Morning Edition turned me onto a colorful story this morning about a graphic designer who used his interest in maps as a springboard for making good Mexican food easier to find. Yum Tacos, a “guide to the taco trucks of California,” could become your new best friend if you find yourself in, Fresno or–God forbid–Sactown after a late night. I’m hopeful that ads from the likes of Iron Chef will keep the service afloat. I love the “know a truck? list it here” interaction.
In other news, the SF burrito eating tribute that David Anderson and I recorded is back up on the Peanut Gallery podcast–take a listen.
Just returned from an amazing (and art-filled) trip a la Ciudad de Mexico. The Feria Mexico Arte Contempo Raneo (FEMACO), a five-year-old international sculpture/painting/digital show, was a major highlight; its opening night event shed a lot of light on who watches the art market (wealthy whites, primarily silver-haired 60-somethings and blondes with killer calves) and the relatively low number of Mexican artists who got to show their wares among the abundance of Greenwich Village galleries.
Still, the work was fun to see, especially the large scale neon “Spectacular” and “You” pieces. Artkrush, Flavorpill’s design counterpart, ran a great piece on contemporary Mexican art this week that’s worth a read. While Bellas Artes, one of the major mural museums, was a bit disappointing, the Museo de Arte Moderno was the best use of a single hour during the trip. Its size was easily manageable, its design simple and inviting, and its permanent collection (including José Clemente Orozco’s arresting work) worth writing home about.
Special thanks to Ms. Bethany Davis for her generosity and fellow art criticism.
It’s unclear who’s planning this Dolores Park bike extravaganza next weekend, but I’m intrigued by the description: “track, fixed gear, fixed, fixie, fixed-gear, Italian, NJS, Keirin, Campagnolo, Shimano, swap, swap meet, trade.”
Tuesday and Wednesday brought many a Northern Californian downtown to protest the Olympic torch coming through on its way to the Beijing Games (although you don’t have to come here for coverage–print outlets have been covering it pretty religiously). It was great to see so many people participating in the work of Tibetan activists and coming out to see Archbishop Desmond Tutu speak about the Chinese government’s wrongdoing (I will truly follow that man anywhere).
On their show “Global Pulse,” SF-based international news network Link TV ran a great synopsis of the differences in major outlets’ coverage of the chaos:
The beloved SF Women’s Film Fest is holding its opening party tomorrow night at Varnish Fine Art downtown. Tickets are $15 for the drinks/short films/independent art event and available online or at the door. The films speak for themselves:
Women + Art = Revolution directed by Lynn Hershman Lesson (U.S.A., 2007, 8 min/work-in-progress trailer)
Conversations with visionary artists who shaped the Feminist Art Movement.
Exposing Homelessness directed by Kerri Gawryn (U.S.A., 2006, 21 min)
This film tells the story of three formerly homeless women who participated in a photography workshop in which they were each given 35mm cameras. Drawing on their personal experiences, they were asked to use photography to express their insight into the issue of homelessness so that viewers could be exposed to a more complex and deep examination of the issue.
Identity (Maria) directed by Ana Alvarez-Errecalde (Spain, 2005, 8 min)
Jorge Rodriguez-Gerada transforms common people into icons by rendering them in charcoal as urban murals, delving into the identity of his neighborhood.
See What I’m Saying: The Deaf Entertainers Documentary directed by Hilari Scarl (U.S.A., 2007, 5 min/work-in-progress trailer)
Deaf people can do anything but hear. But an all-deaf rock n’ roll band? A deaf comic famous around the world but unknown to hearing people? A modern day Buster Keaton who is homeless yet teaches at Juilliard? This documentary follows the journey of deaf artists and performers.
Love of Indigo directed by Sandra Mbanefo Obiago (Nigeria, 2007, 5 min)
Nike Okundaye is an internationally renowned artist specializing in adire, the traditional Yoruba indigo art from Western Nigeria. She attributes her strength and success to her own early life – losing her mother at six, escaping forced marriage at 13, and overcoming polygamous marriage, physical abuse, and poverty. Nike’s work is shown in museums around the world, and she trains disenfranchised young Nigerian women- in adire, pottery and weaving, giving them the skills to earn their own, independent living.
The sneaker trends site HighSnobiety (which I’m pretty sure I’m not, and may never be, hip enough to take part in) featured a photo of these Hyperdunks to my delight. Nike’s new shoe includes bike clips on the bottom that are said to be comfortable enough to transition from cycling to city walking. Send updates on a release date if you catch one (from my office I may be able to see people sleeping in front of the downtown Nike store).
The Sartorialist, a design site by a former men’s fashion director at Bergdorf Goodman, features beautiful snapshots of fashionistas the world ’round (or Milan, New York, and Florence at least). Hoodies and stilettos alike get equal treatment, earning the blog a spot on Time’s first annual top blog index.
A New Yorker featured on The Sartorialist pulls out all the stops. Damn girl.
Common Ground, the SF-based sustainability and healthy lifestyle magazine, ran this piece about yoga as an outreach approach to girls who have committed crimes and been victimized:
“Violence. Vulnerability. Mistreatment…Meditation? No, it’s not a game of which word doesn’t belong — it’s the prototypical path to healing followed by teenage participants in the Art of Yoga Project, a local nonprofit that’s taught yoga, writing and art to hundreds of girls in the California juvenile justice system since 2002.”
You can pick up a free issue at grocery stores and yoga studios around the Bay Area. To find out more about donating to or volunteering to the project, visit Art of Yoga (much more worthwhile than the next seven minutes you’ll spend on YouTube).
BoingBoing reported that there will be a Tibet rally tomorrow at UN plaza with Archbishop Desmond Tutu to protest China’s interference in the country. Speeches and “culture/music” kick off at 6 PM. Should be worthwhile.
I could read Postcards From Yo Momma for far too long–the promise of emails from mothers to their young adult children really delivers as far as easy-to-create (or copy) content goes. The only teaser I’ll provide is as follows:
“Your senior pictures are beautiful!! I like them alot (sic) better than the hippie one. ps Ali looks much better as a brunette.”
I think that exact note was in my emgollie@aol account about seven years ago.
A few friends and I have had the good fortune of taking audio production classes from local musician Chris Willits through Bay Area Video Coalition (if you haven’t taken their classes and your stint with the “You Suck at Photoshop” series hasn’t turned out so well, they’re highly recommended). Willits has now taken his lessons to the Interweb with Revision3, the new web show network, on their show XLR8R TV. The music editing classes are a bit technical, so if watching Willits perform the digital tricks himself is more your speed, he performs next at The Independent on April 15.
