blogs, links, events and art from the teens behind ►

This is at 3 am (10 hours after the event started)!

As WACTAC  gears up for the 24-hour marathon art-making madness that will be Don’t Sleep on It, we’re getting to know our participating artists through a series of snappy little videos. While there just isn’t enough time between now and May 15 to interview all eight groups of artists, check back here for more information on who’s who and what they do. Especially keep an eye out for video interviews with Burlesque Design, John Grider of BrokenCrow, and Scott Stulen coming fresh from the WACTAC video production team in the next few weeks.

For now, check out our inaugural interview with members of Hardland/Heartland design collective.

Don’t Sleep on It kicks off on May 15 at 6 pm and runs through May 16m with a closing party at 8 pm. A full schedule of artist-led activities and musical performances is listed on this site.  Shoot us an email at teenprograms@walkerart.org if you want to participate in this free event.

Last weekend I watched a friend’s copy of and it is hilarious. Makers-Minneapolis natives Joe Pickett and Nick Prueher, began collecting found videotapes in 1991 after stumbling across a training video entitled, “Inside and Outside Custodial Duties” in a McDonald’s break room.They find the cream of the forgotten crop. The clips mainly from the seventies and eighties are actually histerical- they range from dance instructionals to  Self Defense (my favorite is the bearded knife guy). Now they’re back at home with two shows at The Heights Theatre on Oct. 23rd at 7 and 9:00. The guys dish and discuss throughout and afterwards, and they’re always availavle to accept submissions of your favortie find. Even if you can’t go, rent this or something… it’s all i’ve been tlking about for the past week.

foundfootagefestiv

Next week, we get the pleasure of meeting artist Tomas Saraceno. This will be the first of several visits to Minneapolis for Tomas. During his residency, he hopes to work on his ongoing Museo Aero Solar project, a solar-energy balloon made of reused plastic bags. Check out the video below and if you want to get more info click here.

This interview with stencil artist extraordinaire Broken Crow is the 2nd in a continuing series that features Twin Cities-based artists. After you are done watching Mr. Grider talk about his life, stencils, and day jobs, be sure to check out our first interview with Burlesque of North America’s Mike Davis.

If you are a fan of Gus Van Sant (Drugstore Cowboy, Gerry and Elephant) you should check out this FREE SCREENING (Wednesday, March 29, 7:30 PM) of Parnoid Park. Check out the trailer.

If you plan on attending, make sure to show up early.

Calling all aspiring/established/amateur filmmakers!

Film still by Dallas Cornell

Deadline for submissions:  MONDAY, JUNE 1

Each year, after the St. Anthony Main fireworks, The Soap Factory holds the Ten Second Film Festival. This festival is a raucous, outdoor screening of the top 100 funniest, dumbest, cleverest, and sometimes most thought-provoking ten second films you’ll ever see. Anyone can submit a film and they’re usually pretty low-tech (as is perfectly obvious from some of the previous years’ footage!). It’s a great opportunity to be shown at a leading art gallery. Most films are made on low-tech, alternative movie-making devices, so whip out those cell phones, digital cameras, and iphones and make some ten second magic!

Submission guidelines can be found on The Soap Factory’s website. Email all film submissions to tensecondfilmfest@gmail.com.

For inspiration, check out previous years’ winners on YouTube.

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.

Check out some of the films that will be shown on Saturday at the All City Youth Film Festival.  You may be able to see them on youtube, but come on, what’s better a crappy low-res youtube video or a full screen version in the Walker Cinema?

Karma by Hannah Bates

Writing Backwards by Jack Anderson

Dutch artist Theo Jansen demonstrates his amazingly lifelike kinetic sculptures, built from plastic tubes and lemonade bottles. His “Strandbeests” (Beach Creatures) are built to move and even survive on their own.

Here’s a really great community art project by Jorge Rodriguez-Gerada that was recently posted on wooster.

This project reminds me of Harrell Fletcher’s “These Fine People (1998)” and “Some People…’(1998). Check it out below.

Recently WACTAC got the chance to visit Burlesque of North America’s design and printing studio, as well as being able to interview one of their members, Mike Davis. Burlesque is a collective of artists and graphic designers best known for their poster and album cover work with a multitude of musicians. Watch the video to learn more, and don’t be afraid to visit www.burlesquedesign.com

Back in 2005, WACTAC had the opportunity to hang out with Ed Templeton before his Artist Talk. Unfortunately, it isn’t posted on channel.walkerart.org. but we’ll try to get the video up sometime soon. Skateboarding and art has always been intertwined and Ed has been at the center of it for 20 years. Although I have a moral objection to skateboarding being featured as a “sport,” I’ll be the first to admit that ESPN.com did an incredible highlighting the life of Ed. Check out the video and interview.

I can’t believe we made it through this madness.

This might be grounds for firing.

This is sweet.  The Upper Playground guys each paint a face of a cube. 

Artist Axel Peemoeller won several international awards for his painting of this parking garage. I think it’s innovative, and obviously took a lot of planning, but the end effect is incredible. Check it out.

Also, i want to start a website where people can submit voicemail messages you enjoyed. I have quite a few left by drunk friends, and I think it is an interesting form of communication, which hasn’t been around that long. The idea of communicating through your voice at a later time is a pretty strange thing to me, when I think about it… Sorry for the terribly inarticulate post, I’m being distracted by Witt and some sort of ‘meeting’ he’s having.
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Most of time I am a little apprehensive to share skate videos with non-skaters simply because what impresses most skaters doesn’t impress the general non-skateboarding public and vice versa. Anyway with the use of green screens, you are bound to impress both skaters and non-skaters alike. Check out this video (via theberrics.com) If you like it go to alexismilant.com. Enjoy.

Pikapika is inspiring artists all over the world to create there own flashlight animation

all it takes is a few friends

some flashlights.. (maybe some cool bulb colors)

darkness

and a digital still camera

… and maybe quicktime

.. when is the Walker going to have them over from Japan to do a workshop?

I came across this video while I was poking around trying find some info about Miguel Gutierrez’s Everyone (he will be performing at the Walker Thursday through Sunday). I love the simple use of loops.