Culture Surfing

I was only looking for costume ideas…

(H/T to Gawker)

I also came across this tale of teen angst/recipe for Oh-No-She-Didn’t Butternut Squash Soup from CosomGirl.com:

Lindsey was a shoo-in for head cheerleader. Her handsprings were Slinkies on speed; her pikes were 90 degrees of perfection; her dismounts put Nastia Liukin to shame. On top of that, while other cheerleaders decorated the football players’ lockers (Go Warhawks!), Lindsey decorated the other cheerleaders’ lockers. Everyone on the squad adored her.

Except Tiffany. Tiffany, who could only do the splits because she was born with some sort of weirdo ligament problem. Tiffany, who slipped cards into the football players’ lockers after the squad had decorated them so the guys thought the work was hers alone. Tiffany, who had a secret stash of embroidery supplies and could arrange it so that the word FARTER mysteriously appeared on a certain teammate’s black bloomers in bright yellow thread. Hmmm.

Find out what happens to Tiffany and grab the inexplicably accompanying recipe here. (And by the way, it’s none of your beeswax why I was reading CosmoGirl.)

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IS THIS YOUR CHILD? The designer known as Doktor A created this vinyl art toy as a Dragon*Con exclusive. For more aquatic horrors, check out the Titanic Ghost Tour at the Georgia Aquarium.

Despite the marketing buzz for staycations, the idea of getting blissfully lost in your own city seems unlikely, especially when the yard’s still overgrown and a day at the office is still just a phone call away. Fortunately, CL’s Fall Guide ‘09 hit newsstands this morning! And Labor Day weekend is only days away, which means:

1. Dragon*Con. Please understand that this is some of the best people watching on earth. Even if you have zero interest in comic books, games or the special Star Trek shenanigans this year, there’s still plenty to see. I can’t think of a more effective way of “feeling transported” than wading through a crowd of 35,000+ people dressed like walking Tetris blocks or sea captains with tentacles instead of beards. (Click here for ticket options.)

2. Free admission to the High Museum! On Saturday, the High will treat residents of Fulton County to a free day at the museum. All it takes is a proof of residence, or a student ID from a school, college or university in Fulton County. What’s more, Bank of America customers also get free admission on the first full weekend of the month. Just show your BoA credit, check, or ATM card for passes on Saturday or Sunday.
Continue reading “Staycation in Atlanta? 5 other ideas for Labor Day weekend” »

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I’ve been hearing a lot of mysterious talk lately about Bravo’s “icky” artist reality show. The details are beyond murky. We know that Sarah Jessica Parker is the executive producer. We know that hundreds are responding to the casting calls. And so far, we know only one of the judges: Simon de Pury, chairman of the fancy-pants auction company Phillips de Pury. Otherwise, we simply know that it’ll be mayhem. Let’s just hope it’s not too embarrassing for the artists.

Mr. de Pury, on the other hand, had “no hesitations about accepting the invitation” to be a judge. He hopes the show will help penetrate the “hermetic inapproachability” of contemporary art. I won’t question his motives, but … really, dude? Is reality TV an acceptable solution to the art world’s reputation for obscurity?

Perhaps the video above provides a taste of what’s to come. Mr. and Mrs. Foox are a husband and wife artist team. He’s a transplant from New Zealand and a former lawyer. She greets the camera at the front door — holding a crossbow. “Welcome to Texas,” says Mr. Foox. (Another shot shows them shooting guns together, after teaching painting to amateurs.) How adorable!

It’s an episode of what’s to be an ongoing internet reality show. Nothing quite on the scale of what Bravo has in mind, of course. It just makes me wonder: Does dropping your life to become an artist always inspire you to be so damn positive? Believe. Hope. Change. It’s almost like they’re Barack Obama campaign robots (or, “Obamatons” as I’ve read elsewhere) ….

Livin’ the dream, baby.

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Are we missing something important? Got an idea for a post that people just might want to read? Want to enjoy the MASSIVE privileges of writing for Culture Surfing?

Well, here’s your chance.

P.S. If you’ve got something meaningful to say about Atlanta’s news, music or restaurant scene, the above link will help you out with that, too.

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Events at Beep Beep Gallery have featured live DJs, local bands including Judi Chicago and Noot d’ Noot, and even live storytelling performances. On a good opening night, conversations typically spill out onto the sidewalk, sometimes into the street. Enthusiasm runs high.

