Emerge Trends Weblog

The Daily Swarm

Emerge Trends — 2007-05-30T16:24:00Z

Long before EMERGE had a blog, and indeed before I even worked with BSSP or Influx, I was a music writer and would-be critic who admired the respect and bylines attained by David J Prince. An industry insider who's labors on behalf of the music he feels passionate about go far beyond simply writing good stories, Prince is a veteran event producer and maintained the infamous Miami Masterlist of events for a number of years purely as a community service for ravers in search of a killer night out while at Miami's Winter Music Conference.

Most recently, Prince was involved in the creation of the currently-on-hiatus M3 Summit, which pretty dramatically (and for the better) altered the topography of what Miami New Times journo Mosi Reeves called "the dance music orgy popularly known as Winter Music Conference. At the same time as Prince was organizing a three year run of really impressive programs for M3, he also found time to launch Earplug, a biweekly electronic music newsletter affiliated with Flavorpill.

Recently Prince and some colleagues quietly launched a killer website called The Daily Swarm, which aggregates and filters really interesting cultural news. We'd go into it in depth here, but then we'd have had nothing to ask David Prince about.... Without further ado, EMERGE's interview with David Prince of The Daily Swarm:

1) What exactly is The Daily Swarm?

I've been describing the website as the one for people in the music business who love music. Or just people who love music. It's a website with headlines and links to other sites primarily, with some original reporting,commentary and analysis filling it out. There's also a video scroll of good
clips from YouTube and other sites, really looking at the leading music video work, music in advertising, and again, the absurdities and humor music brings out. Everything on the site is hand-picked, and we try to have a unique consistent voice in the headlines. Trying to put as many hands as possible on the elephant in the room that is the exploding/imploding music business.

2) You announced The Daily Swarm in an email in which you mentioned that the company aggregates super-connected people with literally decades of combined experience in all areas of the music and publishing industries. Who is on staff?

I'm handling the editorial side, while Todd Roberts is the publisher. We have a guy named Noah Zoschke doing the back end programming and site development, and David Weissberg designed the site. We've got a bunch of people actively helping me search for the stories and links, and a couple of investors. There's going to be some additional regular contributors as well, as soon as we finish building out the back.

3) The Daily Swarm is a filter. What exactly are you guys hoping to distill out of the cacaphony of information out there?

Primarily, yes it is a filter. Most of the people I know don't have the time or the interest in scouring the net for the pertinent information that's out there. They're interested in having it all one place, as much as that's in any way possible. Hopefully, people can trust that the really
important news about music and the music industry will be on the Daily Swarm, and in a timely fashion. It's a fun moment to be observing the music industry - nobody knows where the bottom is - everybody's flying without shades. The EMI sale. Live Nation vs. AEG. Live Nation vs. Ticketmaster. iTunes vs the labels. DRM vs. MP3. The Zune. CD sales. Festivals explosion. Music and advertising. Sponsorship. Pirate Bay. Last.fm. The list of giant ongoing music-biz soap operas is really long. These stories are being played out over months and years.

And then there's bands, and DJs, and producers - the artists. We filter in our own way. There's a lot of same-ness in music coverage right now, only some of which is well-deserved. I think the goal is to be true to our instincts.

And the video thing is mostly for fun...there's so much great stuff out there, can never have too may eyes trying to make sense of all of it.

4) You call The Daily Swarm "news for the new business of music," could you explain this a bit? It doesn't read much like a trade publication. Is The Daily Swarm really an industry thing?

Well, I used to read Billboard when I was in high school. I suppose that makes me a bit of a weirdo, but I do think that people who love music are interested in the way the business works, as it has such a huge affect on how and what they get to hear. In the movies, box office scores and studio moves are the stuff of interest to many film buffs...its part of the appreciation of the art. So there's definitely an industry bent to the stories (both the ones we link to and the ones we write ourselves). At the same time, we're coming from a place of appreciation of pop music in all its guises and most of its genres, and the absurdities it throws up. Serious and childish all at the same time.

5) There is an element of insider "tips" and off the record info surfacing
on TDS. Could you discuss this a little and maybe describe how you guys vet
an off-the-record story before publishing it?

