knows all about that.last week, was a benefit for the Humane Society of New York.
Morlock, an East Village based artist who has been “immersed in the downtown art and fashion scene since the 1980s,” has a résumé that includes designing jewelry and accessories for Patricia Field, touring worldwide with Cyndi Lauper as her makeup artist, spending 20 years as a makeup artist for The Daily Show,” creating large scale sculpture for charity and commissioned artwork for restaurant environments, such as the one created for the renowned chef Charlie Palmer. Morlock’s work also adorns the walls of Pangea, the lovely bar/restaurant/cabaret that generously donated their space for the ball .
The theme of the evening was “Tribal,” and even though it was billed as a masked event, Morlock wasn’t being very strict about it.
“You don’t have to have a mask on,” she explains. “It’s really just for artists who want to participate, and if you have anything on, that’s the fun part! I always tell people, ‘Just put on a Zorro mask, you don’t have to make some fantastic creation. ’ The most important thing is just to come and support the charity.
”Photo by Bob Krasner The first 20 guests got a gift bag with an original piece of art by Jody Morlock Morlock didn’t have to worry about a lack of creativity, as the night was filled with more than enough fabulousness. Chara Tappin, who won first prize in the costume contest , spent the last year creating her costume using several knitting techniques, including crochet and Tunisian knitting.
Carri Skoczek, who calls herself the “Craft Queen” of Broadway’s “Phantom of the Opera,” threw together her mask at the last minute, using necklace beads and ostrich feathers and bits and pieces of fabric that had been discarded from Phantom. The voodoo doll necklace is decorated with baubles and trinkets that mostly came from things that friends have donated to her, as well as stuff that she bought in junk stores.
The second-prize winners, Jesse Aviv and Tay Dun, found inspiration in Morlock’s art, which is held in the private collections of Johnny Depp, Jon Stewart, and others.
“I was so touched”, Morlock says. “They had painted these masks, which were from my drawings. Theirs had a very African, modern theme look to them. ”Photo by Bob KrasnerChelle Bee in one of the masks that she created for the ball.
She took home third prizeChelle Bee, who took home the third prize, made not one but two masks, which impressed the two judges, Pat Oleszko and Chris Tanner. She used a 3D printer to make the mask bases and then bedazzled every inch of them. Unable to decide which one she preferred, she ended up bringing both and switching between them all night.
One of the better creations was out of the running for a prize, as it was made by Morlock for the woman she calls “absolutely my muse. ” Francesca Vuillemin, an in-demand astrologer, was wearing a costume that was made just for her.
“She comes into a room and she just works the room with charm, you know, everybody loves her. She’s my charm pollinator,” says Morlock, “so I made her a beekeeper. ”“I dressed as a samurai because I love the Met section of the samurai and I always wanted to do something with that,” she explains.
“But now that I think about it, I think it was a subconscious metaphor for going to battle with our current political climate. Seems to fit a personal narrative! ” Sandra DeFeo, executive director of the Humane Society, was unable to attend but said she was grateful for the ball, which raised around $800 for the charity.
“I have known the amazingly talented Jody Morlock for over 40 years,” DeFeo noted. “I always think of Jody as the beautiful girl with the golden heart! Always so kind, giving and caring. The Humane Society of New York is truly honored to once again be chosen as the recipient of Jody’s Masked Ball.
This very meaningful support from Jody’s event will help so many animals receive the care they need. ” For Morlock, who “loves animals and will always have a dog in my life,” the evening was successful on another level as well.
“For me, the joy is in the creating. The rest is just pure fun,” she muses.
“It was just such a fun night, I just enjoy it so much. ”The Villager, founded in 1933, is an award winning weekly newspaper serving New York City’s West and East Villages, Soho, Noho, Little Italy, Chinatown, and Lower East Side.
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