Kerry Jo Bauer

Kerry Jo Bauer is a native of Portage County, Ohio. Her love of sewing, crafts and apparel construction began at a very early in age, as she constructed garments for 4-H and showed them at the local fair. By the age of 18, she was designing and constructing costumes for Sea World in Aurora, Ohio. She received a B.F.A. in costume design from Kent State University and an M.F.A. in costume technology and design from Ohio University.

Excelling in the technical aspects of apparel construction, she has worked as a first hand for Santa Fe Opera and the Boulder Shakespeare Festival and as a milliner in the craft department Washington (D.C.) Opera. She has also worked in commercials, television series and special effects shops, and has taught machine embroidery software for Husqvarna Viking.

As a freelancer, Bauer has worked for such special effects shops such as Animal Makers and Creature Effects as a lead figure finisher and fabricator. Her resume includes the Bellagio's of Las Vegas "Year of the Dragon," "Year of the Snake" and "Year of the Horse"; the Pepsi-Cola bears; and work for Vodafone, Samsung and Gorilla Glue. She operates her own business at costumesbykerryjo.com, whose clients include Target, Dole, Career Builders, Sprint, Nickelodeon and Universal Studios.

Bauer is an assistant professor at Kent State University, dividing her teaching time between the Fashion School and the School of Theatre and Dance. 

Professional Experience

• 2017 Summer Work
  • Jim Henson’s Creature Shop, Burbank, CA
  • Hired as a Draper for Netflix’s prequel of “Dark Crystal”
  • Target Corporation - Hired as a Draper/Seamstress/Screen printer, Bullseye’s costume  for MLS

• 2018-2016: Assistant Professor, Kent State University, Kent, OH
  • Theater Department-Costume shop Cutter/Draper, Instructor
  • Fashion Department-Basic Apparel Instructor
  • Costume Technology- Taught the art of Corsetry and Tailored a Victorian Jacket. Students learned various construction techniques and history of the time period.
  • Basic Construction- Teaching the basic Sewing Construction for building a skirt, pants, baby outfit and a tailored jacket.  Students also learned how to flat pattern a skirt.
  • Costume Shop Cutter/Draper. Pattern various students’ costume designs and supervised students’ garment draping and sewing.

• 2016: Summer Work, Chiodo Brothers, Burbank, CA
  • Hired to Alter Costumes for MTV’s “Roasted”

• 2016-2014: Adjunct Faculty, Kent State University, Kent, OH 
  • ​​​​​​Props and Crafts- Taught various materials used for prop making such as foam construction, various clays, latex/silicone molding, resin casting.

• 2014: Costume Fabricator for Creature Effect, Studio City, CA  
  • Hired to build a “Deviant Art” mascot costume. Skills of 3-D patterning, sewing and foam construction were used as was digitizing embroidery.

• 2014-2011: Lead Costume Fabricator/ Figure finisher for Animal Makers, Moorpark, CA
  • Hired to build various Costume/Props through-out the years.   Lead a team of 10 to build a 50’ dragon for Bellagio, Las Vegas. Skills used 3-D patterning, sewing, foam construction, hair punching, fur transfers, dying, millinery, and embroidery digitizing. Knowledge and application also include silicon, latex, various plastics, molding and casting.

• 2010- 2016: Husqvarna Viking Sewing Gallery, Palmdale, CA
  • Between free-lancing jobs and/or school breaks; hired as a Teacher of Embroidery Software, 6D/Premier Plus, and basic machine, sewing teacher and sales.

• 2007-Present: K.J.’s Custom Customs and Crafts, Acton, CA
  • Self-Owner.  Between free-lancing and/or school breaks; commission work building costumes for animals in commercials. Please visit website for pictures and professional credits.  Biggest accomplishments include working for the Target Corporation in building costume for their mascot, Bullseye. 

• 2003-2005: California Institute of the arts, Valencia, CA
  • First hired as a seamstress, then promoted to Cutter/Draper; also worked as a Shop Manager during Martha Ferrara’s Sabbatical.

• 2002-1995: Living abroad in Berlin, Germany  
  • Elected President of a non-profit organization called “Mom-n-Tots.” Goal was to teach English and German children songs to “tots” as well as traditional holidays and culture of both nationalities, so that the introduction or returning to a culture would not alienate a child. 

• 1994&1992: Santa Fe Opera, Santa Fe, NM
  • First hired as a seamstress and following year promoted to First Hand. Skills used cutting out patterns, material knowledge, able to hand out work to stitchers and view their progress in a timely manner.

• 1993: Colorado Shakespeare Festival, Boulder, CO
  • Hired as a First Hand.  
  • Washington D.C opera, Washington D.C. 
  • Hired in Millenary and Crafts department. Graduate intern, making hats and jewelry.

Awards

• 2008 Best Ethnic Costume award, Acton, CA
• 2007 Best Costume Designer of the year.  “Dancing in Acton”, Acton, CA
• 1995 Edward P. Pitcher Scholarship for Excellent Work, Athens, OH
• 1990-1995 Ohio University Graduate Assistantship Scholarship

Skills

• Flat Patterning 
• Draping
• 3-D Patterning
• Sewing,
• Foam Fabrication/Puppetry
• Millinery
• Painting
• Dying - natural and synthetic fibers 
• Sewing Machine operator and maintenance
• Beading
• Flocking
• Hair punching
• Fur transfers
• Sculpting
• Molding
• Casting