Well, yeah, that kind of stuff is fun, and truly enlightening at times too. I was a staff reporter for two years at SPIN magazine, and I was a fact-checker there for a bit before that, so I have experience in verification. This is my first time writing for the web on such a regular basis, so I think I'm being extra careful at this point. And I don't make those decisions myself either - those are definitely group discussions. Both the stories we've run so far with anything like that were fully vetted with multiple sources. In particular, the Saatchi/Dr. Martens piece was fully sourced with on the record quotes and statements. I did get an anonymous tip, but used that to get a scoop on the actual story. Ultimately we only have our reputation, so for the moment I can stand by it 100%. Hopefully I can always say that.

6) What else is on the horizon for the site? What sort of readership are you
guys going after? How are you publicizing the site?

Now that its up and running, just want to give it some time to develop its own rhythm and voice. I figure that if its as good as my friends have been telling me, then the audience who needs and wants it will find their way there. The internet has a wonderful way of working like that. The best way to advertise the site is to create some compelling wholly original content that others will link to and spread. That's what I'm focusing on first...ferreting out the news wherever I can find it. Its pretty fun actually.

Advice, tips, criticisms, ideas, links etc. always welcome at editor@thedailyswarm.com
Subscribe to The Daily Swarm RSS feed here

RE:VOLVE

Emerge Trends — 2007-02-20T13:56:20Z

Recently, EMERGE learned about a new clothing line with a strong social agenda. RE:VOLVE describes itself as a "new peace movement", marrying commerce with a social cause that just about anybody can feel good supporting. Spreading messages via the garments themselves, RE:VOLVE also plans to nurtures a community through its online webforums as well as a resource section on the website. A portion of revenues will also be donated to causes working to promote peace as well as to aid veterans of the War in Iraq. Running a startup brand can be tough work, especially when there are multiple agendas aside from simply selling product. To learn a bit more about how RE:VOLVE approaches its mission and what the response has been like from consumers, retailers and potential advertising/marketing partners, EMERGE recently talked to founder Joe Tomlinson of Park City, Utah. Here is our interview:

1. RE:VOLVE was inspired by "the lack of positive imagery" your children were exposed to each day. Could you talk a little bit about what this means?

Sure. Just look around. We?re surrounded by bleak images of death and war. Pop culture messages are vulgar and cynical, the environment is in crisis? The images and messages are negative, and the energy they send out is negative. Our kids' (and everyone else?s kids) vision of their future is being influenced by all of this. [My wife] Amy and I just wanted to offer a way to carry a personal message of peace that spoke of hope for a promising future. That?s what we want for our kids, and that?s what inspired us to create The RE:VOLVE Apparel Project. For us, peace means taking care of one another, our environment and ourselves. We sought to create messaging that encourages others to think about what?s going on socially and environmentally in an effort to make a positive change moving forward.

2. RE:VOLVE was founded by you and your wife. Has the company stayed a family affair or have you brought on additional staff? How are you guys handling all the different responsibilities from design to production to sales and promotion? Do you have a background in fashion?

RE:VOLVE remains very much a family affair. My wife and I are very hands on, overseeing everything from the sourcing of our materials through fair trade practices, to boutique distribution, to online customer service. We have a handful of employees on staff, as well as a marketing company conducting a national campaign to help us spread the message and encourage people to RE:VOLVE.

3. It's not often that clothing brands quote JFK in their press materials. And it's also not so common to find fashion companies truly devoted to social change. Can you talk a bit more about how RE:VOLVE effects change beyond spreading positive messages via the clothes themselves?

The designs we place on our clothing are really important, because they allow people to wear personal messages of social and environmental consciousness, and reach out to others with those messages offering a vision of a good and promising future. But, that?s not enough, so RE:VOLVE has committed to using only sustainable materials sourced using fair trade principles ? meaning the message within the clothes is as strong as the message on them. Plus, we wanted to put our money where our mouth is, so we?re using a ?philanthroprenuerial? business model where we contribute a portion of our proceeds to causes like The Peace Alliance and The Waterkeeper Alliance in hopes of aiding their efforts to create a better world.

4. It seems as if "green fashion" is a bit of a trend these days. Brands like Edun and Loomstate here in New York are making a mark at the upper end of the market for example. Who else is out there fighting the good fight alongside RE:VOLVE? What brands do you believe share your philosophy? Which companies do you admire for their successes and devotion to their mission?

