Perhaps you checked out LWP Group’s Community @ The Martin Building in Bankers Hill at CONSPIRE… Well, this time around our friends at Sezio are teaming up with LWP Group to present COLLIDE, another one-night take over at the newly renovated Community @ Carnegie on 9th & Broadway in San Diego’s East Village.

Art, music, craft beer and cocktails will fill the hallways and rooms of the five-story Community @ Carnegie building on Saturday, April 14th (6-10 pm). Featuring: Exist 1981, Spenser Little, Charles Bergquist, Michael Delaney, Neko, Walker McCullough, DieKuts, James Noland, Angella d’Avignon, Matthew Bradley, DOUBLE BREAK, Wes Bruce, Morgan Manduley, YELLER, Louis Schmidt, Christina Tsui, Mike Maxwell, FEELIT.

Details here.

except for a couple of the bands the rest are close friends. but it’s not that we want to show off here… it’s just that we all belong to a small scattered loving family, making music, bags, paintings, films, designs, etc and i [think] this is a perfect opportunity to share a bit of how we sound like in Spain (plus some geographical data) when you scratch a little bit in the surface…
at casa peSeta there’s always a nice melody when you drop by.

- peSeta (jaime)
http://peseta.org

Editor’s note: Discover more about peSeta in this interview from last May.

—

iberian-nepotism.mp3

1. Polla - Roldán
2. Burro - Lorena Álvarez
3. La Partida – Palo Alto
4. Todo va a ir mejor – La JR
5. Pichi - Celia Gámez
6. A mi mata la pena - Manuel Vallejo
7. Levántate - Antonio González El Pescaílla
8. Potros Salvajes – Las Hermanas Diego
9. Lover Lover Lover – Tresestrellas
10. El Procedimiento – Kiev Cuando Nieva
11. Tremendas Amazonas – La Estrella de David
12. Severed Finger – Challenger
13. Planta Carnívora - ZA!
14. Terracota – Los Eterno

—

Scroll down for more band info and videos…

Roldán : Polla (label: AA records)

he is a genius from Don Benito, Extremadura. both Laura and i play sometimes with him alive. he will be soon releasing a record in repetidor disc.

http://soundcloud.com/godolonky

Lorena Álvarez : Burro (sones)

she just released her first album… only in cassette. her band is called Lorena Álvarez y su Banda Municipal (basically Laura and me, and sometimes also Roldán and Laura’s boyfriend, sax player Andrés Arregui). she started writing songs recently and now she can’t stop. from San Antolín de Ibias, Asturias, she’s currently living in Berlin, and she is also a painter.

http://soundcloud.com/sonesbcn/sets/lorenaalvarez-lacinta

Palo Alto : La Partida (sones)

Palo Alto is an orchestra man with whom we’ve done this year the official bags of Primavera Sound. some people say he looks a little bit like Roldán, from the first song. there’ll also be a DVD with a video like the one we made for New Museum last year. Here’s the teaser:

LaJR : Todo va a ir mejor (AA records)

Laura’s brother, Rafa, band, originally from Gijón, Asturias. making beautiful sounds since the nineties. Rafa has a recording studio in the countryside of León (www.grabacionesdecampo.com) that we all love to visit…

http://www.myspace.com/lajrtrio

Celia Gámez : Pichi

traditional (real classic) song that once was once censored by the Franco dictatorship. amazing that those stupid things sometimes happens. unfortunately, Miss Gámez ain’t part of this little family of ours…

Manuel Vallejo : A mi mata la pena

from a wonderful compilation of songs from all over the world called Mata la Pena. flamenco rules…

Antonio González El Pescaílla : Levántate

one of our favorite artists ever. he didn´t record much because he was kind of eclipsed by his wife, Lola Flores. he is The Rumba like Little Richard was Rock and Roll.

Las Hermanas Diego : Potros Salvajes

Kantia has also started singing recently and she´s right now finishing her first album at Rafa´s studio. María Valle plays with her (and sings on “todo va a a ir mejor” by LsJR). they´re both from Maliaño, Cantabria.

Tresestrellas : lover lover lover (AA records)

María’s former band, with brothers Javi and Carlos Aquilué, from Huesca. they don´t play anymore but i just keep listening to their songs come rain or shine.

Kiev Cuando Nieva : el procedimiento (from “Todos los ademanes”, AA records)

the Aquilué brothers and Antxón (now living in Lithuania) have released a couple of wonderful albums. there’s no band like them in the rest of Europe or even in their hometown, Huesca, Aragón.

http://www.myspace.com/kievcuandonieva1

La Estrella de David : Tremendas Amazonas (canadá)

we’ve listened to his records at casa peSeta like a thousand times… he’s from Barcelona and he´s always been involved in nice bands like Beef or Telefilme…

http://www.myspace.com/laestrelladedavid

Challenger! : severed finger (bore disc)

i also play drums with them (not in this song -Moids plays). we´re friends since we were kids. we just recorded a few songs for an EP soon to release.

http://challengerasfuck.bandcamp.com/album/melsion

ZA! : planta carnívora (sones)

one of the craziest bands live and alive. also from Barcelona.

http://www.myspace.com/putosza

Los eterno : terracota (sones)

i play drums and other stuff… i don’t know what else i can say really…

http://soundcloud.com/los-eterno/sets

Ever since we first laid eyes on their work in ’09 at Subtext Gallery in San Diego, we’ve been quite enamored with their wily creations. So without further ado, for the little monsters in your life, here are some beasties… from Jolby to you:

Click the picture to inspect closer >>

To have the Carry On, Beasties! series delivered right to your email, sign up here!

(Besos to Odette Alvarez, Maria, & Maya for the translation assistance!)

Came across Kwangho Lee’s recent collaboration with NAMELESS – he’s taken the woven installations we love so much and created environmental installations. Looking forward to watching this project develop!

This mix represents some of the things that I have been listening to obsessively for the past six months or so. There are some old favorites like The Dead Weather, and Grinderman. Some new stuff from some other old favorites like Dr. Dog and Iron and Wine. Some of my favorite songs from friends like The Howls, Transfer, and Belle Brigade. There is also a track from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs IS IS EP that I came across while researching producers for our new record. All in all, it’s a collection of the stand by bands and songs that never leave the rotation of music that I listen to at home, or in our tour van. Hope you enjoy!

Joshua Zimmerman
The Silent Comedy

—

a-bit-of-this-and-a-bit-of-that.mp3

1. Lonesome - Dr. Dog
2. REVIVAL - The Howls
3. Down Boy - Yeah Yeah Yeahs
4. So Far From Your Weapon - The Dead Weather
5. Rabbit Will Run - Iron & Wine
6. Go Tell the Woman - Grinderman
7. MYSTERY SONG! *
8. Shirt - Belle Brigade
9. Like A Funeral - The Transfer

* The first listener to add a comment below with the title and artist of the mystery song gets 2 tix to The Silent Comedy show at the Belly Up Tavern on Thursday, March 8, 2012.

Jay Porter (mastermind behind North Park restaurants The Linkery and El Take It Easy) put this mix together from his new pad in Ensenada, just South of Valle de Guadalupe. Check out some of his recent musings, including his Biased Guide to Mexican Wine Country, and enjoy the mix!

ensenada-endless-winter-mix.mp3

Tocayo and Exist1981 have put their mark on some of San Diego’s more memorable spaces over the past couple years (El Camino, Cucina Urbana, random sewer drains), but their collaboration goes back more than a decade. Join us on Feb. 3rd at Subtext Gallery to celebrate them and see some new work!

There’s more to life than books you know – but not much more.
—Morrissey

2012 is gonna be a year about mixing it up a bit with the old, the current & the new. Simply, having fun and keeping it real in all matters of life. Last year brought me many challenges all around, personally and in business, life tests. Had time to reflect on what’s important over the break: family, friends, loved ones, music, food & realized how beautiful it can be when it all comes together. Real good food & music are universal & timeless. Lets take on this year with an attitude about inspiring, sharing & enjoying. After all, it’s supposed to be the last year according to the Mayans. YEAR OF THE HOMI!

Juan Miron
MIHO Gastrotruck
—

1. Harvest Moon – Poolside  (originalmente – Neil Young)
2. Just Ride It – Cuckoo Chaos
3. Minutos de Aire – Quiero Club
4. Light Of Day – The Plastics Revolution
5. Las Flores – Café Tacuba
6. Midnight City – M83
7. Tennessee – Arrested Development
8. Gotta Have It – Kanye West & Jay-Z
9. I Wonder – King Geedorah
10. El Sonido de Tu Voz – Chetes
11. Angel In the Snow – Elliot Smith
12. Putita – Babasónicos
13. This Charming Man – The Smiths
14. Dejate Caer – Café Tacuba (originalmente  - Los Tres)
15. Move On Up – Curtis Mayfield
16. Le Rendez-Vous –  Manu Chao
17. Paris 2004 – Peter Bjorn & John
18. I’ll Try Anything Once (en vivo) – Julian Casablancas
19. Never Gonna Give You Up – The Black Keys
20. Married With Children – Oasis

—

Photo snapped by Juan last year in Rio at boutique hotel Casa Mosquito.

Roy Silverstein has gradually & humbly become an institution in the San Diego music scene. It all started several years ago with The Habitat (which has more recently become Habitat House), a craftsman style home in Golden Hill where Silverstein lived, held live shows, and produced music for many folks. Señor Silverstein then went on to publish an e-book advising inspired music-heads on How to Run a Successful House Show Venue, while continuing to produce records for countless artists after moving to North Park.

Silverstein is currently in the process of building a recording studio from the ground up at his home in North Park, pulling out all the stops by enlisting the design services of Wes Lachot. We are very excited to listen to the next phase of this story unfold as Silverstein is armed with a proper production space by which to help bands up their game on record.

Without further adieu, here’s a mix that Roy put together for us… a final Minstrel Fridays mixtape for 2011.

—

These are a mix of bands and songs that deserve some attention. Some I know personally, others I admire from afar. Some, I’ve even had the pleasure of working with. Some played in my livingroom. They all keep it real.