But the gallery’s also open during the day. You might be surprised at the finer details, and nuances of meaning, learned from just a little “quiet time” spent with original artwork. Even if you experienced the reception for Sam Parker’s Neoteny last weekend, the works still merit another view. Regular hours are Fri.-Sat. from 12-6 p.m. (Watch the Studio Visit interview above for some background on the show.)

Saltworks Gallery’s Flood of Pictures is another exhibition worth a second view. Brian Dettmer’s intricate craftsmanship has few rivals, in Atlanta or much anywhere. As stated in Susannah Darrow’s recent review, it’s “pretty fucking cool.”

Saltworks is one of five galleries participating in the Westside Arts Walk + Wine Pairings event. Attend all five (free) wine tastings and receive a 10% discount at Hop City!

For more local arts events, visit clatl.com/events or, check this week’s visual arts To Do List at BURNAWAY.ORG.

(Video courtesy Beep Beep Gallery)

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SPLASH FACTOR: Cloudland Canyon State Park

We’re trapped in traffic, clustered in cul-de-sacs, and hiding out in high rises. Everywhere we turn, there’s asphalt, red lights and the constant chirp of our cell phones. Atlanta’s a wonderful place but surely there’s more to Georgia.

Scattered about the state are countless natural wonders, most of which — cost of gas or river guides excluded — are free to enjoy. And you can find them mere minutes or hours away: from the Appalachian Mountains foothills to the gator-filled swamps near the Florida border; the roaring rapids of the Chattooga River to the scenic stillness of Cloudland Canyon; the wonder of a majestic waterfall to a sanctuary in the middle of DeKalb County. You can walk well-trodden trails for miles through verdant woods and rarely encounter another person. You can stand on a mountaintop and breathe air that’s actually clean. And you can rest assured that you can always return to these places because they’re protected, and will stay pristine long after we’re gone.

AMICALOLA FALLS STATE PARK This popular park, home to the tallest cascading waterfall east of the Mississippi River, boasts numerous trails as well as lodging. Len Foote Inn, a cozy lodge that offers hot showers, soft beds, and good food, is sequestered from civilization five miles into the woods and reachable only by foot. If you’d like to toe-touch one of the country’s most famous trails, hike eight miles to Springer Mountain, the Appalachian Trail’s southernmost point. 418 Amicalola Falls State Park Road, Dawsonville. 706-265-4703. gastateparks.org/info/amicalola.

Continue reading “Summer guide to Georgia state parks, mountains, rivers and more” »

(Photo by Joeff Davis)

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Remember James Frey? “The Man Who Conned Oprah,” to quote the Smoking Gun. According to the New York Times, the A Million Little Pieces author who took some, uh, liberties, with the novel’s details (87 days, a couple of hours … who’s counting, really?) has scored a new book deal with HarperCollins via an anonymous pitch.

A week after submitting a young adult novel anonymously to editors, James Frey, the notorious author of “A Million Little Pieces,” and a writing partner, Jobie Hughes, have sold North American rights to “I Am Number Four” to HarperCollins Children’s Books.

Harper, another imprint of HarperCollins, published Mr. Frey’s adult novel, “Bright Shiny Morning,” last year.

Frey intends to expand the story into a six-book series says the article, which adds “Last week, DreamWorks Studios bought film rights to the series, with Michael Bay, the director of “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen,” signed on to produce and possibly direct the first installment.”

Michael Bay plus James Frey? That could turn into one hot mess if they’re not careful. Oh, and by the way, did you know that Oprah apologized to Frey last year? Mmm hmm, it’s true.

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Sure, Creative Loafing’s got desks of award-winning designers, but we also know that Atlanta’s got talent. So we’re asking Georgia students to submit their cover designs for CL’s 2009 College Guide.

The first-place winner receives $200 cash, prizes and the coveted cover spot.

Start sketching; the deadline is midnight, Fri., July 10.

For more info and to submit your design, visit clatl.com/collegeguide.

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Atlanta’s favorite den of iniquity is calling “all designers, architects, students, creative geniuses, butlers, bell boys, photographers, tourists, bartenders, dancers and engineers” to try their hand at redesigning the iconic Clermont Hotel.

But it’s not the hotel’s infamous basement lounge — where boobs obliterate beer cans and strippers strut their sometimes sagging stuff — that needs a makeover. No way.