Obviously, we?re not the first to go green. Amy and I conceived RE:VOLVE out of the desire to promote a positive message of peace. As we got deeper into the process, it became obvious that we HAD to pursue it through ?green fashion?. Frankly, to put socially and environmentally conscious messages on products that were neither socially or environmentally conscious made no sense at all. Our decision had nothing to do with trend. I think the other brands would probably tell you the same thing. ?Green Fashion? has more to do with a movement than fashion. Most people are completely unaware of the devastating effects the chemicals and pesticides used in ?traditional fashion? have on the environment, the farmers, the food we eat, our bodies, etc. This toxic chemical mix is getting into everything and it?s totally unnecessary. ?Green Fashion? is a movement, not a trend. Hopefully in a decade, almost all apparel will be ?green?.

5. The big MAGIC and POOL tradeshows just wrapped up. What was the response to RE:VOLVE been like from buyers and press? Where will be able to find the Spring collection? And moving beyond the tradeshow, how will the public learn about RE:VOLVE? How are you spreading the message of the brand and promoting the clothes?

The response from buyers has been immediate and enthusiastic. People are so excited by interacting with something as positive as our brand, it has been incredible watching the buzz about the project grow. The press has embraced it as well which is always nice!

The spring collection will be available online at our website and through boutique outlets across the country.

We are very dedicated to The RE:VOLVE Apparel Project and its message. To ensure the message grows, we have a national marketing campaign behind us. We want to spread the peace, and encourage people to check us out and make a difference.

EMERGE wants to thank Joe Tomlinson from RE:VOLVE as well as Megan Meece from Zing USA for helping to set up this interview. For more on RE:VOLVE, be sure to check out their website.

Beholder: EMERGE interviews Suzanne Shade of The Beholder.com

Emerge Trends — 2007-01-26T16:49:35Z

Currently the contemporary art market is enjoying an unprecedented boom, with an exploding market as well as a surging wave of new talents entering a gallery scene energized by the immense popularity of international art fairs such as Frieze, Armory Show, and Art Basel Miami Beach as well as record sales at auction houses across the globe. However, the art world remains an exclusive club populated by the fabulous and the fabulously wealthy, which means that most of us still decorate our homes with that picture of dogs playing pool and moody black and white photographic posters of couples kissing on the Seine. If you are hoping for something a little more exciting and original but don't have $500,000 to spend on an exact reconstruction of art celeb Dash Snow's bedroom wall by his friend and fellow art star Dan Colon, the Beholder might just be a great place to start. To help fill us in on what the site's all about, EMERGE fired a few questions over ye olde internets to Suzanne Shade who graciously shot some answers back. Read on peoples:

1) Can you tell us about how the Beholder came into being? There seems to be a double agenda: to both provide a platform for artists to find an audience as well as to help would-be art consumers find that perfect painting/drawing/print/photo without having to take a trip to SoHo.

You're absolutely right about the double agenda...the thing that prompted me most was the people who wanted to feel connected to what artists were doing but didn't know where or how to start. I knew that from my own experience that if you're looking to buy art, it gets tough to follow your local gallery shows and to know what galleries have in their inventory. If you don't live in a major city (and sometimes even if you do) it can be a big project. So if I had to decide between agendas, I'd have to pick that one as the main reason I did it.

That said, one thing I'm learning about art is just how many people out there are making it. It's a really huge number. And there just isn't enough physical gallery space to show them all. I'm finding artists in different stages in their careers all need more outlets to sell their work. They know as well as I do that it really is about having your work be exposed to as many people as possible.

2) How long has the site been up? What sort of traffic is it receiving from site visitors and artists? Do you guys do outreach beyond simply running the website?

I started the site last winter, and have gotten a really steady stream of people since then. I've only been collecting "data" since August, but have estimated about 36,000 visitors worldwide since it launched, with about 35% of people coming back to look at more. I'm selling to all kinds of places in the US that do and don't have great art scenes: Texas, Florida, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Arizona, and a lot in New York which I'm kind of surprised about.

When you say outreach, I'm assuming you mean promotion... This has really crucial and will continue to be one of my biggest duties running the site. My plan is to continue my road show to get more exposure for the site: last year I did a few events in San Francisco and one in New York. They're basically one night parties where I hang a sample of work to let folks see things in person and to introduce them to what I'm trying to do. I just booked a show for my photographers this spring in LA, and am hoping to do a Chicago show as well.

