MIXED MEDIA OPPORTUNITY // NYCEDC Seeks Creative Proposals For Downtown Light Installation

A light installation under the Brooklyn Bridge in DUMBO - photo by Jules Antonio

Think you have an idea that could illuminate Lower Manhattan? The New York City Economic Development Corporation wants to hear it!

The organization, which promotes economic growth throughout the city, is calling for proposals "for the development and implementation of an innovative and engaging lighting and placemaking initiative aimed at increasing Lower Manhattan’s exposure, expanding its appeal in the evening hours, and spurring more diverse business activity by using the area's buildings and public spaces to create a strong neighborhood identifier visible to viewers from both near and far."

NYCEDC is looking for a proposal that embraces and enhances Lower Manhattan's identity as a vibrant, 24/7 community:

This project should occur on a regular basis (i.e., weekly, monthly) and be able to be implemented by the end of 2012, and ideally have a guaranteed life span of at least three years. The lighting project may include, and is not limited to, projection-mapping including 3D effects, interactive elements and opportunities for interaction, up/downlighting and pedestrian or kinetic motion-activated lighting.

The project is scheduled to kick off by the end of 2012 and will continue for at least three years. The selected team will receive up to $1 million from NYCEDC, along with other potential funding sources, to realize their proposal.

The deadline for submitting a proposal is February 13, 2012, and you can find out more information from the official press release as well as the project's procurement page.

-- John Ruscher

CALL FOR CONTENT // 3W Web Design Teacher Looking For Model Content For New Book

Feel like having your work published and distributed around the world? Listen up:

3rd Ward's Web Design teacher David Karlins is the author of dozens of popular graphic and web design books--from The Complete Idiot's Guide to Macromedia Flash 5 to Illustrator CS3 How-Tos: 100 Essential Techniques. He's obviously got a knack for explaining things clearly and concisely, but that's even easier to do with some great examples. Karlins is currently looking for "model content" to help illustrate different techniques in his upcoming Web Design For Dummies book.

Specifically? The content can be pretty much anything; craftwork, services, portfolios, product lines, performances, causes and so on—you just have to be willing to see it reframed, presented in different ways and truncated. Karlins promises though that he'll do his best to respect your work.

Check out the image above for an example of how your work might appear--that's Danish jeweler Eric Geist as featured in one of Karlins' most recent books, Adobe Creative Suite 5 Web Premium How-Tos: 100 Essential Techniques.

Interested? Get in touch ASAP with David Karlins at dkarlins@davidkarlins.com.

Congratulations to our Open Call Winners!

GRAND-PRIZE WINNER: Maurice Mbikayi

Graphic, gritty, with a lingering beauty that digs under your skin. Our 3rd Ward Open Call judges were awestruck by the socially-engaged work of Maurice Mbikayi, whose mixed media works combine history, technology and identity with a rare intelligence and wit.

Based in Cape Town, Mbikaya draws his inspiration from provocative socio-political boundaries. The result is an eclectic body of work consisting of paper, large-scale installations and site-specific performances. His work has been critically acclaimed by the art community in South Africa, and now Mbiyaki will bring his exhilarating vision to 3rd Ward.

CLICK HERE to see Mbiyaki's full portfolio and stay tuned for news on Mbiyaki’s 3rd Ward residency and solo gallery show, which will incorporate installation and performance specifically created for 3rd Ward.

Early Entry Deadline Winner: Mark Ingham 

Also, congratulations to Early Entry Deadline Winner, Mark Ingham, whose ambitious video installation caught the eye of our judging panel with its inventive use of homemade projectors and audience participation.

... And Our Top 25

 Click on each image to learn more about each artist. And congrats to everyone!     

Angela Zammarelli	Aranzazu Gayosso	Bruno Martelli	Catherine Lane	Cheryl Willruinyourlife
Chris Mckee	Dana Haim	Esther Ruiz	Evelyne Leblanc-Roberge	Heechan Kim
Hyemmi Cho	Ilaria Ortensi	Karen Asher	Leah Tacha	Maria TnT
Melanie Loew	Rosa Chang	Sara Le Roy	Sara Zin	Stephanie Liner
Suzanne Sattler	Virginia Echeverria	Willem Besselink	Yasuaki Onishi	Zoe Williams

OPEN CALL WINNER UPDATE // Zach Hyman Reveals All

Photo Credit: Lindsay Atwood

Photographer Zach Hyman is one of those rare visionaries. Equally bold and humble, Hyman imbues his work on both sides of the camera with a performative streak that tends to get him noticed—by the press, the police, and by us.

Last year, he and Carrie Shaltz won 3rd Ward’s Open Call with their portfolio Glitterous; a dream-fantastic documentation of their first collaborative road trip out west. The two used the reward to fund another art-making adventure resulting in a body of work called Preyground (catch up with the rule-defying madness here), displayed in our recent gallery show.

Best known for his controversial photos of nude models posing in very public locations (Times Square, Chinatown, the L train) which were documented in his 2009 solo exhibition Decent Exposures. Hyman was recently honored to have his work included in an extremely child-friendly event: the May 17 Free Arts NYC twelfth annual art auction benefit at Chelsea Art Museum. Proceeds from the sale of his piece—titled “Resurrection” and depicting a nude man jumping in front of Central Park's band shell in the distance--support the organization’s educational arts and mentoring programs for under-served children and families.

The enormity of having his work displayed alongside world-class talents like Spencer Tunick and Ed Ruscha isn't lost on Hyman.  “Your work is more likely to get noticed shown along with great artists than in a tiny gallery with just your own work. Group shows attract lots of collectors and people who love and support art. It’s also really interesting to be a part of these events that a few years ago I would have been shooting,” he says, referring to his former gig as a photographer for the Patrick McMullan agency.

How did he go from shooting events to being a catalyst for them? Pure visualization: “I imagine myself in situations that will bring me to where I want to be. Knowing where you want to be and believing that you’ll get there without fail is the most important thing.”

It also helped to be clear about what he didn't want.

“I dropped out of acting school because I couldn’t stand people telling me what to do, how to dress, how to cut my hair, not to get tattoos.” With that mentality in tow, he relocated to NYC, took a job as a bartender and spent his 5AM return trips home daydreaming about an open space with his work on the walls, surrounded by friends and family.

Where will this approach—which seems as efficient as waving a magic wand—take him next? Mexico City, followed by other international destinations: “I’d love to travel three months of the year—go live somewhere, shoot, come back here and show the work and make some money for the next year.

Take note of our address, Zach, and send postcards. Can’t wait to see what else you’ve been dreaming up. 

 -- Cara Cannella