This podcast connects artists and collectors of Halloween art. You will experience the stories and inspirations behind some of the best Halloween art being created today. You’ll hear from dedicated collectors who capture their dream pieces. You will add to your Halloween travel bucket list as we explore Halloween-centric destinations.
About Kristen Stafford, Creator, Host, Halloweenist
I’m Kristen Stafford, a boy and dog mom, Midwesterner living in the South, project manager…and most relevant here: an avid halloweenist, and producer of this podcast.
My love of Halloween commenced in childhood, but grew into an obsession about 20 years ago. I started innocently, by collecting the Halloween Department 56 Snow Village houses. This lead me to eBay, where I started finding original Halloween art for sale, and my art collection was born. The first artist I collected was Carolee Clark of King of Mice Studios.
Over time, my collection grew from a few pieces to an obsessive amount…with many pieces on display all year. I collect a variety of mediums including: jewelry, paintings, dolls, figures, pottery, and more.
Online collecting lead to attending shows, such as Halloween and Vine, Ghoultide Gathering, and Bewitching Peddlers of Halloween. It has been a thrill and a joy to meet and befriend artists face-to-face. I also have joined tribe of collectors who share my passion, both online and in real life.
Traveling to art shows sparked my interest in traveling to destinations for Halloween lovers…like Anoka, Minnesota (the Halloween capital of the world), Salem, Hell (the one in Michigan), and New Orleans. You’d be hard pressed to get me to Disney World when it isn’t Halloween time there ;) I’m constantly adding more places to my Halloween travel bucket list.
This hobby has brought on experiences I would have never imagined. I’ve curated a display of my collection at a local library, appeared on local TV to model Halloween make up, had a doll I commissioned by an artist (Sylvia Smiser) appear on the cover of a national magazine, and ran countless Halloween themed running races to get the cool t-shirts and medals.
In addition to loving Halloween, I’m a taphophile (lover of cemeteries). I am a docent for historical cemetery in Raleigh, NC, and you can find my cemetery adventures on Instagram under @notlostgonebefore.
Find your interests and pursue them with zest!
Memberships
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Collector member of the Eclectic Halloween Artists Guild |
Acknowledgments
Many people have contributed to this passion project. Some of them are...
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Lance Olive of the RedX Podcast for recording and editing my first show - and lots of mentoring.
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Natalia de Hutiray for her awesome graphic designs.
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Michael Meadows for the spooky original music.
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Nicole Johnson Scheffler of Diva Tech Talk (podcast) for sharing her podcasting experience and telling me "you got this."
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Gretchen Sutton - for spending hours talking Halloween, all the feedback, and keeping me going.
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Jennie Helper-Takens for being a sounding board, being willing to be my first guest, and sparking me to GET GOING.
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Laurie Harden for pushing me to share these stories.
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Carolee Clark for the feedback, faith, and optimism.
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Dave Jackson of the School of Podcasting - for sharing his experience and passion for podcasting with the world.
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...and countless other Halloween lovers, artists, and collectors who inspire me everyday!