I'm also doing some national advertising to get the word out, which is something not many galleries do. I feel like because the Beholder is non-regional, that it just makes sense to think that everyone would be interested, not just speaking to people who support art in a specific city.

3) Is there an editorial policy of any sort in terms of what artists and which pieces are featured? How about for the artist interview section?

I actually have to admit that the official requirement is if I like it and would hang it myself. And now that I've got many artists, to make sure that there isn't too much of the same type of thing. I definitely love some stuff more than others, but in general I'm feeling good about all of it. I have folks help me with writing/moderating the artist features. In fact, anyone I know who writes and is interested in doing it usually gets asked.

4) The seven day in-home trial is a really interesting notion. Reminiscent of those late night TV ads for Bowflex or the Abdominizer, it's actually a great idea. Have customers availed themselves of this policy? Have you told an artist that their work was returned before? If so, how did that go over?

Bowflex. Nice.

The one drawback of the internet is that you do really need to see a piece in person to be sure. I knew that if people couldn't see it for themselves, than the decision to buy would be tougher. I've had about 3 returns so far, and it's not been a big scene... artists are not as sensitive as you think. In fact, some of them are better business people than I am.

5) As you indicate on the site, many of the artists featured are not "professional" in the conventional sense. Do you see the Beholder as functioning as an online marketplace for amateur creatives or is it just a more level playing field upon which anybody with some creative metle can have a go at selling their work?

Again, you're right on both fronts. It started as way to level the playing field, and I think the presentation has a lot to do with that. It's intentionally set up so that your choices are made by what you like, and if you need get context with the artist, than it's available to you as well. Separating professional with non-professional brings up the collecting issue: If you are expecting a piece to increase in value, obviously the artists record is a factor. If you just love the piece and are not interested in that aspect, than having a piece made by a less career-track artist is totally fine. As I get more experience in guiding buyers through these decisions, I'm sure the site will be organized to reflect that difference. At this stage, I think most of my buyers right now are not so concerned with the difference.

6) There are a couple other sites doing similar stuff as Beholder, such as Artocracy, which also positions itself as an alternative to the gallery system. Is this an implicit critique of the art world's established economy? If so, what's wrong with the gallery system and international art fairs? How does the Beholder fit in with this more established marketplace for art?

This is a really good question. One thing I've learned about doing this, is that most people who sell art at the lower levels work really hard and don't make much money. Trying to get "regular people" to get involved is something that has been challenging for all of us. To me, what I though needed changing was the way that galleries interacted with those people. Traditionally, the art world has been this exclusive club that you needed social entry into. And in the higher market, it's still like that today. The 'art club' is very guilty of only being able to successfully reach out to itself... that is, it's not really customer focused. And I think the reason for this is that it's just easier to communicate with people who get what you do. Even at art fairs, you still get this sense that you've walked into someone else's party.

I'm really enjoying the fact that the art market is booming, but just like the rest of the economy, it's booming for the very top level. I just read an interview with Tobias Meyer who runs Sotheby's and his answer to why its so huge is that there are just proportionately more billionaires right now, which sounds like an obvious answer, but it's true.

My customers are pretty far down the food chain from that (as am I) and I sympathize with their struggles of how much to spend on art when there are a a ton of more practical things your money can be buying. One of the big reasons I don't sell prints, is that I do believe that people can afford and enjoy original art, and that just because they're not on the Fortune 500 list doesn't mean you have to limit yourself to buying posters. So I try to offer a way that makes it easier to find affordable stuff so people can say "yeah, I can do that, too." My favorite story by far has been a woman I sold a piece to in London. She gave up smoking and was using the money she saved to buy art. That was totally inspiring to me, and I'm glad that I was in some way able to help her achieve that.

Now all I need is for Americans to start saying 'I gave up buying $6000 couches and started buying art." Just kidding.

Thanks to Suzanne Shade and the Beholder

EMERGE Interview: Rory Maher of Baeble Music

Emerge Trends — 2006-12-18T12:23:34Z

There are lots of places online for exploring live music. There are countless bootleg recordings and shaky cell phone videos floating around out there as well as engaging and fully legal audio and video recordings. Until now, however, there hasn't been a great place to go to capture the raw energy of a live show at a real underground venue. Enter Baeble Music, a new online community and music service launched by one of New York's most tireless champions of indie rock.

