Pure Thinking

JoyEngine

My pals at JoyEngine run an awesome blog tracking art, design, and the occasional sneaker, and if you're hoping to keep an eye on the stuff that most people don't understand (but will be desperate to in two years), then you should read it. Sometimes it's political, and sometimes it raises eyebrows, but it's always, always gold. Kind of like The Beatles.

Additionally, these are the guys behind Soft+Furry (which you should know about by now), and track the arty side of CO better than anyone else in town, so read up, readers- a little f bomb never hurt anybody.

Manifest Hope Gallery

Yesterday I attended the press opening for the Manifest Hope Gallery, and it was incredible, inspiring, and packed with the buzzy, vibrant energy that's been indicative of the Obama's campaign since the get-go.

My camera's giving me a crap time uploading pictures, so for now I've only two shots of the work in the gallery. I'm working on getting things in order, but if you're in the area, it's really in your best interest to hit up the gallery yourself-- don't miss this.

2990 Larimer Street // 10am-5pm // Mon-Thurs 

And find anything else you could possibly want to know here.

- Carmel Hagen

It's official...

Well, they've finally done it.  The people behind Facebook received news that the social networking site has just been crowned the number one site of its kind, globally.  Does that mean we officially have to trade all forms of face-to-face interpersonal communication for wall posts, friend requests and SuperPokes?

Trendy or not?

Whether it's the latest  gossip in Hollywood or the biggest headline to hit CNN, these days it seems like the secret to success is being inline, hooked up and in touch with the world around you.  Luckily, Google can help that happen with a little tool called Google Trends. 

Unbeknownst to me, Google Trends has been keeping people up-to-date for the past two years, so if you've heard of it or if you use it, you're way ahead of me. 

For those of you who don't know, though, Google Trends lets you type any word you want into a search box and then it charts how frequently that word is searched around the world, giving you an international perspective of what's "in" and what's "out."  Hot Trends, a one-year-old addition to the Google tool, will keep you even more informed with its hourly-updated list of the 100 most searched queries of the moment.

So, if you've got a social engagement to attend, if you're looking for new small-talk material or if you're just trying to reconnect with the generation beneath you, try logging on to Google Trends to see what everyone's buzzing about.

Larry Predicts Significant Traffic During DNC

Denverpost.com recently ran an interview with our own Larry Holdren, who graciously peered into his DNC crystal ball and pulled out sparkly gems like this one:

"Protests, some possibly violent, occasional traffic snarls and large crowds will inevitably happen."

Find out what else you can expect from the DNC here.

Sarah Cass Kicking A**

Sarah Cass, the NY-based photographer with a Colorado area code, got a shout out on It's Nice That today - which is not shocking, considering her considerable skill at snapping indie acts in all their hipster glory.  The fact that her work has made it to one of the best creative-spotting blogs in the UK (I'm saying best because it's my favorite, and anything I say is golden [but I do share that opinion with a significant number of people]) is something that, these days, can speak as much to the legitimacy of an artists career as a review in the New York Times.

Obviously, there are different types of blogs, and getting written up in someone's personal online diary won't really add to your street cred. But the sites led by industry experts - people whose opinions are often read and valued by hundreds of thousands of people - are, as lamely dramatic as it sounds, really helping to shape futures.

Anyway, I bet Sarah's feeling glowy today. Some of that might even rub off on you if you look at her amazing portfolio, which includes most of the golden children our musically exploding city has been churning out.

The July Get Down Break Down

A heads up for Denver readers: our lovely city will be artistically hopping during the next few weekends with both local and imported talent, so once the fireworks die down consider hitting up the following...

Super Fresh Block Party // July 5th // 6pm-12pm

If you haven't spent much time cruising East Colfax of late, you should know that the area is creatively blowing up with it's own unique take on art, style, and some of the best frosting you've ever sunk your lips into. Super Fresh Block Party will feature fashion shows, live music, and loads of local talent - including live painting from some of my personal favorites Markham Maes, Mike Graves, and Josh Wills. The dining and drinking in that area offers a nice break from the scene downtown without losing any of its quality, so come hungry, thirsty, or both - and be ready to top it off with a cupcake.

"The Group Show" // July 3-31 // Block Building

Andenken Gallery's latest show will be opening this Thursday night at the Block Building (2990 Larimer Street), and the group represented in "The Group Show" is well worth a visit. I'll be going for the huge Fafi piece getting flown in from France, but there are plenty of other reasons to make a stop in Five Points (that go by the names of Alexone, Kill Pixie, beer and ping pong - to name just a few). Go or be sorry.

Mike Graves // July 17 // the 400

Shoes and paintings - 'nuff said. (But if you're the detail oriented type, click here.)

Plaid Panda // July 11 // Icelantic Gallery

Work from Moeh, Chris Huth, Brian Robertson, and Max Kauffman. I'm not personally familiar with any of these artists work but Max's, but the pictures look really promising. Additionally, this show comes to you from the makers of some very reputable skis. Find it at  948 W 8th Ave.

I'm sure I missed something riveting, so if you think you have something to add to this list, just leave a friendly note in the comment section. Also, that dancing watermelon comes courtesy of Markham Maes, who will be reppin' at The Shoppe this Saturday. Don't touch it - if it's for sale it's mine.

See you out there!

The Denver Egotist Turns 1

As strange as it is to realize that it's already been a year, It's almost harder to remember a time when The Egotist wasn't around to talk crap (the really supportive kind). Join them in celebrating their coming of age this Thursday in downtown D-town - we'll be there.

'50' is Nifty, Spiffy, and Several Other Substantive Adjectives

Yesterday, Denver copywriter Matt Ingwalson's "'50' is Nifty"  ran as an op-ed piece in AdWeek. Aside from how much we love how that man writes, we also love how The Denver 50 is getting exactly the kind of attention that everyone hoped that it would. Thanks to guys like Matt writing about it, guys like John Amatucci wining ADDYs for it and, perhaps most importantly, all of the Denver agencies who were wise enough to agree that a book was better than a trophy, Denver is nestling nicely into the map of influential ad towns. Not to say that we weren't there before, now we're just more Google-able. And according to some article we just read, Google is huge.

*And special thanks to The Denver Egotist, who tells us what the rest of us should brag about first.

I SusSpec More Drama

There's been a nasty debate on The Denver Egotist during the last few days involving a local design agency's latest project. It's been fun to follow - and apparently quite cathartic for a few commenters - so if you haven't joined in already, think about doing so.

My take on the situation, and on a nice chunk of what is called out as "spec work" in general, is that anyone in the creative field who takes huge issue with producing work for free might not really love what they do.

I'm going to get blasted for saying that, so let me clarify that in no way do I support big contest mills producing free logos for faceless clients. However, to restrict using creativity to only the times you're payed for it is to - in my opinion - squeeze every drop of art out of design. If there is a contest involving a product you love, and the means of participating are by doing what you love, then by all means - get involved. It's the same thing as sharing what you like on a blog, or grabbing a homemade cookie out of a kitchen. It's creation, pure and simple, and to say it's wrong or offensive is - particularly considering what field these haters are supposedly in - downright ignorant.

Read what other people are saying here.