Richard Lent the founder and CEO of Agencynet, whom I consider a friend and have worked with in the past will be speaking this Thursday as a part of the Outside Voices series for the New Denver Ad Club. He’ll be talking about what has been on everyone’s mind lately in the ad industry. Namely, how completely insane it is right now and just how much crazier it is going to get (which is anyone’s guess). He will be speaking in downtown Denver at the Hotel Curtis at 5:45 September 23rd (this Thursday).
Richard is a really smart guy and has managed to keep carrying his company aloft during these turbulent times and I know for a fact he has a lot of knowledge to share. It will definitely be worth the trip. You can register for the event here. I will be there and I hope to see you too.
I dropped in on the Artcrank poster show this weekend which is currently exhibiting at the Lisa Koslowski Gallery until next Saturday. There were some excellent posters in the show this year, and I purchased two from some local friends of mine. I purchased Ctt blogger and Legwork partner Aaron Ray’s poster as well as Anthony Cozzi’s. I was really blown away by Anthony’s poster. The screens were air tight and the use of color was used to great effect. If you have a chance this week and are here in Denver definitely stop by the gallery if you are looking to pick up some unique pieces of art.
If you can’t make it to the show, you can still purchase a copy of Anthony Cozzi’s poster here.
We are thrilled to announce that motion designer, animator and filmmaker Mike Slane has joined the team as Creative Director at Changethethought. He will be partnering with Christopher Cox and Elysia Syriac to help round out the Changethethought creative studio with capabilities in motion, 3D and broadcast. Mike recently relocated to Denver from California after working as an Associate Creative Director for Shilo. He has worked for agencies such as Exopolis and Motion Theory in the past and has completed projects for clients like Sprint, Campbells, Reebok, HP, Gatorade and Jack Daniels to name a few.
This is going to mean a lot of new and exciting things will be coming out of the Changethethought creative studio in the very near future. We couldn’t be more pleased to have such an amazing talent with us here in Denver. Mike is one of those rare individuals who is not just an amazing talent but also a family man and incredibly nice person.
His leadership role at Changethethought is all part of our plan to negate our physical geography while amplifying our global digital creative footprint. We firmly believe we can service top shelf clients here in Denver with a focus on design, and we intend to do so in the coming months.
Kern the Word is the work of Christopher Branson, a young designer currently located in Denver. A few weeks back a care package arrived on my doorstep that included a t-shirt, business card, stickers and a couple of very nicely printed books. They were sent by Branson and I later ran into him at the Bordobello kickoff event in downtown Denver. I was really impressed by his intelligence and ambition. He’s going to go a long long way just as soon as someone opens the door to opportunity for him. It’s tough out there these days in the creative market and just about every other market but he is definitely someone who would add unique talent to any team. If I could swing it right now, I would grab him up myself. Hopefully in a few months I will be in the position to bring in some young talent. That’s always where the future is. You hearin’ me Denver ad agencies?
The David B. Smith Gallery is currently hosting AJ Fosik’s exhibition ‘Count Back From Now’. To the unfamiliar, Fosik’s sculptural monsters are crafted out of hand carved and painted pieces of wood and the end result is a kind of contemporary take on the African mask. The neon ‘monster’ like masks and creatures are even more striking and imposing in person and you really have to stand in front of one and move around it to appreciate the craftsmanship Fosik employs when building them.
I took over a studio at the now closed Andenken Gallery a few years back that Fosik had been using before me here in Denver. He left a big collection of boob boxes and a little eye or two from some of his sculptures. Consequently, I have about 6 boom boxes in my garage and the eye now sits on my desk in my studio. I’ve always like his work.
The Illiterate Gallery here in Denver has been curating some great exhibitions lately and the current show for July looks amazing. It is the first solo show of local Denver artist and director Ravi Zupa. You can see Zupa’s work at some of the trendier destinations around the city and it always stands out.
Here is a description of the show from the gallery:
“The exhibition at Illiterate running throughout the month of July is Ravi Zupa’s first solo gallery show, however this seems to have less to do with the artist being overlooked by contemporary art circles as it has been a product of his DIY mentality and rejection of the elitist status quo within the art world. A self identifying anarchist, Zupa believes that art is for everybody. When Ravi approached us about making Illiterate the site for his gallery debut, we were both honored and excited to work with this talented and driven individual. The exhibit titled “The Pyre”, coincides with a book project by the same name between the artist and hip hop musician Sole, founder of Anticon records and leader of Sole and the Skyrider band, for which Zupa has directed a number of music videos. This collaborative publishing effort involves an epic poem written by Sole and illustrated by Zupa and will be released at Illiterate during the closing reception for the exhibition on July 30.”
