Momentum Recap

Unfortunately, I was gone this weekend and didn’t get a chance to go to the Momentum Art Opening but I did just get some pictures of the show sent to me. First, OPEN just launched the Momentum micro-site click here to view. The site highlights select images of the project and gallery show.  The Momentum project consists of a series of 5 frames, cycling cap, t-shirt and vectorfunk prints - all on the site and available for purchase.

They’re also presenting the entire Momentum gallery show and MWM Mural on the Chorus site click here to check it out.

Hawkins St Mural (25 x 15 ft)

click here for more pictures of the gallery

My Little Pony “Cloverpony” by Sara Richard

I saw this new piece today from sculptor Sara Richard and couldn’t believe my eyes. She took the “My Little Pony” cute and cuddly body and modeled it into an evil creature! The details on the figure is incredible from the teeth to the extending legs- no wonder why Hasbro hired her!

Good work Sara, and I want more sushi toys soon!!!

Bic Buddy Release Party- Toy Tokyo

This past weekend I took the red eye from LA to JFK and ended up sitting next to toy designer and friend Marka27. I had first met Victor “Marka27″ a couple years back at LAB, where we carried his Minigods series and also, had him featured in one of our art opening. He had flown out to LA for the release party of the Bic Buddys which, he designed the platform for. The new toy series for Bic Plastics launched at the beginning of August hit LA and now will be visiting 2 more major cities to mark the launch of its new mini-series.

So this week at Toy Tokyo from 6-9pm,  Cope2, Indie84, Kano, Marka27 and Sket will be signing. Last shop of the tour is in Chicago at the one and only Rotofugi on August 22nd where Jesse Hernandez and Marka27 be signing and hanging out with fans.

Congrats on the series guys- it looks great! And, thanks Marka for the toy, it will be added to my collection!

Sometimes You Forget.

For the past four years I have focused my life on work, getting myself ahead and of course just living the daily grind. All of my “so called” vacations or trips outside of Boston have involved either client visits or tradeshows. Well, last Thursday I finally got the opportunity to go visit my sister in LA. She has lived here for a while now and it just seems as if time has flown by and I havent made a trip out here. I didn’t realize until now how important it was for me to take time off and see my family.  The past couple days have been some of the most relaxing and peaceful days I have had in a long time. I got to spend time with two of the most important and influential people in my life, my mom and my sister. Weather we were laying around talking, spending time at the beach or out to dinner, I enjoyed and appreciated every minute with them. Sometimes you truly forget how important family is, and this weekend I left all my stress back in Boston and just enjoy life and being with my family.

I leave LA tonight… so tomorrow its back to the grind! But next time, I promise it wont be another four years till I have a vacation.

xo kim

A Visit From Autumn.

Yesterday, our friend and new artist in our studio Autumn, paid us a visit after returning from her trip to Korea. I had met her a couple months back when she finally made her way into LAB. I’m really not sure how we had never met before, we had been surrounded by a lot of the same people in many different crowds over the past four years. We instantly connected and started discussing our love for art and being creating. Turns out at the time she was working on a huge mural just a couple blocks from my shop. Since, then we had stayed in contact and just recently I asked her to come join the studio. You will definitely be hearing more about her soon and hopefully see some of her new work once she’s moved into Fringe Movement. For now, check out one of her past mural that she collaborated on with Maria Molteni at Underground Snowboards- also, check out some goodies she brought back from Korea in the pictures below!

a peak into the studio & my life.

This year has been one of the most empowering and depressing times of my life all rolled into one. I have accomplished the world yet battled even more. One of the hardest decisions of this past year was to close the one thing that meant the most to me, the shop I dreamed about when I was young. A place I spent four years developing, designing, planning and basically living for. LAB was my life, the one and only thing that was always there for me, the thing I hated at times and fell deeply in love with the other times. I know I have been in hiding and have rarely been seen around Boston lately, which is very unlike me- but I swear its for the best. I’m also, not sure if I have actually told many people about my decision or why closing LAB’s brick and mortar location happened. All I can say is it was for the best and I have a whole new venture that I can’t get out of my mind. July 1st some of my good friends and I got the keys to a new start, a place where we could transform from a dirty and cold industrial space to place that thoughts, ideas and creations could come to life. Since, July we have spent almost everyday here creating a space that will bring a whole new light to Boston.