Illustration by: Joe Majalca & Kelly Merchant (friends of mine who make ”adult” coloring books: link)

Roy Silverstein
roy.silverstein@gmail.com

—

Money-Heart-Tears-Time-Love-Death.mp3

Right-click this link and select “Save as…” to download this mix.
Subscribe to Minstrel Fridays in iTunes.

1. The Shivers – Only In It For The $$$
2. Jeremy Jay – In This Lonely Town
3. Cass McCombs – Sacred Heart
4. Broadcast – Tears in the Typing Pool
5. P:ano – Noni Song
6. The Finches – Natural History
7. Key Losers – Limited Time
8. The Delgados – The Light Before We Land
9. Tahiti 80 – 1,000 Times
10. Papercuts – Outside Looking In
11. South China – Sun Sets on Washington Ave
12. Sharon Van Etten – I Fold
13. Paleo – The King James Fakebook
14. The Love Letter Band – College Kids
15. Mira Cook – Back in your Lovin’ Arms
16. Khonnor – Daylight and Delight
17. Nire – The March
18. The Clientele – The House Always Wins
19. Low – Death of a Salesman

Join us at El Take It Easy on Wednesday, January 11th for VEGANIZED! : an evening of prolific local art, food & music.

Our long-time co-conspirator Acamonchi will be sharing some of his new work, as well as putting a new coat of paint on the above-pictured pedicab he beautified many moons ago.

Chef Max Bonacci will be preparing a three-course vegan meal featuring produce from Suzie’s Farm (fixed-price, $20). To round out your sensory experience, Ejival of Tijuana’s Static Records will be providing some tunes.

Event starts at 5 pm, full swing at 7 pm. Kitchen open until 11 pm.

¡Nos vemos allí!

As some of you know, we share a studio space with the fine folks from mi-workshop – an architecture & design studio helmed by Miki Iwasaki. Miki has curated one major design-focused exhibition each of the last two years (last year it was called Coffee & Donuts).

This year, Miki and fellow architecture instructor Philipp Bosshart have approached the exhibition from a really interesting angle – prototypes, studies, and the works in progress that lead designers down the path to a final product. The exhibition is called MATTER.

We’ve watched over the last few weeks as Miki and Philipp received some really interesting and varied work submitted from all over the world, including a TRON-esque helmet prototype, some beautiful ceramic hands with metallic patterns, and some bizarre animal/industrial push toys made from extremely heavy steel parts.

MATTER opens at The Bakery this Thursday, Sept. 1st at 7:00 pm.

More info about the show on Miki’s website, as well as a selection announcement on The Bakery website.

Beautiful limited-edition posters from Build for the new Hustwit documentary, Urbanized.

Set & Drift, in conjunction with fellow culture-pushers Neat Neat Neat and the San Diego Architectural Foundation, is proud to present Gary Hustwit’s new documentary, Urbanized, screening in San Diego on Sept. 27th. Hustwit’s last two films (Helvetica and Objectified) have made a huge impact on the design community, and Urbanized promises the same minimal style we’ve all come to love.

Urbanized tackles the planning of cities and the incredible transition of mankind into urban centers, which currently makes up over half the world’s population (and 75% by 2050). Some of the world’s best minds in architecture and planning were interviewed for the film, including one of our heroes, Jan Gehl, who’s tasked his firm with “making cities for people.”

Sept. 27, 2011 – 7pm
USD Peace & Justice Theater
Tickets »

For this week’s installment of Minstrel Fridays, we are honored to share with you a mix by one of the artists from VOLUME (opening reception is TONIGHT, 6/24)– San Diego legend Otis B. Known simply as “O”, he sings loud and paints abstract pieces like the one shown above.

Here’s some background on O, as told by Trouser Press:

Otis Barthoulameu, who chooses to be known simply as O., was the renaissance man of the early ’90s San Diego scene. Besides fronting fluf and playing guitar in Olivelawn, the hefty singer/guitarist has been a roadie (for the Muffs), oft-published skateboarding photographer, record producer (for further, among others), van driver, stagehand (Ministry’s Psalm 69 tour), 7-inch single manufacturer (Rocket From the Crypt, Tanner) and a T-shirt hawker at his own shows — all in the name of no-bullshit rawk’n'roll, the music to which he’s zealously dedicated.

Take a listen to O’s mixtape, aptly named Songs I Love…

—

Songs-I-Love.mp3

Right-click this link and select “Save as…” to download this mix.
Subscribe to Minstrel Fridays in iTunes.

1. “I Get Along” – The Libertines
2. “Post Break-up Sex” – The Vaccines
3. “Talking to the Dog” – Obits
4. “Karina” – Ryan Adams
5. “Sultana” – Son Volt
6. “Frail and Bedazzled” – The Smashing Pumpkins
7. “New Disaster” – Elliot Smith
8. “Plans” – Dinosaur Jr
9. “A Forrest” – The Cure
10. “Air Mattress” – Conor Oberst

While 30th Street has developed over the past decade into one of the best craft beer corridors in the US (perhaps the world), the irresistibly sensual wonderland of craft cocktails have been all but absent until now.

Besides Jayne’s Gastropub, it’s been difficult to find a spot along 30th to slide into a discreet corner with your date and share in the warming indulgence of finely crafted spirits (keyphase, finely crafted) paired with an equally delicious meal. Luckily for locals exploring a nightlife, El Take It Easy recently obtained their liquor license, ushering in an evolved era for 30th Street.

Read more about the cocktails, developed with Dean James of San Francisco’s Alembic. We recommend trying the Paloma with hand-squeezed grapefruit juice and 100% Agave. You can thank us later.

This Friday (6/24), Neat Neat Neat is hosting VOLUME, an art show at one of our favorite independent businesses here in San Diego county – the illustrious UNIV clothing store in Encinitas. The show features work by three musicians (Tim Kerr / Otis B / Sonny Kay), who all ventured into the irresistible world of visual art.

We’re very excited about the exhibition concept – yet another exploration in interdisciplinary goodness by Neat Neat Neat founder Josh Higgins. Keep it up!

More info on the Facebook event page.

I can’t wait for summer. Bright skies. Bike rides around the hood. Tall boys in the park. Swimming in the ocean. Passing out on the beach. Long days and warm nights. So this playlist is my blessing for a real San Diego summer. It’s the soundtrack to your perfect summer day. It’s coming…I can feel it.

- Kevin Ho, Co-Owner of MIHO Gastrotruck
www.MIHOgastrotruck.com

—

Its-Coming--I-Can-Feel-It.mp3
Download the mixtape, here.
Or, get Minstrel Fridays mixtapes in iTunes, here.

1. All Summer : Kid Cudi, Best Coast, Rostam
2. Go Outside : Cults
3. Eyes Be Closed : Washed Out
4. Morning Thought : Dale Earnhardt Jr Jr
5. If You’re Changing : White Denim
6. Rosita : Helado Negro
7. Lust For Life : Girls
8. Marathon : Tennis
9. Apollo : Danger Beach
10. California Birds : ABADABAD
11. Swim : Surfer Blood
12. Down On Loving : The Soft Pack
13. Wavves : Wavves
14. Johnny Too Beef : Mos Dub
15. House of Balloons – Glass Table Girls : The Weeknd
16. No One Can Touch Us Tonight : jj
17. Blessa : Toro y Moi
18. Most Wanted : Cults

———

P.S. from S&D:
Enjoy a perfect summer day and some great farm-to-street food with Kevin at the Lafayette Hotel & Swim Club this Sunday. He’ll be there with his co-conspirator Juan to celebrate the MIHO Gastrotruck 1-year anniversary! Details on their weekly schedule.

New illustrations (on what appears to be the yellowed pages of old books) from the ever-authentic, unrelenting, good-natured, human/artist/father known as SURGE.

In other SURGE news, take a look-see at the new book about Mexico City culture by his brother Daniel Hernandez.

Talented familia to say the least.

I’m a California girl who likes good music (especially that sweet soul music). “Songs in the Key of Sunshine” takes its inspiration from summer. Those lazy hazy crazy days of summer. Well, these songs mostly reflect the lazy and hazy days. Songs I want to listen to while sitting poolside or floating on an air mattress, carefree and with nowhere else to be. Laying on a blanket burying my feet in the sand. Enjoying picnics and BBQs in the park. Leisurely driving on a road trip to the desert or up and down the coast. Maxin’ and relaxin’. Songs that sound like a laid-back clear warm sunny day. Classic California postcard snapshots. Easy breezy sun-soaked landscapes. Of course, there are many more songs that I could listen to all summer long. This may be the first of many summer mixes to come…

DJ Claire
www.yodjclaire.com

—

Songs+in+the+Key+of+Sunshine.mp3

Download the mp3
Subscribe in iTunes

1. Billy Stewart “Summertime”
2. Stevie Wonder “Don’t You Worry ‘Bout a Thing”
3. McNeal And Niles “Summertime”
4. Toots & The Maytals “It’s You”
5. Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings “Inspiration Information”
6. Kool & The Gang “Summer Madness”
7. Roy Ayers “Everybody Loves The Sunshine”
8. Shuggie Otis “Sweet Thang”
9. Syreeta “Harmour Love”
10. The Beach Boys “Wouldn’t It Be Nice”
11. The Main Ingredient “Summer Breeze”
12. Phyllis Dillon “Make Me Yours”
13. Los Yaki “Sonia”
14. Booker T. & The MG’s “Time Is Tight”
15. José Feliciano “California Dreamin’”
16. The Clash “Charlie Don’t Surf”
17. Betty Padgett “Rocking Chair”
18. Os Mutantes “Baby”
19. The Kinks “Waterloo Sunset”
20. Sly & The Family Stone “Hot Fun In the Summertime”
21. Gil Scott-Heron “I Think I’ll Call It Morning”
22. Mos Def “May-December”
23. Stevie Wonder “Summer Soft”

Pop Gallery in Culver City is hosting a closing reception Friday, June 10th for SUNSET CIRCLES — a show feat. a group of San Francisco artists, including the talented Jay Nelson (see above). This reminded us of our enlightened wanderings around The Sunset district of San Francisco last winter, where we encountered one of Jay’s custom built bicycle mobiles at Mollusk Surf Shop (also home to some ambitious indoor treehouses and an art ‘store’ by Thomas Campbell). Within a couple blocks, you’ll run into the General Store and Trouble Coffee (for coffee, coconuts & toast of course). So worth a visit.