In just a few short weeks, Baeble has been getting tens of thousands of visitors hunting for footage of some of the most compelling live acts working today. Not even formally launched yet, Baeble already features live shows from the likes of Snowden, The Hold Steady, Silversun Pickups, Joan of Arc and many more. God knows what sort of stuff they'll be offering once things formally kick off in early 2007.

EMERGE recently sent our old friend and Baeble co-founder Rory Maher some questions about the site. Here's what this venue-owner turned web entrepreneur had to say:

1) Could you describe Baeble for our readers and explain what distinguishes it from other online resources for live music lovers?
Baeble Music hand-picks the hottest bands playing at the best venues in the country. We film their concerts, review their shows, compile their band profiles, and deliver the whole package to you within days of the gig. Whether you live in Manhattan, Tokyo, or Boise, the bands you love are coming to your town via Baeble Music. We differentiate our site from others by offering users the ability to write their own reviews, check out what videos other users are watching, and rank our videos. In addition, we offer customers the ability to buy the videos, whether it be on hi-def download on their desktop or portable media player or on DVD.

2) Baeble is a social network as well, could you explain how Baeble allows users to meet and communicate with one another around shared interest in music? Is there not already plenty of outlets for this sort of interaction?
Yes, there is no shortage of sites that offer a community around people's love for music and the number of these sites will grow exponentially in the next year or two. Our business is built around the video content we offer our users, not the community elements of the site. We use these community elements to tie the whole thing together by offering users a chance to participate rather than just watch from a distance. In addition, it will be used as a tool for discovery since you are able to go onto the site and check out people's pages, what they are watching, what their favorite videos are, then actually go to the page and see for yourself what they find so great about it. As the library grows and the community of users grows with it, we see Baeble becoming a destination to discover new music in addition to being a place to buy full videos of your favorite bands that aren't available anywhere else.

3) Content can be previewed gratis or purchased for download or DVD delivery. How polished are Baeble's DVDs? How is revenue shared with artists/labels/clubs providing content to the site?
All of our videos are broadcast quality so a DVD bought from Baeble looks just like any other live DVD you would buy in a store. We pay small fees to the venues for use of the space and share the proceeds of the sales with the labels/bands. The full videos are also as high quality as one can find on the web. We offer users the chance to see what it looks like on their screens via a link on the site.

4) What have been the principle hurdles in getting Baeble from idea to operational business?
The principal hurdles have mainly been technical. We are primarily music people who had to learn about streaming video online and the most efficient way to build a shopping gateway, etc. Luckily we had a team of talented web engineers to help with this. It also took us some time to refine the filming process in the clubs as they are usually very crowded and the lighting is rarely ideal for filming. Finally, seeing the license process through with indie labels/bands is very difficult as most are severely understaffed and often this includes 10-plus follow ups before getting all the proper paperwork done.

5) What are your ambitions for the site's growth and expansion? Where would you like Baeble to be in 12 months time?
We would like to reach one million unique visitors a month by the end of the year. In addition, we would like to expand into broadcasting, possibly by programming our own show, and also enter into events. We will be able to tie this all together with our video capabilities to form a company that is well-positioned to capitalize on the growing indie music and online video markets.

Local Projects

Emerge Trends — 2006-11-15T15:20:17Z

A couple weeks ago, our good friends (and colleagues) over at Influx suggested we take a look at a design company called Local Projects. An interdisciplinary design company whose work fuses "information design, media and interactivity," Local Projects has won loads of accolades and awards for creating unique spaces in public that help tell- or facilitate the telling of- stories. Traditionally, design is rarely narrative in nature, yet Local Projects have developed an approach and aesthetic that makes their work about so much more than the presentation of a story or message. Duly impressed and more than a little blown away by what we learned from LP's website, EMERGE sent off a few quick questions to Jake Barton, Local Project's founder. Here's what he has to say:

1. What is Local Projects exactly? How did such an unorthodox design studio come together and evolve? How many people are involved and who are they?

Local Projects designs media installations for museums and public spaces. We're a multi-disciplinary studio that brings together physical, graphic, hardware and interaction designers with filmmakers, editors, programmers, writers, and researchers. Right now we are five people, with a large range of outside collaborators for each project. Everyone does many things, so our programmers do interaction design, our graphic designers do motion graphics, and our hardware designers do 3D animations. We're trying to stay relatively small, but there are some big projects that are looming, so we will be growing in the new year.