So there it is – a new project launching and an update on my life. We will be having an opening this fall so stay tune and hopefully now people can see and understand why I’ve been under the radar. Below is a sneak peak into our new world- so please enjoy and click here for more photos.

xo kim

Evoker x Mike Giant

After seeing Mike Giant’s blog post about his new Rat Bones Tattoo, our friend Evoker decided it would be a nice juster to ship Mike out one of his Evoker x Rat Bones Logo tee & stickers. Today, Evoker got the picture below sent back to him! Now, we just need to get Mike to Boston for a show!!!

Grace’s Circus!

So, last week we were working around the studio and decided we wanted to paint murals in our huge panels that use to be windows. The 5ft panels that run along our studio space just needed something to make them pop! One of our interns Grace started sketching and came up with this crazy skull face horse with a two-headed panda riding it. Not sure where this girl comes up with this stuff- but the mural is coming out amazing, and I cant wait to see what she has planned for the other two windows! Click here for more pictures.

A Letter from Jenna

Dear Boston,
I grew up in central MA in a town called Fitchburg.. “the burg.” Some of you know of it from going to parties/concerts as kids or where you went to school at Fitchburg State College. I am even friends with some of you.. I won’t name names.. that have broken into one of my family’s properties when they were in college. And also share studio space now with some of you that had mutual friends growing up, but our lives never crossed.. and those I went to school with. Oh dear boston.. we have so many ties that I thought I wanted to run away from. I never thought I would ever live anywhere else but NYC, where my job of fashion lives. But when I started to explore Boston as an adult I immediately noticed a difference in people.

Right away, I met people that I instantly connected with.. people whom shared similar upbringings that I felt like I’ve known forever and some who were walking down the same road as myself. Is it because we’re “New England” kids at heart? We grew up amusing ourselves the same ways.. renting beach cottages by the ocean in Maine for the summer, boogie boarding, BBQ-ing, biking, sailing, hiking, trying to spook your little sister at night by telling ghost stories and shouting REDRUM.. or heading to the White Mountains in the winter to go skiing and tubing, fighting over who gets to sleep on the top bunk bed, passing “dutch-ovens,” visiting Story Land..

These are some of my experiences growing up and how I fell back in love with Boston after moving back from NYC because I could relate to everyone there. There’s something so truthful about Boston. My friends here aren’t afraid to be silly, laugh and have fun. Let’s embrace who we are, and not be afraid to let the world know. Don’t try to be someone you aren’t. I’m sorry New York.. but stop pretending you don’t know!!

That being said….

Oh Boston– you are so talented in so many ways. I invite everyone I know and everyone I don’t to show the world how amazing we really are.. as artists, designers, crafters, innovators, thinkers, entrepreneurs, collaborators.. All of you who run to NY to become “cool” New Yorkers lose yourself in the hype. Why don’t we represent a piece of Boston and where we come from rather than trying to be someone else that only appears to be cool? Why don’t we come together and ask ourselves how can we do this together?

I’ve been lucky to be inspired by a group of people who wanted to do just that (especially a person or two that helped convince me and inspire it all. THANK YOU.).. who wanted to come together and work off of each other’s energy and passions for art & design. And many more that have contributed.. and it’s not too late for you to be apart of it.

Fringe Movement. Union Square. Somerville MA.

Grand Opening. FALL 2009. More info TBA.

(sorry to pick on you NY.. ps i love you)

News from Evoker!

As many of you know Evoker is one of my good friends, and I try and post about pretty much everything he does. Recently, he got a chance to team up with another one of favorite artists that I have also worked closely with MCA from Evil Design! Check out the new skateboard they did along with an interview/studio tour done by Juxtapoz Magazine. Click here to read the full article from Juxtapoz.