Some say if you want to know where you’re going, it’s best to take a look at where you’ve been. The Better History exhibition at New York’s American Standard Gallery certainly embodies that sentiment. The show, curated by Nick Poe and 7Eleven Gallery, and produced by O.H.W.O.W., is an ambitious mixture of established and up and coming artists who are linked by influence or personal relationship. It provides city art enthusiasts with an opportunity not only to see new talent, but also veteran artists. The event, which features luminaries like Fab 5 Freddy and Kenny Scharf, will take place on March 12 with a reception from 6 to 10 p.m. and will run until April 11. For more info on the exhibit and other artists involved check out the gallery site.

Wondercon hit San Francisco this weekend, and while the event always attracts an array of comic fans and cosplayers, toy fans looking for more than the latest Watchmen figures had to hunt high and low. One of the biggest treats for designer toy fans at Wondercon was Rotofugi. The shop and gallery from Chicago made the pilgrimage to SF to show off its latest figures. Since 2007, Rotofugi and Squibbles Ink have been dreaming up original creations like Travis Lampe’s Tear Drips, 64 Colors’s Marshall and Chris Ryniak’s Lake Monsters. Flash forward to 2009 and the figures are almost ready for retail. Rotofugi’s Wondercon stand had near-complete sets of the Tear Drips and Marshalls, plus exclusive convention editions. The figures are expected to go on sale this spring. For a recap of all of Wondercon’s art toys, check out ToyCyte’s coverage here.

We got the skinny on Tavis Coburn’s inspiration for imagery with a vintage appearance. His newest tee — ‘Double Endorsement’ — is born from Coburn’s love of typography. The design makes use of a simple eye-test pattern that contains a pleasant, slightly hidden message. That’s the first endorsement. For the second endorsement you should probably take a look at yourself.

The last time Monsieur T and Hecklewood collaborated on an art exhibit it was to show off some serious skate decks. Having enjoyed success with their Wood Pushers exhibit back in December, two of our favorite tee design lines are primed for yet another brilliant presentation. The spanking new Noir, Blanc, et Gris exhibit at Hecklewood Gallery in Portland is all set to roll out with a reception on March 5th from 7 to 10 p.m. The show will feature contributions from Spear favorites like Royal Remarkable, working within the color scheme of black, white, and gray.

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