Creative SPACE

SHO-GLOBE - Alaska Design Forum JUNEAU

2011-05-11T19:57:00.000-08:00

WOW -- finally recovered after working on the SHO-GLOBE project. ReBar from San Francisco came up to Juneau and created the project. This was apart of Alaska Design Forum's project titled COMMON SPACE, which addresses communal spaces within communities that is is underutilized. This space should be a place of engage and interaction, but unfortunately for many communities it is not and is really dead space.

It was an epic week of work. From massive production of a 20' x 14' x 8' inflatable structure that was self sufficient and and could be set and packed into two "backpacks" and moved throughout a community. A place for interaction.

Lots of labor went into this piece. It was amazing to see how people engage with the piece after so many hours of work. SHO-GLOBE had a life of its own. From seeing it live next the State building in Juneau and seeing suits come in, to Friday night at Folk Fest and seeing every kid jumping into it.

WOW. Blaine and Adam of Rebar put so much into this project. It was really neat to see. And also all the volunteers that dedicated their time and to all the people that were so excited about the project. The best was as we were walking to Friday evenings launch, Blaine and Adam were walking with the monsterous backpacks and someone says .... what is that and what are you doing .... they reply .. it is SHO-GLOBE. His response was oh SHO-GLOBE right on. Everyone in the community talked about the project. It was really neat to have a store front to construct it to the Juneau Empire and local public radio station really promote it. And the amazing thing was all the papers that picked up the article on the AP Wire. We were even on the cover of a Boulder Paper .. and in papers across the country!

Okay ... back to routine ...

well ... not really.

JUGGERNAUNTS

2011-03-23T11:16:00.003-08:00

JUGGERNAUTS is a solo show for Rachelle Dowdy at the Anchorage Museum. I worked on the catalog for the show. Because Rachelle uses pretty simple materials: nails, wood, concrete, rope, etc ... I decided to create the title of the show out of nails. It was pretty fun. I used this prototype for the catalog ... and we will create a larger one onto plywood for the entrance wall for the exhibition. Pretty fun. Lots of nailing to do next week.

PILOT PROJECT - POP 11

2011-01-08T22:34:00.002-09:00

PILOT PROJECT is up.

Until Jan. 16th, 2011, the oversized pilot bread box will be up at west chester lagoon. The 4'x 14' piece is place around a great skating track. Last night was the opening, where pilot bread with salmon dip was served, amongst a nice fire. The install was on a perfect day of ice fog, with the sun breaking up the fog for a magical day.

This project is apart of POP 11, which is various art happenings community wide coinciding with the Warhol exhibit at the Anchorage Museum. These happening relate to POP art, POP culture and things relevant of our time, and Alaska.

I constructed this piece to engage the larger public about the exhibit. Bring art into everyday culture is important. Engaging people in settings other than a museum is important.

Pilot bread is an unique product/icon. 98% of all the production of the product is made for Alaskans, which is made in Virginia.

Hamilton Wood Type - WOW

2010-09-29T09:55:00.006-08:00

Lucky me ... getting to visit the Hamilton Wood Type Museum in Two Rivers, Wisconsin. Since 1880, they have been making wood type - and grew to the largest producer of type in the country. With over 10,000 type families - it is one incredible place. I even got to pull a few prints in their letterpress studio. Now that I am a member of the museum ... it comes with some great perks ... like the ability to use their sweet studio. I am already planning my next trip back ... and getting the time to really explore. The best part about my trip was my mom telling me my uncle earl worked there ... along with a cousin of mine. For all graphic designers this is a must see and all need to support a place like this.

un/common & common space

2010-09-13T08:32:00.007-08:00

It is that time of the year, I am working on a crazy alaska design forum project.

This year's lecture series theme is un/common ... focusing on inspiration from things, common and uncommon. We have a shortened lecture series, but will be presenting a symposium and design challenge titled common space, happening in April of next year. It will focus on common spaces in communities rural and urban across the state. Right now, it is set for five communities.

