At the end of the Democratic National Convention this summer, thousands of red, white and blue balloons cascaded onto the crowd. Seen by most as a celebratory way to end the event, this balloon drop held a lot more meaning for local balloon artist Tabitha Miller.
Miller, who runs Baton Rouge balloon decor business, Animated Art Balloon Decor, was part of a group of over 50 balloon artists from around the country and Canada who put together 72 drops consisting of 100,000 balloons.
But, she says her participation had nothing to do with politics. It was all about supporting a friend and fellow balloon artist, Tommy DeLorenzo, who was fighting cancer.
|
|
|
View this post on Instagram
“Our friend Tommy was fighting lymphoma cancer, and he had gone into remission and then got cancer again,” Miller says. “And so we all came to Chicago because that’s where he’s based out of. It was the Balloons by Tommy Drop. And so we were all on that team, and it was very emotional.”
The thousands of balloons were blown up and hand-tied by volunteers who wanted to honor DeLorenzo, who died about two months after the convention. Once the baubles were filled with air, they were tossed down a funnel bringing them into the giant bags that would then be hoisted up to the ceiling until they were released for the drop. Miller’s job was to assist in the filling and making sure the balloons were ready for the riggers.
“I think that balloon drops are super magical, and they’re definitely a highlight of the DNC and RNC (Republican National Convention),” Miller says.
Miller says she’s happy to have such a big event under her belt. Besides volunteering with the drops, she says she enjoyed seeing all the behind-the-scenes moments and logistics that ensured the political convention ran smoothly.
“It was definitely an honor to be a part of the Balloons by Tommy team doing the balloon drop for the DNC,” she says. “The feeling of the balloons covering the crowd at the culmination of the event and just the celebratory moment is something that I hope that Baton Rouge starts doing more of.”
Over her career, Miller has created balloon displays for everything from LSU sorority bid days and local businesses’ anniversaries to company Christmas parties, tailgates and birthday celebrations.
She has attended countless workshops, conventions and classes, all of which she says have helped improve her skills and allow her to offer a unique experience.
Miller started out working in events as a face painter in 2009.
Over the years, she added new talents to her resume, like balloon twisting, before falling in love with balloon decor at the World Balloon Convention in New Orleans.
“I already had a really great birthday following,” she says. “But, I love big events. Big events make me really excited.”
Today she has a small staff, a workshop and cargo vans to help her keep up with demand.
|
|
|
And if you can dream it, Miller says she can create it out of balloons. So far, she’s assisted in making dresses, life-sized rockets, man lifts, Christmas trees and other to-scale structures using just balloons.
“We’re spreading joy and helping people celebrate life’s best moments,” Miller says. “I have the best job there is. … Balloons can be anywhere from extremely elegant and upscale to super fun and colorful. They can be a beautiful backdrop for those moments and memories. It accents most themes. It’s such a versatile medium.”
Keep up with Miller and her creations by following her on social media, or check out Animated Art’s website to learn more about her event services and balloon creations.