We’ve mentioned Poster Boy a couple of times before here at Urban Prankster. Brian Raftery recently did a great profile on him for New York Magazine.
Previously:
Step Clones
Subway Poster Mix-Em-Up Art
Tag Archives: nyc
Banksy in New York
Wooster Collective posted the details of Banksy’s new show in New York, running until the end of the month in the West Village. He’s converted a 7th Avenue shop space into the “Village Pet Store And Charcoal Grill.” Inside is a very bizarre collection of frozen food animals and animantronics. The show is open to the public from 10 AM to Midnight every day. If you’re not in the city and can’t see it in person, check out Wooster’s photos and video.
While Banksy was in town he hilariously tagged two phone booths (above.)
Prototype 161 NYC Event on 10/31
Remember the Sea of Glass paperweight we mentioned the other week? Well today I got something new in the mail that explains it all. Prototype 161, the new Alternate Reality Game masterminds in New York, are staging their next event on Halloween. Someone from the group sent me a letter announcing the new event. I scanned it and uploaded it here. Also in the envelope was a USB key containing a PDF of the image above. There must be a clue in their somewhere. Fun!
The event costs $40 (someone’s got to pay for all these crazy mailings!) but there’s a discount code in the letter that anyone who reads this blog can use for 20% off. So while not free, it sounds like a really fun Halloween night in NYC if you’re into the whole run around the city on a crazy mission solving puzzles type thing.
NYC Big Wheel Race & Cruel DC
There are a couple of cool events happening Saturday.
The first was sent to us by our friends at Newmindspace.
Zombie Unicorn presents (with a little help from Newmindspace): NYC GREAT BIG WHEEL RACE 2008!
Bring your big wheel, trike, skateboard, velocipede, or handmade contraption on wheels along with your superhero costume to race down the Great Hill in Central Park against the greatest big wheelers in town.
You’ll need a helmet and other protective gear. Your vehicle’s seat must, at its lowest point, be lower than 12 inches. That’s low. Wheel size is open. Rubber wheels are strongly discouraged.
Free registration for racing: e-mail flopaint (at) gmail.com. Spectators more than welcome. Standard big wheels are available at indy toy stores & big box retail stores and odder wheeled units are probably available on trash day on your corner.
Meet up at Central Park Drive at 103rd St. on the East side. We’ll take a walk through and then the main event.
Prizes for most original vehicle, costume and 4th place finisher.
***
NYC Big Wheel Race
Central Park Great Hill (W 103 St. + Central Park W)
Saturday, October 18th 2008 @ 2pm – 4pm
Rain or shine. Free and all ages!
***
Also happening Saturday: a group in Washington DC is hosting a game of Cruel 2 B Kind, Jane McGonigal‘s game of “benevolent assassination.” More info: Cruel DC
Wall Street Blue Balls
Instant Grant Program
Artist Steve Lambert sent us a new collaboration of his, The Federation of Students and Nominally or Unemployed Artists. The group spent an afternoon in Union Square Park in Manhattan giving away “instant grants” to anyone who pitched them a project.
How it works:
The FSNUA aims to re-inspire creative thinking and action in everyday people by removing a small barrier and providing encouragement. We give small, unsecured grants in the form of $10-$60 for creative projects thought up on the spot by everyday people. In the past this has included a merchant marine, two 10 year old girls, a US soldier on leave from Iraq, an accordion player from Alaska, and around 40 others. We funded their new paintings, drawings, knitting, and photojournalism projects, and the repair of one accordion. Projects that may not have happened had they not come across 10 people in the park to support and inspire the thought.
Beyond the small amount of money, the project encourages people to see themselves as something other than workers or consumers even if it just for the length of time required to apply for the FSNUA grant. We also hope to re-inspire dormant desires to create while presenting an example of generosity without an ulterior motive.
Art in Odd Places
There will be a steady stream of creativity on 14th Street in New York City for the entire month of October as Art in Odd Places presents Pedestrian:
In October 2008, the fourth annual AiOP will present Pedestrian on 14th Street, Manhattan – the great divider between uptown/downtown and highbrow/lowbrow. From the East River to the Hudson River, artists of all mediums will encourage the masses of daily pedestrians to rediscover this corridor of diverse commerce, including Union Square, historical site of social and political activism. Projects will explore connections between public spaces, pedestrian traffic, and ephemeral transient disruptions. Like a scavenger hunt, New Yorkers will use a map to discover art in unexpected places along this amazing street.
Check out the AiOP website for photos and descriptions of all the projects planned, including Yvette Helin’s “Pedestrian Project” pictured above.
Ferris Bueller Parade Back On in NYC
You may remember last month when we sent out a note about a planned Ferris Bueller Parade reenactment at the Deitch Art Parade in Soho. Sadly the whole Art Parade was canceled due to rain. But the organizers of the Ferris stunt just informed us they’re going to give it another shot at this year’s Halloween Parade in the Village:
With hurricane season now safely behind us, we are delighted to inform you that Project Bueller is back on in full force. Provided there are no tornadoes, dust storms, or shifting tectonic plates, artist duo Mina Karimi and Kara Suhey are now recreating the parade scene from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off in the Greenwich Village Halloween parade.
Project Bueller 2.0 is going to be much larger than originally planned. We are now looking to recruit at least 2000 secret agents to capture the spirit of the scene along the parade’s 20 block path.
(Adherence to the 80’s business casual dress code is optional as long as you make up for it with studied 1986 dance moves and unrestrained vocal enthusiasm.)
1) Email projectbueller@gmail.com to participate.
2) Check out projectbueller.tumblr.com for developing details and entertainment.
3) Be excellent to each other.
Love,
Mina & Kara
In other NY news, has anyone else heard of Sea of Glass? A mysterious package arrived at the Urban Prankster office yesterday. Someone is up to something here in the city.
Mp3 Experiment Tour Dates Confirmed
Details are starting to come together for Improv Everywhere’s upcoming Mp3 Experiment Tour. The tour has now expanded to include Toronto. Note the new date for Chicago.
Tour dates:
The Mp3 Experiment 5: New York City
Saturday, September 27 at 3:15 PM at Governor’s Island [directions]
The Mp3 Experiment Toronto
Sunday, September 28 at 2:00 PM at Riverdale Park
The Mp3 Experiment San Francisco
Saturday, October 4 (time and location TBA)
The Mp3 Experiment Chicago
Sunday, October 5 (time and location TBA)
Complete instructions for each city will be online next week.
Mp3 Experiment: NYC, Chicago, SF
The date of Improv Everywhere’s annual Mp3 Experiment has been announced. New York City will be hosting its fifth annual event and the fun is touring this year to Chicago and San Francisco. For now only the dates have been released, but more information will be released the week of September 15.
9/27 – NYC (Governor’s Island)
9/28 – Chicago (Location TBA)
10/4 – San Francisco (Location TBA)**
Mp3 Experiment 5 – Save The Date at Improv Everywhere
**Chicago date may change. More info soon. We also may add one more city to the tour!