I created these dimensional letters with the help of Michael Gerace doing some very nice drawings .. and Insofoam, a foam company right here in Anchorage. The idea was to use the common word of common, create it in a material (that is locally made), have it share the common space, and be able to use the sculpture to create excitement and awareness for the symposium and design challenge.

With the help of Larry Harris, a photographer here ... and back up help of Mike Hondell, we photographed one location of them .. today we will do another on water.

Now I just have to bring it all together for the season poster that must go to the print on Wednesday.

wow....

2010-09-03T11:58:00.003-08:00

Palette House

how beautiful.

Go old school

2010-06-25T10:48:00.004-08:00

I stumbled across this short film on the Hamilton Wood Type and Printing Museum. Titled Typeface, it is an interesting film on the soon to be lost history of letterpress type creation. The crazy thing is this place is just an hour away from where I grew up. I am looking forward to my visit to the museum ... and maybe a workshop if it works out. Jim the director says they have some major leaks in the building, which is putting off some of their summer workshops. I am heading back in September, and hopefully I get to play with these -- and meet some of the neat people there!

Help support the museum.

Object Runway - another round ....

2010-05-28T09:23:00.002-08:00

This weekend ampersand will have another round of wear down in Homer, Alaska. The Brunnell Street Arts Center is hosting the IGCA Object Runway show. Should be a fun time.

4 logos selected for next LogoLounge Volume 6 book!

2010-04-20T11:02:00.003-08:00

Just received an email saying that four of my logos were selected for the next publication of logolounge! ----- Over 34,000 logos were entered for consideration. The book is published by Rockport Publishers and will be released in February of 2011. The logos that were selected were Rise & Shine Bakery, Motherhood Later, museummomentum, and FREEZE.

Ruby's delicatessen install almost done!

2010-04-20T10:44:00.005-08:00

Ruby's ... just finished except for creating some sculptural type ....

It is fun to see it all come together. Here are some photos ... along with a little sketch of what the type will look like too.

PROJECT RUNWAY

2010-02-17T14:28:00.005-09:00

Some great photos done by Clark Mishler of the event.

Cute photo of Sarah and Charlee - No. 6 and a nice one of the dress No. 69. Too bad Charlee got a bit tired ... will have to get some photos of her in her dress.

Alaska Design Forum AIA 2010 Collaborative Achievement Award

2010-02-05T13:35:00.002-09:00

Just recently announced - Alaska Design Forum has received the 2010 AIA (American Institute of Architects) Collaborative Achievement Award. A very cool honor to be listed amongst previous winners such as Metroplois magazine, Chicago Architectural Foundation, etc. The ceremony and panel will take place at the national conference in Miami in June.

Ruby's delicatessen opening ...

2010-01-24T13:09:00.005-09:00

The first part of February, a new delicatessen will be opening in mid-town. A extensive menu with all the things of a new york deli --- even matzo balls and loxs. I am working on environmental graphics right now ... those will be installed after the soft opening.

Object Runway

2010-01-24T12:58:00.006-09:00

Putting final touches on my entry into object runway. It is definitely in the experimental category. & (ampersand) is playing with uniting forms, in a graphical, sculptural way. This event is definitely going to sell out -- buy some tickets now for the event on Sat, Feb. 6.

OBJECT/RUNWAY: FEBRUARY, 2010

2009-12-09T17:19:00.003-09:00

OBJECT/RUNWAY: FEBRUARY, 2010

I am getting my sewing machine warmed up ... and working on some sketches for this very fun event happening in February. I guess the judge is from this season Project Runway - Christopher Straub. I don't have a tv ... so I have never seen the show.

I think type will definitely be involved in my little piece. I am looking for a model though ....

