Posts Tagged ‘Tomodachi’
Sep03
TOMODACHI x MT Event Recap
2015 at 11:41 am by admin | Comments Off
TOMODACHI’s collaborative art event with Japanese washi brand, mt tape, opened its doors this past Saturday and we couldn’t have been happier with the outcome! We had an amazing turnout at this unique exhibition and family event, with artists giving their all to show the world just what mt tape can do with a little bit of creativity!
TOMODACHI’s gallery debuted some amazing art and design work from 18 featured artists, who each took their own spin on using mt tape as a medium. From framed wall pieces to decorated paper mache animals, large-scale wall installations and even a miniature mt tape city, each artistic interpretation was unexpected, colorful and unique. Emerging and established artists alike took part in the exhibit, including internationally-renowned artist and graphic designer Michael Cina, pop surrealist darling Rudy Fig, whimsical painter Jennifer Davis, installation artist Leekyung Kang and many more.
During the event, Los Angeles-based artist and architect, James Rojas, led a hands-on art activity which taught attendees about urban planning through the construction of an evolving tape-covered mini city. Throughout the day, TOMODACHI gave away complimentary mt tape and dozens of raffle prizes that included collectibles, gift cards and merchandise from our sponsors. DJ SALLY provided the musical soundtrack for the day, playing a fun mix of J-Pop, K-Pop and everything in between.
We would like to thank everyone who made this event possible, including our friends at mt tape, all of our participating artists, sponsors, and most importantly our friends and customers who have supported us from the beginning. The show debut was a huge success, but if you weren’t able to make it to the opening, the work will remain on view through Wednesday, September 30th. Stop by TOMODACHI at the Mall of America to check out this exhibit of awesome mt-based artwork before its gone!
Aug06
TOMODACHI x mt tape Art Exhibit & Launch Party
2015 at 01:05 pm by admin | Comments Off
Please join TOMODACHI at our Mall of America location for a special art exhibit and launch party featuring artwork created with Japanese washi tape brand, mt masking tape, co-presented with Minneapolis contemporary art space Public Functionary. Come down, celebrate with us and see some amazing artwork!
The TOMODACHI x mt tape exhibit will focus primarily on the use of the Japanese washi tape brand as a contemporary art medium. 18 artists were challenged to create an original piece that reflects their personal style, with a fun, pop art twist. From incorporating the tape into paintings, drawings or prints, to crafting wearable fashion pieces and facilitating in-store installations, the artists have been given free creative reign to produce vibrant, colorful works using this unconventional, dynamic material.
During the event, attendees will enjoy an interactive art activity with Los Angeles-based exhibiting artist, urban planner and Place It! innovator James Rojas, who specializes in educating people about the role that urban planning and design play in shaping how we live. Rojas will invite participants to decorate small cubes with mt tape that can either be incorporated into a mini-city installation or taken home as a souvenir. Learn more about James at www.placeit.org.
The event will also feature complimentary snacks and soft drinks sponsored by Coca Cola and TOMODACHI, in-store specials, hourly raffles and the delightful musical stylings of DJ SALLY spinning J-Pop, K-Pop and everything in between.
Participating Artists Include:
Lex Thompson
James Rojas
Michael Cina
Bryant Locher
Mike Davis
Samantha Rei Crossland
Christopher Straub
Jennifer Davis
Leekyung Kang
Ashley Hay
Jamie Owens
Rudy Fig
Christina Da Cruz
Caitlin Karolczak
Joshua Nelson
Emiel Gregor
Kao Lee Thao
Andi Hillestad
Chris Matta
About mt masking tape
mt is a brand of washi rice paper masking tape produced by Japanese company Kamoi Kakoshi. It comes in a huge variety of colors, patterns, and styles, and is designed to be easily aligned and repositioned for use in crafts, interior decoration, art installation and design. Consumers and artists worldwide use the tape for a wide variety of purposes, ranging from personal projects to large-scale international art exhibitions. mt has collaborated with many designers, companies and museums throughout the world, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, Anthropologie in New York City, the Maison & Objet in Paris, the Ambiente in Germany, Ikea Japan, Uniqlo Paris, Issey Miyake boutique and more. mt tape is currently carried in Minnesota by TOMODACHI and the Walker Shop at Walker Art Center.
This exhibit is presented by TOMODACHI & Public Functionary with additional support from mt tape & Coca Cola.
Aug06
Gundam NXEdgeStyle at TOMODACHI
2015 at 12:31 pm by admin | Comments Off
TOMODACHI has now received the new NXEdgeStyle series of posable figures at both our Rosedale and Mall of America locations! These figures, which represent popular mobile suits from Gundam SEED Destiny and Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz, are fully posable and articulate, and come with several accessories and details that make this new line a must-have for fans of the franchise! The figures, which stand at 3″ high, each come with unique weapons and molding, including transparent pieces and alternate hands for a huge number of potential poses and play styles. Featuring the Strike Freedom Gundam and the Destiny Gundam from SEED Destiny, as well as the Wing Gundam Zero Custom from Endless Waltz, these Gundam mini-figures are the first in a new series of upcoming SD-style Gundam toys, with more popular Gundams to come in the future! Check out either of our store locations to see these cool toys, and much more, for yourself!