2. LP has coined several phrases to describe its work. Could you talk a bit about the importance of "collaborative storytelling," "environmental media," and "innovative interfaces?"

These three labels just help others to understand the basics of all of our work: telling stories in public spaces using novel tools. "Collaborative Storytelling" projects are projects where we design a process, not just a product. Like the jetBlue StoryBooth, where the stories come from the audience itself. "Environmental Media" projects integrate storytelling into immersive physical spaces, like the Carousel where visitors are surrounded by a submersed journey through the ocean. "Innovative Interfaces" are interfaces that don't feel like ATMs, like the digital book project for the Cooper-Hewitt Museum.

3. Having worked for corporate clients (jetBlue) as well as more civic-minded enterprises (Smithsonian Institute, Sound Portraits Productions), does the nature of your client have a meaningful impact or does Local Projects do what Local Projects does regardless of the client?

The nature of the client is critical, because in the end your design work can only be as meaningful as the content. With Timescapes, we had the entire history of New York City to tell in 22 minutes, so we used a series of evolving maps to visually tell the story of New York's epic growth. That technique is not specific to corporate versus non-profit, its specific to the content. The Eames studio did some of their best work for IBM, and other corporate clients, because the content was evolved.

4. What are some current projects that Local Projects are working on?

We're opening three pieces for the New York Historical Society's ground-breaking exhibition on Slavery in New York, including a short film starring Danny Glover. We're doing media design for the new Museum of Chinese in the Americas, with architecture by Maya Lin. And we're designing the Public Information Exchange for the Center for Architecture, a hybrid digital/physical project that allows architects to garner feedback on their buildings before they are constructed.

5. So much of LPs work winds up in public spaces (Story Corps, Jet Blue). What has been the impact of working on client projects which live within public spaces?

Dense urban spaces offer such interesting opportunities to gather, reflect, and interact with other people. Clients are starting to figure out that media and participation helps to harness that potential. For StoryCorps, having the recording booths in public spaces reminds people that while the conversation they are recording is first and foremost private and intimate, it will eventually join a public archive, and is actually a public act.

Thanks to Jake Barton and Local Projects. EMERGE can't wait to see more of their innovative and engrossing work.

EMERGE Interviews Max Schorr, Founder and Publisher of GOOD Magazine

Emerge Trends — 2006-11-02T15:49:24Z
A few weeks ago EMERGE got its grubby mitts onto a copy of GOOD Magazine and we thought it was, erm, good. Actually, we thought it was great and we've spent a lot of time chasing after the magazine's very very busy creators to do this little interview. Luckily, persistence paid off and one of the magazine's founders was gracious enough to answer our queries candidly and with a minimum of typograhical errors for us to correct. Check out the original posting here and read the EMERGE interview with Max Schorr of GOOD Magazine here:

1) Could you talk a bit about your motivation for starting GOOD?

A dual motivation of wanting to succeed in the market and to create something meaningful. I think on some level it is the combination of growing up with some of the benefits of capitalism (supermarkets, freedom, Nike shoes, Nintendo, Major League Baseball, the internet etc.) and living in the information age where it is increasingly hard to ignore global problems (extreme poverty, AIDS, environmental damage etc.). So there is a real impulse to do something, to make a contribution.

At the same time, the idea of a do-gooder had taken on something of a pejorative connotation- as soft, weak, selfless, puny, insignificant, altruistic, self righteous- and we saw doing good as something impressive, results oriented, sexy, cool. We wanted to make something entertaining and substantive, not naive or cynical or negative, but something with some soul and sincerity. We wanted to create a platform for talented writers and photographers and to provide creative freedom and compensation. We felt a real opportunity to serve an audience (of people like ourselves) not really being reached.

2) GOOD obviously fills a niche in the print media marketplace that was vacant or unexplored. Magazines like Mother Jones or Utne Reader cover progressive causes and people but certainly not in a voice or style that caters to younger adult readers. Could you talk a bit about who you are trying to reach with GOOD and the process by which GOOD became the publication it is?

Sometimes the press calls us a philanthropy magazine and we say, "huh?" We are trying to create an entertaining magazine that reaches smart, creative, independent thinkers, people who want to engage the world and add value to society. Some of these people are leaders today, but many more will be leaders tomorrow. It is a very dynamic group (of individuals), and they do not like to be preached to, stereotyped, or talked down to... They are talented and often really busy, so they learn to be media savvy. They are thought influencers who seek quality, responsibility and innovation in their consumption. They want the benefits of capitalism without the negative externalities.

