Upcoming Show // Open Call Winner Mu Pan Brings His Epic Art To 3rd Ward In March

We announced the winners of our Fall 2011 Open Call last week, but we're also excited to tell you that we've set the date for a solo show by Mu Pan, the Grand Prize winner of our Summer Open Call. The Taiwan-born, Brooklyn-based artist will be showing his work at 3rd Ward on March 23.

Pan tells us that he's working nonstop to get finish up the artwork that he'll be presenting, including some massive oil paintings and watercolor works. One of those is the astounding One Thousand and One Noon, pictured above. "This is about America entering the Islamic world, and the bitter war we have been fighting for the past decade," he says. "I am a huge fan of Indian miniture paintings, so I wanted to do something like that with the subject of what is going on today in that part of the world.  I used a very narrow and ignorant view point to make this project, because I want to emphasize how ignorant people are about Muslims in this country, especially this city. As you can see, I love to put what I like in my images, so this time I borrowed so many elements from those Sinbad series movies I loved when I was very little."

The scene above, which is only one panel of the One Thousand And One Noon triptych, took Pan about two months to finish. He'll have all three ready panels ready for March's show. The piece's title, Pan tells us, is a combination of One Thousand And One Nights, the famous collection of folk tales, as well as the classic Western film High Noon.

As our Grand Prize winner, Pan was also featured in Art Tapei back in August, and he tells us that it was a great experience, though somewhat sentimental. "I've only gone back three times since I left there in 1997, and I can still feel the love and acceptance from my people after all these years," he says. He sold most of the work that he brought for the fair and was featured in an article about Art Taipei in one of Taiwan's major newspapers.

Hit the jump for a few details from One Thousand and One Noon, as well as a sneak peek at more work that Pan will be presenting here. Mark your calendar for his show on March 23.

-- John Ruscher

Your Daily Insight // As Told By: Yoko Ono

Everybody's an artist. Everbody's God. It's just that they're inhibited.

Call For Entries // Make Your Culinary Dreams Come True

Have you crafted the perfect sparkling molasses-kombucha-agave beverage? Think you make the best portable, personal-size pies in town? Or maybe you're just a really good cook. Whatever the case, if you want to make that your business, you best check out The Next BIG Small Brand competition by Rooster Design Group.

The application is pretty simple: Write 500 words about what your culinary concept is and how you plan to execute it--something of a condensed business plan. If it's something that's already in the works, include any relevant links or photos. Formal culinary training or experience is in now way required; however, a great idea for a culinary brand is. Currently the opportunity's being offered to New Yorkers and Bay Area folks exclusively.

Meanwhile: The rewards are huge--branding and design by Rooser themselves, PR representation, kitchen equipment from Breville, and retail opportunities at Whole Foods, Bi-Rite, and Brooklyn Flea. Not too bad, right?

Well you've got until February 5 to make it happen. Semifinalists will be announced February 9, and a winner will be chosen March 27. Get to it, foodies.

--Layla Schlack

Required Reading // The New Sincerity: Fortnight Journal On Rethinking Industry In America

At 3rd Ward, we're always thrilled to encounter people who share similar visions and passions. It's not surprising then that we were quite taken by this article published by Fortnight Journal back in December.

Written by Brooklyn-based furniture designer Timothy Aaron Huston, "A New Sincerity," reflects upon the burgeoning movement toward products and goods that are locally-sourced, hand-crafted and environmentally friendly. He explores the forces behind this shift, including a rejection of the globalism that has dominated the past few decades:

Many people close to my age are idealistic, and do not like the stifling office environments that economists and industry leaders expected them to inhabit. Not content with prefab cubicle culture—like the rebellious Generation X, yet rejecting sarcasm and irony—we love seeing how things are made. There is a sense of wonder in this for those of us raised on processed food, far away from the farms, workshops and factories that make things. You cannot see process in a McDonalds, Wal-Mart or IKEA. My generation wants to see the plants grown, feed the animals, knit the socks, and sand the wood. We desire to get as close to the process as possible.

He also talks about the many benefits of opting for such a local, hands-on approach to industry, from higher quality materials and service to the ability to meet LEED standards and the face-to-face relationships and interactions that that such an environment fosters.

Ultimately, Huston concludes, this growing movement revolves around one word:

"Respect" is a key word in the newer business model of my generation. We strive to be well respected, and to be respectful to those with whom we work, as well as the environment around us.

We celebrate how something is made, and that we can make good things! Honest materials are respectfully and ethically procured. Products are crafted for a receptive and engaged audience who experience resonance. This is our new sincerity.

Couldn't have said it better ourselves. Make sure to read the entire article and check out the rest of Fortnight, a daily online journal that "uses multimedia content to document the promise of the millennial generation."

-- John Ruscher

Watch This Now // Our Top 5 Videos From TEDxBrooklyn

 

Just over a month ago the second annual TEDxBrooklyn took over Brooklyn Bowl to tackle the theme of "redefining better." If you missed it, or just want to relive your favorite moments, you can watch video of the entire program on the TEDxBrooklyn YouTube Channel.

Since it would take you a good chunk of your day to get through all 17 videos, we've handpicked five we found most enlightening, ranging from hacking ethics to urban agriculture, for your immediate viewing pleasure.

