After working for over 50 hours in the last four days I have to say that as I walked away from Don’t Sleep On It I was extremely tired. But I found myself wishing about an hour after it finished that I was still in that small room in the California Building creating another three hour installation.

Don’t Sleep On It was a huge success. Aside from the issue of the time-lapse video going out for 12 hours, everything went off without a hitch. This was due in large part to all of the artists, and their commitment to keep all of our participants motivated through their sleep-walking/arting.

Thanks to Erin and Brett Smith for the convenience store, Chris Pennington for the cardboard city, Hardland/Heartland for the black hole (with help from M-Deathsquads), Burlesque for the BRLSQOTHEQUE (and the wall of bass), Kristina Mooney for the misty mountain landscape, Liz Miller for the felt and burlap oasis, Scott Stulen and Andy Ducett for the couch-fort/pastel-polygon, and lastly Broken Crow for the porcupine and spray paint free-for-all. Each of these installations were amazing and surprisingly different.

I’d also personally like to thank WACTAC for their commitment to staying awake and helping remove trash and debris while everyone else was making art. Nick & Shannon, word up.

Biggest thanks goes to Witt Siasoco, who essentially went stir crazy for the sake of an awesome event. Witt, unlike the rest of us, didn’t get to sleep very much, as he had to go back to the California Building this morning to take care of more business. Way to take the event title to heart, homie.

Thanks to all of our participants, sponsers and funders. There will be a slew of photos plus the time-lapse of half of the event in the upcoming days, so be on the look-out for that.

I’m going back to bed now.

WACTAC favorite Spike Jonze directs the most highly anticipated film of the year (at least in my mind) based on the book by Maurice Sendak. One of my favorite books growing up, it is the story of every little boy’s imagination, and to be honest, I think most adult’s imagination as well. Sometimes we just want to go where the wild things are.

Quick note, the art direction was done by COAX AWR (California graffiti legend). It looks like the young bucks are running things now.

Last night was our 13 Most Beautiful Young Artists performance, and I’d like to announce that although the date was changed and I believe we lost a few fans in the wake of the snow storm, we had a great show and a great turn-out.

The show started out a little late, as young people know that the best way to make a statement is to arrive fashionably late. All of the bands played great sets, which I was personally happy to see, as it was evident that they have gone through quite a process from the time we selected them to the final product. It was also interesting to see the different attitudes and outcomes that were produced from scoring films. Some people took a very traditional approach, matching the music to the action of the screen, while other created a soundtrack, with a song that reflected the emotions they percieved. Overall it was very cool.

Our next big project, “Don’t Sleep On It,”  is going to be phenomenal as well, so make sure to check in often for updates. In my 6 years working here, I think it might be my favorite idea out of the bunch.

This might be grounds for firing.

WACTAC just finished shooting their screen tests yesterday, inspired by Andy Warhol’s Screen Tests. We put together a little teaser of the footage we got on video. You’ll notice that there is a major element missing: a soundtrack. That is where you come in.

We extended the deadline for high school musicians to score our film until Wednesday, December 17th. Send a link to your myspace or email your demos to teenprograms@walkerart.org. If you are selected you will have the opportunity to perform live at the screening of this project in February. GET YOUR SUBMISSIONS IN! This is a great opportunity. You can rap, read poetry, submit as a band, submit as a choir, make a beat, etc… just get it in by the 18th.

The first meeting for WACTAC’s new program, STREAM, is this Tuesday at 4:30 PM at the Teen Programs office at the Walker Art Center. If you are interested please come on down, you’re the next contestant on the Price is Right… Sorry, that was just something I’ve always wanted to say, or type…

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PROVIDENCE, RI: Jay-Z has released the Blueprint 3, which I am convinced is the REAL return since the Black Album. Yeah, ‘Kingdom Come’ had some shit on there that was pretty terrific, but also huge pitfalls, and ‘American Gangster’ was as good a foray into a movie soundtrack/concept album, but this is the real deal.

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Sorry, that’s a little embarassing.

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I’ve spent the greater part of an hour trying to figure out exactly how to make a Facebook FAN page, and I think I’ve finally got it. You may have noticed our Facebook account was disabled after Facebook informed us that we couldn’t have a regular profile. Thanks a lot!

It should be an easy way to let people know about events we’re hosting and all sorts of interesting information. Become a fan and we promise we won’t get deleted again.

SEARCH WACTAC in the search bar.

Graffiti and tattoo legends create a hand painted billboard for the new Fast & the Furious movie:

Unfortunately Minnesota is quite unpredictable, and our event is going to have to be cancelled due to the snow storm. We’re sorry if you got glammed up to come down tonight, but we will try and find a date to reschedule as soon as possible. Sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused you.

