Curls Embroidered Patch

Curls Embroidered Patches are now available at the Curls Studio Store.

Crafts & Kisses 2008

Curls Studio's next event is Crafts & Kisses 2008! The Valentine theme inspired fair will take place on Sunday, February 3, from Noon to 5PM at the Josephine Butler Parks Center, a gorgeous old mansion right next to Malcolm X/Meridian Hill Park on 15th Street, NW. It's situated a few blocks from the Columbia Heights Metro and the U Street Metro. This fair will feature 30 to 40 vendors, entertainment, a kissing booth, edible treats, and drinks.

BUST magazine and Washington City Paper are helping to market the event, but you can help out too by telling all your friends or by posting promos for the event around town or online. You can obtain event promotion links here: postcard, 8.5x11 poster, 468x60 web banner, and 125x125 web badge.

Muy romantico! See you on February 3! Admission is FREE!

WHAT: Crafts & Kisses 2008
WHEN: Sunday, February 3 (Noon to 5PM)
WHERE: Josephine Butler Parks Center (2437 15th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20009)

Film: DC Counter Culture Festival 2008

Astray Productions has created a super crazy short film documenting Curls Studio at the DC Counter Culture Festival, which took place on January 19. View amazing art, crafts, comics, jewelry, and performances from Cheeky Monkey Sideshow in all their glory! Enjoy!

Memento Pmonk: An Art Auction For The P3 Fund

I have donated a Toast silkscreen print to Memento Pmonk: An Art Auction For The P3 Fund. This is an online, silent art auction in honor of the recently decreased Patrick Power to raise funds for his young son. Patrick was my first web design teacher at VCU and will be missed by many people. When you have a moment, check out the art for sale and place a bid on anything that strikes your fancy. The auction starts today and runs through February 2.

Here is my artist statement about my piece in the auction:

This three color print features the popular character, Toast, from my Curls comic strips. Toast is a life-sized toast with two punched out holes for his eyes and a giant jelly smile. Now you can always be happy with Toast in your presence!

Another version of this silkscreen sold for $100 when it was on display in Alexandria, Virginia at The Art League's Student/Faculty Show last year... Let's make this Toast go way over that - I'd like to see that happen to raise some major cash for P3! Go Toast!

Photos: DC Counter Culture Festival

Last Saturday was the DC Counter Culture Festival at Dr. Dremo's. Thanks to everyone who stopped by to look or purchase something from our table and thanks to everyone who came in support of Curls Studio. We appreciate it! Thanks also goes out to DC Conspiracy, who organized the event.

We have posted photos of Curls Studio and Cheeky Monkey Sideshow. Check 'em out.

The Carolyn & Joe Show: It's Morphin' Time!

We just put up a show recorded on November 28, 2007. This is seriously our craziest show yet... and it will be hard to top! Joe and I are joined again with special guests: Danny and James. Topics include: Joe's films, college eating habits, action figures, old Nickelodeon shows, and Dean Cain. Once we talk about Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, the show goes completely insane. Saber Tooth Tiger!

Listen here!

DC Counter Culture Festival

The third installment of the DC Counter Culture Festival is this Saturday, January 19th! Curl Studio has represented for the past two years and is glad to be back for a third... and the last at the venue of Dr. Dremo's, since they will be closing soon.

Curls Studio will be selling our goodies from 4PM until 8PM along with 38 vendors of comics, fashions, crafts, novellas, soaps, musics, and more. The party doesn't stop there. After 8PM we'll have a freak show, belly dancer, and six bands. This is the place to be this Saturday. We had close to 500 people show up last year and we’d rather tear Dr. Dremo’s down this year than have the construction company do it a week later. Feel free to pass this message on to you friends, family, or co-workers... everyone's invited, but you must be over 21 to stay past 8PM.

See you on Saturday! Admission is FREE!

WHAT: DC Counter Culture Festival
WHEN: Saturday, January 19 (Vendors from 4PM to 8PM, Performers from 8PM to 2AM)
WHERE: Dr. Dremo's (2001 Clarendon Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22201)

Steven Heller

On January 11, I attended the Art Directors Club of Metropolitan Washington event, Steven Heller, Iron Graphics: Branding Totalitarian States.

Steven Heller gave a historical analysis of the state of the leading twentieth century totalitarian regimes through the lens of graphic design. With research from his upcoming book, Iron Fists: Branding the Totalitarian State, he described how major dictatorships in modern history used graphics and design to propagate their ideologies. From Mussolini to Nazi Germany to Lenin, totalitarian regimes maintain themselves in political power by means of propaganda through their state-controlled mass media. Heller dissects these graphics using the language of contemporary branding.

I learned how truly important design is in the world and how it can convey ideas.