We want to reach and challenge these people in a way that affirms this sensibility and leads to intelligent thought and positive action.

As for the process by which GOOD became itself, yikes, it's still happening. I think the Choose GOOD campaign, which allows subscribers to donate the full $20 subscription fee to one of 12 charitable organizations, is an important part of what we are doing. I think that our contributors, subscribers and online community members will play a big part in the development of GOOD.

3) The GOOD website is a great complement to the print publication, but it's no substitute. What motivated you to start a print publication even as the entire publishing industry is seemingly trying to figure out how to compete with online journalism, blogs and web-based magazines?

Ben's [Goldhirsch, GOOD co-founder] father had some success with print, so we knew it could be done. We learned right away that starting a print magazine is very difficult. Aware of that reality, somehow we have always been convinced that this will work. We still think the printed page is the best way to view images and read articles. We believe that the print and online experience can be very complementary, that both mediums have definite strengths and weaknesses and we are excited to continue searching for the best ways to integrate the platforms.

4) What other projects are forthcoming from GOOD? I know you have a background in film. Are their documentaries in the works? TV programs?

The first two Reason movies are coming out in early 2007 at Sundance and Berlin. Also, we are sending out a special gift (a book) to our first subscribers, and we are planning some new web and event initiatives for next year. Finally, we are excited about the opportunity to partner with companies on projects that connect with our shared audience and do tangible good.

5) What has the response been thus far? From readers, advertisers? Contributors?

The response has been thrilling because it has been overwhelmingly positive. We had about 1500 subscribers at each of our launch parties (LA and NY). In general, our readers and contributors have been amazing and extremely enthusiastic about GOOD, both its mission and the editorial content...The stickers were especially popular. So was our cover line. As for advertisers, it is challenging as a start up. In general, companies have been supportive; they like our positive, pro-market approach and the look and feel of GOOD. The agencies tend to be intrigued but wary of a startup. Companies that have been especially encouraging: Polo, IFC, Marc Jacobs, Paul Frank, Burberry, Loomstate, Edun, Netflix, Product RED, Bacardi, SoCo, Svedka, NAU, Apple, GE, Motorola, Target, Kiehl's, Method and Timberland. And, then there was Fred Segal in Santa Monica who was so excited about the magazine that they asked us to design windows with the launch issue.

6) If you could, please share a few other magazines, books, online resources etc that helped you hone your vision for GOOD or helped inspire you along the way?

Our creative director, Casey Caplowe, especially likes the early issues of Colors. We always have seen the launch of Wired as an analog; they wanted to usher in technology as a progressive, cool, sexy thing that is in your interest. We want to do the same thing with good.

7) Could you talk a bit about the editorial process at GOOD? How are issues put together? How many people are actively shaping each issue's direction and content?

We spent about a year discussing and honing our editorial lens. The first issue was really fun and a big challenge. Our sections and structure are taking some more form. Now Casey Caplowe (creative director) and Zach Frechette (managing editor) have the day to day oversight of editorial; they check in with me and Ben every week or so, and it's a pretty small office. Both Casey and Zach have small teams (about 2 full time and several part time each). Morgan Clendaniel is our associate editor and blogger-- he works on front of the book stuff. Minna Proctor has served as an editor at large bringing in most of our feature articles. Scott Stowell is our art director; he designs the magazine (with the input of Casey and on top of the basic identity created by Arnaud Mercier and Area17). We are beginning to be able to plan a couple of issues in advance which is really nice, and Bristol Baughan and Lindsey Utz are producing online video content that complements the print magazine. It's a work in progress and we're having fun.

8) In an ideal world, what would GOOD grow into?

A winged unicorn, but in this world we're hoping to attain profitability and keep the lights on while we keep our dreams alive.

Thanks to Max Schorr, Alissa Neil, and GOOD Magazine.

Are You An Artocrat?