Have a good night, maybe do a little sledding.
WACTAC

The TAC is putting on an awesome workshop, “Sculpture for Lightweights,” taught by local artist and sculptor Amy Toscani and open to all high school students. She has exhibited extensively since 1993, recently having a show at The Soap Factory. Amy will share her knowledge of welding, sewing, and playing light-weight steel to create sculptural objects. You’ll have the opportunity to check out the Walker galleries, flex your muscles on some stainless steel in Amy’s studio, and then exhibit your own sculpture in a final showcase.

We put Amy through the wringer before we deemed her worthy of reciting the WACTAC of Allegiance, and our in home stenographer was kind enough to give us a look at the transcripts:

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WALKER ART CENTER TEEN PROGRAMS NEWSLETTER
DECEMBER 2008

1. CALL FOR MUSICIANS
2. SCULPTURE WORKSHOP
3. PHOTO/VIDEO WORKSHOP
4. FREE TICKETS

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I’ve been all a-buzz about Gordon Voidwell (formerly Will Johnson) since he let me stay on his air mattress last year. Recently I got to do some hilarious Dada/Photoshop/Spacemonkey/Stupid-inspired artwork for his new mixtape. I suggest you download it immediately if you want to have a good time. If you don’t want to have a good time, then I don’t understand why you’re reading this blog in the first place.

DOWNLOAD IT HERE.

CHECK OUT MORE GORDON VOIDWELL HERE.

I first interviewed Ewok (HM, AWR, MSK, SEVENTH LETTER) about five years ago when he and Chen AKB were doing live-painting for the Third Annual Twin Cities Hip-Hop Festival & Celebration. Since then he’s changed his address to the much nicer climate of Southern California, and joined MSK and THE SEVENTH LETTER, two of the most prolific and innovative graffiti crews in the world. He also happens to be a founding member of Life Sucks Die magazine as well as a member of Minneapolis super-design firm, BURLESQUE of NORTH AMERICA.

In wanting to kick up dust for WACTAC’s event “Don’t Sleep On It,” I thought it would be good to check in with Ewok and see if we can pressure his Burlesque affiliates to bring him out for the event.

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Cool video lifted from Wooster Collective. An animation made using only clipart.

This Day ‘n’ Night video By Kid Cudi is fresh. The animations are great, and the song isn’t too bad either. Check it out. The drawings remind me a little bit of the concept art for Sleeping Beauty.

A few month ago I let you in on a little secret known as Gordon Voidwell formerly known as Will Johnson. The alter ego of Gordon Voidwell is speculated to have emerged when multi-instrumentalist Johnson picked up a can of Jheri-Curl relaxer and sprayed a thin mist over all of his instruments. He has been receiving rave reviews all over the place, with Giant Magazine commenting that “if I had to compare Gordon Voidwell to anyone, it would definitely be Mr. Assless Chaps himself, Prince Rogers Nelson.” All of us out here in the land of Purple Rain (and snow) understand that to be compared to Prince is nothing short of astounding, but it is well deserved.

He is currently featured on RCRD LBL’s feature DEMO DAYS, noting “Gordon Voidwell’s doughy, glitchy pop calls to mind a Prince-fronted Passion Pit.” You’re in good company.

I got the lucky opportunity to design one of his two single covers (I think I got the better one) as he is being released by two record labels! That’s right, homeboy got signed twice. Nobody does that. I wish I could be signed just one half. Here’s an MS-Paint preview of the real paint cover which is in the works:

Also, be sure to pick up a copy of the upcoming Waxpoetics, which will feature a full page story on Voidwell. You’re sure to see this man in the future, so jump on it now so when he does blow up you can say “Oh, yeah, I love Gordon Voidwell, I’ve been listening to him since 2009, that Ivy League Circus shit was my joint.” And they will be in awe.

Check out his songs at Gordon Voidwell on Myspace.

Youtube is the greatest invention of all time. There, I said it.

Min, Zephyr and Revolt hold it down. Check out Zeph rockin’ it with the O.J. glove. Go wash that glove homie, that’s got old Juice got aquitted.

I received an excited call today from my friend Elizabeth about a record label courting her courter, Will Johnson aka Gordon Voidwell. Will and I met a few times out in NY, once he was dressed as Run from Run DMC, and once he was talking about our guidance counselor hitting on him at the gym. But what you really want to know is that he majored in Philosophy of music, and his tunes are a testament to the work he put in.

His songs are a mix of funk, synth, dance, Prince, Stevie Wonder and soul. I would write something more in depth but really you should just check him out yourself. myspace.com/gordonvoidwell. Tell your mother who loves the funk, tell your cousin that loves Brooklyn, and your best friend who needs better music taste.

Luckily Witt didn’t throw a fit: