This Saturday marks the second international Support Women Artists Now (SWAN) day, a commemoration and series of celebrations to raise visibility for women artists around the world. Whether you're in Austin, Jerusalem, or Nairobi, there are a series of events near you. From jazz fests to Girls Write Now Days, use the SWAN Day online map to find out what’s happening locally. The project, which was started by San Francisco's collaborative network Fund for Women Artists, also has a local partnership with the upcoming SF Women's Film Festival to highlight filmmakers behind and in front of the camera.
Australia-based Toffee Cases has previously shown off their knack for crafting sleek sleeves, briefs, and slings in pebble grain-leather handiwork for everything from your laptop to your notebook. The new Toffee Tote and Slim shoulder bags allow you to keep your Mac goodies snug, while their smooth new iPhone cases serve as a fantastically svelte caddy.
Over the past few centuries, the classic folk tale of Little Red Riding Hood has been told many different ways. Tomas Nilsson, a graphic design student from Sweden’s Linköping University has put an exciting new spin on the time-honored tale. Through the use of animated infographics, Nilsson crafts a vastly more enjoyable version for adults as we follow ‘Hood’s Royskopp-fueled journey through the woods, scanning the periphery for things such as Grandma’s nutritional value and the forest’s wildlife density.
Although Brazil’s famous graffiti export Os Gemeos have gone from painting streets in Sao Paulo to castles in Scotland, they deserve more than a few solo shows given to them in their home country. Vertigem has the distinction of being their first solo exhibit in Brazil’s old capital of Rio de Janeiro, and just opened yesterday to amped-up Carioca fans. The twins’ skinny, yellow figures star in the usual stellar paintings, but Os Gemeos also have a few sweet installations in store. There will be a giant head visitors can stand inside filled with tiny infinitely reflecting mirrors, and even a piece that incorporates a Volkswagon Beetle. The exhibit runs at CCBB Rio de Janeiro until May 24, but you can check out photos here.
Since I started up cycling again, I’ve been thinking about how to help my body recover not only after, but during the ride. I drink a ton of water when I am doing cardio, but lately it occurred to me that if I’m going to be drinking anyway, I may as well bring electrolytes into the mix. Enter nuun (pronounced noon), a startup by a professor and student duo from Darthmouth’s business school. Nuun comes in five different flavors (such as orange ginger, lemon-lime, and citrus fruit) and is packaged in convenient tubes that hold 12 tablets each. Each tablet, when mixed with 500ml (16 oz) of water, forms the perfect hydration tool. It’s effervescent and two minutes after dropping it in (no stirring or shaking required) the tablet is completely dissolved. I love that once it’s dissolved, it’s not fizzy (harder than it sounds); the last thing I need to drink during my workout is something carbonated.
You are going to have to manage your carb intake because nuun has none. It is strictly sodium, potassium, magnesium and calcium. It contains no sugar nor does it leave a powdery residue at the bottom of your bottle. If you give nuun a try, tell us what you think!
Followers and fakers beware — Cookies ‘n’ Cream prepare to drop their Spring ‘09 line with a lookbook featuring a few folks who are the real deal. Up and coming MC Emilio Rojas and NYC event promoter/tastemaker Jason “Che Guerrilla” Negron help show off the hot new Attack of The Herd collection, which takes aim at the posers and pretenders with four vicious designs. Featured shirts contain images that parody the birth of branded “cool” and send the message that if you’re not being true to yourself, Cookies ‘n’ Cream know, and they can see you posing with your skateboard from their perch on the corner of Hype and Fresh.
