blogs, links, events and art from the teens behind ►

Mothlight is an animation of “found foliage” Stan Brakhage used insects,leaves, and sandwiched them between two strips of perforated tape to create this masterpiece.

See a complete version here

WHOSE PISS IS THIS?

Grand opening Saturday April 26, 7-10pm

Runs April 26 – May 20th at First Amendment Arts.

No cover / all ages

First Amendment Arts

1101 Stinson Blvd Basement A & B Minneapolis MN

(612) 379-4151

You’ll be asking “Whose piss is this?” when you see Aesthetic Apparatus urinate all over your idea of “art” and their professional careers in one fell swoop.

Minneapolis’ very own, and very loved/ignored bestest graphic design buddies and printmaking powerhouse, Aesthetic Apparatus will be presenting “WHOSE PISS IS THIS?”, a collection of brand new prints, slightly-not-as-new prints, books and other crap, Saturday, April 26th at First Amendment Gallery. Plus crackers, cheese, grocery store cake and music provided by local rocksters Everybell and Whistle and Birmingham AL’s Wildcat Revival.

AESTHETIC APPARATUS BIO: Often considered Minneapolis’ best totally unknown design super team, Aesthetic Apparatus was founded around 1999 in Madison, Wisconsin by Dan Ibarra and Michael Byzewski as a fun side project from their “real” jobs. Over the years their limited edition, screen printed concert posters have secretly snuck into the hearts and minds of a small, rather silent group of socially awkward music and design nerds. Now, Aesthetic Apparatus is a full time, full-fledged, insanely unstoppable, and occasionally award winning design mega-studio. They will break your heart and drink your blood.

“Voltage melds bands and designers into a show unlike no other: runway and rock seamlessly combined. Artists and musicians collaborate and mutually inspire. Dedicated followers of fashion and darlings of the music industry appear in full force chic for the evening. And without question, the 2008 show again takes place at Minneapolis’ historic rock epicenter First Avenue.

Besides uniquely showcasing our local artistic community, Voltage financially supports it as well. Proceeds from the 2008 event are earmarked for the Emergency Relief Fund (ERF), a program of Springboard for the Arts. The ERF delivers funds to artists who’ve suffered a catastrophic life event and require immediate financial support. Additionally the show brings recognition and financial support to MNfashion, an emerging non-profit. This organization is aimed at being a resource for our fashion community by providing professional development and resources so designers can establish a sustainable livelihood.

Voltage’s audience includes buying and merchandising representatives from both small and large retailers. They rub elbows and hemlines with a stellar gathering of talented designers, musicians, artists and a flock of local media from City Pages to The Star Tribune to Minnesota Public radio’s The Current. It makes for a professional, wickedly handsome sold-out crowd of local industry leaders in retail, music and fashion.

Voltage extends beyond one stylish evening. Coinciding events include a preview event in February, a CD listening party of the Voltage compilation CD that features tracks from each band, and Voltage: Fashion Weekend held at local boutiques and other various locations the weekend following the show.”

While many sub-events during fashion weekend are 18-21+, there are a smattering of events that are all ages. The fashion workshop on Sunday, for example, is just 16+, and many trunk shows are all ages.

Check it out here: http://www.voltagefashionamplified.com

Pikapika is inspiring artists all over the world to create there own flashlight animation

all it takes is a few friends

some flashlights.. (maybe some cool bulb colors)

darkness

and a digital still camera

… and maybe quicktime

.. when is the Walker going to have them over from Japan to do a workshop?

Recently, in Philly,the sales of Obama t-shirts helped fund OBEY created bus shelter ads of Sentor Barack Obama.

Obey’s site says “You might be saying… “ supporting a political candidate, paying for ads, what is Obey thinking?” Well, we’re thinking that helping to put Obama in office is one of the most subversive things we could be doing. To see for yourself, check out his policies at barackobama.com“

They are also featuring posters for purchase similarly on their site.

I know anything that has the word guerilla in it is for sure cool, so I decided it would be a major supplement to my Google page if I wrote about this new trend that is sweeping the world: guerilla gardening and moss graffiti.

As one website put it: “Armed with trowels, seeds, and vision, the idea is to garden everywhere. Anywhere.” Rock out with your…spout out? Ditches and Hoes? Sorry.

Now don’t think I’m sipping on the proverbial haterade, I really think guerilla gardening sounds like a great idea. For the most part it seems that its a lot of very horticulturally minded citizens (the Guerrilla Gardening website includes the scientific name for each plant) that feel like getting your ya yas out by putting old faithful lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) on a neglected highway. Basically its the Lupine Lady realized.

Who doesn’t need a little green wherever they go? Why is all the city gardening done by the city? Guerrilla gardening seems pretty easy and satisfying. One gardener says that whenever the cops stop him to ask what he’s doing, he just tells them “gardening” and gets left alone. I’m inspired, you’ll soon see the walker looking like this. If you are thinking about getting a green thumb here are some tips.

Adidas (of course) has also gotten into the mix and as part of their new grun line have a video of some guerilla gardeners in London:

I can’t believe I am recommending Cold Case, but you should watch it on Sunday. Check out the email from Lenne Klingaman, a former WACTAC member.

Hello to all, friends new, old, and soon to be!

So I’m sure you all thought I wouldn’t actually remind you, but yes, I have suppressed my nervousness (long enough to compile this massive email list) and am tying the proverbial “ string” round your fingers. My television debut (read: tiara, 80’s prom dress, and running blue eyeliner) is indeed this Sunday, April 27th, 2008, on the good network of CBS.