Bike to Work week continues with a nod to those traveling across international borders for work. If you’re in San Diego and looking for a good way to spend your afternoon, join the cycling community of Tijuana for a symbolic international ride.

Details posted here by Tijuego.

Graphic designer and occasional ukulele-craftsman Casey White recently set up shop with us down at The Bakery. Before returning to his native San Diego, Casey spent several years in New York and last year in Taos, NM living in one of the infamous Earthship dwellings. By day, Casey and his best friend run Plan B Branding, developing brands for baseball clubs. In the eve, you’ll find Mr. White (who recently became a father) kicking back with his family.

Here’s a mix of tunes that Casey’s been listening to lately – enjoy the random assortment!

——-

we-made-this.mp3

1. Sea Talk – Zola Jesus
2. The Morning – The Weeknd
3. La Femme D’Monsieur Jones (Air x Mike Jones) – The Hood Internet
4. Sleepyhead (Le Chev Remix) – Passion Pit
5. Sick – Salem
6. Post Acid – Wavves
7. Jangling Jack – Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
8. Spottieottiedopaliscious – OutKast
9. Dancin’ On Ya (Remix) (feat. Xzibit, Paul Wall & Murs) – Get Busy Committee
10. you can sell anything (produced by diplo) – Das Racist
11. Inkredible (feat. Lil Wayne & Rick Ross) – Trae the Truth
12. Keep It Warm / Lemonade / Rill Rill – Telephoned
13. Yah! (feat. Petty) – Buraka Som Sistema & Petty
14. Tigerlily (DYWHAP Blend) – Major Lazer & La Roux
15. Fever – La Lupe

Mike Maxwell will be unveiling new works at Extra Sensory — opening this Friday, May 20th 6-10 pm at Subtext Gallery. Mike’s new pieces are influenced by hallucinogens, and the new looser aesthetic, he tells us, was partly influenced by his mural work last summer. We do love our Mike Maxwell mural down here at The Bakery, plus you can’t miss the 70 foot mustachioed man at 14th & J. We’ll be there, munchin’ on MIHO Gastrotruck.

After receiving electronic correspondence from Madrid-based peSeta last week, we became enamored with their style, humor, and rad textile creations. Needless to say, it wasn’t long before we asked them to tell us a bit more about their studio, snap a few photos, answer a question or two, and reveal their inspirations. They graciously obliged our request (in a second language no less!) and we thank Jaime and Laura for their generosity. Enjoy!

–

Set & Drift : What is your most prized “rescued” piece at your studio? What’s its story?

peSeta : maybe we could say two: the out of tune organ that you can see on the video (a gift from a jazz critic) and the old mirror that we found with a “destiny: garbagecan” written on it. someone told us it´s an old mirror, beginning of XX century. oh, we also have some huge mailboxes that we rescued from my brother´s previous house.

Some images of art that inspires you, in your studio or otherwise?

i always  need to changing the space before designing. maybe it is a pathology,  a mental illness… i don´t know… but the truth is that once space and light are arranged (not in any special way) the creative part goes itself. i gotta said that the correct aesthetic view sometimes makes me bored and the inspiration, i dont´t know, can i say in everything without being too hippy?

We have one day in Madrid. Where do we go? Any photos of the city to share?

only one day?!! ok, then you should definitely go to El Chorrillo (calle acuerdo) where you can choose the tapa you want and then to the Nasti club (calle san vicente ferrer 33) where there are always interesting gigs and amazing music. those two places are really close to our store/atelier so it wouldn´t be a bad idea to drop by and say hi…
as you see, three super touristic places!

5 artifacts of Spanish culture you couldn’t live without?

the mop, nice oil bottles, spanish guitar (jaime), castanets (laura) and the Cantábrico sea.

5 artifacts of American culture that intrigue you?

banjos, crunchy peanut butter, 12 pack of socks, 12 pack of anything, mailboxes, neighbourhood block parties, thanksgiving tofu turkey, trucks, motels, amazing bookstores, amazing everything-you-can-image stores, Maryland blue crabs… love American culture and just read you said only 5 artifacts…

A story to share about one of the places you discovered a beloved textile?

there is a very old man in the countryside that produce fabrics with a very old loom. you don´t have know anything of traditional weaving process, the textiles are beautiful, tough and great. i discovered his work four years ago and since that we´ve been doing many peSetas with his fabrics and praying for his life.

What future project appears in your wildest of dreams?

suitcases, elegant backpacks, flattering swimwear… wildest?… mmm… too shy to tell…

Do you have a fantasy for how one of your products might be being used right now in some faraway place?

all the time… it´s like a cycle: fabrics from the world are put together somewhere south madrid and then they fly back to the world. so far, we´ve had orders from the five continents and we just received a picture of an african masai wearing the peSeta Primavera Sound festival 2010 bag!

You’ve collaborated with artists and brands including Marc Jacobs, New Museum, and Lomography. What are some of the things you’ve learned from your collaborations?

besides practical biz stuff, we´ve learned that we are able to offer nice things to big companies we like. with Marc Jacobs

we learned that you can be super professional but have fun and take things easy. they make everything easy from design to production. they let us propose anything. same with the New Museum lately. we´ve been very lucky so far when working with other people…

We love the Ukelele Bag. So how did it occur to you to make a bag specifically for a ukelele?

Laura plays the ukelele and, as usual, she wanted to have a case or bag to carry it, so she just made a ukelele bag. then we realized it could be fun making a series for Marc Jacobs. after that we continued making different versions of it, with cordura®, denim, etc. we even made one we called “Lamerritt” and we send it to Stephin Merritt, from the Magnetic Fields.

You’ve created a lot of soft textile pieces to hold and encase technology: the ipad case, the camera bag… Is there any other piece of technology out there that you believe should have something warm protecting it?

helmets, external hard drives, space ships, cars (you know, those big blankets people use to cover their cars),
those little lasers pens people in the science world use, instrument cases…

What is your power animal?

we are both Chinese Land Horses and Laura is a Tiger, almost a snake, in traditional shaolin kungfu. i love monkeys but i´m not sure if they give me some kind of power besides laughter.
laura: i behave like a squirrel sometimes.

–

Thanks again to peSeta – we look forward to watching their work evolve!

What a rad undertaking by the supper club A Razor, A Shiny Knife. On the 1st of May, they served up a 6 course luncheon on the L train of the New York Subway. Their noble objective, “to challenge a habitual experience.”

Amen.

Photo by Yana Paskova for The New York Times

What a lovely way to start the day! Jaime from Spanish textile brand peSeta sent us this documentary about a very special series of bicycle caps they’ve designed+manufactured for the New Museum of New York City. We think you’ll like it…

What’s not to like? Bicycle caps made by a bicycle powered sewing machine: available at the New Museum shop (235 Bowery, NYC).

Check out their site for sweet little pieces – from bowties to the Ukelele Bag for Marc Jacobs.

We couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful day down at the Farm Proper. With a gathering of family, friends, and neighbors, we took a bit of time to share food, plant some seedlings, and get a bit of country in the heart of the city.

The tomatoes, peppers, strawberries, basil, lettuce, eggplant, chives, cucumbers, and other veggies we can’t recall at the moment were provided by our generous friends down at Suzie’s Farm. And yes, we said strawberries. Read more on early berry season (plus find some great recipes) right here on the Suzie’s website.

It’s exciting to get the farm carts populated for another season, but we knew the soil needed a little jumpstart. Growing in containers is always more challenging than growing in the ground – the isolated soil biology requires a little extra TLC to make for a bountiful and diverse environment for healthy root systems. We called on our friend, fellow farmer, and Barrio Logan neighbor Jaime at Indoor Garden Depot for assistance, and he answered with a healthy dose of worm tea. We’ll be sprinkling it on the new seedlings over the next few weeks, and are excited to see the plants take off with some living soil under their feet!

And then there was food. Quinoa with beets, Kale salad, watermelon, home-brewed IPA, homemade brownies, and pulled pork! But the bit hit, unsurprisingly, was a battery of hand-made sausages from The Linkery, rounding out the summertime vibe with grilled savory goodness. Gotta love a potluck.

Thanks to all who helped make a day of planting and eating great food. It was a much needed feast after the last couple weeks of renovations at The Bakery. More on that reno’ shortly…

Photographs by Michael Kazma

Our friends at Sheepless are co-hosting a screening of The Greenhorns on Tuesday April 19th, 6:30pm, at The Loft at UCSD. Directed by Severine von Tscharner Fleming, and grown out of a grassroots non-profit organization of the same name, the film’s mission is to recruit, promote and support the new generation of young farmers in 21st century America. Following the film will be a panel discussion with some of San Diego’s most provocative advocates of small-scale sustainable agriculture — including Robin Taylor & Lucila De Alejandro of Suzie’s Farm and Jay Porter of The Linkery and El Take It Easy.

Zanzibar at The Loft is working with the folks at Suzie’s Farm to produce a local tasting experience to accompany the film. The dinner will feature multiple small plates created with fresh, local, and seasonal produce from Suzie’s Farm. Packaged tickets for the film and dinner includes a reserved seat, dinner, choice of beverage, and admission to the screening of The Greenhorns. Package or film-only tickets available via Ticketmaster or by contacting the Box Office directly at 858-534-8497.

Check out more details at Sheepless.org.

‘Tis spring, and we are hosting a little reunion down at The Farm Proper on Saturday, April 16th (4-6 pm).

We’ll have some soil amendments from Jaime, the nutrient enrichment guru from Indoor Garden Depot, and some seedlings from Suzie’s Farm ready for the planting. The BBQ will also be going, so bring some drinks and something to throw on it if you like.