Jul15
CALL FOR ARTISTS: TOMODACHI x MT
2015 at 10:18 am by admin | Comments Off
Greetings from TOMODACHI! We would like to invite you to participate in our call for artists for the upcoming TOMODACHI X mt art exhibit, happening August 29th at our Mall of America location.
What is mt, you ask? mt is a brand of washi rice paper masking tape produced by Japanese company Kamoi Kakoshi. mt tape comes in a huge variety of colors, patterns, and styles, and is designed to be easily aligned and repositioned for use in crafts, interior decoration, art installation and design. Consumers and artists worldwide use the tape for a wide variety of purposes, ranging from arts and crafts projects to large-scale international art exhibitions.
TOMODACHI has hosted a variety of art events and workshops over the years, and this time we’ve collaborated with mt to host an exhibit and mt launch party this coming August. This event will focus primarily on mt’s decorative tape and its use in creating art. mt has collaborated with many designers, companies and museum throughout the world, such as MoMA in New York City, the Maison & Objet in Paris, the Ambiente in Germany, Ikea Japan, Uniqlo Paris, Issey Miyake boutique and more.
WE WANT YOU!
This event will be held at our Mall of America store on August 29th, and will feature creations from a select number of talented artists and designers. The theme for the show is focused on the use of mt tape in art, so accepted artists will use mt tape (provided by TOMODACHI) to design something cool in the form of 2D pieces, 3D objects, fashion or even by covering a vehicle like a moped or bicycle — we want to hear your ideas!
SUBMISSIONS
To apply, send us an e-mail with a link to your online portfolio or photo album with work samples AND pitch us an idea of what you’d like to make. Tape will be provided compliments of TOMODACHI and each accepted artist will receive a special gift bag from the shop as a thank you for participation.
Submission Deadline: July 31st / 5pm
To apply e-mail: kate@publicfunctionary.org
Jul03
MT workshops at TOMODACHI
2015 at 12:52 pm by admin | Comments Off
Starting this June, TOMODACHI has been holding weekend workshops in collaboration with our friends at MT Tape! MT tape is a unique brand of washi rice paper masking tape that can be used to decorate and design anything you can imagine, and TOMODACHI is helping fans and visitors explore the possibilities of MT Tape with our free weekend workshops!
Available at both our Mall of America and Rosedale locations every Saturday, creative minds will be given a free milk carton cutout as well as same of a variety of MT Tape colors to play with and enjoy. Our first workshop this past weekend was a huge success, with visitors creating tons of fun and cool designs with MT Tape! These workshops will be available every Saturday until August 22nd, so make sure to stop by and check out MT Tape with us!
Jun16
mt x TOMODACHI
2015 at 04:18 pm by admin | Comments Off
This summer, TOMODACHI is bringing design to the Twin Cities in a big way, thanks to mt tape! TOMODACHI has collaborated with mt in order to bring a number of events, workshops, and competitions to our Mall of America store as well as Rosedale store this summer, and we’re excited to share them with all of you!
What is mt tape? mt is a brand of washi rice paper masking tape produced by Japanese company Kamoi Kakoshi, whom have been designing specialty paper adhesives since 1923. mt tape comes in a huge variety of colors, patterns, and styles, and is designed to be easily aligned and repositioned for use in crafts, interior decoration, and graphic design. Consumers and artists worldwide use the tape for a wide variety of purposes, ranging from arts and crafts projects to large-scale art exhibitions! Now, TOMODACHI is proud to be presenting mt tape this summer through a number of workshops and competitions!
Throughout the summer months, TOMODACHI will be hosting workshops every Satuday from June 27th to August 22nd, and will be demonstrating and teaching visitors how to experience and work with mt tape firsthand! This is FREE workshop and samples will be available at the event, so anyone can come participate!
Along with these free workshops, customers may opt to join our mt tape competition, in which TOMODACHI will hand out gift card prizes to our favorite entries! In order to participate in the competition, customers must purchase a special $5 template from either our MoA or Rosedale location, which can be customized, cut, and folded. Customers who purchase the template will also receive 25% off of mt tape for the entry! Entries must be submitted by August 22nd to qualify, and can be entered at either of our locations. The grand prize will be a $300 TOMODACHI gift card, while second and third place will receive a $100 card and $50 card respectively.
TOMODACHI will also be hosting an art event on August 29th, in which we will be presenting a number of mt-tape inspired art pieces. The pieces at the exhibition will be specially created by artists around the Twin Cities, and will truly show off the possibilities behind mt tape as an art form as well as decoration. The winners of our workshop contest will also be shown off at the event. We will be announcing more details and festivities at the event as we draw closer to the August date, so stay tuned for more info, and make sure to check out our weekly workshops!