You can see images from the exhibition here and find out more about Illiterate at their website. Be sure to drop by if you are close to the Denver metro area.
My Art Direction alma mater Cactus is once again hosting the ‘can’t miss’ party of the summer. It’s time again today for the Bike From Work Bash celebrating the end of Bike To Work Day here in Denver, Colorado. The festivities will kick off tonight around 5 and end when Cactus can finally get what I am guessing will be a couple hundred people or more out of their parking lot. We will be attending late after a client meeting we have scheduled at 5. So set aside a cold one for us guys because we can’t wait to see what you have cooked up this year. It’s going to be one helluva party, so don’t even think about missing it.
Here’s where to go at 5pm:
2128 15th Street
Denver, Colorado
80202
Local Denver agency Motive has helped put together a black and white poster show tonight as a part of the DEWmocracy program from Mountain Dew. The show starts tonight at 5:00 PM at the Illiterate Gallery located at 82 S. Broadway in Denver. There are some great local artists and designers in the show so please swing by. The posters are 18 x 24 screen prints available in very low quantities for a really reasonable price.
I was asked to created a poster in only 1 hours time and you can see my entry above. Sometimes you gotta crank it out.
Karvt is a (Denver) locally owned business that created custom wooden skins for Macbook computers. The wooden skins are applied directly to the computer to bring a more natural look to your masterpiece of modern technology. Karvt currently has a Twitter Sweepstakes going on and are giving away 7 Originals Wooden Macbook skins. All you have to do is friend us and send a tweet to enter. The entire month of April they are accepting pre-orders. All pre-orders are 10% off if you use the code PREORDER during checkout.
Karvt also has an artist series of skins and hopes to expand the library or available designs. I am hoping to submit a design in the near future so keep an eye out for that.
I have officially resigned my position as Art Director at Cactus Communications in Denver. My Creative Director and I decided it was time for me to do what has needed to be done and amicably part ways to allow me to begin focusing all of my attention on Changethethought. The nearly 4 years I spent at Cactus has been one of the best times I have ever had in the creative industry. I leave behind some very close friends and people I respect very highly. I will miss them every day as I start out on this new venture. They have been amazingly supportive of my efforts to launch Changethethought as a design studio and I will continue to seek their advice as I start out on my own.
I will begin working on remodeling my studio next week where I will now be running Changethethought. I have a few small creative client projects planned already for 2010. We will also be launching a new website this spring. The new website will be much more robust than the current version offering much more in terms of content and usability. We will also now be able to focus much more quality time on delivering better content. Soon we will be seeking more authors for the blog.
We have full capabilities as a design studio and are currently seeking project work. If you are interested in hiring us for your next project please send an email to hire(at)changethethought.com. We will be focusing our efforts on 3 branches, creative inspiration, creative merchandising and creative services. We will also be focused on enriching the creative community in Denver and are already involved in working toward planning and hosting events in 2010.
We are also currently seeking sponsorship for the next version of the site. Please contact us if you would like to see our current analytics and are interested in supporting us. Cheers to 2010.
Labzeus is the graphic design work of recently graduated but deeply life-experienced Denver based designer Brian Neumann. I am hoping to work with Brian on future projects as I embark on initiating the creative service branch of Changethethought. Brian has worked diligently to improve himself and his skillset and has grown by leaps and bounds since I first met him when we was in the middle of study. He is currently interning at Cactus here in Denver. I can say with certainty that he is also a really great guy and an equally great person to work with. He is currently accepting both freelance and considering full time opportunities in Denver. So you might want to try and snatch him up before I can figure out a way to keep him busy.
Mario Zoots is a Denver-based designer and artist currently enrolled in the Communication Design program at Metro. He has already generated work for both Urban Outfitters and NYLON. He has also been published in Rojo (Barcelona )and Cafe Royal (U.K.). Apparently he is looking for a gig here in Denver. Please, lets try to keep him here.
Joshua Wills is another Denver local who has quietly toiled away for years at bettering both his own work and the creative community in Denver. He and his wife Tran, run The Shoppe and Fabric Lab. The Shoppe is one of the funnest places to both chow down on some sincerely fantastic cupcakes and just hang out in a well planned and designed environment. The Fabric Lab was one of the first local shops to both carry my shirts and start supporting my efforts. Josh is one of those rare individuals who is just good all the way through. He’s a good person, he’s a good designer, he’s a good web designer, he’s a good husband and he is a good father. He and his wife are two of the most genuinely nice people I have met in Denver. They would raise the profile of any creative community they inhabited just by being there.
