Maya Lin’s Green Memorial. What Is Missing? focuses on extinct and vanishing species, and incorporates sculpture, video, sound, hand-held electronics, printed material and an interactive website. More at Maya Lin’s Studio.

I recently completed a design project with Share Our Strength for their No Kid Hungry Pledge. A great group of people and an extremely important effort:

I want this sticker to give people a way to show their individual support and get them excited about an America that is ending childhood hunger by 2015. We need a sustained effort. We need commitments made each and every day by all of us who have enthusiastically signed up, and that’s what I wanted to show with the repeating “I pledge” of the background. It’s like those sentences we used to have to write on the chalkboard in school when we did something bad. But this time, we’re doing something good. We’re pledging a better future. Over and over and over until it becomes reality.

You can still get the sticker by taking the pledge and making a small donation to the campaign. Please do, and put it in a high traffic area. Let it serve as a reminder that we all need to do our part to make NO KID HUNGRY a reality.

Read the full post. Make a donation. Spread the word, NO KID HUNGRY.

@ MoMA

Katie and I made a trip to New York City recently. Paola Antonelli, curator at MoMA, spoke in Omaha last fall on design and our world. One of the things covered was her recent acquisition of the “at” symbol. We like to say that’s why we went. To see this: @.

@ Natural History Museum

@ The Guggenheim

@ Ellis Island

@ Empire State Building

@ Ground Zero

Such an amazing city. The buildings, the art, the design, the history, the hustle and the bustle. The food, the people, the culture and the hugeness. Yeah, we had a good time.

I’m really enjoying the playful style and laid back approach of Ty Williams’ art. Dig that sea-faring vibe! Via the Makr blog – one of my favorites.

Original TMF contributor and amazing photographer Ian Whitmore is working on a new photography project entitled Onomasticon.

Inspired by an ongoing photography project that addresses the prevailing sense of non-place in contemporary American urban and suburban landscape, onomasticon presents a new vocabulary for these ubiquitous, yet abstract spaces.

This series is comprised of 26 artists books. Each book will pair a single word—corresponding to a letter of the alphabet—with various imagery. This new vocabulary will be composed of words both obscure and familiar; they share poignantly relevant definitions to describe the images they accompany.

While the books’ focus will be the photographic images, they will also explore any number of media, including drawing, graphics, screen printing, etc.

These individual books become documents; experimenting with and exploring both visual literacy and written language.

He’s set up a Kickstarter entry to help fund the project. You can also watch a video of Ian talking about his project there. Good luck Ian! Looks like a great idea.

Fight the Fremont Law! Bright Eyes, Desaparecidos, Cursive, Lullaby for the Working Class and more will perform at an ACLU Benefit Concert in Omaha, Nebraska. On Saturday July 31st people will gather together to fight for equality. The show benefits ACLU Nebraska.

At the intersection of art and politics in an effort to make change: “This way of thinking and legislating is so dangerous, and such a threat to our basic ideals as Americans and humans, that we cannot stand by and do nothing. We cannot play on as if nothing is wrong.“

Always one to recognize the importance of not remaining neutral on a moving train, Conor Oberst is also part of the The Sound Strike, an artists call to boycott Arizona. You can read his thoughts in an open letter on the Arizona law and watch the video below.

This is about a just and humane immigration system. This is about holding true to the idea of America. In Nebraska this about “the Good Life” for everybody. And it’s about beautiful music performed to galvanize a movement for equality to make all of this possible.

The Great Oil Leak of 2010 Poster Project: We’re graphic designers, illustrators, web designers and artists from all around the world who’ve come together to do what they can to provide support to the Gulf Coast Fishermen. A nice little poster project from John Gibby and Jeff Lush. In partnership with Gulf Aid of Acadiana to use art to bring aid to the local fisherman affected by this disaster.

Some very nice posters here:

Rowboat - by Erin Olcsvary

Stuck - by Alyssa Rose

Save the Gulf - by David Vogin

Addicted - by Jude Landry

The world's first Street Art disaster movie

Exit Through the Gift Shop, enter the world of Street Art. From its temporary place in the real world to the endless online sharing of this “legal gray area,” the film is about the art, of course. But also the intellectual mind-twisting that takes place when confronted with the idea behind the visual. Itself a piece of art, prank, celebrity, commentary, confrontation, the film is part “we pulled one over on you,” part honest account of the way things are when you’re a Street Artist. Maybe.

View the trailer here:

More Banksy here:

Banksy in Palestine. Photo via Revista-Amauta.org

From the Library of Congress, a wonderful poster collection of the Works Progress Administration. Impeccable typography. Extremely skilled imagery. All in the name of progress and moving America forward. I can just hear the glenn beck army of spastics now. Oh the rallying cries: “I’ll blind my kid if I want to.” “Stay away from the bottom of my swimming pool.” “Keep your damn hands off my syphilis.” Ah what fun. 

It’s quite a selection of work from an important part of American history. When government was seen as a tool for equality and democratic processes. As we approach Independence Day these posters offer a nice visual ride through a time of bold visioning. 