We hope you can join us, and feel free to spread the word!
The Bakery, 1701 National Ave., Barrio Logan / San Diego, CA

Ryan and Don Clark of Invisible Creature

Josh Higgins of Neat Neat Neat brings designers to San Diego to inspire, and inspire they did. Don and Ryan Clark of the Seattle-based (and Grammy nominated) graphic design studio Invisible Creature descended upon San Diego Saturday, April 2nd to lead a design talk at The Casbah, followed by a live performance by The Black Heart Procession. Having spoken in many a hall and classroom before, the artist-musician brothers called this a welcome opportunity to share their design inspirations in a rock club — and at the legendary Casbah no less.

With their iconic album cover designs and monster-filled works, the brothers Clark seemingly live in a surreal world – which is perhaps a key to their appeal. But we’d also attribute their charm to all they have to say about the world around them; their passion for the creative process is addicting. Visit the Union Tribune Arts blog post to read more about the inspirations we walked away with.

One of the greatest things about our two-city region known as Tijuego, is that it’s easy and fun to ride your bike from one city to the other (it’s only ~15 miles apart!). In the spirit of that accessible adventure, we’ve taken several rides Southward to discover some really interesting stuff on both sides of the border, from the salt flats, to Suzie’s Farm, to moonscaped underpasses, to sleepy little barbacoa joints in East TJ.

Luckily for San Diegans, some peeps at Tijuego will be leading a ride this Friday down South! The objective: to join Paseo de Todos – a monthly ride through Tijuana that’s a great way to see the city accompanied by local safety-conscious cycling enthusiasts, beach cruiser dads with their BMX kids, TJ hipsters, and several San Diegans embracing more of their home here in Tijuego.

A word of advice: don’t forget your passport or you’ll be sorry.

We are beyond excited for Invisible Creature’s visit to San Diego next week. If you’re a local designer, consider yourself lucky! We find something new and exciting every time we peruse their work, and it’s safe to say they have a strong hold on a wide variety of styles and techniques. Pack your Rhodia pad, because we’re looking for the Brothers Clark to reveal some of the secrets behind their process during their lecture at the Casbah.

While you stare at the lung-entrenched-eyeball-multiverse of an album cover above (designed by IC, of course) take a listen to installment #2 of the Invisible Creature Top 10 At-The-Moment tunes, courtesy of Don Clark.

Invisible-Creature-Top-10-At-The-Moment-mixtape-02.mp3

1. Rumour Has It – Adele
2. Four Letter Word – Beady Eye
3. Rope – Foo Fighters
4. Tell ‘Em – Sleigh Bells
5. Clarion Call – Delphic
6. Wring It Out – Rival Schools
7. Bright Lights Bigger City – Cee Lo Green
8. The Angels Are Surely Weeping – Young Galaxy (featuring Hanna)
9. Dust Devil – School Of Seven Bells
10. I Wanna Deadbeat You – The Night Marchers

Now hear this… The talented and deservingly illustrious Clark brothers of graphic design & illustration studio Invisible Creature will be coming to San Diego on April 2nd to give a talk and share some insight into their design process on stage at the infamous Casbah! One of their favorite bands, SD-based The Black Heart Procession will play a set afterward, rounding out an interdisciplinary evening of design and music.

You can thank the recently launched Neat Neat Neat for bringing us such a world-class happening. The Invisible Creature event is just the first of many big things to come from Neat Neat Neat, so keep yer eye peeled and your monocle handy.

Finally, we’re proud to say that Minstrel Fridays is BACK, baby! What better time to resurrect the mixtape series we started way back when (2008!), then with a hearty sampling of Invisible Creature’s musical influences through their “Top 10 At-The-Moment” tunes? The answer is: no better time.

This week we’re featuring Ryan Clark’s Top 10 songs … stay tuned next week for another top 10 from his brother Don Clark.

1. Feel It All Around – Washed Out
2. King Night – Salem
3. Ego – Omnium Gatherum
4. Surfacing – Chapel Club
5. Lippy Kids – Elbow
6. Hide And Seek – Mirrors
7. Erebos – Hate
8. All Of The Lights – Kanye West
9. Whirring – The Joy Formidable
10. Turn The Bells – White Lies

Found this when checking Banksy’s website this morning – the day of the Academy Awards ceremony where he is nominated in the Documentary category for Exit Through The Gift Shop. Good luck Banksy, but either way you’ve shook things up.

Tonight was a good night. We got to see our friend Josh Higgins on stage with his band Fluf for the first time, rockin’ out in honor of Stimy at the Casbah.

Tons of musicians came out to the Casbah to honor Michael Steinman, a well-known singer in many San Diego bands, who recently passed away.

Mr. Higgins will be back at the Casbah on April 2, 2011, playing host rather than bass guitar. He’s organized an evening of design and music, showcasing the graphic work of Invisible Creature and tunes by The Black Heart Procession. Should be one helluva evening. Details

Very excited to see some of our favorite local artists (Neko, Tocayo, Persue, Surge and others) in this group show. Neko introduced us to Kevin Peterson recently but we’re looking forward to seeing his work in person for the first time.

The show opens this Saturday at Green Flash art gallery/surf shop in majestic Cardiff, California (just across the tracks from the “Cardiff Kook“) – more info on the art show here.

Ron Miriello, of Barrio Logan based branding firm Miriello Grafico, is launching his 100 Worlds Project with a proper opening February 18, 2011 at Jett Gallery in Little Italy (San Diego). The exhibition features 100 globes sculpted meticulously from salvaged and unexpected materials.

Ron describes his motivation: To me, the globe is more than a metaphor for the world, it’s a metaphor for collaboration. What began as a project of using found objects around me to construct the first piece, grew into a series. The series grew as I invited people to participate and contribute to create more globes. It’s been a magnet for creative collaboration with clients, craftsmen, photographers and designers…all who have become a part of the 100 Worlds project creative community.

We’re looking forward to perusing the results of this collaborative craftsmanship. The exhibition will be up through March 26, 2010.

Wes Bruce hit the ground running at the end of 2010 in his new role directing the MCASD’s Teen Art Council, booking several field trips around town for TAC. We had the pleasure of meeting some of the group recently when Wes brought them by The Bakery for a visit. With boundless energy and a willingness to get their hands dirty, the TAC crew planted a bunch of winter seedlings at the Farm Proper under the warm glow of a few shop lamps and the encouraging rhythm of norteño music.

If being down to do some farm work on a cold night in the barrio wasn’t impressive enough, the TAC also showed surprising attentiveness while Sean shared some Set & Drift lore on a tour through The Bakery. With the guidance of Bruce, we’re excited to see what this group of young arts leaders accomplishes in the new year and beyond.

Side note, the seedlings exploded over the past several weeks with the rains and the lettuce is absolutely tasty! A big thanks to our friends over at Suzie’s Farm for providing the broccoli, bok choy, lettuce, chives, kale, and other scrumptious crops. And of course, THANK YOU to the members of the TAC for cruising by The Bakery, hope to see you again soon!

It’s an honor to participate in this upcoming show January 17th at BLAH. Hope to see you there!

We continue to find reasons to be proud of the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego. Joining the Smithsonian protest is just the latest in a series of decisions at MCASD that show us an organization creating dialogue, embracing the community, and evolving into a new era.

Don’t get us wrong, Viva la Revolución was rad, but it wasn’t the exhibition itself that most impressed us. It was when they brought in prolific local artist (not to mention talented community builder!) Mike Maxwell, who gathered 26 street artists for the Live Free Wall featured at the Viva-edition of TNT in August. It was when they found solid ways to support Sezio, ourselves, and Turista Libre during the Tijuego Street Art Bike Tour. And more recently, it was when they called up our Barrio Logan neighbors, The Roots Factory to put on a live screen-printing session at the TNT in October.

But perhaps our proudest moment was the unexpectedly visionary hiring of local artist Wes Bruce to run the MCASD Teen Art Council. Bruce is a natural born teacher, a dedicated community builder, and a tireless creator of inspiring work that has captured the imagination of many people, young and old, over the past few years. He’s a great fit to lead TAC, and we think it’ll have a big impact on the young art leaders growing up around us in San Diego.

You set the bar high in 2010, MCASD. So with a new year ahead of us, what’s next?

Update: Wes brought his teen group to the Bakery for a visit, and we’re really excited to see these young art leaders push the envelope in the coming years.

Hosted by the Bevilacqua La Masa Foundation, the exhibit included 100 Japanese advertising posters, selected from amongst the thousands of works submitted each year for the most prestigious awards. These 100 were selected by a committee made up of two contemporary masters of graphic art, Kazumasa Nagai and Shin Matsunaga, in collaboration with the International Hokusai Research Centre.

Here’s a few shots of the 100:

Thanks for joining us for Current: an exhibition of hand-crafted design at The Bakery, featuring Black Whale, a fantastical knitted lighting installation by Korean designer Kwangho Lee, with mercantile, a pop up shop showcasing design objects by 9 American designers. We’d like to extend a monstrous thank you to all of the individuals and organizations that support us in bringing these types of events to San Diego. Take a gander here at some of our first photos of the event. Also stay tuned for Black Whale‘s reappearance this fall… and don’t be a stranger of course!

It was only a matter of time until the San Diego Union Tribune caught on to what’s going on at The Glashaus. A big congrats to our neighbor Greg Brotherton for the so well-deserved recognition. If you haven’t checked out his work, you simply must! Here’s the UT’s take on the Barrio Logan art scene. Read it if you will…then come down and check it out for yourself. You are welcome here!

Details on the September 4th Barrio Logan Art Openings at The Glashaus, The Bakery, & Voz Alta here!

With Current right around the corner, the transformation of the fabrication studio here at The Bakery has begun. On September 3-5 we present mercantile, an impromptu pop up shop featuring hand-crafted works by 9 American designers and artists. It’s an opportunity for this multi-discipline group to unveil limited runs of their latest experiments. Here’s a sneak peek of the items that are rolling in (more here!)

