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!)

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!

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 »

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

‘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.

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!

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!

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.

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.

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.

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!

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!

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.

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.

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!

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

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!

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.

Set&Drift in conjunction with AIGA San Diego and Subtext is proud to present Objectified, a documentary film by Gary Hustwit.

If you haven’t already heard, Gary Hustwit’s latest documentary Objectified is coming to town July 10 at the Museum of Contemporary Art in La Jolla. The film dives into the world of products we’ve surrounded ourselves with, and the designers that create them. It’s a must see for any creative, so get it on the calendar.

Hustwit also directed Helvetica, a documentary about graphic design and the typeface that’s become a ubiquitous part of human visual communication across the globe. Judging from his directorial debut, Hustwit’s films should probably be required watching for all humans. So if you haven’t seen it yet, rent Helvetica as a warm-up to Objectified.

And as if the screening wasn’t enough, Subtext Gallery is bringing some added radness with an after party featuring a live performance by El Ten Eleven (who rock the soundtrack for Objectified and Helvetica).

Believe you me, this screening will sell out. Get your tickets now and we’ll see you July 10!

We took a trip to north county last week in hopes of finding some native new world Cacti and drought-resistant old world succulents – we were not disappointed.

Jeff at Solana Succulents hooked us up with a wide range of plants for our Native Curiosities installation at the Thread Show, including several cacti species native to the Southwestern US and Mexico.

In addition to native species, Jeff also offers a plethora of drought-tolerant succulents from Africa and Madagascar as well as some rare species from isolated ecosystems like the Canary Islands. Let’s be honest – San Diego is a desert region importing 80-90% of its water (a majority of which is used up by residential landscaping), and these plants are a rad alternative to water-hungry lawns.

Cruise by and visit Jeff next time you’re in North County for some xeriscaping help. You’ll lower your water bill, help San Diego conserve water, plus you can hit up Pizza Port, which is just around the corner!

A big thanks to Miriello Grafico for hosting Set & Drift as we prepare for the Thread Show this weekend. MG was kind enough to provide space in The Logan warehouse to stage our Native Curiosities installation this week.

Here’s a glimpse at the staging that began on Saturday…

In addition to housing Miriello Grafico’s design studio and LJG, The Logan will soon be home to video production company DV creations, rounding out a strategic partnership anchored in Barrio Logan that forms an incredibly capable creative powerhouse.

Here’s a preview of our installation at the upcoming Thread Show on May 30/31 in San Diego. This old school silo in the Wonderhaus is our blank canvas.

The inverted cone on the inside looks like something from the set of THX-1138.

See more photos of Native Curiosities at FLICKR

A big thanks to Carly and Zack from Sezio…
… for cruising up to Oceanside for the Native opening at Swiv Tackle Circus. Carly took some great photos and wrote up a review of a fun night filled with art, music, and urban garden-grown snacks.

We’ve also uploaded some tasty photos of the urban garden bounty, and a short video featuring Tocayo’s NATIVE sign painting.

Native will be up at Swiv Tackle Circus through May 23rd, including this Saturday for THE COLOR INK BOOK, ISSUE 3 release party, so check it out if you missed the opening!

Photo credit: Carly Ealey

Here’s a little footage behind the sign that Tocayo created for the Native exhibition at Swiv Tackle Circus in Oceanside, CA. Stacy and Sean Kelley of Set & Drift helped paint out the sign lettering while Tocayo built up the black edges of his dream-catcher illustration.

Photo credits: Carly Ealey, Tracy
Music by Orishas, from the Tocayo Time mixtape.
More info on the exhibition here.

SET & DRIFT will be at THREAD San Diego Saturday – Sunday May 30-31st! Join us at the Native Lounge in the flour silo at the old Wonderbread Bakery in East Village for a collaborative art installation set amongst indie fashion designs, live screen printing, drinks, music, and good times! Visit THREAD for more details and to RSVP before May 15!

See photos of Native Curiosities at FLICKR.

Thanks so much to all of you who helped and came out to celebrate at NATIVE Saturday night! There was great energy, and we are so thankful to SWIV for their creativity and positivity and for hosting us in their amazing gallery space. The exhibit is up through May 23, so stop by and check it out!

