Happy Holidays, burlesque stars and starstruck! 2012 has been a HUGE year for BHoF, from our record-breaking Reunion Weekend to our first-ever IndieGoGo fundraiser, which allowed us to move and drastically improve the storage conditions for our priceless collection and beyond–literally, *beyond* the museum, as select artifacts from our permanent collection were included both at Documenta(13) in Kassel, Germany and in the Nevada State Museum’s “Vegas Style” exhibition. Whew!
No rest for the wicked, though — we’re already hard at work planning 2013’s Reunion Weekend, developing new exhibitions, and continuing to provide the loving care our collection needs and deserves. Meanwhile, we’ve seen ever-increasing attendance as the Downtown Las Vegas area continues to grow and evolve.
As usual, we’ve got BIG NEWS for you below, but the biggest news is (still) this: the BHoF and the global burlesque community continue to thrive. And as we increase our funding and outreach, we’re able to touch an ever-expanding number of lives… and to be touched by them.
And now, the news so many of you have been waiting for…
MARK YOUR CALENDARS! BHOF WEEKEND 2013 dates set, application for performers NOW OPEN!
Our contract for the 2013 Reunion Weekend is officially signed, sealed, and delivered–which means we can finally tell you the dates for next year’s show: May 30 – June 2. Once again, we are returning to The Orleans Hotel and Casino here in Las Vegas, who have been so good to us the last two years.
Reserve your room now, at our special group rate, by going to www.orleanscasino.com/groups and using the Reservation ID# A3BHC06, or by calling 1 (800) 675-3267 and giving the group ID “Burlesque Hall of Fame”. The group rate expires on April 27, 2013, and you must mention both IDs at the time you book to get it. Show tickets will go on sale in the Spring and like last year, we will make them available to applicants (and BHOF Members) before opening them to the public.
Speaking of applicants… if you are interested in performing during next year’s Weekender, the application website is now LIVE at bhofapplication.com. When you apply, you will automatically become a Member of the Burlesque Hall of Fame for one year and, as noted, be eligible for early ticket sales (regardless of whether you’re selected to perform or not). Performers who applied for the 2011 or 2012 shows can use the same login information; all your data from previous years has been saved. The deadline is February 4 at midnight, but there’s a discount for early applicants so get started now and do the first two steps (which will take about 10 minutes, tops!); you can finish up or make changes any time in the next 9 weeks. To learn more about how the selection process works, please visit https://burlesquehall.com/2012/10/selection/.
And of course, if you’re interested in participating in the 2013 Reunion Weekend as a volunteer, sponsor, vendor, instructor, or service provider, please drop us a line at one of the email addresses below:
- Volunteers, service providers, instructors, media, etc. or just general information: info@burlesquehall.com
- Sponsors, advertisers, gift bag donors: sponsor@burlesquehall.com
- Vendors: vending@burlesquehall.com
UPDATE: The Great Collection Relocation of 2012
The Burlesque Hall of Fame’s collection includes literally thousands of individual pieces, some dating back to the beginning of burlesque’s golden era, many collected by Jennie Lee and the members of the EDL, many from Helendale, and an increasing number donated since we reopened in Las Vegas in 2010. If you’ve been to the museum lately, you know there’s no possible way we can display all of the costumes, stage props, photographs, marquees, and other pieces in our collection, so the vast majority has been stored off-site since 2004.
In July of this year, we received notice that our storage facility was being demolished to make way for a freeway overpass and that we had to move the entire collection by August 31. With little notice and our budget for the year already set, we turned to the burlesque community for help — and boy, did you! In 47 days, we raised over $28,500–more than enough to cover the expenses of the move, relocation into an improved facility, and the purchase of archival materials, tools, shelving, and workbenches to appropriately conserve the collection for generations to come.
For more information on the move (and to see a list of all the amazing, wonderful, incredible, superhuman, awesome, tremendous, fantastic, super-duper-peachy-keen superstars who pitched in to support us), please visit https://burlesquehall.com/support/bhof-needs-your-help/
And a special note for our supporters: Premiums are still going out! Keep an eye out in weeks to come.
Sock Puppet Burlesque!
Did you know July 19th was National Sock Puppet Day? No? Well, now you do! To mark the occasion, we were visited by Absinthe stars Penny Pibbets, Melody Sweets, and The Gazillionaire… all on hand to “induct” the museum’s first-ever sock puppet stripteaser. Named for (and bearing a striking resemblance to) Melody Sweets herself, the pastie-clad puppet was on display for a month before rejoining the cast. Check out the full story at http://www.vegasnews.com/77842/celebrate-national-sock-puppet-day-with-absinthes-penny-pibbets.html
BHoF in Germany
The Burlesque Hall of Fame was honored to be included in an art installation by Rio Robbins and Red Vaughan Tremmel as part of this year’s Documenta(13), a major international art show held in Kassel, Germany. Featuring costumes, pasties, artwork, and other material representing both classic and contemporary burlesque, the installation focused on the embodied experience of witnessing burlesque performance, and was accompanied by a “notebook” entitled Meeting Dixie Evans: How to Burlesque, by artist and curator Raimundas Malašauskus.
Shop our Society6 Store!
Looking for the perfect holiday gift for that special burlesque fan in your life (maybe you)? Check out the selection of prints, iPhone cases and skins, holiday cards, and (new) throw pillows featuring images from our collection in our Society6 store.
How You Can Support BHoF
The Burlesque Hall of Fame’s very existence depends on the ongoing support of you, our members, sponsors, and volunteers.
Membership: For as little as $35 a year ($25 for students), you can help support BHoF year-round. Members get a discount on BHoF merchandise in our gift shop, early-bird ticketing for the annual Reunion Weekend, recognition in our event program, and (coming soon!) one of the coolest membership cards you’ve ever seen. But, wait… there’s more! You also get the satisfaction of knowing you’re doing your part to preserve the legacy of burlesque for generations yet to come. Visit https://burlesquehall.com/support/become-a-member/ to sign up today.
Sponsorship: We are actively seeking sponsors, for both the Reunion and year-round support of the museum. To discuss how you or your business/organization can help support the Burlesque Hall of Fame, please contact sponsor@burlesquehall.com.
Volunteers: With only one full time staff member, the BHoF relies on volunteer support for all aspects of our work, from day-to-day staffing of the museum to fundraising, creating content for the website and our various social media outlets, and of course, producing the Reunion Weekend. While some of these tasks are location-specific, many are not. No matter where you are in the world, if you have the inclination (and access to the Internet), you can lend a hand with a wide range of tasks. To find out more about available opportunities–or to suggest a project you’re especially qualified to take on–please drop us a line at info@burlesquehall.com.