On March 17th & 18th the innaugural BUKU Music and Art Project took place at Mardi Gras World in New Orleans. This newcomer to the music festival scene boasted two days filled with some of the top names in hip-hop and electronic music between 2 main stages and a late night tent. The site allowed spectators to take in views of the Mississippi River while being able to catch some of their favorite artists such as Skrillex, Avicii, SBTRKT, Wiz Khalifa, Diplo and plenty more.

Winter Circle Productions contacted us to see if we would be able to help provide decor to the festival in several different areas. We were happy to comply and ended up using a combination of framed structures and stretch shapes throughout the site. Internally illuminated Pinkometry was scattered throughout the site and could be found in the media room where interviews and photo sessions took place as well as the late night stage set in the outdoor tent. Massive 40′ x 40′ Comets could be found overhead in that tent as well adding intrigue to the large space.

Big thanks to Max Rasche for reaching out to us and helping document this festival, you can find more of his photos from the festival at the BUKU Facebook Page! Thanks also to all those who helped with the installations!

On the last Saturday in January, pirates invaded the port city of Tampa as part of the annual Gasparilla Pirate Festival. The roots of this celebration go back to 1904, and has since evolved into a full day of festivities attended by almost 500,000 people per year. The day begins with the sailing of the Gasparilla Pirate Ship into Downtown Tampa. This is followed by a parade of Pirate Krewes up Bayshore Boulavard and into the heart of the city. Following the parade there is also a series of concerts at the newly built Curtis Hixon Park. Fortunately, we happened to be right in the midst of the action following The Special Event; view some pictures from this unique celebration below . . .

Like Lady Gaga or not you must admit that her creative edge has pushed into the mainstream.

I was intrigued to hear about her Gaga Holiday Workshop at Barneys and I went out of my way to see it!  Not only did the experience start on the ground floor in the infamous Barneys Holiday windows but continued right from the door to the 5^th floor hints large and small cried Gaga!

Arriving on the 5^th floor workshop one was tossed into a creative environment, a place where transformation of space and one’s perception of shopping shifted.  This sculptural, colorful fun retail outlet featured Gaga’s signature look and feel.  You could buy product based on it or just enjoy the view!

I look forward to the day when I get to build Pink World, but meanwhile head over to Gaga’s workshop while you still can.  For your viewing enjoyment here are some Gaga Workshop experience photos.

Once again this is the time of year of all the HOLIDAY WINDOWS!  And NYC is the best place to see great examples of what is going on!

I traveled from Rockefeller Center north to 57th Street. I also jumped over to Barney’s.

My favorite was Juicy Couture – full building look, as it was fresh to me – different and whole with lots of nooks and crannies.  I liked it!  Of course Bergdorf’s is ALWAYS way over the top – to the point where it is almost hard to look at in the photos. (You must experience this stuff live!)

My observation was that as I traveled up 57th street – we started more gritty and real, invention as in Saks and went onto a carnival, circus, festive surreal feel as in adventurous environments, such as Lady GaGa at Barney’s. But what I really wondered is what that says about our society and the now time 2011 Holiday running into 2012 – What is in store as the circus party begins?

Please enjoy the images from NYC Holiday Window’s!

In order of appearance – Rockefeller Center, etc.  Diesel, Fendi, Juicy Couture, Zegna, Rock Center, Saks Fifth Avenue, Projection Mapping and Saks, various, till the gold tree’s at  Bendel’s, the several dense windows at Bergdorf’s, Barney’s,…and more to come!

On Saturday, October 1st, the second annual Bring to Light festival took place in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. This nocturnal art party was held simultaneously with several other Nuit Blanche events throughout the world that have been gaining steam as an international celebration ever since the first Nuit Blanche that originated in Paris in 2001.  Over two dozen cities participated, including Brussels, Amsterdam,  Montreal, Toronto, and Washington. For New York’s version, a large section of the Greenpoint was chosen as the site, utilizing parks, warehouses, streets, as well as the waterfront which provided a breathtaking view of the Manhattan skyline. As to be expected, the major element used in many of the installations was light and we saw all kinds of it at this festival; from projection, to LED’s and video-mapping. We were also involved with the festival as sponsors, providing our fabric screens for some of the installations. In addition we worked alongside artist Chakaia Booker creating a series of screens altered with different textures and washed out with strong spotlights in a piece called Shadows. It was great seeing the crowd interact with the screens and create a performance piece of their own. Check out some photos from Bring to Light below and stay tuned for some more on Shadows . . .