THE CHALLENGE IS TO MAKE WEARABLE WORKS OF ART. CLOTHING SHOULD FIT INTO ONE OF THE FOLLOWING CATEGORIES/THEMES: 

• IMPRINT (use magazines, newspapers, newspaper bags or other)

• GRAPHIC (graphic design-inspired, letters, drawing-inspired or other)

• SURVIVAL (& the Great Outdoors)

• EVENING

• MILITARY-INSPIRED

• BUTTONS

• FOOD

• REMADE OR RECYCLED

• BIG, WILD LIFE

• APPROPRIATION (open to interpretation)

• ENTWINED (rope, string, ribbon, or other)

• VALENTINE

• WEATHERED

• THEN & NOW / TRADITION & INNOVATION

• MUSIC

• ANYTHING GOES

Awards will be offered to winners. Open to 5 entries per artist.

All works will be on exhibit at the International Gallery of Contemporary Art from February 7 - 28.

typekit - WOW

2009-12-09T16:40:00.004-09:00

I am happy to write about typekit - a new subscription-based service for using open type fonts for websites. It is really incredible. I know in some cases you can do this using flash --- but let's face it --- if you use your iphone like I do, this does not work.

Typekit can use any type from leading foundries. Look at this .. I am highlighting all these HTML based characters!!!!

I think I might just start enjoying designing web pages again....

IGCA berth exhibition

2009-11-09T11:05:00.002-09:00

Up at the IGCA is an exhibit on the berth happenings back in September. The first Friday event had lots of performances. Michael Gerace did a good job of putting it all together! I did not put up the ladder again ---- the ladder looks much better at a distance than close up. There are a few photos of it in the exhibit. It will be up for the entire month.

Cluster mobile

2009-10-16T11:40:00.003-08:00

I am working on a little mobile type sculpture to fill our ten foot wall space. The top will use an old bike rim and rotate. Letters will be clustered onto it --- and revolve. I am hoping to have it done in a week or so. Stay tuned.

2009-10-14T12:23:00.002-08:00

Alta Bike

Okay we bought the bike. And it is one fast single speed.

Alaska Design Forum was selected (out of a hat) to be one of the four recipients of the profits from the Mayor's Charity Ball. Frost Produkt, from Norway generously donated the bike to ADF. Jan and Sondre Ustrad, the two brothers that started Frost lectured in Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Juneau. Great guys --- doing some really nice work.

Our's is green.

This is a funny promo photo.

anchorage yoga

2009-10-14T12:14:00.003-08:00

ANCHORAGE yoga is a new studio opening up. Katey Inman is the amazing teacher behind it. The studio will focus on power, flow and bikram yoga. They are install a new heating system to make it one hot studio. I can't wait for it to open.

Artist at Play exhibit

2009-10-02T09:25:00.004-08:00

Artists at Play is an exhibit that just opened at the Anchorage Museum. It a companion exhibit to Science in Toyland. My piece took a lot to build ---- lots of lite brite pegs .... there were TONS of children creating designs at the opening. I have to check out this week how it is holding up. And take some pictures of it with the illumination.

THE berth - Step up

2009-09-06T09:23:00.005-08:00

Step up - a installation apart of the Berth went up on Friday. It was fun. Interesting to see the scale after constructing it in my office.

Lots of great stuff happening all week.

DRY ICE EXHIBIT

2009-09-02T12:11:00.002-08:00

Just finished the catalog for DRY ICE - Alaska Native Arts and the Landscape. It is an exhibition that will be Princeton University from October 3 - until January 10th. The 28 page catalog features nine Alaska Native Artists.

The berth

2009-09-01T21:08:00.003-08:00

Starting Sept. 3 - 11 is the berth in downtown Anchorage.

My installation will take place on the 4th and the 5th.

Follow it on twitter TWITTER.COM/THEBERTHSPOT or facebook.

FREEZE book

2009-09-01T21:00:00.003-08:00

A limited edition FREEZE book has been produced. It is great to read the narrative by all the teams and see some nice photos on all the project. I think Julie Decker might make it available to purchase.

ADF new season poster

2009-09-01T20:57:00.004-08:00

Alaska Design Forum is starting its new season next month. I am sending the poster design to the printer next week. I will be playing with spot off-line varnishes to enhance the flat monotone light of winter. The sculpture was created up in Fairbanks last March.