Rather, it’s the hotel’s lobby, rooftop and guestrooms that are dying for a new look. (And, in the case of the rooms, a new set of sheets.) The real estate brokerage firm that’s attempting to sell the hotel — while preserving the lounge, of course — is offering a $1,000 (rad), a weekend at the Clermont (sorta rad, as long as you bring your own linens, air freshener and earplugs) and a year’s supply of Whynatte energy drink (a seemingly unappealing but reportedly tasty latte in a can) to the winning design.

Continue reading “Coolest contest ever: Redesign the Clermont Hotel”

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We websitin’. We bloggin’. We FaceBookin’. And now we Twitterin’. Follow us — DebsMichaud and Curt_Holman — for mini insights from movie screenings, art openings, theater premieres and maybe an update or two on our pets.

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Support education! Wear your alma mater down there!

As if it wasn’t enough to be a mainstay on Playboy’s national list of the top 10 party schools, Victoria’s Secret saw fit to bestow upon the University of Georgia its own loungewear line via the PINK label. UGA and 35 other colleges and universities were chosen for the lingerie conglomerate’s special edition collegiate collection, which premiered in 2008.

This year, VS let students nominate and vote for their schools for the line, and just added Georgia Tech to the roster today. Higher education has so many benefits — specialized loungewear, beer pong, and, oh yeah, book learnin’ too! If only student loans were payable in logo-ed yoga pants…

(Photo courtesy victoriassecret.com)

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Four reasons you should check out the Indie Craft Experience (ICE) annual craft fair this weekend:

1. You have more time. This year, the nationally acclaimed craft festival is now a two-day event! You can drop by ICE either Saturday or Sunday.

2. You can buy cool stuff. ICE supports artists who create uniquely smart, hip, and useful objects, ranging from beautiful handmade books to artist-designed purses. (Or, as Felicia Feaster observed, the occasional homemade menstrual pad.) This isn’t your grandma’s craft fair!

3. You can get more ideas for your weekly Stitch ‘n Bitch sessions, or any other project you’ve always wanted to do but never knew how. ICE has a full schedule of workshops, including several metal-smithing and jewelry-making classes, as well as a tutorial on how to recycle grocery bags into clothing or even a rug.

4. Freebies! The ICE website promises “cotton tote bags full o’ swag to the first 500 attendees on Saturday!”

The annual ICE craft fair will take place at Centennial Olympic Park this Sat. and Sun., May 30-31 from 11 a.m.-7 p.m.

(Photo courtesy Indie Craft Experience)

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Youth is defined by the promises of summer. No school. Endless days. Suntanned skin. Dirty feet.

Gradually, though, adulthood seeps in to steal a piece of fun here, a chance to get away there. For this year’s Summer Guide, we sought to rediscover the season’s simple pleasures, from hidden swimming holes to melty ice cream to roadside barbecues. Dip out this summer for an afternoon ballgame or to go junkin’ in Chamblee. We won’t tell. In fact, we’ll probably be digging through the bin right next to you.

Forget what the calendar says, summer officially starts now.

(Photo by Joeff Davis)

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LOOK MOMMIE! Duncan McDaniel's "Death and Conception"

During last year’s drought, the State of Georgia entertained a grudge over the water supply along the border with Tennessee, a row that was as much a waste of time as it was eerily antiquarian. Fortunately, recent trends in our local arts community show otherwise: The Peach State can get along with its neighbors, after all.

This Sat. May 9 from 8-11 p.m., Beep Beep Gallery opens a new exhibition of drawings and paintings, appropriately titled Southern Comfort. The show features a select delegation from Nashville’s Twist Art Gallery: Duncan McDaniel, Erin Plew, and John Whitten. All three artists are Nashville natives, chosen because they “differ greatly in their respective subjects and techniques, but underlying their imagery there is a tone of disconnect, nostalgia, and an absurd take on violence.” In exchange, Beep Beep offered up locals Ann-Marie Manker and Jason R. Butchter, whose exhibition in Nashville opened last weekend.

The show also gives the excuse to quote Flight of the Concords:

Women like three things: Men in kilts, Southern Comfort, and Chris Isaac’s ‘Wicked Game.’

For more local arts events, visit clatl.com/events or, check today’s visual arts To Do List at BurnAway.org.

(Photo courtesy Beep Beep Gallery)

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