Each year, the DUMBO Arts Festival seeks to highlight Brooklyn’s commitment to and presence in the arts community by presenting the best in local, national, and international art amid the breathtaking backdrop of the Brooklyn Bridge and the Manhattan skyline.

The DUMBO Arts Festival attracts 200,000 visitors over 3 days with the participation of over 500 artists from a variety of disciplines, 100 studios, 50 galleries and stages, and 100 programming partners.

We were able to make it over on Saturday night to catch a glimpse of some of the great video and projection exhibitions which begin at sundown. With so much to see; it was difficult to fit everything in but below you can find some pictures of some of the installations which caught our eyes. You can see a full list of exhibits as well as descriptions and more info on the artists at the festival’s website.

One area which stood out in particular was the waterfront at Brooklyn Bridge Park. With the new glass building designed by architect Jean Nouvel housing Jane’s Carousel just having opened in September, in addition to spectacular views of Manhattan, this area became a natural gathering point. There was also a very cool exhibit placing a series of projectors in front of screens and inviting spectators to jump in the line of the light casting shadows visible on the other side.

Another highlight of the festival was a video projection installation called “Immersive Surfaces.” Video-mapping technology was used to cover 30,000 sq. feet of the Manhattan Bridge Archways creating a truly dynamic experience for the large groups of spectators gathered in neighboring plaza and tunnel below.

Didn’t get the chance to visit the DUMBO Arts Festival this year? You happen to be in luck as this upcoming Saturday (October 1^st) Bring to Light will take place in Greenpoint, Brooklyn simultaneously with all of the other Nuit Blanche (White Night) events occurring in cities throughout the world and Pink Powered by Moss happens to be a sponsor! Look for more news and previews to come later this week  and be sure to RSVP on their Facebook page for the most up to date information. . .

View video from Immersive Surfaces

Fashion’s Night Out!

The third edition of FNO was FUN for all, as the streets of NYC were teaming with crowds of people looking at Fashion.  Well at least that was the premise.  Many folks were out looking for the free drink, food, and people watching as the fashion folks presented their new season’s best.

The parade did not stop, from SoHo to the Meat Packing District and from Bloomingdales to 57th street.  New Yorkers LOVE their spectacles and this event certainly was one to really watch.

If you have not make Fashion’s Night Out yet – YOU NEED TO!

This year ISES EventWorld was held in a very HOT St. Louis on August 4-6.  We managed to be there right in the nations heat wave!

I wanted to tell you specifically about the event at The City Museum.  This is a spot for both adults and children.  Although most people probably view this as a child’s play land, I really see it as a place for adults to imagine and PLAY!

I never saw so many people walk out of an event with smiles on there faces, not smiles because they net a few nice people, smiles because they not only connected with people in a regular event networking kind of way, but they EXPLORED, IMAGINED, CLIMBED, SLID and SHARED experiences with their colleagues.

The City Museum’s website is just OK compared to the AMAZING EXPERIENCE it provides!

Built in a 600,000 sq’ former warehouse of the International Shoe Company, this Museum combines recycled architectural and industrial product and refuse AND wonderful, original Sculptures and sculptural form all under the watch of internationally acclaimed artist Bob Cassilly.

What a GREAT place to get adults to PLAY! If EVENTS and EVENT PROFFESSIONALS employed some of these techniques we may all have a lot more SMILES!

Take a look at the great fun space and if you are in St. Louis I encourage you to visit The City Museum!

In 2010, the Design Museum Holon officially opened to rave reviews and brought a lot of attention from the design world to this Israeli city located just outside of Tel Aviv. The first thing that captures your eye when you see this building are these brightly colored ribbons weaving around, and upon further investigation you find that they create a highly functional museum, tied together by these striking sculptural forms.

The museum, which was designed by Ron Arad Architects, is part of a 16-year regeneration plan instituted by the Mayor of Holon, Motti Sasson, to establish the town as a center for design, culture, and education. It joins the already built Mediatheque Theater, Mediatheque Public Library, Holon Cinematheque, and the Israeli Cartoon Museum as part of the Holon Mediatheque campus.

The Design Museum Holon showcases site-specific exhibitions focusing on design concepts, objects and architecture. The museum also houses an extensive material library where designers from all different fields can find an extensive collection along with other valuable information for their taking. Currently on display at the museum is an exhibit called New Olds, which examines new ways of looking at common materials and how to assemble (or re-assemble) them.  If you find yourself in Israel, the Mediatheque campus makes for a great visit and this iconic new museum helps establish the city of Holon as a cultural and design hub within the Middle East.