First lecture is October 5th in Anchorage.

EXPANDED VIEW - Museum Exhibit

2009-04-29T09:05:00.005-08:00

Just finished the installation at the 4th floor of the new addition of the anchorage museum. The exhibit will be opening the end of May. I am working on the brochure that goes along with it --- and using a highly reflective mirror paper. What fun.

Latitude - Alaska Design Forum's Next Season

2009-04-29T09:01:00.004-08:00

Just beginning the next series posters ... and will be playing with using some spot varnishes to have the word "attitude" worked into the poster. Heading to Homer in two weeks for our board retreat.

Latitude - Alaska Design Forum's Next Season

2009-04-04T14:29:00.002-08:00

Work on next season's Alaska Design Forum design has already begun. This year an installation was created up in Fairbanks. Perfect weather helped this project come together, along with help from so many folks. I will post some new images soon. Nora took some great shots to make this piece work.

TYPESHED 11 - Conference

2009-03-09T21:33:00.001-08:00

A great conference exploring type in all it's many forms. Three full days of great lectures and events ... with people from around the world. Take a look at the line-up.

TYPESHED 11 - New Zealand

2009-03-09T21:03:00.011-08:00

I am finally back after a great trip to New Zealand. One fine month of amazing places and great people. TypeSHED 11 was a great conference.

We arrived in Wellington the final night of Sevens - a huge crazy rugby tournament ... where everyone dresses up the same and in groups. Thousand of crazy people everywhere. The next day our craziness started with trying to find someone that sell corn starch packaging peanuts for our installation happening on Thursday. This was no small feat. With our ethnocentric values, we assumed we would find them. The challenging feat involved trying to mix up the material in our hotel kitchen to calling everyone in the country --- finally rounding up some. The building process started Tuesday afternoon and continued until Wednesday evening.

Thursday was the workshop where we launched these letters NEXT TIME into the water. Participants at the workshop also constructed words and objects and launched these too. We found the perfect setting for this. An island in Wellington bay that is a park reserve - Matiu/Somes Island Reserve. Matt the park ranger was most helpful.

The wind was shifting from the north to the south which made the launch a bit difficult. The disappearing type happened very quickly and before we knew it, it was heading out to sea, with the tide and wind on our side.

It was a fun filled day with so many great people.

FREEZE OPENING

2009-01-19T19:10:00.006-09:00

FREEZE - come and gone.

FREEZE opend last week --- and no sooner than four days later, we had 50 degree temperatures. The meltdown has taken its toll on the exhibition. Here are some photos from our project. Thank you everyone for helping out.

Freezing at FREEZE

2009-01-09T12:46:00.008-09:00

Well below normals FREEZING temperature have been happening all week. But beautiful cold and clear days. All the teams are putting finishing touches on their pieces. Our project came to a hiccup yesterday with me breaking my thumb with an ice auger drill. Yikes.

Here is the impressive x-ray. Final images will be uploaded tomorrow of the project.

Here are some lovely photos documenting the week.

FREEZE - snow is moving

2008-12-31T17:57:00.003-09:00

Exploration of a snowdrift. The 200 foot wall has begun. With temperatures below zero, the snow is much like styrofoam. We are still needing volunteers!

Happy New Year.

FREEZE is starting

2008-12-16T21:17:00.004-09:00

4LetterWord has started on our installation. This past weekend we built all the forms forms for the 60 foot ice wall. 1.75 inches of water was pour into them for our first of three pours.

We are seeking volunteers! Here is the rough times that we need folks. Send an email if you want to help!