Above: a preserved beetle elytra necklace by L.A. based Cloven Hoof //Below: a repurposed roof vent lamp by Chicago-based designer Casie Lurie

Saturday, September 4th will be quite the night in Barrio Logan. Join us for Current at The Bakery, then head across the street to Voz Alta for Keeping Time, a group show featuring 7 local photographers. Then hit The Glashaus — a mere 3 blocks away — for Device Gallery’s Creatures of Industry featuring Greg Brotherton, Nemo Gould, Jeremy Mayer, and Guillermo Rigattieri (shown above). It’s all within strolling/biking distance, with Blueprint Cafe around the corner open 5-10 pm.

For those of you coming into town for the festivities, get in touch with us for special discounts at The Pearl Hotel! The Bakery and The Glashaus will be open Friday through Sunday for the ART SAN DIEGO 2010 Contemporary Art Fair (at The Hilton) so you can stroll by as you please. Hours here.

Current — Sept 1-5th at The Bakery in San Diego — unveils Black Whale, a knitted lighting installation by Korean designer Kwangho Lee.

Kwangho shared these photos with us of his inspirations, including some snapshots from Seoul and some from his grandparents’ farm in rural Korea. View his photo set at Flickr.

Kwangho’s rural upbringing on the farm inspired him to apply traditional hand-crafted techniques (knitting) to otherwise uninspired urban materials (power cables), to create these sculptural lighting installations. His idea is that “works done by hands can bring new meanings and value to the ordinary things.”

UPDATE 01/14/2011: Here’s a video Converse did about Kwangho.

The Bakery transforms for Current September 1-5! RSVP now:

Weds., Sept 1: Patrons’ Night > A special preview night in Barrio Logan, catered by the infamous MIHO Gastrotruck with a hosted bar and live music by members of The Silent Comedy. More details here! 

Sat., Sept 4: The Opening > The opening event for Current — same night as art openings throughout Barrio Logan — across the street at Voz Alta, and 2 blocks down at Device Gallery at The Glashaus! FREE. RSVP here!

For ten days, Mike Maxwell’s Live Free Wall lived here in The Bakery’s back lot. Prepare to be mesmerized by this time lapse of the whole project — in other words, 26 artists attacking one wall. It was unveiled last Thursday night to the overwhelming crowd that showed up at Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego for a TNT inspired by the Viva La Revolucion exhibit, which features the work of Banksy, Shepard Fairey, Barry McGee, Calma, JR, Ryan McGinness, Os Gemeos, & co. Hats off to Mike Maxwell, Rebecca Joelson, Kevin Joelson, and the artists for a job seriously well done!

Ten days ago, Mike Maxwell launched the Live Free Wall outside The Bakery. Since then it’s been a blur of artists painting the wall over and again. The time lapse of the whole project will be unveiled Thursday night August 12 at Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, alongside the Viva La Revolucion exhibit, which features the work of Banksy, Shepard Fairey, Barry McGee, Calma, JR, Ryan McGinness, Os Gemeos…the list goes on and on. Check out the preview above, and we’ll see you at TNT!

Update: See the full time lapse here!

His work has taken him to exhibitions from Paris to Milan, Berlin, and New York. This summer he’s dreamed up Black Whale for Current, and it’s now making its way to San Diego. Mark your calendar for its debut — more event details here!

Above: Wall by Calma, in East Village

We had a wonderful time with you all in Tijuego (aka Tijuana+San Diego) this past weekend, enjoying a wealth of street art and experiencing our two cities the way they should be – on bike. We must thank the 15+ organizations we partnered with — most intimately Sezio and Turista Libre — as well as our 2010 Patrons who help us put on events like these and further our mission of promoting cultural exchange in San Diego. And of course, thanks to you 150+ cyclists who came out to ride!

Below: Freeway underpass space-scape, Tijuana

Check out the time-lapse of the SD ride from Charles Berquist, with photos of the San Diego ride by Charles here and some Set & Drift Tijuana faves here.

Also… make sure to see the winning photo sets of Tijuana (David Cannon: here) and San Diego (Nadja Lancelot: here), who are going home from the Tijuego rides with gift certificates to El Take It Easy, El Camino, and Velo Cult!

Below: Wall by Shepard Fairey, Hillcrest

Thank you all for coming on the Tijuego Street Art Bike Tour over the weekend. This was truly a community effort with many sponsors, bike and art organizations, visionary building owners who helped murals materialize, and ad-hoc helpers along the way.

Help us out by letting those involved know you had a great time and value their support!

MCASD
Honest Tea
El Camino
El Take It Easy
SD Bike Coalition
Velo Cult
Paseo Urbano Bicicletero
SD Bike Commuter
CROL + Irene + Chicano Park
Miriello Grafico
Bic Control / Los Cruzadores
The Tijuana Police for escorting us through the streets!
La Casa de Tunel
Reacciona Tijuana

Apologies for anyone we forgot to mention!
Sezio //  Turista Libre //  Set & Drift

Set & Drift is honored to bring the work of Kwangho Lee out from Korea for Current — an exhibition of hand-crafted design — this September. For the upcoming exhibition, Kwangho is building a large scale lighting installation, a transformative and sculptural piece knitted with power cords as his unconventional medium. Though born and raised in rural Korea, Kwangho now lives and works in Seoul, and he’s been sending us some tantalizing shots of his studio and work in process.

Below: Kwangho uses this table with a circular hole surrounded by pegs to knit some of his pieces. He says he created it after coming across a similar smaller scale tool used in metal jewelry making.

The creation that he’s dreamed up for Current has acquired the name Black Whale, a 7 foot long knitted lighting installation that’s coming to life and being prepared for its migration to San Diego. Read more about Kwangho’s process here and be sure to make a date for The Opening at The Bakery. {Full event details here!}

This September at Current – an exhibition of hand-crafted design, guests will experience the intriguing work and story of Korean designer Kwangho Lee. His rural upbringing inspired him to apply traditional hand-crafted techniques (knitting) to otherwise uninspired urban materials (power cables), to create transformative and sculptural lighting installations.

As a very young child, his grandparents looked after him on their farm in rural Korea, where the ability to transform everyday materials into useful tools and objects is a way of life. Lee’s grandfather worked stone, rope, wood, and clay into implements for growing vegetables, raising cattle, and supporting the family. His mother points out that from a very early age, Kwangho became adept at manipulating material with his hands, which led him to an interest in the arts.

When Lee moved to the city to begin primary school he continued to visit his grandparents in the country, splitting time between urban and rural environments, forming a pattern of duality that inspired his creative output. Prairie and parking-lot met and became his muse.

Between his grandfather’s farm tools and his mother’s habit of knitting (check out the sweater vest above), Lee started down a path with the thought that “works done by hands can bring new meanings and value to the ordinary things.”

We’re honored to present Kwangho Lee’s work at Current – an exhibition of hand-crafted design – with an Opening Reception on Saturday, September 4th, at The Bakery in Barrio Logan, San Diego, California USA. For details on the events, including the Patrons’ Night gathering September 1, click here.

LOOK: The work of Josh Higgins & Grant Brittain converge at Subtext this Friday, July 30th!

We’re so looking forward to this collaborative show featuring our fellow collaborator and San Diego based graphic designer Josh Higgins (you might recognize his posters from past Set & Drift events below!). He’s also the founder of The Haiti Poster Project, quite a monumental undertaking, which continues to raise funds for the victims of the earthquake in Haiti through sales of posters designed by artists and designers from around the world. He’s one insanely talented, hard-working, passionate, and wonderful guy! So come out:

Different artists, different mediums, different content. But the song remains the same (or at least similar). Friends and fellow artists Grant Brittain and Josh Higgins will grace the walls of Subtext. Brittain’s portraiture of some of skateboarding’s greatest names through the years features icons and underground heroes. Higgins’ poster-art focuses on his work with punkers, musical heros, and charitable causes.

The place will be packed, so get there early!

Set & Drift Presents CURRENT:
An Exhibition of Hand-Crafted Design

THE OPENING:
Sat. Sept 4, 2010 (7-10 pm, free > RSVP here!)
Sounds by Will Redd and DJ Claire
Saturday night will be host to Artist Openings throughout the Barrio Logan neighborhood. Drop by Current then check out the photography show across the street at Voz Alta and open artist studios throughout The Glashaus (a must-see re-purposed glass factory), including Device Gallery’s Creatures of Industry.

OPEN GALLERY:
Fri-Sun. Sept 3-5, 2010*
*open throughout ART SAN DIEGO Contemporary Art Fair (at The Hilton Bayfront)

View full event details and photos here!

Not an official Set & Drift Patron yet? Join the circle today! A $50 tax deductible donation ($100 for two) makes you an official Patrons of 2010 programming! We couldn’t do it without you.

A monstrous thank you to our supporters: MIHO Gastrotruck, Vin de Syrah, Trumer Pils, Influx Cafe, Suzie’s Organic Farm, Halcyon Tea, Caxao Chocolates, New Belgium Brewing, The Linkery, Sea Rocket Bistro, The Pearl Hotel, Temecula Olive Oil, The 3rd Corner, Cafe Moto, and Honest Tea.

Join Sezio, Set & Drift, and Turista Libre for a bicycle-powered street art tour of Tijuego (Tijuana + San Diego). The tour will be split into two rides and will visit urban art installations adorning both of our sister cities.

TJ Ride // Saturday, July 31 // 1:00 pm
Meet at the gates on the South side of the pedestrian border crossing in Colonia Federal. After-party at Pop Diner starting at 4pm

…SD Ride // Sunday, August 1 // 11:00 am
Meet at Urban Outfitters, Hillcrest by the OBEY mural
The ride will conclude at MCASD Downtown at 2pm
After-party at Super El Camino in Little Italy at 4pm

Photo Scavenger Hunt
We’re encouraging all participants to document this ride, and the art we’ll experience along the way. After the weekend, upload your photos to Flickr and email the set link to info@sezio.org. We’ll choose two winning albums, one based on quantity of photos and one based on quality photos. Each winner will be granted a one year membership to Sezio and to MCASD, along with gift certificates to El Camino and El Take It Easy, and some gear from Velo Cult.

