After practicing at its beautiful space in the Mission, I wanted to share the first part of a video series introducing Rusty Wells’ Urban Flow Yoga studio. In this short clip about one of the city’s first donation-based yoga communities, Rusty describes the studio’s intention to serve all by removing cost prohibitions that deter people from practicing yoga. I find the work that local production company document document put together most powerful, and not just because they captured this: “If you really believe in what you’re doing and then notice that something may be missing, then there’s your duty right there–to provide whatever it is that’s lacking.”
Should you want to get in on the action in person, musician MC Yogi and Urban Flow instructor Andrea Maltzer are hosting the elephant-power themed workshop “Ganesh is Fresh” on August 21. Think art, music, mantra, and flow.
When Women 2.0 co-founder Shaherose Charania told me that she received a pair of Asics as a thank you gift for speaking at a conference recently, it made me want to get back on the speaker circuit. In the meantime, I loved local illustrator Wendy MacNaughton’s poster below promoting a party Thursday at Shoebiz on Haight (where I’ll be working to be more frugal there when I was when I lived down the block). Think Oitsuka Tiger, food carts and pre-Outside Lands revelry to provide school lunches in Uganda.
Some of the most fun I had during my first year in advertising involved working with two artists in the SF Dump’s Artist in Residency program (count on our fair city to be one of the only ones nationwide that gives artists the privilege). Tables with bike wheels, sod couches and bulletproof benches were among the most imaginative pieces to come out of the commission. So hearing that the local organization Intersection for the Arts is now hosting work created from materials in the Public Disposal and Recycling Area (“the dump”) has me most excited, of course. Recology is on display at Intersection’s new space at 5th and Mission until September 25th, and I beg you not to miss Mike Farruggia’s inventive use of redwood, ironwood and cycling parts (below, following Sandy Drobny’s Caution and before Sirron Norris’ Found Wood, Jane Kim’s Faux Bois Divide, and Nemo Gould’s Impala).
When designer Chris Olson packed her bags to head to Florida, I was sad because–among many other things–few people can brighten up a studio apartment the way she can. Thankfully she’s opened Hue Amour, a color consultation and decorating biz to spread the interior joy. Have a look–you’ll like.
In advance of its October conference around financial opportunities for enterprise organizations, SoCap (social capital markets “at the intersection of money and meaning”) is co-sponsoring a challenge to address what’s next for impact investment. In collaboration with the sustainably-minded business company Triple Pundit and the Myoo platform, the conference will be awarding a free pass to an individual who can best address–in 500 words or less–what’s next for social enterprises as they look to claim an alleged $120 billion in market opportunity. Might it be you, you mindful economic whiz kid turned forecaster, you?
This being the first Friday of the month, the Oakland Art Murmur taking place this weekend along at galleries near the MacArthur BART beckons with art walks and concurrent receptions. Buzz Gallery, Creative Growth, and Rock Paper Scissors Collective will be among those opening their doors and showing work alongside performers on 23rd.
The Women 2.0 Labs pre-incubator program (featured here on TechCrunch TV) has been a great example of all that a new endeavor can accomplish in five weeks. Looking forward to seeing the companies’ final pitches this evening thanks to True Ventures.
When Method’s Anna Kolhede passed along details about John Heart Jackie playing at Hotel Utah on Saturday night, planning on it was a no brainer–like the venue, love the band. The duo of Jennie Wayne and Peter Murray have compiled a set of beautifully melodic songs recorded at an Oregon winery, and her vocals are especially inviting in “We are Gold Mounds,” the title track. As a slave to public radio, you know I was glad to see NPR Music make a plea for adding the band “to the growing list of artists to watch from Portland.” West Coast tours and downloads, bless you.
hen Sloane Berrent of the cause-filled living site The Causemopolitan invited me to take part in her summer contributor series, I was excited to be involved and start penning a favorite reads wrapup. And in celebration of the overturning of Prop. 8, I had to include a colorful Daily Drop Cap courtesy of designer Jessica Hische. The piece published on Sloane’s site includes the following:
I’m not one for beach reads. I didn’t really realize it until my family caught me reading Chekhov beachside one college summer (yes, for enjoyment, not a class). So lists published between May and August with reading recommendations have often fallen short for my bespeckled self, and not because I’m too academic or snobby for chick lit, but because I want to read work that I know my teammates and pals can also benefit from.
A few recent reads are just that, whether because they combine fun anecdotes with advice that has take home value or because they include stories you’ll want to tell over group dinners. They’re all first-person non-fiction, and I’ll let the esteemed authors speak for themselves:
Should you consider yourself curious and creative (and who here doesn’t?), getting thyself to Valencia Street’s Curiosity Shoppe tonight might make for an inspiring experience. The store is hosting a five-to-eight fiesta in honor of UPPERCASE, a very well designed new publication that’s, quite frankly, not safe for work from the perspective that its visual collection may persuade you to never return to Excel.
hen Sloane Berrent of the cause-filled living site 
