Renegade Craft Fair 2008

Sean and I made it to the Renegade Craft Fair this Sunday (after the crazy rain shower). We were very pleasantly surprised to almost immediately run into our friend Sumana of Imaginary Friends, who had come from California for the show. We got to meet Nick - Sumana's brother and business partner - who is obviously a silk-screen expert (check out the color gradients on their cards and shirts)!



I was also very excited to meet Amber Zezeck of Brookadelphia - I love her acrylic word necklaces (and that tie necklace - yes, please!).



We saw a lot of plush toys at the show...our favorites were from Cherry Box (above) and Longoland (below). Cherry Box makes sad little plush trophies, and Longoland makes crazy monster plushies (high quality, with really amazing detail).



Longoland plushies.



Sycamore Street Press was new to RCF this year. I loved their stationary lines! A lot of Eva's work has a vintage feel to it, although my favorite cards were her more modern illustrations. Our pictures don't really do her work justice - check out Grace's post for far superior photo coverage!



Finally, we were excited to meet Shauna and Stephen of Something's Hiding In Here. These two pay attention to the details, and the quality of their work is just so great. I loved their stamps and the "love until it hurts" hearts.

So there you have it - Sub-Studio's favorite picks from this years RCF.

Playing The Building - David Byrne

Playing The Building by David Byrne uses the elements of the old Battery Maritime Building downtown as part of an organ-based instrument. The organ connects to motors and mallets to cause vibrations through the building's elements. The installation is open to the public, so go down there and hit some keys on your way out to Governor's Island.

View a video of the installation from BoingBoing TV:

NYPL Digital Gallery

The NYPL Digital Gallery features a wide breadth of historical documents and images. Some of those included are historical maps of of 1700-1800 Manhattan, featured left and right.

The gallery is absolutely worth browsing through. While not as fun as flipping through the archives of a library, smelling the old bindings or feeling the crispness of the sheets of paper, the gallery is the next best thing. You might find something that inspires you in there.

Cai Guo-Quiang: I Want to Believe

I am not normally excited to see what's coming to nyc museums, but the Cai Guo-Quiang: I Want to Believe opening in two days at The Guggenheim looks so interesting that I will make a point to see it.

More than seeing the finished works themselves, I wish I could have seen the month-long installation process of the works. The museum staff documented the process and there are photos and a short video of the process for Inoportune: Stage One . I enjoy these because it reflects the idea that the pieces are part of a whole process and not just a final product. The documentation emphasizes the incredible theatrical nature of the complex installation. If only they had opened to the public during this, it would be far more exciting than the final show.

Photographs by David Heald and Kristopher McKay, Guggenheim Museum Photography Studio

HBO Voyeur Project

HBO Voyeur Project started down on Broome and Ludlow in NYC. The full-scale projected video cross-section of the building exposes the simultaneous and overlapping narratives within the building's public and private realms. If you are in NYC, it's worth stopping by to take a peek.

Renegade Craft Fair

Hi all! This weekend is Renegade Craft Fair and Sean and I have been working really hard to get ready for it. If you are in the Brooklyn area and are looking for something to do this weekend, feel free to stop by! The fair is located at McCarren Park Pool on Lorimer St. (between Driggs & Bayard Ave.). We will be there from 11-4 on Saturday and 11-6 on Sunday. Stop by and say hi! We are Booth #81 and are located right smack in the middle of the venue. Some previews of our work above...

A few booths I'm excited to see - Alyssa Ettinger, Foxy & Winston, Lotta Jansdotter, perch!, The Onion (yes! the newspaper! I'm curious as to what they are selling!), Sesame Letterpress, Twigs and Heather...

BKLYN DESIGNS

Stay tuned Monday for our favorite picks from BKLYN DESIGNS. I browsed the exhibits earlier today, and there were some familiar faces and a lot of new ones. 2007 is the five year anniversary of BKLYN DESIGNS with a great cross-section of Brooklyn designers exhibiting.

Biz Ladies Meetup

Many thanks to Grace of Design*Sponge for organizing the Biz Ladies Meetup last night. It was a great evening with over 80 women gathering to discuss design and business. I met lots of lovely ladies and am looking forward to the next meet up!

Open House New York

For all of you that are in New York City, this weekend is Open House New York. This is your opportunity to take an architecture tour of the city and to gain access to some amazing, normally off limit buildings around the five boroughs. The offerings tend to be the same each year, which I guess is a good thing since it's impossible to see even 1/10th of all of the buildings that you want to see. Some of the highlights include Paul Rudolph's residence - the Modulightor Building, the High Bridge Water Tower, an MTA Substation, the Chrysler Building, Leroy Street Studio's offices (love their work), and a tour of the United Nations. What I don't see on the list this year, which is disappointing, is Roosevelt Island's abandoned Smallpox Hospital. I should have checked that out when I had the chance.