REIDSVILLE — Two American bodypainting artists who have made history with their art won another top award in July at the World Bodypainting Festival, the world championships of bodypainting.
The annual event, in its 21st year, takes place in Klagenfurt, Austria.
Scott Fray and Madelyn Greco of Reidsville, were already the first and only artists to achieve five consecutive World Bodypainting Festival wins across five categories, a feat they accomplished between 2011 and 2014.
Having completed their sweep of the available World Award categories, the couple had not considered re-entering the competitive arena again until this year, when a newly-created Team Show Award enticed them to return to Austria to participate.
Their efforts were bolstered by a 2019 Regional Artist Project Grant funded by the North Carolina Arts Council. These grants support professional artists in any discipline and at any stage in their careers to pursue projects that further their professional development.
Fray and Greco created a five-person, three-minute theatrical stage show that featured dance, large original costumes, an original video component, live narration, props that included a hidden balloon release, and, of course, bodypainting.
They cast performers from Singapore, The Netherlands, Germany, Austria, and the United States. They designed and created all of their props and costumes in the United States, then disassembled and transported them to Austria for the festival.
Dangerous storm systems plagued the pair’s competition day at the outdoor event, however, and the 18 registered teams in the category were not allowed to present their scheduled stage shows. Only the preliminary jury scores of the main painted model were considered. When the awards were announced, Fray and Greco were awarded second place.
Fray and Greco are the only American artists to return from the 2019 World Championships with honors in any World Award Category.
Previously, the duo have captured international titles in Asia (2012, 2013) and North America (2010, 2011) and set a bodypainting Guinness World Record (2007).
They were the first American Bodypaint Artists invited to present a TED Talk for TEDxGreensboro (2017). Greco is Director of International Competition for Jan Tana’s Bodypainting Revolution International Series Championships (USA/South Africa/Europe) and she and Fray have shared producer/co-founder status for Living Art America: The North American Bodypainting Championships, formerly the largest competition staged in the United States.