Border Crossing Details
We recommend taking the trolley to the border. If you choose to drive, park at San Ysidro and cross through the first turnstile into Mexico. Walk down the promenade with a mural on the right and a row of official-looking teller windows on the left. Soon thereafter you’ll come to a fork where you can keep going straight or turn right. Turn right, go through the second turnstile, and we’ll be right there on the other side waiting for you.

Bike to the Museum Day @ MCASD
The SD Ride corresponds with Bike to the Museum Day at MCASD’s downtown location, and the Viva La Revolucion exhibit. A free bike valet will be provided at the TNT location (across from the museum). Your bike valet ticket will be good for 1/2 price museum entrance and for a 2 for 1 drink special at the El Camino after-party.

RSVP on Facebook

Check out the tour map

Oaxaca based artist and tattooist Dr. Lakra just got into town for tomorrow’s opening at MCASD. He’s painting into the night on the West wall of the Miriello Grafico building at the edge of the infamous Barrio Logan neighborhood. Some of you might recall the art show we held at this building a couple years ago.

Barrio Logan is an appropriate location for the artist with its rich tradition in Latin American street art including Chicano Park, one of the most densely concentrated areas of murals in the entire country and the site of a crucial show of civil disobedience by the local community.

Dr. Lakra was a very nice, soft spoken dude. With our studio just around the corner from “The Logan” building, we couldn’t be happier having his art so close. The full shot below shows what’s left to paint tonight, and apparently he’ll keep painting toward the right (if he has time).

The Survey Select Narrative Art Exhibition is now up — taking place July 15 to September 5, 2010 at the Wonderbread Factory in San Diego. Mark Murphy has gathered a truly admirable group of 65+ artists, including the likes of Jeff Soto, Dalek, Kelsey Brookes, and Bonnie Marie Smith (a Set & Drift favorite, shown above). The exhibition examines “a new tradition of storytelling”, and we are thrilled that it’s here in San Diego. Catch the public reception tonight! (And keep an eye out for the clever display pieces by local design-build firm Bells & Whistles.) Find artist and event details here.

There were plenty of onlookers during the second day of work on the OBEY GIANT mural in South Park (San Diego) by Shepard Fairey and his crew (day one here). The crowd was a good mix of photogs, hipsters, fixie riders, random curious ladies taking neighborhood walks…and along came a man who seemed to be plucked straight out of a Quentin Tarantino film.

He moaned some nonsense about how he “owned most of all this…” property next door to the mural, and whined, “I gotta look at this every day!?” The hipsters had some fun chatting with him as Grandpa Grumpypants kept staring up with fire in his eyes at the scissor-lift while Fairey & co. cut huge stencils of a cloaked figure.

It was interesting to see the artists cutting their stencils directly on the cinderblock building. Seems like a mundane detail, simply a time-intensive task required to get a huge mural up on the side of a building – and indeed it is.

But it’s also a reminder that the patronage of a museum like MCASD (or for that matter, lending our own wall to Mike Maxwell) can make a world of difference for what an artist is able to do with a public work. Having several days to underpaint, create background patterns, wheat-paste in several layers, and overlay figurative images with enormous grid-based stencils is a lot different than showing up at 3am with a pre-cut stencil and a couple cans of aerosol.

Both modes of operation have their owns merits, but they are vastly different when it comes to decorative complexity or the context created by risking arrest.

We’re pretty happy about the freedoms granted to the artists of Viva La Revolucion, and hope the extra time they’re spending on these pieces will open more dialogue with Grandpa Grumpypants or anyone else who’s a stranger to street art.

After putting up an enormous mural in Hillcrest (check Carly Ealey’s beautiful photos for Sezio here), Shepard Fairey and his crew were back at it, this time in the South Park neighborhood of San Diego. They have the underpainting and some stenciling out of the way, and we’re excited to see the progress in the coming days.

With MCASD commissioned works popping up all over town (officially or otherwise), it’s been like a street art Disneyland in San Diego over the past several weeks. Undoubtedly, the carpet-bombing from Space Invader, Barry McGee mural, Os Gemeos’ human step ladder, and the large-scale OBEY GIANT murals underway are creating tons of excitement leading up to the Viva La Revolucion exhibition opening this Saturday.

But the hype is a little uncomfortable, and immediately stirs up the dialogue that came out of the brilliant (mock or doc- umentary ?) Exit Through The Giftshop. But the excitement is also simply a good reminder that art should be a part of everyday life.

We also can’t help being stoked to live 4 blocks away from an in-process OBEY mural.

More updates from the field soon…

We’re hosting a happy hour gathering at The Farm Proper at our Barrio Logan studio on Monday, July 12 – 6 pm. Drop on by!

Details here.

The upcoming exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego (MCASD), entitled “Viva La Revolucion,” has generated a tremendous amount of dialogue around the idea of street art, and with that dialogue – controversy. This came to a head with Barry McGee‘s (TWIST) mural across the street from the city hall. Mike Maxwell has been documenting as well as contributing to the explosion of murals showing up on walls across the city, and caught some great footage of McGee’s team attacking an enormous wall while under scrutiny.

Although it’s a common practice to commission walls for artist murals, and we totally understand the value of MCASD grabbing some walls for these artists, we find it a little ironic that an exhibition specifically about the street art movement includes officially sanctioned walls for artists (especially if the MCASD backs down under local criticism).

The beautiful thing about the museum’s exhibition is that while some walls are “official”, some are very much unofficial works done by the artists under their own accord. You may be able to take the street artist off the street, but you can’t take the street out of the street artist.

We’re looking forward to watch this play out over the coming weeks (the exhibition opens to the public on July 18th), and see how MCASD handles ongoing criticism and subsequent education/outreach. One thing is for certain so far: this museum is doing their job by starting dialogue and pushing this city to consider what contemporary art is or should be.

Above: balloon installation by Jason Hackenwerth

The New Children’s Museum of San Diego has launched their first Open Call for Artists. The museum is a hybrid contemporary art museum / children’s museum, housed in a beautiful modern, sustainable building along the harbor downtown. They are looking for proposals for contemporary art installations in all media, for an audience of both children (toddler to teen) and families. They focus on works that are participatory and approachable, with opportunities for open-ended interpretation and play. Decisions will be made end of summer with installation this fall. Details and budget info here (deadline is July 30, 2010).

Below: Toy an Horse by Marcos Ramirez

Set & Drift Presents Current

Reception: Saturday, September 4, 2010 / 7 to 10 pm

VIP Preview Night: Thursday, September 2, 2010

Open Studio: September 3-5, 2010, in conjunction with the international San Diego Art Fair (downtown San Diego)

Set & Drift presents Current, an exhibition showcasing the blurry line between art and design. The working furniture design workshop of The Bakery will undergo a temporary transformation, to feature a sculptural knitted lighting installation by Korean designer Kwangho Lee. A pop up shop in the studio will also showcase limited edition furniture pieces, prints, and objects by designers including Miki Iwasaki (mi-workshop) and Josh Higgins. The Bakery is a historic building in Barrio Logan, which houses a creative studio and exhibiton space, as well as The Farm Proper, a mobile, urban farm experiment.

1701 National Avenue, San Diego, California USA

We launched the Farm Proper to make the most of an unused industrial lot and start a dialogue about re-imagining the way we grow food. After coverage from Fox5 and DesignBoom, a conversation did start indeed (see here and some lively comments on this post).

A response to our critics:

1. We do not endorse stealing shopping carts.
2. We encourage and celebrate creative and resourceful ways of growing food in urban environments (such as making use of broken shopping carts or wooden produce crates that have been thrown out)
3. We question the logic of an industrialized food system, and our use of shopping carts as planters is a symbolic way for us to encourage this discussion

Thanks for stopping by. We invite you to join us at the Farm Proper anytime!

As a sequel to the Shaken, not Stirred show at Spacecraft Gallery in June 2009, a group of San Diego designers, architects and educators are coming together again to show recent projects and concepts under development. The exhibition will include sculptures, drawings, digital fabrications, and models to showcase fresh perspectives and a snapshot of the work being created in San Diego.

Artists & designers include: Ted Smith & Kathleen McCormick, Rinehart/Herbst, Hector & Adrian Perez, Miki Iwasaki, Rene Peralta, Megan Willis, David White, Jim Darroch, Christopher Puzio, Jose Parral & Tasi Paulson, Philipp Bosshart, Andy Ralph, Brian Dick, Jon Linton, Michael Hoffman, Daniela Deutsch, Cameron Crockett, Adriana Cuellar & Marcel Sanchez-Prieto, and Nathan Colkitt.

RSVP & more details

Saturday, June 26, 2010 (5-9 pm)

The Bakery / 1701 National Ave, San Diego, CA

It’s a busy night — Sezio drew up a handy bike route that hits on the events happening at The Bakery, San Diego Space For Art, & Suture!

We hope you’ll join us as an official Set & Drift Patron! Through a $50 tax-deductible donation here* (or a $100 donation for you plus a guest of your choosing), you support cultural exchange in San Diego and are added to the list for private Set & Drift Patrons’ engagements. We couldn’t do it without you!

*Set & Drift is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization. Contributions in behalf of Set & Drift may be made payable to Fractured Atlas and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.

Patrons: want to be listed in our program? Send us an email with your individual/family name listing or organization’s logo!

Watch the preview.

& Purchase tickets here.

See more photos here.

He also gave this wall a 70 foot mustache at 14th & J with his so-called “Everything That Has Ever Existed”. Awesome:

What we’re harvesting: Aztec spinach, strawberries, wild arugula, pole beans, magenta lambsquarter, purple radishes, beets, kale, tatsoi.

The Farm Proper is an experimental project created by a collaborative of artists, designers, and backyard growers to inspire urban cultivation and pocket farms. Using abandoned/defunct shopping carts as our medium, we have designed a scenario to take over a temporarily available industrial lot to provide the community with organically grown food.

