“Life Backwards”, a wonderful video by Ryan Jay and Alexander Shahmiri featuring San Francisco moving in reverse.

via The Bold Italic

To mark the occasion, San Francisco muralista Mona Caron has created a stunning poster, revising her “Bike Angel” character from the poster she created in 2002. Check it out:

Says Mona:

10 years ago I drew a poster for the 10th anniversary of the bicycle movement Critical Mass. Hard to believe it’s been a decade! This mere fact called for a remake. So here’s the sequel: an aged bike sprite with a new generation, plus a little reminder of good old CM etiquette tucked in, and an homage to a random assortment of rad bicycle people from SF and around the world.

If you’ve wandered around San Francisco long enough, you’ve likely spied Mona’s stunning, detailed murals. We wrote about her work back in 2010.

The poster is available to purchase from the sfcriticalmass.org site, and you can also download free jpgs of the image from the associated Flickr page.

What, Me Worry? 60 Years of MAD is an exhibtion at the Cartoon Art Museum in San Francisco, California. It “celebrates the rich history of MAD from the original comic book through the black-and-white magazine to its latest incarnation as a full-color bi-monthly publication supplemented by online content.” The exhibition started April 21 and will run through September 16, 2012.

Exhibition highlights include cover artwork by MAD creator Harvey Kurtzman; pages from the MAD comic book by Will Elder and John Severin; early magazine-era artwork by famed artists Mort Drucker, Don Martin, Wally Wood and George Woodbridge; MAD Fold-ins by Al Jaffee; painted covers by Sergio Aragonés, Jack Davis, Kelly Freas, Norman Mingo. Jack Rickard and Richard Williams; The Lighter Side of… by Dave Berg; Spy vs. Spy by Antonio Prohias; a look at Tom Richmond’s creative process; the dazzling caricatures of Sam Viviano; comics from contemporary contributors Chris Baldwin, Evan Dorkin, Peter Kuper, Ted Rall, Keith Knight and Joey Alison Sayers; a look at MAD Magazine around the world; and much, much more!

via FunCheapSF

It turns out that adding a Nyan Cat sticker to a San Francisco Bay Area BART map turns it into a wonderful Nyan BART.

via Boing Boing

photo by Parker Higgins

On May 19 and 20, 2012, Make Magazine and O’Reilly Media present the 7th annual Maker Faire Bay Area at the San Mateo County Event Center in San Mateo, California. Tickets are now on sale and a livestream will be available. There is also a Maker Faire app available to download for free.

A two-day, family-friendly festival of invention, creativity and resourcefulness, and a celebration of the Maker movement.

The Hardware Innovation Workshop presented by MAKE happens on May 15 and 16, 2012 at PARC in Palo Alto, California. Limor Fried and Phillip Torrone of Adafruit Industries will be the featured keynote speakers for this event. A complete list of workshop speakers, agenda and registration is available online.

Other featured keynotes include Massimo Banzi, co-founder of Arduino; Carl Bass, president and CEO of Autodesk; Jay Rogers, founder and CEO of Local Motors; Mark Hatch, co-founder and CEO of TechShop; Ted Hall, co-founder and president of ShopBot; and Brad Feld, co-founder of Foundry Group.

photos by Scott Beale

The Hardware Innovation Workshop, a conference on business and the maker movement, takes place May 15 and 16 at PARC in Palo Alto (video). The event is presented by MAKE.

MAKE will present a hands-on showcase of compelling devices, products, and platforms that are shaping the future of manufacturing and the global economy. Get up close and personal with the makers of these pioneering innovations that have the power to make and move markets.

via MAKE

UNIQUE SF is an independent design show and shopping event that will feature over 200 hand-selected designers and artists. It will take place June 30 and July 1, 2012 at The Concourse Exhibition Center’s East Hall in San Francisco, California. The event is hosted by UNIQUE who has also put on a UNIQUE LA event and plans to host UNIQUE NYC in the future. Tickets will be available to purchase online soon. 10% of all ticket sales go to 826 Valencia, a San Francisco-based tutoring center that helps children read and write.

The exciting two-day shopping event makes it easy for you to buy local, discover great design and deals, join in community, and have a blast. The products at the show are proudly made right here in the USA so you’re putting your dollars right back into our economy and local community. With DJs, free drinks/photo booth portraits/activities for kids, and a great cafe with delicious food and sweet treats, it’s a great time for all – plan to spend the weekend with us!

Here is a video of footage from the 2011 UNIQUE LA show:

SETIcon II, a conference on space as seen through art, literature, and science, takes place June 22-24, at the Hyatt Regency in Santa Clara, California. SETIcon II is hosted by the SETI Institute.

SETIcon, envisioned and organized by the SETI Institute, is a unique, entertaining and enlightening public event where science and imagination meet. SETIcon brings together innovative scientists, science fiction authors, space and science artists, space lovers, and the curious and adventurous everywhere for a 3-day public celebration and exploration of space, real science, technology, imagination, and science education.

