Milwaukee Artist and Performer Wears What She Creates (and Travels the Globe with her Craft)

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Ginger Whimsy has a variety of gigs. She has quite the creative flair and does many different things to pay the bills. Living statues are probably her favorite.

You create costumes and perform as human statues at various venues. Give us a few examples of the characters you portray.

Sometimes called living statues, not all characters are human. I do Puck, the mischevious character from Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream, Rosie the Riveter, a pirate and dozens more.

You design your own costumes for these statues, which often have a greenish cast to replicate a statue. What is your process of creating a costume?

I went through a lot of trial and error to create paint that would give my statue characters a patina bronze look. Oftentimes, I look for existing pieces because colors don’t matter, as they’ll be covered in paint. However, type of fabric matters, because the paint won’t cover it if it’s too thick or fuzzy.

You travel both near and far for your craft. Give examples of where you’ve been.

I’ve traveled to Texas, Maryland, Massachusetts and Illinois. This summer, I'll go to Minnesota, Ohio and more, to do a Tall Ships Festival. Abroad, I was fortunate to go to Scotland for a Fringe Fest in 2019, and in 2023, I'll go to France. There, I will do an Artist in Residency at Chateaux Orquevaux. I will stay there two weeks, and create a character inspired by my surroundings.

If I can raise enough money, I hope to perform in Italy and possibly England, too. While in France, I hope to busk (raise money by performing on the streets for tips) wearing the costume I create for the artist in residency.

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You’ve also been an actress. Are you still doing that kind of work? How long have you acted?

Pretty much my whole life, starting with plays in grade school, middle school and high school. My hometown in Indiana is where a wonderful community theatre got me going, and I earned a BA in Theatre Performance in 2004 from UW-Milwaukee. I’ve done films and commercials, such as Modus Operandi, and for Potowatomi Casino. I can’t imagine a life without acting.

You’ve been a model for figure drawing and painting. Tell us about that.

I got into this via theatre acting while I was at UWM. A drawing class for costume design needed a model, and they reached out to the students. I dressed like a cowgirl, and at the end of the sessions, I inquired about this type of work. Once I graduated, I was hired to be a model. I really enjoy this kind of work.

The modeling and acting collided, and in 2010, The Milwaukee Rep did a production of My Name is Asher Lev. The actress in that production attended a modelling class where I was to observe me. That resulted in my acting career taking off.

What would you tell a struggling artist about perseverance?

Keep trying, keep practicing and keep honing your craft. Don’t try to outdo others. Focus on yourself, because there will always be someone better than you. Let them inspire you. Take constructive criticism well, and don’t take it personally. You’ll get lots of nos before you get a yes. Find the lessons. There is always a lesson.

To learn more go to @gingerwhimsy5.2 on Instagram, Ginger Whimsy on Facebook facebook.com/gingerwhims, and Patreon.com/Alice Wilson.