The BraBall:
BraBall Roll-On 2002

BraBall Roll-On 2002
for International Women's Day
(see also Final BraBall Roll-On)

The BraBall Roll-On 2002, held on March 8, 2002, at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley, was a wonderful success. More than 2,700 bras were added to The BraBall, making a new total of 10,103! Also, $800 was raised in support of breast cancer research. Many thanks to all participants! Here are some pictures and descriptions of the evening.

5:00pm - The BraBall is rolled into the Social Hall of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley. Artcars arrive out front:

Oh My God! (Harrod Blank)
Truck in Flux (Philo Northrup)
Glass Quilt (Ron Dolce)
Come Play With Me (Marilyn Dreampeace)
Sister Mary VW Beetle (Robert Ramos)
Devolution (Andrea Dose and Henry Von Horik)
VainVan & MondrianMobile (Emily Duffy)

6:00pm - Doors open, while Lee Lawrence serenades us with lovely harp music.

6:15pm - Carol Carlisle performs a "Blessing of the Ball" ceremony with words, flowers, and water.

6:30pm - Over 2,700 bras are spread out on the floor in a large circle. The BraBall stands in the middle of the room, still covered with the red and pink bras from the V-Day event on February 12, 2002.

7:00pm - Phoebe Ann sings a song by Starhawk:

"Weaver, weaver, weave her thread,
Whole and strong into her web.
Healer, healer, heal her pain,
In love may she return again.
And may she find the hidden way
Beyond the gates of night and day.
To that sweet land where apples grow
And endless healing waters flow."

7:15pm - Work begins on The BraBall, by teams of four-to-six women at a time - one guiding the strand of bras, one overseeing the symmetry of the ball, and two-to-four pushing the ball. Dozens of others help prepare strings of bras to be added to the Ball. The work goes on steadily until 10:00pm. Donna Lerew serenades the working women with various beautiful violin pieces.

7:30pm - Video "Full Support," by director Jen Speed, begins continously showing.

8:00pm - Claire Baker reads her poem:
"Emily Duffy's BraBall - Or, The Start of Something Big"

Her cozy creation will stand 5'4" tall -
the "height of the average American woman."
It's colorful, not all bras pale or white.
BraBall is not for the prudish nor bad moodish.
Not for sale. And no shapes alike.
Flattened of their holdings,
donated brassiers stretch arms
around the world inside and out.
This is the bewitching hour of womanly
fire power that harms no one.
We remember ideals worth upholding.
If it were to FLY, ah, friendly
flying cups, not creepy saucers.
Imagine BraBall rising, replacing
the moon. The man in the moon
(not a boob) flees for his life.
Then returns (for greater returns): When
all the bras are soundly sleeping, he
snuggles into the cup of his choice,
never wants to leave. His features
soften, he mellows, feels rescued.
Seven sturdy babes could push BraBall
up to the Oval Office, and say:
Hey, Mister President, when your jock
strap pinches and no one answers come,
ask us women. We're united. Hey,
WATCH US ROLL!
©10-26-01 Claire J. Baker

Throughout the evening, Emily reads letters from bra donors, and the chocolate buffet bustles with donations and gobblers.

An impromptu singing group, calling themselves "The Titillators," sing about The BraBall...
"Rollin Up the Bra Ball"
(sung to the tune of "Proud Mary")

Wore a good bra in the city.
Gotta lotta lift every night and day.
But I never lost a minute of sleep,
Till my maidenform bra started to creep.
D cup keep on burnin'
Bra ball keep on turnin'
Rollin, rollin, rollin up the bra ball.
Rollin, rollin, rollin up the bra ball.
"Oh Bra Dee"
(sung to the tune of "Oh Bla Dee")
Oh bra dee
Oh bra dah
Ball goes on bra
La la la la
Bra ball goes on
Emily has a bra ball and it's gotten big.
It weighs over eighty thousand pounds.
The only way to move it's on a heavy rig,
And when it's home it's pretty hard to get around.
Oh bra dee
Oh bra dah
Ball goes on bra
La la la la
Bra ball goes on
In a coupla years
they'll have to build a bra dome home.
With a coupla baby balls in the yard,
Instead of little lawn gnomes.
Ha ha ha ha
Emily has a bra ball and it's gotten big.
It weighs over eighty thousand pounds.
The only way to move it's on a heavy rig,
And when it's home it's pretty hard to get around.
Oh bra dee
Oh bra dah
Ball goes on bra
La la la la
Bra ball goes on...

10:00pm - The last bra - a white push-up number with marabou feathers around the cups - is added to The BraBall and pinned down. The sculpture is measured, and now stands at 48" (16" more inches to go). We added a total of 2,706 bras in 3-1/2 hours, raising the height by a total of 4" overall.

Thanks to all the helpers (all 40 of you), participants (all 300 of you), Artcar artists, musicians, poets, and photographers, for adding your art and your energy to this amazing community project.
There are plans for a final BraBall Roll-On event in late summer, 2003. Check the Updates page for more information. Please help spread the word. Thanks for your "support."

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The BraBall: BraBall Roll-On 2002

The BraBall:
BraBall Roll-On 2002