Our intention was to start a conversation and indeed it’s begun with some welcomed coverage via Fast Company and designboom of Milan, Italy.

Check in on the farm at Facebook or Flickr for an evolving set of photos. And don’t be a stranger – we’ve got some events planned for this summer at the farm. Sign up for updates here.

On 15 May 2010 Set & Drift hosted a Seed Bombing Potluck at The Farm Proper.

The Farm Proper is an experiment in the urban landscape.
Set & Drift, in collaboration with mi-workshop, have repurposed an industrial dirt lot outside The Bakery in the Barrio Logan neighborhood of San Diego, California. The farm is comprised of abandoned/defunct grocery carts filled with vegetables cultivated organically by a collective of artists, designers, backyard growers, and other creatives. It’s a project meant to inspire urban cultivation and pocket farms. Using abandoned shopping carts as our medium, we’ve designed a scenario to take over a temporarily available industrial lot to provide the community with organically grown food. The designer is the new farmer!

Above: An assemblage of artists and designers discuss and farm: Mike Maxwell, Kevin Joelson, Patrick Kenney, Sean Kelley, Scott Ballum & Stacy Kelley

Project details here.

Full Flickr set here.

Below: Architect Miki Iwasaki of mi-workshop builds architecture for the pole bean climbers.

Art and Copy, A Film by Doug Pray, is coming to Birch Theater in North Park June 24th.

ART & COPY is a powerful new film about advertising and inspiration. Directed by Doug Pray (SURFWISE, SCRATCH, HYPE!), it reveals the work and wisdom of some of the most influential advertising creatives of our time — people who’ve profoundly impacted our culture, yet are virtually unknown outside their industry. Exploding forth from advertising’s “creative revolution” of the 1960s, these artists and writers all brought a surprisingly rebellious spirit to their work in a business more often associated with mediocrity or manipulation…

Details found here.

Seed Bombing Potluck at The Farm Proper
Saturday 5.15.10 // 2-4 pm

it’s harvesting time at The Farm Proper, and we’d like to share some of the bounty with you! we also have a load of newly acquired carts that are filled with soil and ready for the planting. {we have seeds for you to plant or bring ones of your choosing} …

BYOB for the ice bucket //
we’ll have a couple Farm Proper salads & snacks, bring some farm food to share if you like.

bring friends, bring your shovel, drop by for a few, don’t be a stranger.

The Farm Proper is a mobile, urban farm experiment at The Bakery.

established January 2010 :: photos

Facebook invite

Photo by Carly Ealey (full photo set of the event here)

Much gratitude to Sezio for the review and insightful documentation of this month’s Liquidation Sale hosted by Set & Drift here at The Bakery!

Pop Zen and a Fort with The Vision at The Bakery in Barrio. Fear not, folks, this isn’t 2012. What may sound like an apocalyptic nursery tale was in fact Set & Drift’s latest collaborative event, presenting the work of Keikichi Honna and Wes Bruce, and including a performance by The Vision of a Dying World, hosted at The Bakery on April 3. This event marked The Bakery’s gallery debut… <more>

Update: Friday, April 23rd (that’s today, folks!) we’re opening up The Bakery to Wes Bruce to show the fort one last time before it’s dismantled. Drop by and get a tour with the artist himself.

More than just a movie about British graffiti artist Banksy, “Exit Through the Gift Shop” tells a story that reminds that art, in all its forms, is a constant, very human conversation.

The movie is an insiders’ look at the street art scene, which ends up documenting the journey of the impromptu filmmaker “Thierry Guetta” himself. It’s a study for everyone who’s both fascinated and confused by art. At the end of the movie, someone sums it up by wondering aloud who the joke is on… or whether there even is a joke. The story it tells is entertaining while it hits on some of the same issues as Ryan McGinness’s Sponsorship, which considers the complex consequences that are born from the mingling of money and art.

It’s playing in LA and comes to San Diego April 30: locations here.

It’s April, making this officially month #4 at The Farm Proper. Established at The Bakery in collaboration with mi-workshop, The Farm Proper is Set & Drift’s experiment in mobile, urban agriculture.

This bit of a “farm” that’s taken over the dirt lot behind our studio is dedicated to food production: Everything planted (with the exception of some marigolds and cosmos to attract beneficial insects) is vegetable and future food. We’re putting this out there as a replicable model to propagate pocket farms; we hope you and yours will design a takeover of unused land. So we’re sharing every failure and success along the way as our impromptu group of artists, designers, and backyard growers try our best to make this stuff grow.

Month #4 at The Farm Proper

POLE BEANS. We started the pole beans first so by now they’re on their way. They’re finally climbing up the wires, being more agreeable with the architecture we’ve designed for them. We planted some nasturtiums (edible leaves) and kale in between the beans. It’s getting a little crowded so hopefully the beans head up the teepee and clear some air for the plants below. A tip — plant beans. They’re so easy to grow – it’s a good plant to make you (or your kid) feel like a proper farmer. We started the seeds in small containers then transplanted, but they’re so hearty you could plant them direct.

Also coming up: Red Aztec spinach (below) and magenta lambsquarters (an iridescent edible wild spinach)

{For the whole lot of Farm Proper photos, visit Flickr.}

We’ll be hosting seminars and cookouts at the farm so send us a note to partake & receive info!

A ‘thank you’ to all of you who came out for our most recent show at The Bakery — Liquidation Sale! by Keikichi Honna with Live-in-able Fort by Wes Bruce (detail pictured above).

Another thank you goes out to Keikichi and Wes, two very soulful artists and longtime collaborators of ours; Miki of mi-workshop; Jackson of The Vision of a Dying World; our supporters at New Belgium; and Brian Deppe, who caught the whole thing on film. And lastly, a very special thank you to all of you who purchased Keikichi’s work!

We hope you had a chance to explore the fort by foot but if not, peep some shots here. Voz Alta also threw a great show across the street, making it quite a night down here on the block in Barrio Logan. It was a pleasure hosting ye. ‘Til next time!

Update: Wes is hosting one more showing of the fort Friday, April 23, before it’s dismantled. Details here!

We are very much looking forward to Only In Your Fondest Dreams, the Brian Flynn opening next Friday (4/9/2010) at Subtext. While Flynn’s graphic edges couldn’t be more crisp, the line between art and design is starting to blur in a rather beautiful way, opening the door for new dialogue.

Talk amongst yourselves.

We love modern craftsmen. Whether you grow or cook food, design posters or grind down slabs of marble… it’s all about having an undeniable gravitation toward diving head-first into the process.

One such craftsman, Tim at Quality Letterpress, recently helped us print some posters for our upcoming LIQUIDATION SALE art exhibition (take a close look and feel when you see one around town). Tim is a true craftsman, with a horde of antique letterpress equipment and type that he’s collected from all over the country (and world!).

If you’re a designer, visiting Tim’s shop is a must, especially due to his policy with designers who want to get their hands dirty (through classes and shop rental time). There are several letterpress options in San Diego, but Tim’s been doing this much longer than most (25 years) and he approaches the work with the passion and curiosity of a mad scientist – e.g. his constant mumbling of calculations as he measures, searches for, saws down and places the “furniture” around hand-set type to create a tight-fitting plate.

If you’re a non-designer looking to get some incredible wedding invites, business cards, baby shower announcements, etc… look no further. Tim’s apprentice Brett happens to be a darn good designer with a burgeoning knowledge of the letterpress craft, making QL a one-stop shop.

Another note of interest for you audiophiles out there – Tim played in bands, toured Europe and has plenty of good stories from those days. When you head out to his shop, you’ll be greeted by the smell of ink and a constant playlist of deep cuts.

Happy pressing!

Featuring Keikichi Honna, Wes Bruce, and The Vision of a Dying World.

Details here.

Did you catch Sezio’s show at the Boat House? We were delighted to partake as artists in this one-night takeover, and we were in quite good company too. Here are some shots of our eucalyptus bearded piano man – we hope you enjoyed him. Peep some more event pics including works by Mike Maxwell, Niko, Exist 1981, Tocayo, and so many more at Flickr. Thanks to Mr. Brian Deppe for the photos!

Installation by Set & Drift’s Stacy and Sean Kelley

These are some songs that have been swilling in my head for the past few months. They’re not particularly slow, and they’re not particularly fast. So, just sit down. Put on your headphones. Take a deep breath, and plant yourself. You’re exactly where you need to be right now.

Can’t help but finding Jules Buck Jones’s artwork interesting and endearing.

Heard of Kickstarter? He’s posted a project to document his artist residency in Everglades National Park in a multi-media art book. His stats as of today, Feb. 20:

+Raised $4,947 of the $7,500 goal

+42 backers

+82 days to go

How does it work? You give him money, and he makes a kick ass book to unleash on the printing press. You support creativity unadulterated and straight from the source, plus you get something in return. ($50 scores you a copy of the final book and an audio CD).

Kickstarter is a great way to gather small amounts of funds from various backers to get these projects off the ground. If the goal isn’t met, your donation is reimbursed. Set & Drift collaborator Acamonchi has a project for Sketching New York City going as well – check it out.

Browse the projects and be a patron! Your fellows will thank you.

Music is universal. Love, hate, happiness, sadness, joy and wonder are universal. Music is life. Songs create the soundtrack to our lives. Music is essential to my being and has changed my life in many ways. Originally I was going to make a CD that was the soundtrack to my life then add songs from my favorite soundtracks. The new year has arrived and I decided to put together the mix that created itself on shuffle while I was on my hour walk. It’s a new year and time to live in the present and not always have everything planned or figured out. Enjoy the mix and share it with your friends. Joie de vivre!

Jen Correia
KGTV Helicopter Reporter
Music News Reporter
X1FM VJ

Blog: http://thefullservicereport.tumblr.com/
Twitter: @jencorreia

—

stand-and-deliver.mp3

>> Right-click here << and save this mix on your iPod/iPhone.