The fine people at Cold Case gave me a job… where I act…and then get paid!

I play a nanny, a disgruntled, lonely, slightly off nanny. The experience was a delight.

So feel free to watch this Sunday, I believe at 9 pm, but “ check your local listings” as they say. Enjoy. And thank you friends and family for being the best support group a girl could ever ask for.

XOXO,

Lenne

Starring: Colin Farrell’s eyebrows and Brendan Gleeson’s ears.

2 hitmen, Raymond (Colin Farrell) and Ken (Brendan Gleeson), are sent to Bruges, Belgium after Colin Farrell accidentally shoots a little boy. Dark humor ensues in Bruges until the boss calls and informs Ken that he wants Ray dead. However, this is not merely an action film. It’s set against the backdrop of a beautiful, renaissance “fuckin’ fairytale city” as the boss refers to it as, and it tells the story of a man gone awry, with time to still better himself and his circumstances.

This interview with stencil artist extraordinaire Broken Crow is the 2nd in a continuing series that features Twin Cities-based artists. After you are done watching Mr. Grider talk about his life, stencils, and day jobs, be sure to check out our first interview with Burlesque of North America’s Mike Davis.

DEADLINE HAS PASSED!

CALL FOR ARTISTS (19 AND UNDER)!

Are you sick of the only bonuses of your teenage years being driving, R-Rated admissions and legalized lung-cancer? Well, we have the solution. 20 Under 20′ is a competition for artists, filmmakers, dancers, graffiti writers, spoken word poets, musicians etc. Over 100 selected artists representing a variety of media will compete in two showcases at the Northern Warehouse in Lowertown Saint Paul on Saturday, May 10 and the Traffic Zone Center for Visual Art in on Saturday, May 17.

At these two showcases, a panel of celebrity judges and the audience will select the top 20 artists to be featured in a final showcase at the Walker Art Center on Thursday, June 12 at 7 PM.

So if you are into it, submit your work. Think of it as a chance to show the world you’re more than a shopping demographic. Think of it as a party. Think of it as a great extra curricular’ application filler. 20 under 20 is brought to you be the Walker Art Center Teen Arts Council, creators of Hot Art Injection and Below the Belt: Battle of the Underage. So you know it won’t be too corny.

Submit your artwork by sending your name, phone number, email address, and a link to your Myspace page, Youtube, JPEG file, etc. to teenprograms@walkerart.org by Monday April 14th. Participants must be 19 years or younger on Monday, April 14.

Check out teens.walkerart.org for updated information about 20 under 20. If you have any questions or want further information please email teenprograms@walkerart.org or call 612-375-7683.

I dedicate this post to the World Wide Web, Youtube, my inspirational friend Lauren, all the people who realized that cute cats and videocameras is a stellar combo, and my own little kitty, Duchess who looks just like this one plus 35 pounds:

WACTAC is looking forward to our 3 day Chris Johanson and Jo Jackson love fest in May:

Aside from their artist talk at the Walker on May 1st, Chris and Jo will be presenting CONCLUSIONS ON BOUNDARIES, an art exhibition featuring their painting, sculpture, found materials and video at ART OF THIS gallery in Minneapolis. The exhibition opens MAY thizz-erd at 7pm and runs until June 1st!

To hype up the exhibition the WALKER ART ROBOT will be screening the documentary “BEAUTIFUL LOSERS” on May 2nd – two showings: 7pm and 9pm. Since we’re real cool here on WACTAC we spent a whole meeting sticking it to the man and reserving tickets for high school students, so make sure to bring your student I.D. since the rest of the tickets might be sold out AND you get a discount! Purchase advance tickets here.

Here’s a trailer that I guarantee will make you go bananas:

If you don’t know about BEAUTIFUL LOSERS, look no further than first flute at the next school assembly…

But honestly, lifted straight from my paps Big Walker:

Beautiful Losers is a documentary film celebrating a loose-knit group of American artists–Shepard Fairey, Ed Templeton, Margaret Kilgallen, Barry McGee, Mike Mills, Jo Jackson, Chris Johanson, Thomas Campbell, Harmony Korine, Stephen Powers, and Geoff McFetridge–who emerged from the 1990s underground youth subcultures of skateboarding, graffiti, punk rock, and hip-hop. The film tells the story of these independent-minded individuals, each with a passion for making and a DIY sensibility, and the incredible impact they had on the worlds of art, design, fashion, music, film, and pop culture. 2008, U.S., 35mm, 91 minutes

SO to recap the 3 day Chris and Jo Love Fest:

Thursday, May 1st, 7 PM: Chris Johanson & Jo Jackson Artist Talk at the Walker

Friday, May 2nd, 7 & 9 PM: Beautiful Losers Film Screening at the Walker

Saturday, May 3rd: Chris Johanson & Jo Jackson Exhibition at Art of This

Wishes for the Sky 2008

Free event

Sunday, April 20, 11am-4pm

Harriet Island, St. Paul

Rain or Shine

FREE KITE FLYING!

Read the rest »

Recently WACTAC got the chance to visit Burlesque of North America’s design and printing studio, as well as being able to interview one of their members, Mike Davis. Burlesque is a collective of artists and graphic designers best known for their poster and album cover work with a multitude of musicians. Watch the video to learn more, and don’t be afraid to visit www.burlesquedesign.com