Archive for the ‘News’ Category
Jun06
Airbus’ innovative new 3D-printed plane
2016 at 08:38 pm by admin | Comments Off
Airbus, leading aircraft manufacturer, has revealed their newest innovation: a 3D-printed airplane! The plane, called Thor, was unveiled at the International Aerospace Exhibition in Berlin, Germany, and shows off what innovations Airbus has come up with to introduce 3D printing to the manufacturing industry. The plane, which measures 13 feet long and weighing in at only 46 pounds, was designed as an affordable, easy-to-construct drone, as well as a testbed for future 3D-printing technologies that may be implemented into full-scale planes in the future. The Thor is composed of polyamide, and outside of the necessary electrical elements that allow it to fly, all of the Thor’s pieces are made from this material, such as the rotors, landing gear, and hull pieces. With the promise of alleviating air pollution and construction costs, Airbus is looking forward to the future of 3D printing in the airplane industry.
Jun06
Hello Kitty debuts in Super Mario Maker
2016 at 07:40 pm by admin | Comments Off
Nintendo’s Super Mario Maker, which released back in September 2015, lets fans create their own Mario stages, and allows players to play as their favorite Nintendo characters along with a number of other collaborative releases. Now, with the latest update released by Nintendo, Sanrio characters have finally entered the fray; Hello Kitty and My Melody are now playable characters! Sanrio is no stranger to Nintendo or video games in general, with a number of Hello Kitty-themed video games being released over the past couple of decades. This exciting announcement, however, marks the first time that Hello Kitty and other Sanrio characters are playable within a video game released by Nintendo themselves! These new adorable characters are available now worldwide, so players can unlock them for themselves to try out. Check out the video below to see these two cuddly characters in action!
Jun06
LEGO announces baby minifigures
2016 at 06:58 pm by admin | Comments Off
LEGO is getting ready to celebrate the introduction of a new member of the LEGO brick-building toy family with the announcement of a new LEGO baby! The new figure, which will be the first unique LEGO baby figure ever released, is a part of the new LEGO City – Fun in the Park set that released on June 1st. In order to celebrate the occasion, LEGO released the announcement with a parody picture of an ultrasound, showing off the little LEGO dude in all its tiny glory! The new set is now available in a wide variety of toy stores for $39.99, so go and check out this new member of LEGO history for yourself!
Jun02
Venice Bienalle explores art in architecture
2016 at 09:21 pm by admin | Comments Off
All images © Designboom
The Venice Architecture Bienalle has returned for its 15th installment this year in Venice, France! Held every other year, this joint collaboration between architectural artists from all over the world, this exhibition event strives to showcase the world of architecture in a new light by using the functional art form to tackle modern problems in an elegant and intuitive fashion. This year’s focus was on the front lines of architecture, and features artists from countries like France, the United States, China, Brazil, Australia, Denmark, and more! The exhibition opened its doors on May 28th for visitors to check out, displaying a wide variety of exhibits, art pieces, and installations. The exhibit will remain open until November 27th, giving visitors plenty of time to check out the wide variety of art displayed at the event.
Jun01
Vivid art exhibit lights up Sydney streets
2016 at 07:58 pm by admin | Comments Off
The annual Vivid festival has just returned to the streets of Sydney, Australia, bringing a wide variety of light-based art pieces, exhibits, and festivities to the Australian capital! Over 150 artists have contributed to this year’s showing, displaying over 90 art installations across the city, and have incorporated local buildings and landmarks like the Sydney Opera House into their works. This year’s Vivid exhibit introduces several new themes to the annual celebration, including an animal-themed art exhibit at the Taronga Zoo as well as showings at the Royal Botanical Gardens and The Galleries. The festivities will also feature concerts and showings by both local and international musicians alongside the beautiful light displays. This year’s awesome Vivid Sydney showing has only just begun, and will continue until the event winds down on June 18, so keep your eyes open for more news from this awesome festival!
May19
The Largest Art Crawl in North America: Our Top Picks for Art-A-Whirl 2016
2016 at 08:45 pm by admin | Comments Off
Image: Joe and Jen Photography for Public Functionary
TOMODACHI’s home state of Minnesota is well-known for its vibrant art scene, and at the center of that scene is Northeast Minneapolis — a neighborhood designated as “The Northeast Art District.” Every 3rd weekend in May, the popular district hosts Art-A-Whirl, a massive 3-day studio and gallery crawl (the largest in North America, according to their website). Now in its 21st year, the festival has grown to include everything from visual art to live music to lots and lots of beer (another thing the district is famous for — its myriad of brew pubs). There are hundreds of studios, galleries and art-centric businesses to visit during the crawl — odds are you’ll never be able to see it all.