ArtAround SF is an upcoming mobile app for discovering public art in San Francisco. It is based on the existing ArtAround Washington DC app by Anna Bloom and Laurenellen McCann. The duo are raising funds for the project on Kickstarter.

We are struck by how little we know about the beautiful art around us we pass by everyday and wanted to do something about it. The ArtAround project is about mapping the beautiful art in San Francisco, and, perhaps, change the way you understand and explore the city with a web and mobile application that lets you find, comment on, and share street and public art.

The costumed road race known as Rental Car Rally is back and this time they are going from Los Angeles to San Francisco. The race starts on Friday June 22 and goes to Saturday June 23, 2012. Tickets are available to purchase now.

What’s included in the price of my ticket?

The ticket includes admission to the rally; the rally briefcase for your team (the rally booklet w/ rules and coordinates for checkpoints, the rally contact sheet w/ info on other drivers, bottle rockets, smoke bombs, condoms, cigarettes, chaw, stuff like that); the rally pre-party and drink specials before the rally begins; and two huge post-rally parties at the destination. Potentially, you could also win a golden gas pump, the respect of your competitors, the fawning gazes of women, a sense of higher purpose, increased confidence in the bedroom, and healthier skin.

Now in its 13th year, the How Weird Street Faire returns with the theme of “Time” and brings live music and performances to the streets of San Francisco. The event takes place in downtown San Francisco (entrance at Howard & New Montgomery Streets) on Sunday May 13, 2012. The Faire is a project of, and fundraiser for, the local non-profit World Peace Through Technology Organization.

The 13th annual How Weird Street Faire will have 13 stages of world-class music and performances spread throughout 13 city blocks. This year’s theme is Time, in honor of 2012. Come join thousands of people in colorful costumes, as we celebrate peace and the 13 moons we’ve all been waiting for. All ages are welcome. Costumes are highly encouraged.

New this year is a performance stage hosted by members of Vau de Vire Society, a Beat Box Poetry stage on Natoma Street, and an entire alley of live and exhibited art on Minna Street.

poster art by Brad Olsen and digibob

SF Climates is a handy weather app for iPhone that is specifically for San Francisco and its many, many microclimates. The app provides weather reports for 17 San Francisco neighborhoods. SF Climates was developed by Baker Beach Software of San Francisco.

Last week while I was in San Francisco I stopped by to see my old friends at Burning Man. I was really involved with the organization years ago, as one of their first employees, working on the original Web Team as well as helping out with Media Mecca.

Last year Burning Man moved into the historic David Hewes Building, located at 995 Market Street at Sixth Street in Mid-Market, built in 1908. They are located right next to Zendesk and just down the street from the new Twitter offices.

While I was there Marian Goodell and Danger Ranger gave me a tour of their multi-floor offices, which include roof access with awesome views of the city.

Photo Gallery: Burning Man Headquarters in San Francisco

photos by Scott Beale

I happened to be in San Francisco last weekend which was fortunate, because there was Lost Horizon Night Market on Saturday, April 21st. It’s an event that first started in Brooklyn a few years ago and has since taken place a few times in the Bay Area. Lost Horizon Night Market is a secret, word-of-mouth participatory event featuring a series of box trucks parked along the street stretching for several of blocks, where each truck has a unique theme that is revealed once you part the curtains and enter the truck. Here are some photos I shot at Lost Horizon Night Market San Francisco.

One of my favorite trucks was The Lebowski Moving Company Bowling Alley Truck, a fully functional bowling alley inside of a semi-trailer truck. A person is at the end of the alley who resets the pins and returns the bowling ball.

Photo Gallery: Lost Horizon Night Market San Francisco

photos by Scott Beale

I spotted this beautiful Ducati Tigre parked outside of Sightglass Coffee today in San Francisco.

photo by Scott Beale

Sidecar is a community ridesharing app that connects people who need a ride with car owners willing to drive them. Passengers can use the app to pay their drivers, though payments are voluntary. Sidecar is currently available in San Francisco.

SideCar is a fast, reliable, community rideshare concept. SideCar is a mobile app that links passengers who need rides with drivers willing to drive them, using their own cars as transportation. SideCar works on a voluntary pay-as-you-want system, allowing you to decide how much you want to pay your driver.

Obscura Day is an annual “international celebration of unusual places, full of expeditions, back room tours & explorations of the hidden wonders in your own hometown” fronted by the Atlas Obscura project. Obscura Day 2012 takes place on April 28, 2012 with events in cities all over the world.

Some events of note:

The Elsewhere Philatelic Society is hosting Strange Artifacts and Hidden Wonders on the Hill, a hiking event in San Francisco.

In Los Angeles, there is a Obscura Day picnic at the Griffith Park abandoned zoo hosted by 826 LA’s Echo Park Time Travel Mart.