Get your brain movin' after the jump.

Chad Dickerson, CEO of Etsy, talks about the definition of a hacker:

Brian Meece, CEO of RocketHub, talks about the science of crowdfunding:

Paul Steely White, Executive Director of Transporation Alternatives, talks about transportation reform:

Julia Kaganskiy & Ciel Hunter talk about The Creators Project:

Viraj Puri, co-founder and CEO of Gotham Greens, talks about innovations in urban agriculture:

-- John Ruscher

Lie-Nielsen Hand Tool Event // Photos Are Up!

Thanks to everyone who came out for the Lie-Nielsen Hand Tool Event. We had a great crowd of woodworkers, lots of interesting demonstrations and we even got to try out their heirloom-quality tools! See below for a couple of our favorite pics and check out the 3rd Ward Facebook Page or Flickr to see the whole album.

Thanks to Liz Clayman for the great photos!

New Member Profile // Painter Jen Hitchings Explores the Institution

Jen Hitchings studied painting and drawing at Purchase college and moved to Brooklyn. Once here, she joined co-founded an emerging artists collective called Brick and Mortar, and eventually: "I started getting into curating and writing." When she learned of 3rd Ward, she was drawn to it because "I guess I'm always interested in the institution. With 3rd Ward, it's not an academic setting." 

While Hitchings primarily considers herself a painter, she says her long-term career goal is to be a curator, gallerist, or to teach. Certainly her own talent and experience as a painter gives her some valuable perspective. "When you make a piece," she says, "it's always changing. So I think when you're an artist looking at someone else's work, you can kind of see what went into it, what the intent is...Everything's kind of a work in progress." 

Want to see those works-in-progress for yourself? Then you must do so this Friday (and through the weekend) at Brooklyn Fire Proof. Hitchings is part of their Spring Break Art Show, which comprises 15 artists--5 bands alone are playing the opening Friday night. Admission is free before 10pm, with wine being served from 7-9.

Maybe you've met Hitchings in one of 3rd Ward's programming classes she's taken to help build her website (still in progress!) and you want to lend your support -- or maybe you're just in the mood for some dazzling visual art. Either way, your presence is requested.

To give you an idea of Hitchings' work, here's one we're particularly fond of:

"I Loved You" oil on canvas pad, 9x12--Layla Schlack

Your Daily Insight // As Told By: Salvador Dali

At the age of six I wanted to be a cook. At seven I wanted to be Napoleon. And my ambition has been growing steadily ever since.

Win a FREE Co-Working Day Pass // JELLYWEEK 2012

Have you been waiting for a chance to try out 3rd Ward's co-working space?  Now is your chance! As part of Worldwide JELLYWEEK 2012, we will be giving away 50 free co-working day passes for Monday, January 16.

JELLYWEEK 2012 is the brainchild of Anni Roolf, a coworker based in Germany who is passionate about worldwide collaboration. Next week, co-workers around the world will partake in Jellies (casual co-working events) to celebrate and promote the ideas, collaboration, and inspiration born through the magic of working together.

Whether you are a hacker, crafter, or looking for a change in work environment, now is your chance to come collaborate with other co-workers, spend the day working on our fully-loaded iMac Workstations, check out our beautiful shared and private desk spaces and get to know the 3rd Ward community.

Here is how to use 3rd Ward's co-working space for free :

Tell us why you want to cowork for FREE at 3rd Ward (@thirdward) with hashtag #Gimme3WJelly by Friday at 5pm. The top 50 best entries will win a free day pass to our co-working space for January 16. One lucky entrant with the best response will win a 3-month coworking membership!

Member Pursuits // Noah Wall Creates A Video For "Blue Station," Plays Live Shows Friday And Monday

When we caught up with new 3rd Ward member Noah Wall back in December, we talked with him about both his award-winning web design work and his recent musical pursuits, including the September release of his album Hèloïse, which he celebrated with a scavenger hunt through Manhattan that spelled out the albums name. He also told us that he had a few more musical projects in the pipe. One of those was this video for the Hèloïse track "Blue Station," which premiered on The Fader last week.

Just as fascinating as his scavenger hunt (and, naturally, his web design work), the video employs a mysterious technology, "Colormind," which has its own equally mysterious website stating that it "uses SOUND, SHAPE, HEAT and subliminal COL☯R to condense TIME and bind EMOTIONAL RESPONSE." To demonstrate the technology, the video for "Blue Station" takes the classic Paul Newman Western Hud and "condenses" it into two and a half minutes. Here's The Fader's take:

It's dizzyingly beautiful and the swirling gradients over black-and-white are charmingly anachronistic, though reducing everybody's facial expressions to mood ring colors and debatably evocative shapes renders the actual film that whizzes by mostly illegible. Which is pretty much the fun part, how hard it is to figure out what's supposed to be simple.

Wall also has some live shows coming up. He'll be performing not to far from 3rd Ward at Diamond Mouth Surprise (30 Maujer St. #2C) this Saturday, January 14, and Williamsburg DIY venue Death By Audio on Monday, January 16. We don't know if he'll be able to recreate the Colormind phenomenon on stage, but we're sure he'll put on a fantastic show.

-- John Ruscher