We’ve compiled our top 6 must-see picks for this year’s event below — but don’t forget to visit the official AAW site at www.nemaa.org for information on artists, district maps and even a download for an Art-A-Whirl app — a new addition this year. Enjoy!
My Colours Are Bizee + Cool Girls Issue 1 Release
A new art space is popping up in Northeast! The mini-space, a little cube, which is actually the garage of freelance art director John Hardy, boasts finished gallery walls and will likely be one of the best hidden gems of this year’s Art-A-Whirl. a little cube’s inaugural exhibit features the work of OUECHA aka husband/wife art duo Frank and Christina Lyon. The exhibit “My Colours Are Bizee” (a name inspired by their future baby) is a collection of drawings derived from a larger body of OUECHA designed materials, which explore techniques for marker on paper. Also featured in the exhibit is the release of Cool Girls Issue 1 ‘On Dreaming’ that seeks to “colour and thematize the notion of the “digital dream”.”
If you go:
a little cube
1139 Monroe St NE, Minneapolis
(Garage faces large parking lot on Quincy St.)
Friday 5/20: 6 – 10pm
Saturday 5/21: 12 – 8pm
Sunday 5/22: 12 – 5pm
57Princes: Artists’ homage to the Purple One
Nestled in a residential area, in one of the oldest studio buildings in Northeast (an old Polish school house, no less) is Studio A, which ironically, is the last artist-occupied space in the building, which was recently bought by a developer who ousted all other artist tenants. Possibly the last AAW hurrah for this storied building, Studio A will host “57Princes: Artists’ homage to the Purple One” featuring a Prince-inspired group display of works set upon a muralized backdrop created by Erin Sayer and Liseli Polivka. Studio A, owned and operated by Northeast-specializing realtor and all-around cool cat, Aaron Neumann, is always a must-visit AAW spot! Of note: party with the artists after 9pm Friday night — Music by Warehouse Eyes, Lady Parts and Damian D. Anderson.
If you go:
Studio A
607 22nd Ave NE, Minneapolis
(just a couple blocks up from Grumpy’s NE)
Friday 5/20: 5pm-? (Party starts and 9pm and goes late)
Saturday 5/21: 12 – 8pm
Sunday 5/22: 12 – 5pm
Screaming Hand 30th Anniversary Show
A chance to see some of the most influential artists of the past 30 years side by side with local artists? We’ll take it! A tribute to artist and skateboarding icon Jim Phillips, creator of the famed Screaming Hand logo, this touring exhibit inspired by Phillips’ iconic work makes a stop at Burlesque of North America’s CO Exhibitions space, just in time for AAW weekend. Featuring work by Jim Phillips Sr., Jimbo Phillips, Colby Phillips, Jeremy Fish, Mike Giant, Todd Bratrud, Bigfoot, Michael Sieben, John Lucero, John Munnerlyn, Steve Caballero, Steve Olson, Natas Kaupus, Eric Dressen, Thomas Campbell, Sean Cliver, Mark Gonzales, Benny Gold, Jason Jessee, Mark Widmann, Makoto Yamaki, Skinner and many more PLUS, Burlesque has contributed to the exhibit with over a dozen favored locals such as Jennifer Davis, Michael Cina, Michael Gaughan and Jared Tuttle.
If you go:
CO Exhibitions
1101 Stinson Blvd, Minneapolis
Friday 5/20: 5-10pm
Saturday 5/21: 12-6pm
Sunday 5/22: 12-5pm
Mark Schoening: Shape Shifter
Our friends at Public Functionary never disappoint, hence this Art-A-Whirl, make it a point to stop by and lay eyes on their current exhibit, featuring artist Mark Schoening. A bit off the beaten path, this colorful collection of obsessively pieced together laser cut wood pieces and process materials is a cleanly presented exhibit that you won’t have to battle the crowds to experience – and that’s a good thing. Stop by on Friday night for live music from 7pm-10pm featuring G.P. Jacob and Toki Wright, DJ Keezy and Khem Clam for the release of new EP – The Longest Bridge.