In the New York City area, Bivouac New York is hosting a rooftop campout in Brooklyn.

Check out this amazing photo of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge being struck by lightning several times during the epic storm of April 12, 2012. This is a single exposure shot, according to the photographer Phil McGrew.

via Daniel Terdiman and Daily Mail

photo by Phil McGrew

SF Player is a parody rap music video made by and starring Chris Avery that shares his humorous view about life in San Francisco.

Some lyrics:

I love it when they ask me where I work at
(Non Profit, Google or a banker you’re an SF Player)
I love it when they tell me I look trendy
(Plaid shirt and wayfarers you’re an SF Player)
I love it when they notice me on Polk St.
(Cause it took me like two days to grow this scruff
And I see some girls tonight I want to share a drink with
Hella Legit

via SFist

image via Chris Avery

RoboGames founders David Calkins and Simone Davalos have recently started a fundraising campaign on Kickstarter to help finance RoboGames 2012, a documentary film about their awesome robot competition.

Our goal is to record and edit a professional documentary featuring as many of RoboGames’ 60 events during the three days of frenetic robotic competition. The best matches and amazing robots will all be featured, along with interviews by the builders from around the world who built them.

We recently posted about RoboGames 2012 which happens Friday through Sunday, April 20-22, 2012 at the San Mateo Fairgrounds in San Mateo, California.

RoboGames 2012 artwork by Chris Kawagiwa

RoboGames, the world’s largest robot competition, is now in its ninth year. RoboGames 2012 takes place in San Mateo, California at the San Mateo Fairgrounds Friday through Sunday, April 20-22, 2012 (12 PM to 7 PM) and tickets to this great event are available to purchase online now.

RoboGames is the Olympics of Robots – we invite the best minds from around the world to compete in over 50 different events: combat robots, fire-fighters, LEGO bots, hockey bots, walking humanoids, soccer bots, sumo bots, and even androids that do kung-fu. Some robots are autonomous, some are remote controlled – but they’re all cool! As an open event, anyone can compete – this means you.

RoboGames 2012 artwork by Chris Kawagiwa
past RoboGames photos by Scott Beale

Music Video Race is a San Francisco music and film festival where 20 bands will work with 20 teams of filmmakers to make 20 music videos over the weekend of May 18 to 20, 2012. The following weekend of May 27, 2012, all 20 music videos will be shown at the Rickshaw Stop where prizes will be awarded for the best ones. One of the judges is Jacob Krupnick, the director of the delightful feature-length dance music video, Girl Walk // All Day. Organizers of the event are still looking for a few more bands and filmmakers.

Thanks to Tim Lillis for the tip!

“Windswept” by Charles Sowers is a beautiful kinetic sculpture that shows the direction of the wind with 612 rotating arrows. The sculpture is installed on the facade of the Randall Museum in San Francisco.

photo by Bruce Damonte

The 34th annual St. Stupid’s Day Parade happens Sunday April 1, 2012 beginning at Noon at “the pointy building” in San Francisco, California.

Here are some images from past St. Stupid’s Day Parades:

photos by Scott Beale

Cyclecide Cyclefuge at Yuri’s Night Bay Area 2008

Cyclecide and Circuit Network are presenting the Heavy Pedal Crank Art Exhibition at The Lab in San Francisco, California. The opening reception is Friday, March 30, 2012 from 6 pm to 10 pm (free admission). The show itself happens Friday and Saturday, March 30-31, 2012 (free admission) with a closing night party on Saturday, March 31, 2012 from 8 pm to 11 pm ($7-$15 sliding scale).

The aim of this exhibition is to explore the concepts, principles, and ideas that the bike has inspired, transgressed, or altered.

Join us for a fun and inspiring weekend celebrating that most versatile machine, the Bicycle. Artists recycling bicycle parts, making work inspired by the bicycle or building their own hybrid machines include Johnny Payphone (clockwork bike); Keith Martin; August Wood; Loid Mongoloid (bike slot machine and jewelry); Jay Broemmel (slouch cycles-altered bikes); John & Sarina Raffa; Slim Buick (custom vintage bikes); Paul Cesewski (Kinetic bike sculptures); Kal Spelletich (Turbo Trike); Yoli Hadde; Neil Smith & Justin Solomon (Black Label Bike Club, Oakland); and Jarico Reesce (Cyclecide), among others. We Invite all to come and see bikes that have been transformed or altered into pre-cycled sculptures and vehicles of imagination!

Also join Cyclecide and participating artists for Saturday night’s closing party celebrating the rise of the Bikes. Screenings of Jay Broemmel’s spoof “The Loaded Warrior” and the Cyclecide bike “safety” video. DJs, live performance by Los Banos, Cyclecide’s merry band of mariachi-punk musicians, and more to be announced.

photo by Scott Beale