Meet Zephyr McConnell of Longmont

Today we’d like to introduce you to Zephyr McConnell.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I can always remember collecting costumes. I am a treasure hunter by nature and so finding is a big part of the joy. Even when I worked seasonally as a wildland firefighter and trail worker for Yosemite National Park and the Pacific Crest Trail Association and lived in my truck I still had a costume box and a storage unit full of costumes. Now that my partner and I own a little acre tree farm in Longmont the collecting has reached monumental proportions. We have transformed our place into a small kooky venue for theatrical parties. Collecting, sewing, and the building of props for my own home has also led me into my current job at a Waldorf school as a Costume Manager as well as teaching a blacksmith class at the high school. Currently I’m looking forward to collaborating with local Longmont artists to put on shows and be a safe space for gatherings of all LGTBQ folks in the area.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The road is ongoing. Covid shut down much gathering together, shows and costuming but my partner and I just completed a massive project for Halloween–the completion of an Egyptian pyramid/sauna. My process is that I find everything secondhand first, store it, and then when a project bubbles up in my mind I work with objects I have stored. There is more to do to insulate the underground sauna this winter, as well as building stone walls on the portion that is underground. I have many overuse injuries from my early physical work as a stone mason for the park service building trails so some work happens very slowly and in small bursts.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I build theatrical outdoor sets and believe very much in keeping humans outside as much as possible. One of the endevors we would like to create at our theatrical outdoor event space called Kooklandia is a way to create a gallery in the forest. I am passionate about nature having spent most of my early life living and working building trails for the national park service but I am also passionate about extravagant and humouros embodiment of what it means to be human–in exploring the corners of who we are and who we want to be just for a night.
Currently I am most proud of the creation of my underground sauna. It makes me proud to push limits of what people believe to be possible in conventional dress and construction.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
I am always open to collaboration on projects and designing costumes for clients

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zephyrrae/?hl=en

Image Credits
zephyr mcconnell