1. Across the Universe: Fiona Apple
2. Man Ray: The Futureheads
3. Ready Steady Go: Generation X
4. Investigative Reports: Genius/GZA
5. Kevin is Gay: Giant Drag
6. Transmission: Joy Division
7. Waltz for Koop: Koop
8. The Body Says No: New Pornographers
9. Shady Lane: Pavement
10. Insistor: Tapes N’ Tapes
11. Grow Up and Blow Away: Metric
12. Fences: The Soft Pack – RMX Phoenix song
13. Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space: Spiritualized
14. Destination Venus: Rezillos
15. Ca Plane Pour Moi: Plastic Bertrand
16. The Greatest: Cat Power
17. It Was a Good Day: Ice Cube
18. Why Do You Let Me Stay Here?: She and Him
19. Pictures of Houses: Tilly and the Wall
20. DJ: Amanda Blank
21. Stand and Deliver: Adam Ant

Feat. Mike Maxwell, Niko, Exist 1981, Tocayo, Kelli Murray, Brent Sandor, Carly Ealey, Wes Bruce, Sean Kelley, Stacy Kelley, Sean Ward and Jane Weibel

More details from Sezio here, and the Niko/Mike Maxwell collab time lapse video here. 6-10pm // Musical acts include The Paddle Boat, Black Mamba & Dr. Popsicle

Here’s a peek at what’s going on over there right now.

Below: Sean Kelley’s piece

A collab by Carly Ealey & Brent Sandor (left) & Sean’s work in progress (right)

Tocayo, work in progress

Love this one by Exist 1981…

And this one…rar.

By Wes Bruce. (We have been up late…)

Hope to see you Friday!

Sweet Sixteen – the birthday that lots of teenage girls celebrate with a massive party…but me, well I celebrated by getting my very first electric guitar. Though it’s been years since I turned 16, the Sweet Sixteen lives on in an annual challenge I most look forward to: pick my favorite albums from the year, choose my favorite songs from those albums, put them all together in a neat little mix, package them up with a dorky album cover and distribute to both willing and unwilling friends. It’s pretty typical for these songs to end up being very tied to certain times and places in my memory, so in the end, each Sweet Sixteen mix serves as a really good reminder of what happened over the course of that year. 2009 was one of my favorite years in music to date. I’m excited to see what 2010 has in store. Happy New Year!

—
Lauren Daniels
SeattleGraffiti

—

sweet16-2009.mp3

1. Two Weeks – Grizzly Bear
2. Heart Skipped A Beat – The XX
3. Turn Me Well – Micachu
4. Coast of Carolina – Telekinesis
5. Fables – The Dodos
6. Just The Same But Brand New – St. Vincent
7. i am the changer – Cotton Jones
8. This Tornado Loves You – Neko Case
9. When We Swam – Thao with the Get Down Stay Down
10. Maybe So, Maybe No – Mayer Hawthorne
11. French Navy – Camera Obscura
12. Home – Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros
13. Lalita – The Love Language
14. I And Love And You – The Avett Brothers
15. Sirens – Grand Hallway
16. 1901  –   Phoenix

Attention all artists and designers…

THE HAITI POSTER PROJECT
Just launched: A collaboration of artists and designers from around the world, benefiting victims of the earthquake in Haiti

Moxie Sozo, the organizer of the 2005 Hurricane Relief Poster Project, is teaming up with Josh Higgins, the organizer of the 2007 So-Cal Fire Poster Project to produce the 2010 HAITI POSTER PROJECT. We’ve had the great fortune of collaborating with San Diego based graphic designer Josh Higgins through Set & Drift events (remember his fantastic prints…) and we’re excited to spread the word and keep you updated. The deadline for submissions is March 15:

All designers and artists, please step up! THE HAITI POSTER PROJECT seeks limited edition sets of posters from artists, designers and design firms from around the world. The donated posters will be sold online to raise money for Doctors Without Borders. As designers, we have the collective ability to do what we love, AND to create a difference. THE HAITI POSTER PROJECT has been conceived as a collective effort by the design community to unite and effect change through our work. In order for this project to be successful, we are counting on designer participation.

Our goal is to raise at least $1,000,000 for Doctors Without Borders. Please help spread the word.

Website: thehaitiposterproject.com
Twitter: @haitiposters
Facebook: become a fan!

Josh Higgins prints from Set & Drift projects:

Set & Drift has moved to Barrio Logan — we’re sharing a studio space with mi-workshop {object & space design}. We opened the studio up the other night and are looking forward to hosting future events! Here are some shots, including our golden chihuahuas and a film screening of Jean Painleve’s Science is Fiction in the workshop {below}. Keep in touch for details on upcoming happenings.

Above: The Salk Institute {La Jolla, California}

What’s it like to be part of the design scene in San Diego (proclaimed “small but vibrant” by Dwell Magazine)? We could tell you, but we’ll give Dwell the honors since they’ve called upon local architectural talent Aaron Anderson to run through the stand out architecture of the city in this month’s issue. Congrats to our studio-mate Miki Iwasaki of mi-workshop for a shout out in the feature!

Below: The beloved Las Cuatro Milpas Mexican eatery, blocks away from the Set & Drift studio in Barrio Logan

Tired bicicletas. These guys made the trek from the San Diego neighborhood of South Park down to Tijuana. (We gave them a break on the trolley on the way home.)

On 05 of December 2009 we set out by bicycle — joined by Jay, Katie, and Michael of North Park farm-to-table restaurant The Linkery — in the direction of Suzie’s Farm, an organic farms that supplies The Linkery with some of its produce.

Set & Drift also happens to be part of the Suzie’s Farm CSA program. Every two weeks we pick up one box of whatever is in season at the farm (from Grant’s Marketplace in South Park – oh so convenient). To give you a sense of what’s inside, we laid out a December box on our table.

So beautiful. Such variety. Building recipes based on what’s on hand is a new creative challenge.

Suzie’s Farm owner Robin was generous with the taste tests. We were also excited to hear that strawberries will make their way into the CSA box in early spring.

They’re trying out growing heirloom tomatoes in the greenhouse. Farm owner Lucila explained that sometimes it’s good to be rough with tomatoes. Perhaps if they think they’re on their way out, they’ll make babies faster. And those are some delicious babies.

Suzie’s farm is not far from the U.S./Mexico border. So close, in fact, that we decided to take the bikes across. We ended up at Tijuana ceviche restaurant Erizo: amazing. The quail egg was a nice touch.

After many shared plates and a few bottles of wine we decided to link up with Derrik on his Turista Libre outing. We found ourselves at TJ bar Garces, a fantastic lounge that pays homage to Mexican actor Mauricio Garces — fully outfitted with gold upholstered booths and mirrored tables. We spent a good amount of time with the Turista Libre crew, admiring their loot from the Tijuana shopping spree, before hitting the road.

So sore the next day but so worth it.

2009 was a fine year for Set & Drift, as we followed the compass eastward and trekked it over to New York City. October in NYC was host to the Feast conference: an inspiring gathering presented by All Day Buffet that is definitely worth putting on your calendar. It’s an interdisciplinary happening of open dialogue and presenters that explores how creativity impacts business in a positive way.

We checked out the Ace Hotel (above). It was inspiring to see the creators behind this hotel putting artists to work to create individualized and soulful scenes behind the beds. Back at home in San Diego, we have been equally excited to see the work of up and coming artists grace the walls of local establishments (like the Tocayo murals featured at local eatery El Camino). We experience creativity in the everyday when business leaders in the community make conscious decisions to showcase it. Got to support that.

Which is why we loved this DIY ice cream truck kicking it in Brooklyn… Unicorns and hot pink bow tie included.

Another highlight was The High Line. The city reclaimed an elevated rail from the 1930′s and with the help of a talented team of architects converted it into a mile and a half long public park.

East Coast driftage…

And an undercover shot from the museum.

Set & Drift is proud to support The 2009 Gingerbread Collective: a charitable showcase of gingerbread houses built by over a dozen San Diego architects and designers. The event benefits local non-profit Second Chance, which provides job training and housing opportunities to assist with employment and self-sufficiency. Set & Drift’s Sean Kelley experimented with a little baking to design the event’s tasty 3-dimensional graphic (above). It’s a tricky material for us creatives, and we are super excited to see the masterpieces that come out of this multi-discipline exhibition of creativity and collaborative networking.

Above: Sculptor Matt Devine’s mid century modern “Case #22 Inspired Gingerbread House”, feat. a frosty pool, edible shrubbery, and some seriously creative furnishings.

Below: Furniture designer/architect Miki Iwasaki of mi-workshop unveils COLLECTIVE LANDSCAPE, which considers how we live on our landscape and what it means to be a collective. He’s crafted some reclaimed hardwood remnants to stand amongst a community of sculpted cookie and surreal candy living spaces.

A public showcase happens at Arclinea — a modern Italian kitchen design showroom — Thurs/Fri 12/10 & 12/11 from 6-9 pm.  Or, if you want a more intimate viewing, gather with the builders for a cocktail gala the evening of Saturday 12/12, where the jury will announce the winners and guests can bid on houses to call their very own. Gala tix are $25 with 100% of proceeds benefiting Second Chance. Added bonus: tasty treats from spots like Starlite, Cucina Urbana, & Stone Brew will be served up at the gala as you meander through the maze.

One of our favorite artists, Matt Stallings, unveils his show After the Bomb Popped at Subtext Gallery in San Diego this month. We’ve located an interview // photo preview of his work –> Muchas gracias to Sezio for the diversity of questions and the entertaining format, and for letting us ask him what his power animal is.

And so we tell you of the wonder-fulness that is Matt Stallings and remind you to meet him on your computer, and at Subtext, if you are in the area 12.11.09.

Matt Stallings’s DNA =

Coffee + Television + Fruit Loops + Cartoons + Bear Suites + Nostalgia + Comedy + 1+1=3 + Madonna Gap tooth + Beer + Kids + Tabloids + Love + Wife + Family + Red Beard = White. Medium height. Slightly hairy human.

Photos via Fecal Face (including one below), and watch the studio tour/interview by Sezio. (And if you really want to get crazy, there’s a preview of the upcoming show here.)

-buckminster fuller

::via Toxico Cultura