If you go:
Public Functionary
1400 12th Ave NE, Minneapolis
(Corner of Buchanan & Broadway)
Friday 5/20: 5-10pm
Saturday 5/21: 12-8pm
Sunday 5/22: 12-5pm
Art-A-Whirl at the Food Building
Art and food are two things we certainly can’t argue with, especially when they are combined! Stop by this beautifully restored building, currently home to The Lone Grazer Creamery, Red Table Meat Company, 2 Gingers Whiskey and (one of our favorite restaurants) The Draft Horse. They’ll be hosting a myriad of local NEMAA member artists throughout their expansive space, which is a treat to explore regardless. Bonus: sampling of the building’s delicious wares will be happening all weekend long — plus a stop at the Draft Horse for one of their famous pot pies and a cocktail is never a bad idea!
If you go:
The Food Building
1401 Marshall Ave NE, Minneapolis
Friday 5/20: 5-10pm
Saturday 5/21: 12-8pm
Sunday 5/22: 12-5pm
Rogue Buddha Gallery
An art star on the busy AAW thoroughfare of 13th Avenue, the Rogue Buddha is the oldest gallery in Northeast, run by renowned oil painter Nicholas Harper. This dimly lit, dark art destination features the work of a number of artists of Harper’s choosing, including assemblage artist Michael Thomsen, whose large-scale sculptures are exploratory labyrinths of found objects and gilded wonder. Harper’s paintings take center stage, however, ranging from surrealist long-necked ladies, richly shadowed portraits and delicate bone assemblage pieces. Be sure to check out the back room while your there for a decadent sampling of Rogue Buddha art favorites, hung salon-style.
Rogue Buddha Gallery
357 13th Ave NE, Minneapolis
(Next to Northeast Social)
Friday 5/20: 5-10pm
Saturday 5/21: 12-8pm
Sunday 5/22: 12-5pm
May18
Art of Food examines Minnesota’s role in food design
2016 at 09:09 pm by admin | Comments Off
Visitors to the Minneapolis – St. Paul International Airport this year will be in for a treat, thanks to the opening of “The Art of Food: A History of Minnesota Food Production.” The exhibit, which opened on April 15th, examines Minnesota’s influence on the food industry around the world. The exhibit includes a variety of brand that have originated from Minnesota over the past 100 years, and includes world-famous, Minnesota-based brands like General Mills, Land O Lakes, Summit Brewing Company and more. Alongside this collection of food memorabilia and information, the exhibit hosts a number of vintage commercials, covering decades of food advertising, stirring nostalgic childhood memories for visitors of all ages. The exhibit will remain open at the MSP until November 15th, 2016, giving tourists and locals alike plenty of time to check it out for themselves!
May12
Mario teams up with Minecraft for WiiU
2016 at 08:05 pm by admin | Comments Off
The popular Minecraft franchise is finally coming to Nintendo in a big way this May with the release of a brand-new exclusive Mario crossover! This new content, titled the “Super Mario Mash-Up Pack”, which will only be available on the Nintendo WiiU version of Minecraft, and will include a variety of unique blocks that will replicate the look and feel of Super Mario in the Minecraft world. On top of that, the pack will include a large assortment of character skins, allowing players to change their appearance into popular characters like Mario, Luigi, Peach, Toad, Bowser, and many more! The pack will be made available for owners of the digital version of Minecraft on the WiiU for free on May 17, and will come bundled with the game’s physical release on June 17. Check out the video below to see the pack’s unique content in action!
May09
Era-spanning wood art on display at Bristol
2016 at 06:58 pm by admin | Comments Off
Multimedia artist Katie Paterson and architect duo Zeller & Moye have come together to present an art exhibit that covers millions of years of Earth’s history! The exhibit, titled “Hollow”, is currently on display at the University of Bristol in England in order to celebrate the new opening of the university’s Life Sciences building, and is comprised of over 10,000 wood blocks from all over the world. These wood samples also come from eras throughout our planet’s timeline, ranging from petrified wood from 390 million years ago to newly budding forests from across the globe.
The exhibit is set up as a singular sheltered room on the campus grounds, which can be entered to reveal a vast layout of wood bricks of different sizes and colors, creating a spectacle akin to being in a thick forest. The collection of wood samples took more than two years to assemble, and are meant to tell a narrative of the history of our world. “Hollow” will remain open to the public for the rest of the year, giving fans plenty of time to check it out for themselves!
Photos © Max McClure