Friday, Jan. 2

2 skilled (some construction experience 10am - 4pm)

4 volunteers (10am - 4pm)

Saturday, Jan. 3

4 volunteers (upon arrival of snowblower (am) - 4pm)

Monday, Jan 5

12 volunteers total (shift 1: 10am - 3pm, shift 2: 4-7pm)

Tuesday, Jan. 6

12 volunteers total (shift 1: 10am - 3pm, shift 2: 4-7pm)

Wednesday, Jan 7

2 skilled all day (10am - 1pm, 2-5pm)

Thursday, Jan. 8

8 volunteers total (shift 1: 10am-3pm, shift 2: 4-7pm)

Friday, Jan. 9

8 volunteers total (shift 1: 10am - 3pm, shift 2: 4-7pm)

Anchorage Opera presents Carmen

2008-11-14T10:20:00.002-09:00

The sold out show of Carmen in Anchorage just opened this past Wednesday. It was spectacular performance. The theme for the season is Passions of Spain. Collage techniques were used for all opera graphics paying homage to the Spanish & French masters.

4letterword looking for skilled volunteers

2008-11-09T10:17:00.004-09:00

This weekend 4letterword started on our 1 to 1 scale mock up for FREEZE. We are investigating how to build 40'x8'x4' ice wall. More images will follow. We are planning out our schedule for the actual building ... and are looking for folks that have some building skills on the following dates:

Thursday, Jan. 1, 2009 - 2 skilled volunteers

Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2009 - 4 skilled volunteers

Friday, Jan. 9, 2009 - 2 skilled volunteers.

We are looking for additional volunteers that don't have to have building experience too.

Friday, Jan. 2, 2009 - 2 volunteers

Saturday, Jan. 3, 2009 - 2 volunteers

Sunday, Jan. 4, 2009 - 1 volunteer

Monday, Jan. 5, 2009 - 1 volunteer

Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2009 - 1 volunteer

Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2009 - 4 volunteers

Friday, Jan. 9, 2009 - 15 volunteers

If interested contact me at creativespace@alaska.com.

Rise & Shine Bakery - new logo/new labels

2008-10-29T14:40:00.007-08:00

Rise & Shine bakery, an amazing local bakery using whole grains and sourdough yeast has gotten a new logo. Alison and Dan are great supporters of the local food movement happening in Alaska. Along with being involved in the Farmer's Market, they helped to start a Glacier Valley CSA (community supported agriculture) that runs all year --- a no small feat in Alaska. Stay tuned to see their new labels on their tasty breads.

Workshop/Installation at TypeSHED 11 in New Zealand

2008-10-24T16:35:00.007-08:00

TypeSHED11 is a typography conference being organized in Wellington, NZ. Catherine Griffiths is in the thick of planning and organizing. Catherine visited Alaska last April and presented a wonderful lecture for the Alaska Design Forum. Which got me to thinking that playing with type in the landscape is a fun. I will be doing an installation/workshop at the conference. Stay tuned to see some images of ideas that I will be working with in NZ. A one month trip of attending the conference and going to a friend's wedding ... and some warm weather that will be needed after FREEZE.

4letterword FREEZE

2008-10-21T17:48:00.006-08:00

4letterword - a collaboration between Creative Space and Mary Ellen Read are creating a installation for FREEZE - an outdoor, winter exhibition, with a coordinating series of public lectures and programs, featuring designers (architects, artists, landscape architects, lighting designers, graphic designers and others) from around the globe working in collaboration to create installations that feature snow, ice and light - elements that characterize winter in the north. FREEZE will take place along the Delaney Park Strip in downtown Anchorage.

We are seeking volunteers to help on the project, between January 1-10th. Contact me if you would like to get involved. Stay tuned ask we document our ice wall test happening in November.

JL Tower Fitness Center Graphics Installed

2008-10-20T16:38:00.000-08:00

Going to the gym becomes routine ... almost auto-pilot. I wanted to create an atmosphere where one could discover things at every visit. 99 phrases and words were created with a little help of some nice wine. Below is the full list including the out-takes. 68 of them were used to create the wall.

