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The eccentric: Bianca Marcia
www.biancamarcia.com
Appearing: Marcia will take part in three conceptual performance art pieces — her first Saturday will be spent living the day as a bird.
Artomatic status: Veteran
Aesthetic: Tilda Swinton meets Phoebe from Friends
Day job: Props master, costume designer, dog sitter, personal assistant, vintage clothing proprietor, art model. "I have many jobs — I mean, I'm a working artist."
About her: Marcia's used herself as the art during her first Artomatic foray, sitting in front of her space with a makeup-made black eye, expressionless. "I started doing performance art because so many people hated what I was doing. I personally kind of enjoy that."
Artomatic is … "A blow-your-mind art experience."
Idolizes: University of Toledo art professor Diana Attie
Can be overheard saying … Nothing. "I really don't try to break character when I'm performing."
Literary lady: Jonie McIntire, poet
Appearing: McIntire will appear with Almeda Street Poets on April 13 at 8pm on the Main Stage; she also helped organize/April 20 2pm appearance of Sophia and Friends poetry and Broadway Bards at 8:30pm on Stage 2.
Artomatic status: "Loyal follower and fan."
Day job: Information services asset management supervisor
About her: McIntire, who moonlights as a poet, is on a mission to prove even working stiffs can be artists. "I thing that is really almost magical about Toledo is that there are artists everywhere in all different kinds of jobs — stay-at-home moms, people in factories, everywhere." She organizes poetry readings and workshops in the hopes of uniting the city's literary artists.
Idolizes: "I'm going through a real Anne Sexton phase." Also: University of Toledo English professor Joel Lipman; husband Adrian Lime.
Drama queen: Megan Aherne, Emcee, Glacity Underground Cabaret
glacity.org
Appearing: Aherne will appear with Glacity Underground on April 20 and 27 on the second floor, at 4pm.
Artomatic status: Rookie
Day job: Middle school theater teacher at Toledo School for the Arts
Aesthetic: Campy actress meets serious drama student
About her: Aherne is part of Glacity Theatre Collective, the umbrella organization for Glacity Underground and their cabaret show. Their performance is less Liza Minelli, more out-there performance art. (Highlights include a short scene based off a hotel murder diorama and a performance of the parody song "Call Me Lazy.")
Signature: "We really have a mixture of things — a lot of it is funny, some of it is a little more serious, and some of it is just weird, period."
Artomatic is … "An eclectic celebration of art."
Idolizes: "My art is very influenced by the Dadaists and futurists. It challenged people's perspectives of what theater and performance art should be."
Can be overheard saying … "And you thought theater was a dying art."