Apr22
Earth Day 2015
2015 at 04:11 pm by admin | Comments Off
Today marks this year’s Earth Day, in which people in over 190 countries are showing their support for the planet as well as environmental protection. The holiday, which was originally celebrated in 1970 as a means to celebrate environmental reform and peace amongst one another, is one in which dozens of events are held worldwide in support of protecting nature. The President of the United States has even given an official speech in the name of the holiday!
Discussion of dangerous news about climate change and global environment issues are at the forefront of the discussion today, and while these topics are fundamentally important to our continued survival on the planet Earth, it is important to not forget to appreciate nature around us and what it gives us on a daily basis. In order to make a real change in these issues, we as a whole must devote much more than this one day to the issues at hand. So make sure to get outside, enjoy yourself, and keep in mind the lessons and topics that are being discussed globally today; we’ll need to keep them in mind if we truly hope to make a difference and make this world a better place for every living being.
Mar27
TOMODACHI 10th Anniversary Retrospective
2015 at 04:06 pm by admin | Comments Off
We’ve said our goodbyes to 10 years of service this last weekend with our 10th anniversary celebrations! We got to see many of our friends and fans at the event, and were so grateful to everyone who stopped by to party with us.
Good times were had with the numerous festivities at the store that included raffles, giveaways, live painting, live DJ, dancing and more. We were happy to help Animal Humane Society by donating all raffle sales to their cause.
We’d also like to thank all of our sponsors who helped make this event as awesome as possible. Special thanks go out to San-X and its delegates Mori-san and Tomo-san, who provided the fabulous San-X raffle prizes, a wide variety of merchandise, and especially for flying out Rilakkuma for the meet-n-greet photo ops!
We’d also like to thank Nick Green from Skullcandy who donated headphones, apparel and more to the event. Also sincere thanks to Red Bull for helping out with refreshments and the sweet DJ booth. Finally, thanks to DJ Bob for spinning some radical music for the event!
We at TOMODACHI are extremely grateful to all our friends for helping us make 10 years fly by, and hope we can continue to serve all of you for many years to come!
For more awesome photos of the event, please check out our 
Facebook and 
Instragram!
Mar13
Meet-n-Greet with Rilakkuma at TOMODACHI
2015 at 01:37 pm by admin | Comments Off
San-X will be hosting a meet-n-greet event with Rilakkuma at TOMODACHI’s Mall of America location! As part of our 10th anniversary celebration, the event will take place on Satuday, March 21st, from 1PM to 5PM, and visitors can meet Rilakkuma in person, along with donating a variety of Rilakkuma buttons and prizes for our raffles. We will also be hosting a San-X gift bag giveaway, which will feature a variety of Rilakkuma-themed items, including pillows, headphones, finger puppets, stationery, mugs, and more! Three of these bags will be given away to lucky winners who stop by our 10th anniversary event and take a photo with Rilakkuma. Simply post your photo with Rilakkuma to Instagram, tagged with #TOMODACHIUS, #rilakkumaus, or #Rilakkuma_na, for a chance to win one of these adorable Rilakkuma bags! Winners will be announced on March 21st after the event through Instagram.
To find out more about Rilakkuma’s visit to TOMODACHI, as well as other events at our 10th anniversary party, click here!
Mar11
TOMODACHI 10th Anniversary Event
2015 at 04:02 pm by admin | Comments Off
TOMODACHI turned 10 years old this past year. Over the years, our fans and friends have helped us strive to where we are today, and we’ve held a variety of events, workshops, and art exhibitions. We cherish those memories, and we can’t thank all of our fans and friends enough for that. Without you, we wouldn’t be where we are today. Now, with our second store at the Mall of America, we’re happy to announce our official 10th anniversary celebration event at our MoA location!
The event will take place on Saturday, March 21st, from 1PM to 5PM, and will be completely free to attend for everyone! The event will feature live music courtesy of musician and entertainer DJ Bob, as well as live paintings, dance performances, raffles, complimentary refreshments, and more. All proceeds from the raffles will be donated to the Animal Humane Society, so make sure to help out a good cause and maybe you’ll get something awesome in return!
On top of that, Rilakkuma will be visiting us from 1PM to 5PM for meet-n-greet events and photo ops, along with donating a variety of Rilakkuma buttons and prizes for our raffles. We will also be hosting a San-X gift bag giveaway, which will feature a variety of Rilakkuma-themed items, including pillows, headphones, finger puppets, stationery, mugs, and more! Three of these bags will be given away to lucky winners who stop by our 10th anniversary event and take a photo with Rilakkuma. Simply post your photo with Rilakkuma to Instagram, tagged with #TOMODACHIUS, #rilakkumaus, or #Rilakkuma_na, for a chance to win one of these adorable Rilakkuma bags! Winners will be announced on March 21st after the event through Instagram.
We’d also like to extend our thanks to Red Bull, whom have provided us with the DJ booth and complimentary refreshments for the event, as well as Skullcandy, who will be giving away free headphones, buttons, and Skullcandy necklaces in our raffles, for helping to make this event as awesome as possible!
It’s sure to be a great time, and we hope to see you there to celebrate this momentous occasion for us!