Aqua es buena
eat snowflakes
breathe
drink water
follow your heart
BREATHING. Simple, yet hard.
Park far away.
TRAIN. Pepper spray might not work.
CURLS are important. You need strength for that halibut.
SWEAT in your SWEATS.
No buts when it comes to your butt
Take the stairs.
Be flexible. Not bent out of shape
HYDRATE (displayed is shape of water drop )
If your dog is fat, you’re not exercising enough.
Burn your insulation.
Listen to your breath.
Is my body supposed to do this?
Stop asking yourself if you should stop.
Sled down a hill. Run back up it.
BIKINI (beluga)
Commute without a car.
Tension is who you think you should be. Relaxation is who you are.
After thirteen weeks of regular exercise, your body undergoes metamorphical changes that cause your endocrine system to think you’re a teenager again. Without the zits.
If you’re in shape, you’re warmer, sharper, and look better in fur lined underwear.
Listen to your body.
Spend fifteen minutes warming up and stretching before your workout. You’ll prevent injuries and have an excuse to hang out in the aerobics area.
Stop reading this and go back to your set.
Leg burn = good. Sun burn = bad.
It’s almost over. (not life just this workout today)
Spend your time here so you can enjoy it more out there.
Not everyone was meant to wear spandex.
Runners high… Myth or reality? Keep running and find out.
The fountain of youth is just two more sets away.
Did you ride the elevator up here?
HYDRATE (displayed is shape of water drop )
The difference between thinking you should and doing it is to stop thinking about it.
If you’re not the lead dog, the view never changes.
No falls, no balls.
Dog tired, but dogs can run all day?
The difference between a triple fudge sunday and a triple bypass is what you’re doing right now.
Alaskans eat more ice cream per capita than any other population in the world. Just cause it’s true doesn’t mean we have to look like it.
Playing sports makes sweating fun.
Nothing should get between you and your workout, except maybe that moose on the trail.
Studded tires make the world a beautiful place to bicycle.
You lose most of your heat through your head. Wear a hat in the winter. Sweat bands haven’t come back yet.
Big Biceps = good. Big Hair = bad
Its the journey, not the destination. But bragging rights are cool, too.
Anchorage has 300 miles of trails to explore.
Norman Vaughan summited the peak in Antarctica that bears his name 3 days before his 89th birthday. Do you really think you have an excuse?
Be the athlete you want to see in the world.
Mush, man.
You can’t spell DIET without DIE
STREEEEtch
Xtreme treadmill
TREADMiLL: walking nowhere fast.
TAKE the stairs
Be in the now. Now. No, now.
Steroids are for zeroids.
Set your incline for the 69th parallel.
No studs on the treadmill.
There’s always a tomorrow.* small type below: Tomorrow may not come. And even if it does, there’s no guarantee it will be to your liking.
Golf– the only place sub-par is the goal.
there’s always tomorrow* *while tomorrow has come for quite some time, past performance is no indication of future performance. Please consult your future advisor before engaging in any procrastination.
no one ever ran a marathon by talking about it.
extreme just means being comfortable with things most people think are crazy.
Get in touch with your Uddiyana bandha. If you touch someone else’s, you might get kicked out of here.
They call it a gym because torture chamber was already taken.
If this isn’t challenging enough for you there’s always Arctic Man
To truly live, one must do. To do, one must practice. (thank you grasshopper)
Drink plenty of water now so you can go pee on the clock.
You don’t have to be faster than the bear… (just the other guy).
Dumbell– better to lift one than to be one.
What ever happened to the abdominizer?
Go old school. Do 25 jumping jacks.
If you really want to make heads turn right now, do 25 jumping jacks.
Flat Top: the Master Stairmaster
Your routine should be anything but
Six-packs don’t contribute to six-packs
Calories are not to be trusted
Carbs are your frenemy
Why is adrenaline always in a rush?
Do you have a position on lotus?
There are only two places sweat makes you sexy. This is one.
Dharma = Disipline
Karma = Destiny
Rock Om
BALANCE.
Working out. The ultimate performance enhancer
Be good to your knees (you’ll miss them when they’re gone).
Don’t cross-check, cross-train
Limber. I hardly know her.
Fresh powder
Curls just wanna have fun.
Pain is weakness leaving the body
Be willing to do one more. Again.
Obsessed is a word lazy people use for the dedicated
If the bar’s not bending, your just pretending
Commit to be fit.