Josh has launched a new website with some of his latest projects that you can check out here. If you are in Denver, be sure to drop by The Shoppe to munch on a Red Velvet or Double Chocolate Kahlua cupcake (my personal recommends) and flip through some of the books in their thoughtfully curated art and design library. Then head next door to the Fabric Lab and pick up some local wears. Thanks for all the hard work you do, Josh and Tran, at nurturing Denver’s creative community.
Scot emailed me last week and asked that I mention he has an upcoming show this month here in Denver at the Andenken Gallery (the venue where Manifest Hope took place). Scot really busts his ass on his artwork and I have a feeling he is pulling out all the stops on this one so it shouldn’t be missed. Unfortunately I will be in Sunderland, England for a show I will be exhibiting at this weekend.
So on October 17th at Andenken Gallery I am asking that if you are in Denver you show up for Mr. Lefavor because I know he will definitely be showing up for Denver.
The Clayton Brothers are a pair of artists now working in Pasadena, California but have home ties to good ole Denver, Colorado. I came across their work this morning while perusing the Denver Egotist and was really blown away by the paintings created for their recent exhibition, Jumbo Fruit, at Patrick Painter Gallery in Santa Monica. The paintings fall somewhere between pop and metaphysics and the resulting imagery is really amazing. You can also read Nathan Spoor‘s review of the exhibit at Juxtapoz.
Local Denver, Colorado artist Jason Thielke will be making an appearance tonight at the opening reception of his latest exhibition at the new David B. Smith Gallery. 20+ new works will be unveiled tonight ranging from laser cuts and laser etches w/ lacquer, aerosol, and ink to pieces in colored pencil on paper. The reception begins at 7pm and The David B. Smith Gallery is located at 1543 A Wazee St in Denver. You can see the works currently on display at the Smith website.
Jason is one of the hardest working artists I know in Denver and he is also a great guy and a family man. Unfortunately, I have to be in the mountains this weekend but if you are here in Denver, do try to make it out to his show and offer support. He deserves the attention. Congratulations Jason.
Comments Off on Cactus – Bike From Work BashCtt News
Next week on Wednesday June 24th, the official Bike to Work day here in Colorado, Denver-based advertising agency Cactus (for whom I work as an Art Director) is throwing its inaugural Bike From Work Bash . I can personally guarantee a seriously kick ass throwdown the likes of which will be stuff of legend forever recorded in the mythical annals of Denver lore. You have to seize any available opportunity to use the word ‘annals’.
There will be Illegal Pete’s burritos, Breckenridge beer, Amp energy drinks (and Amp Energy girls), a live DJ (my good friend Tom Metz), bike stunts by Yellow Designs, bike valet service from Bike Denver along with security provided by the Denver Roller Dolls. I also designed the materials for the event, although it was a collective effort with my Creative Director Norm Shearer, Art Director Matt Chiabotti and Copywriter Lee Perlman (he’s the crazy guy in the helmet in the video above). Consequently, Indyink will have have larger 2-color screenprinted Bike from Work posters available at the event as well. As far of the event overall is involved, it was a big team of us at Cactus who put our heads together to pull this off and we poured the love in all the way to the top.
There will be also be a ‘Revenge of the Nerds-style’ tricycle relay race. The race is being hosted by Ad2 Denver and will benefit Wish for Wheels, a non-profit organization dedicated to supplying bikes for kindergarten students. Relay teams will consist of 5 members and the cost per entry is $100. There will be prizes given to teams with the most creative uniforms and tricycles. Maybe a team of luchadores?
You really can’t miss. There is going to be stunts, food, drinks, pretty people, money going to charity and you can rub elbows with the local creative and advertising people. I will be there for the duration of the party helping set up and break down (I am in it to win it). So, if we have yet to meet, stop by and say hello. It’s going to be a lot of fun.
The mayor said he wasn’t coming but that’s just an added reason to turn the volume all the way up to 11. Especially after turning down the best invitation ever.
Artcrank went amazingly well this weekend in Denver. There was a massive turnout and the posters sold like crazy. They were priced very reasonably, I think the most expensive being $30 and the least $10. You can see some photos from the event here and the Minneapolis event here. I think I came close to selling out my poster (pictured below in red, white and blue).
You can still visit and buy posters from the Denver show until May 2nd. Don’t miss your chance if you really want one because a lot of them are almost gone.
You can see some images of the posters created from the Minneapolis event here and the Denver posters should be uploaded sometime in the next couple of weeks. As soon as they are I will let you know. The image above my poster is the poster that was created by the almighty poster Gods, Aesthetic Apparatus for the Minneapolis show.
I am considering reprinting my poster in a different color to sell through my store but haven’t made up my mind yet. So until then, stop by Artcrank here in Denver if you really want one. Word is the show will be traveling to a new location featuring local artists again from that specific location.