Check out some great photos at King Bee, and we’re updating our flickr set in the next couple days. Send your photos our way if you have ‘em.

xoxo SET & DRIFT

We’re beginning to reap quite the harvest from SWIV’s urban-community garden, a collaboration amongst SWIV, Hill Street Cafe (next door), and some obliging neighbors. We’re excited to share the booty at NATIVE, as well as some tantalizing fresh squeezed juice from locally grown blood oranges, courtesy of Hill Street.

Tocayo

a Skate Stool and Spare Time Clocks, Miki Iwasaki

While we’re working hard on the NATIVE show at Swiv Tackle Circus on April 25, we wanted to dish out a preview of one of the artists from the show.

Hit play and delve into the work and life of designer/architect/teacher Miki Iwasaki. Through an intimate series of introspective ponderings, Miki explores how the small objects in our life shape the big picture of how we live. Check out more of the work from his studio, Mi-Workshop.

This beautiful little gem of a film, entitled SCALE: furniture/architecture/society, was shot and directed by filmmaker Jeffrey Durkin of Breadtruck Films, and debuted at the Pearl Hotel in February. We’ll have a mini-theater setup for the film at NATIVE.

Make sure to cruise up to Swiv on 4/25 to see the latest wood works from Miki.

La Milpa grows organic vegetables, herbs, and greens, and is home to a handful of goats, chickens, and kittens. They’re at the farmers’ markets (Oceanside, Vista, La Mesa, Hillcrest) so say hi to them and buy some stuff. They’re doing it right over there.

{They’re also hosting their monthly potluck/movie/wood fired pizza gathering under the big oak tree at the farm April 18, 2009 at 5:30 pm…another good time to join in a toast to their dedication.}

Chickens plus chick and chocolate mint sampling

We bartered some time weeding stinging nettle out of the beet plot for a handful of fresh cut cilantro. Owner and bread and pizza making guru Barry generously donated a bit of sourdough starter he’s been cultivating for 10 years to get our first batch of pizza dough rolling.

At the Session 1 Eat Easy we served up Sean’s ‘New Mexican’ pizzas – corn, peppers, onion, poblanos, pine nuts, goat cheese, and farm fresh sourdough and cilantro. Taking a cue from our Berkeley obsession Cheeseboard, we left out the tomato sauce. (We go for a fine layer of chopped ristra chiles in its place.) Delicioso… and much love to our new farm/foodie friends.

Check out the photo gallery and bask in the glow of what we can accomplish with a just a few drinks and a bit o’ teamwork at Holiday Matinee.

Introducing “SET & DRIFT” – an interdisciplinary creative studio. The literal meaning of these words is the speed and direction of the current under a sailing ship.

Recently, in a serendipitous twist of fate, our paths crossed with a dusty pile of vintage science manuals. As designers and artists, we’re drawn to the beauty of their yellowed pages…not to mention their simple instructions on piloting a ship. (The companion book Man In Space breaks down for us the particulars of space travel, musing about the day when man will walk on the moon).

We’ve noticed a parallel here between the navigation of the high seas and our navigation of the cultural landscape. After all, what we hear of many a time in creative endeavors — that “happy mistake” that graces our process every so often — brings to mind the age old tendency of seamen to invite in the unforeseen, allowing the tides and winds to carry us to sought-after uncharted territories.

As a studio, we see ourselves as just one part of an entire crew of creative individuals and forces. So here we set sail, dedicated to collaboration and unearthing creative treasures to share. Hop aboard!

Mark your calendars for Saturday, April 25th!

SWIV TACKLE CIRCUS and SET & DRIFT present NATIVE:
An exhibition about our evolution as natives to Southern California and as humans native to planet earth…

FURNITURE, FILM, ART, and BIKES By Miki Iwasaki, Jeffrey Durkin, Josh Higgins, Stacy Kelley, Tocayo, Sean Kelley, Jeff Black, Shaney Jo Darden, and Thatcher.

More details soon — Sign up to receive all the latest!

Opening reception: 6:00-10:00 pm
530 South Coast Highway >> Oceanside, California

Join us at San Diego’s Starlite Lounge tonight and help some kids get clean water.
Get more info from the evening’s organizer Holiday Matinee here!