The RedBall Project is public art at its best. The idea is quite simple, yet it ignites a sense of wonder, curiosity, community engagement, and is just plain fun! New York based artist Kurt Perschke installs a temporary series of installations within major cities across the globe.

Kurt Perschke envisions his work as being catalyst for new encounters within the everyday. Inspiring us all to look at our city’s nooks and crannies a little bit differently. Kurt speaks about his work:

“On the surface, the experience seems to be about the ball itself as an object, but the true power of the project is what it can create for those who experience it. It opens a doorway to imagine what if? As RedBall travels around the world people approach me on the street with excited suggestions about where to put it in their city. In that moment the person is not a spectator but a participant in the act of imagination. I have witnessed it across continents, diverse age spans, cultures, and languages, always issuing an invitation. That invitation to engage, to collectively imagine, is the true essence of the RedBall Project.” —Kurt Perschke

The RedBall Project has been touring for a few years making its way through Aubu Dhabi, Norwich, Taipei, Grand Rapids, Toronto, Chicago, Scottsdale, Portland, Sydney, Barcelona, and St. Louis. Up next is the city of Perth, Australia.

“One of the best things about RedBall Project is that it’s really very funny. The absurdity of this balloon-at-large makes you smile. It also brings, like all good sculpture, a compulsion to reach out and touch.” —Matt Buchanan, The Sydney Magazine

The RedBall Project makes me smile. I hope I get the pleasure of seeing this giant red ball in person. Maybe it will come to Seattle this summer.

Photo Credits—Top: RedBall Project Facebook Page.
Middle: LaSalle Street Bridge in Chicago pictured left by imaginethis55. St. Gregory’s Alley in Norwich pictured right by Ian ‘Harry’ Harris.
Bottom: St. Peter Mancroft in Norwich, Norfolk, England pictred left by Leo Reynolds. Photo right from RedBall Project Facebook Page.

Via CollaCubbed.

Since the honey was limited I wanted to do something special with the presentation. I was also itching to go to Metrix Create:Space and play with their tools. Their laser cutter allowed me to replicate an intricate label at small quantities. The cut labels are beautiful because they highlight the color of the honey and allow light to pass through the different shapes. The labels are big so you have to turn the jar in your hand to read the label. The word HONEY is filled in by the amber liquid and the comb shapes mimic a partially capped frame.

I can’t say enough good things about Metrix. The people are awesome, their philosophy is great, and for Seattle their hours are unbelievable. They are open until midnight seven days a week! Without them these labels would be stuck in my imagination. So go there and make something. You’ll have fun.

From fashion to beloved pets to portraiture these collages magnificently exude character and wit. English artist Peter Clark creates three dimensional images out of his collection of old stamps, maps, buttons, love letters, sewing patterns, playing cards, and more. Peter first draws the outline, then carefully chooses from his collection of found ‘things’ to find the right texture and colors to ‘paint’ his collages. A. Borloz had it right when he referred to Clark as “A true paper collage genius.”

The book Paperwork by Peter Clark and Matthew Sturgis, featuring these collages, is now available to buy from Peter Clark’s website. Paperwork is also available through Amazon.

“. . .follow where the quiet voices lead you
close your eyes and they will know the way
watch for where the broken people lead you
and longing not to go will come to stay . . .”

I love the emotional honesty that exudes from Hannalee, a new Seattle folk band. Blank Space had the pleasure of designing their new website with photography provided by Genevieve Pierson and Scott Everett. Their lyrics have a sense of rawness and familiarity that feels like home.

Hannalee’s three-part harmony is performing in Seattle this weekend. Check out Hannalee’s upcoming shows on Saturday, December 3rd at Columbia City Theater with The Local Strangers, Big Sur, and Shenandoah Davis. And on Sunday, December 4th at The Triple Door, The Round’s Holiday Show! w/ Matt Bishop (Hey Marseilles), Kaylee Cole, Daniel Blue (Motopony). Performing winter & holiday tunes to benefit Fremont Abbey’s arts programs for all ages & incomes.

“Traaa la laaa la lah, traaa la laaa la lay”

Dutch artist Marjan Teeuwen proves that even clutter and destruction can be beautiful. She eviscerates the walls of abandoned Amsterdam buildings, conjoining rooms with massive holes, and uses leftover fragments to create densely textured walls and surfaces. Countless objects are crammed into small rooms. The objects are combined according to function, texture and colour, and ordered in a ramshackle architecture of rows and columns. Teeuwen’s installation art dramatically puts any contemporary hoarder to shame.

You can see more of Teeuwen’s work saatchi and at Cokkie Snoei.

via CollabCubed

Our beloved Helvetica is now featured with Swiss typographic style on a deck of cards.

For the gambler and the typophile on your list, Helveticards are a beautiful, usable alternative to today’s ubiquitous French sets. Both master type designer Max Miedinger (who gave us this famous font) and Poker Hall of Famer Doyle Brunson would be happy to deal this deck.

Discounted to $7.50 US on Fab, or $10 US on Bigcartel.

Designed by Ryan Myers. Thanks Ryan, these made my day!

Via Fab.

Case studies highlighting successful tax incentives projects and projects that combined historic rehabilitation and green building practices rotate on the home page and in several sections of the site.

The new site features expanded information on Sustainability and Historic Preservation, including the recently-published Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation & Illustrated Guidelines on Sustainability for Rehabilitating Historic Buildings. Also included are links to research and studies on energy efficiency and historic buildings and to sustainability resources for home owners, historic districts and communities and Federal agencies.

The weatherization section highlights the importance of implementing cost-effective measures to make a building’s envelope more energy efficient. Weatherizing a historic building requires undertaking those measures in ways that have minimal impact on the historic building’s design and materials. The illustration above depicts major sources of air leaks in American homes.

Congratulations TPS on your new website!

Feeling inspired today by this quote by Paola Antonelli about the role of designers in the world. Antonelli is a Senior Curator in the Department of Architecture and Design at the Museum of Modern Art.

The Crystal Towers were by far my favorite installation on the Chihuly Bridge of Glass in Tacoma. The two towers rise forty feet above the bridge deck with the intention to serve as beacons of light for the bridge and city. All of the glass installations around and in the Museum of Glass and inside the old Union Station are definitely worth the short detour off highway 5.

• Yogurt dominates BCAM, multiple brands and varieties. You could barely buy yogurt without fighting Breast Cancer.
• Lunch meat was an unlikely contender. I suppose people can’t resist a good breast pun.
• Cheese seems to be a common theme in BCAM products. Kraft Macaroni and Cheese, Velveeta, and Freschetta.
• Kroger/QFC did two products, bottled water and luch meat. This seems like an odd combination. Maybe these products’ packages are cheap to redesign.
• We didn’t see any female products supporting BCAM. No hairspray, shampoo, tampons, or makeup. Shame on them.
• A lack ‘health’ food sporting the ribbon, just the yogurts and Special K. Nothing from energy bars, teas, juices, oatmeals, etc.

For the record my two favorite pink packages are Ziplock and Emergen-C.