For all of you KAWS fans, be on the look out for his new exciting collaborative piece with Disney. KAWS has left his recognizable mark on Pinocchio and his little buddy Jiminy Cricket. This piece was first displayed at his gallery showing at the Aldrich, which created quite a stir to say the least. News quickly hit the internet, which fueled excitement and anticipation for a public release. As with all KAWS figures, they’re in extremely limited supply. They have already released overseas in Asia with a US release to closely follow, so head to your favorite KAWS retailer and find your spot in the queue.

Along with other great artists that contributed original line drawings, KAWS also can be found in our limited edition Between the Lines, Vol. 2.  So if you’re not able to get your hands on a limited edition figurine, this is your chance to own some of his work and create your very own artist collaboration!

—Frank

With the recent heat wave in NYC, it seems as though the end of summer is far from “just around the corner.” But when temperatures finally begin to drop in the city, RxArt will start to heat up as we prepare for our 10th Anniversary Gala—aptly named the RxArt Party—this fall.

2010 is an extra special year for us, as RxArt is proudly recognizing a decade of enlivening hospitals with fine art! Our Party will be held in honor of some major accomplishments—including our recent completion of the Jeff Koons CT Scan Suite project as well as exciting collaborations with Ryan McGinley and Terry Richardson for Kings County Hospital—and we invite you to join us in celebration with a night of music, cocktails, and an exclusive contemporary art auction!

Please visit our official website www.rxart.net or just click on the “Save The Date” poster above for more details about the big event. 

We also encourage you to stay up to date by following us on Twitter and becoming a fan on Facebook, as we’ll be posting new information in the coming days and weeks (like the announcement of our guest DJs)!

Be sure to mark your calenders for Monday, November 15th, 2010—it’s guaranteed to be an unforgettable night!

The visual landscape by the RxArt office has once again changed on Houston Street and Bowery thanks to artists Barry McGee and fellow graf writer Josh Lazcano (aka Amaze).  The infamous wall on Houston St. and Bowery has been the canvas for such artists as Shepard Fairey, Os Gemeos, and Keith Haring.  The mission for Barry McGee and Josh Lazcano’s new work was to tag as many graf writers call signs as possible.

Their work began in the late evening and continued to the wee hours of the morning. McGee and Lazcano decorated the wall with signatures of fellow writers in a distinctive red color. The names included those from distant past to present day. Stroll by Houston St. and Bowery and check out the finished mural in person and when your done head down to the Half Gallery and say hello to the RxArt Team.

—Frank Aguilar

(image via RxArt)

Word on the catwalk is tickets are sold out for the biggest public fashion show in the history of New York City. So if you’re all dressed up with no place to go on Friday, September 10th — better known as the international holiday Fashion’s Night Out — strut those fabulous platform peep-toes on over to Lafco, the city’s premier destination for pampering!

Not that you’ll need an excuse to stock up on the exquisite creams, soaps, and powders that beauty experts declare to be the finest in the world, but here’s yet another great reason to indulge in Lafco’s luxury: 25% of the evening’s proceeds go directly to RxArt!

And while you’re lathering, spritzing and wafting all the glorious goods, bartenders will be mixing complimentary eco-friendly VeeV cocktails while the DJ mixes party-friendly beats. We should also mention that this is your chance to get an exclusive look at original framed artworks from our buzz-worthy contemporary art coloring books (and purchase a few of your own)!

Needless to say, it’s a night not to be missed, and after leaving with your assortment of charitable bath and body purchases, you’ll be beautiful inside and out.

Bravo’s art-based reality show Work of Art finished its inaugural season with a few unexpected twists: a final guest appearance by Sarah Jessica Parker and the triumph of Abdi Farah, the fun-loving art teacher with, according to judge Bill Powers, “an amazing hand [and a] heart that really moved us.”

While Abdi’s keen artistic eye is undeniable, we admittedly had a soft spot for third-runner-up Miles. But, thanks to Half Gallery, we won’t have to bid a final farewell to Mr. Mendenhall just yet. His solo show opens on August 24th here at 208 Forsyth Street from 6 to 8 pm. You can bet you’ll be battling flocks of smitten girls for a chance to meet him and see his latest work, so bring your defensive elbows and stop by to say hi!

via halfgallery.com

On Friday, Team RxArt had the honor and privilege to scale Mike and Doug Starn’s spectacular structure of chutes and ropes, Big Bambu, with the show’s curator Anne Strauss.

Clad in our rubber-soled shoes and our jungle-appropriate trousers, we gingerly ventured into Phase II — not yet open to the public and still undergoing tensile strength testing with sandbags — and caught a glimpse of Central Park at dusk from Bambu’s highest point. The piece is completely surreal, from the way in which it’s constructed (impromptu-style by professional rock climbers) to the stories of those who had ventured before us (three love-struck men have proposed on it).

What we’re trying to say is that blog posts or iPhone snapshots can’t possibly convey the magnitude of this groundbreaking work of art (yes, it’s art), but we strongly recommend that you have your own indescribable experience before it’s dismantled on October 31, 2010.

Just added to the RxArt Short List of Dream Artists for Hospital Installations: Jim Lambie, Vinyl Tape Virtuouso. There is nothing not to love about his work. Basta.

image via colourlovers

Q: Kids’ art or contemporary art?

A: Works by children in “Professor” Donald Baechler’s Avant Garde Preschool class, offered at New York’s Capital of Quirky Cool, Partners and Spade.

(With a line-up of artist teachers that includes Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth, this is one of the many reasons we’d give anything to revert back to our little tike-hood).

via avantgardepreschool

The first sign of an entertaining art exhibition? An entertaining press release! Okay, we admit the phrase is essentially an oxymoron, but Marianne Boesky Gallery has succeeded in debunking that stereotype (and the age-old “art isn’t for everyone” myth).

Employee of the Month, a group show brought to you by the handymen who created the Art Handling Olympics, features works by the unsung heroes of the gallery world—the people responsible for packing, shipping, installing and de-installing by day (who happen to be talented artists by night). The show opens tomorrow, but you can get a taste of what’s to come by reading their hilariously crafted press release here.

via marianneboesky

bakingforgood:

You’ll love learning about RxArt, an organization that uses contemporary art to brighten sterile hospital environments, and Climb for Kujali, a team of international climbers who together will tackle Mt. Kilimanjaro and raise $120,000 to complete the building of the first free, private secondary boarding school for orphaned teens in Mkuranga, Tanzania. Check them out and show your support when you order treats this week!

Thank you, Baking for Good, not only for the fabulous RxArt web feature but also for supplying this office with the most delectable treats we’ve ever consumed! (We just ordered a batch of the peanut butter chocolate chip cookies, and let’s just say that we clamored for every last crumb.)