LocalPatron.com

Come out Tuesday, September 7th from 5-8pm at the Museum of Craft and Folk Art to celebrate Alula Editions Launch with Bay Area artist Jason Jagel.

There will be beer from Oakland Brewery Linden Street Brewery and Hors D’oeuvres by  SF Chef Leif Hedendal.

What is Alula Editions? Helena Keeffe and Amber Cady started Alula Editions as a way to bring patterned textiles and contemporary art together in the form of a limited edition multiple.

This is a great way to come see samples and ask questions about what to expect when you subscribe and become a collector.

To read more about the subscription click on Alula Editions.

“We work with artists to create hand silkscreened textiles which we make into an edition of objects. The objects are designed in collaboration with each artist to compliment the themes and ideas present in the textiles and may be functional or sculptural.

We are interested in working with artists from all disciplines. Knowledge of repeat pattern design and previous textile experience are not necessary. We can work with any artist who feels that the aesthetic of silkscreen printing will compliment their practice.

Each artist is offered a $500 stipend for their work on the creation of the repeat pattern design. Alula Editions takes care of all production costs and labor. Artists also keep 3 of the editioned objects for themselves.” – From Alula Edtions.com/submissions

write to:

support@alulaeditions.com

For all those small production businesses in San Francisco and The Bay Area…

Come by Thursday July 29th at 6pm at the Rickshaw Bagworks in SF to get assistance and information on local factories and manufacturing resources. Put on by SFMade this is one to not miss out on.

If you are producing or planning to produce clothing, accessories, food or furniture products this is a great event to address legal issues, get documentation, find out who and where to manufacture, as well as build relationships here in the city.

Time:6:00-8:30pm

Place: 904 22nd St SF, CA 94107

Price: $30

For more information and to purchase tickets click on the link!: https://SFMade.ticketleap.com

The Arts Collective 3rd Ward Thrives in Bushwick, Brooklyn – NYTimes.com.

Interesting article. More spaces are becoming popular in collaborative arts culture. It’s almost an Andy Warhol Factory Room, but for people who have to pay a fee to join with the ability to have access to multiple mediums in art. Printing, woodworking, weaving, jewelry design, welding, screen printing, and maybe most intriguing, a bartender who powers his blender by pedaling bicycle.  They were profitable even in a bad economy. I guess freelancing creative industry needs a time to thrive through collective big spaces. Talk about your connections!

Now, do any of you know of similar spaces who are making the million dollar marks in profits on the West Coast?

Read the article. American Apparel has gone down in production for their own stores because their wholesale accounts are up and, after having to fire around 1500 employees who couldn’t provide legal documentation for being authorized to work in the United States, American Apparel really hurt their production and turn around time.

To me the need  for  Made in America is still highly sought after for retailers and other wholesalers.  Do you think the American Market is spoiled over low pricing that American Apparel felt the need to hire illegally to keep their costs down?

Research in many work related fields needs to be seriously pursued for their hiring process. But, how are customers going to deal if prices go up because companies are actually having to pay living wages? Can American Apparel not afford to pay people higher wages or is it that no one wants to do the work? In a time of recession wouldn’t people want to jump at the chance to have a job opportunity, or does it not pay the bills?

What is your solution for the current lack of production in America? What should we start to do? How will that affect people’s buying habits?

Don’t miss Thread this weekend at the Concourse Exhibiting Center from 11-6pm. Find furniture, jewelry, clothing, and get complimentary makeup in the style lounge. Not from SF? No worries, check out their line up for the Summer and Fall up and down the west coast.

It’s only $10 at the door to get in and $8 to RSVP online. No worries if you can’t spend that much, everything is in the price point between $15-$200 dollars. If you are an artist/designer and want to get involved check out their specs here!

Happy Shopping!

Site-specific art installations at Presidio.

Photo by Kris Vann

These site-specific art installations are the first ever site-specific art-exhibition in a national park. Free and open until they disintegrate from weather conditions, or taken down next May, people have the chance to participate and observe the many installations.

Of many, there are big yellow chairs in which to observe the great blue heron, or run a start to finish line for the black tail jack rabbit.  Eleven shipping containers start visitors to the constructed pieces with art inside. There is a constructed “ghost trail” machine that leaves behind footprints of the Tule Elk. Bat houses were constructed as well as Ming Dynasty hand-made bird vessels for the screech owl. The screech owl no longer lives in the Presidio but these installations are memories of animals that used to live there and maybe, with wishful thinking, attract them back one day.

Entrepedalers – a new term for people delivering food and making a profit by bicycle. This new trend is picking up speed.

People are baking goods, or cooking and delivering the goods around town. How might you be able to find where they are? The inventions of the 21st century…Twitter.

Since we are a small business as well, I love hearing of others. Because of the recession I actually think it has created some incentive for new methods of how to do business. Low overhead is key and why not be green by going by bicycle! You avoid the price of gas, get exercise and it is sometimes faster than taking a vehicle. You could be  walking around doing errands pick up a handbaked pie from a local baker on a bike and be on your way!

My only question is, do they fear someone getting sick from their food if it isn’t made in a commercial kitchen?

To read the entire article click on the link below.

http://www.sfbike.org/main/entrepedalers-deliver-the-goods/

http://explore.org/videos/player/cr-earth-university

This video I found truly inspiring for my business and I think will inspire a lot of people especially those involved with food or conservation. Earth University, located in Costa Rica, picks 100 students to really learn hands on experience for sustainability and why it is important for the future of our planet. These students are expected to then go into their own business or directly use what they learn in their future job field.

I found this video related to Local Patron and SFGallery143 because we feature a lot of items that are made from recycled parts or used items and remade into something new. This limits the footprint the artist leave behind while educating our customers that there are other options to buying items that are shipped or made overseas.

We hope to inspire our customers that they can find a range of artists who make things locally and use recycled materials such as recycled silver for our jewelry such as Penelope’s Passion Jewelry, The Brown Banana, and Josie Adele. Read some PRESS about our last store.

I highly recommend watching it.

You may be familiar with Paul Bakers work of  ”pleasure boxes” and fun “mercury boxes” from Local Patron’s Winter Store in North Beach, but wouldn’t you know he  is a master at sculptural art as well. To really know Paul Baker’s craft is to interact with it,  he is known as the Bay Area’s “scientific artist”.

His latest show titled “Celestial Navigation” people literally “find” their way through the artwork and the situation. Navigation of the art piece leads one to find markers or signals of the real or metaphysical stars for guidance in themselves. His 3-D masterpieces never-the-less got people a little down and dirty. Take a look!

His Live Worms Gallery  opening, featured with Chris Angell, was too short but don’t fret, you can still contact Paul for more information on his wonderful pieces, pricing, and future shows check out his own website.

www.pbakerart.com

E-mail: Paul Baker@pbakerart.com

Phone: (415) 377-6634