Obsessive Consumption the Book

Our friend Kate, from the Office of Kate Bingaman-Burt, has a book out. It’s pretty great. Quoting now: “I love documenting the mundane and, in turn, putting a personal face on something that is mass-produced. I make work about personal consumerism, market economies, guilt, joy, excess, more guilt, gifts, celebration, repetition, and the community of these shared experiences.” She’s going on her Summer Zoom 2010. Really nice stuff. Enjoy.

Interesting to see the process behind Hecox’s work, not what I expected.

Description

Jonathan Harris (b. Aug 27, 1979) makes projects that reimagine how humans relate to technology and to each other. His We Feel Fine Book is awesome. His TED talk is great. His one photo a day is nice. Take some time to look through all his projects.

Work

Our boy Ian Whitmore was recently included in Fraction Magazine’s Issue 14. Outstanding stuff, as always.

I love New York City. All the people, coming and going, everyone on their grind. Everyone on their hustle. Peter Funch is a photographer taking an interesting look at the similarities that exist within the crowds of people who walk the streets day in, day out. As far as I can tell he shoots multiple photos in one location and then compiles the similarities into one composite image. I love this stuff.

Professional Skateboarder / Artist Ed Templeton has a huge show up in Belgium right now. It looks like an impressive amount of work. Hear him talk in awkward ways about the show.

A nice little video of Barry McGee talking about art and stuff.

Tugboat Poster Packs. On Sale. 12 Posters for $100

This April at the Tugboat Gallery begins the third year of their space in the Parrish Studios in downtown Lincoln. Part of the First Friday Gallery Walk every month, these exhibitions are quite an expression of a flourishing downtown art scene while bringing people together for a night of community and celebration.

To go along with each exhibition, I work with owner Peggy Gomez to design a poster and do a print run of around 75. All totaled we’ve done 25 different poster designs that have become the voice of this non-commissioned art gallery visible on the streets of Lincoln throughout the year. For the two year anniversary we’re offering the hand-screened posters from this year. 12 posters, 100 bucks. You can reserve your set now by emailing Peggy. You’ll also be able to purchase a set at the gallery walk this Friday from 7 to 10 at Tugboat.

Yours And Mine | Video Stew

New Masters & Mentors | Triumvirate

American Bust | So... How Have You Been?

A collaborative effort by the design community to help effect change.

My wife and I like to make time to work on projects together. She’s more of a writer, myself more of a designer. Together, we’re a force to be reckoned with. Recently, as tragedy struck Haiti, and the world scrambled to find ways to help, we wanted to spend some of our time together making something that could be part of the effort to help the people living through such a horrendous situation.

With the goal of raising $1,000,000 for Doctors Without Borders, The Haiti Poster Project was conceived as a collective effort by the design community to unite and effect change. This collaboration of artists and designers from around the world benefitting victims of the earthquake in Haiti was an effort we whole-heartedly support. And we made this poster together for the effort.

Limited Edition 3-Color Silk Screen

140C Pop-Tone Sno Cone French Paper

The site launched March 23. You can purchase the posters beginning on April 5, 2010.

“When others are in trouble, we feel it in our hearts. And it’s with our hearts, we reach out to help in any way we know how. ‘Compassion to the Rescue’ is a phrase that can ring true to anyone anywhere. This whimsical, hand-drawn design is meant to bring smiles and inspire action. With a little love, we can do anything, especially help all those people who are hurting in Haiti.” –Katie Kemerling

All money raised will be donated to Doctors Without Borders.

Manifest Equality Gallery: Photo by DAILY DUJOUR

Manifest Equality Gallery: Photo by DAILY DUJOUR

Manifest Equality. In Los Angeles. March 2010. The event wrapped up on the 7th. I didn’t make it out to the gallery but found some great photos of the event by NOTCOT and DAILY DUJOUR. As a visual spectacle, it was a powerful statement for equality in America. It was our culture creating momentum for change. And the work to make our place we call home a little more equal and just, goes on. 

Manifest Equality Gallery: Photo by NOTCOT

Manifest Equality Gallery: Photo by NOTCOT

Manifest Equality Gallery: Photo by NOTCOT

Manifest Equality Gallery: Photo by NOTCOT

Manifest Equality Gallery: Photo by NOTCOT

Manifest Equality Gallery: Photo by NOTCOT

Manifest Equality Gallery: Photo by DAILY DUJOUR

Manifest Equality Gallery: Photo by DAILY DUJOUR

Manifest Equality Gallery: Photo by DAILY DUJOUR

Manifest Equality Gallery: Photo by DAILY DUJOUR

Manifest Equality Gallery: Photo by NOTCOT

“We are gay and straight together, we are fighting for LGBT equality – but we stand as part of a broader, deeper, larger struggle across this planet…for all of us.” -Cleve Jones, human rights activist

See more gallery photos by NOTCOT and DAILY DUJOUR.

Wieden + Kennedy has a new episode of their D.I.Y. America series online. This one is about skateboarding and selling out.