Emerge Trends — 2006-10-16T20:17:19Z
Recently EMERGE learned about Artocracy, a website which is reimaging the notion of the online gallery and what it means to buy art. Combining a service like Kodak Easyshare, which allows you to prevew and purchase traditional-style photo prints online, and the curatorial perspective of a traditional art gallery, Artocracy is a potentially tremendous platform for artists lacking the appropriate address or social chops to get ahead in a scene dominated by king-making gallerists and collectors, expensive art fairs, and exclusive openings. Bestest of all, founder Megan Murphy has kept everything low-cost and simple to use, ensuring that her site will help the would-be art collector find some interesting work and make it their own without requiring a mortgage or one of those pesky art advisors (free registrations required) to get you that post-grafitti Pop Art masterpiece for your live/work loft.

Artocracy is certainly a work in progress and there is a definite need for a greater breadth and depth of art to choose from as well as some options for buyers and sellers interested in works that don't fit through an inkjet Sselling only digital art, Artocracy will either sell a PDF download for the buyer to print as they see fit or can provide a print direct for a small premium. That said, there is a pretty interesting assortment of work already on display and submissions and excitement about the site continue to pour in. To learn a bit more, EMERGE asked Ms. Murphy some questions and here's what she said:

Where did the idea for Artocracy come from?

Artocracy started as an idea to help my friends that wanted to live with art, but could not afford one-of-a-kind pieces, be able to purchase, support, and live with art. I thought that if the multiples were good, and the money went to supporting the artists one-of-a-kind works, it would be a win/win for everyone. So I started the site with two artists and word spread around. Currently I receive about 100 submissions to the site a month, and only take a couple of them at a time.

You invite submissions on the website. Have you undertaken any additional efforts to accumulate artwork for the site/service?

I take submissions to the site and email artists whose work I am interested in. I am planning on expanding that idea on the new website which will launch early next year. I am working on expanding the artists work and the categories on the site.

How have you been spreading the word about Artocracy?

I spread the word about Artocracy primarily through press releases, some online advertising, and a lot of press kits. Artocracy is self funded, so I do not have huge advertising budget, I am running a grass roots campaign.

Have you had any dialogue about the nature of Artocracy with gallerists or artists accustomed to showing in conventional galleries? What have their responses been to this project?

I have had positive responses from most galleries because they understand how hard it is for artists. Artocracy works for artists and for galleries because I am getting a different demographic interested in the arts, and developing them as collectors. Hopefully they will begin to purchase one-of-a-kind pieces along with their Artocracy prints. I personally really support galleries and show my work at different ones. Artocracy does not compete with what they are doing, we are in such different areas.

How do you envision Artocracy growing/changing? Are there additional services you hope to roll out in the near future?

Artocracy is going through a growth stage right now. With the launch of companies like Imagekind, it allows Artocracy to become more specialized and refine our mission. Currently the site is being redesigned with some great new features and ways we are going to be supporting the arts. 2x4, a brilliant design firm in New York, is doing the work and they are amazing. I am very fortunate to be able to work with them.

TO LEARN MORE VISIT Artocracy OR CLICK here FOR PRESS CLIPPINGS

EMERGE Interviews Sebastien Agneessens

Emerge Trends — 2006-09-25T23:41:33Z
Duly impressed by the Starbucks Salon initiative that wrapped up last week in NYC, EMERGE wanted to learn a bit more about how that project took shape, so we reached out to an old friend, Sebastien Agneessens, of Formavision, who was one of the folks who helped mold the Salon idea into the eclectic and engaging experiment in experiential lifestyle branding for the coffee brand people love to love and love to hate in equal measure. Here is a brief interview with Mr. Agneessens:

Could you introduce yourself and describe your work with Formavision in terms of who you've been working with and what you have coming up?

I am a curator based in NYC, and founder of curating agency Formavision. Through my curatorial practice, I work with various brands, which allows me to develop ambitious and eclectic projects with the artists and designers that I like. I started a bit by accident, with my gallery The Point, in the Lower East Side back in 2000. Since most of my exhibitions were installations and had nothing for sale, I had to find a way to fund them, which naturally came through sponsorship. Diesel called me up to curate their exhibitions at the Denim Gallery [on Greene Street, just doors down from the Salon], which I have been directing since then. The way I work is a bit particular compared to other curators, since I remain deeply involved in the creative and production processes, and always commission new work.

Anyway, to make it short, through Formavision I have curated the Aquos Project for Sharp, the Denim Gallery for Diesel, the Starbucks Salon for Starbucks, Construkt
for Girbaud among other things, and am now also developing projects for Coca-Cola and Toyota.

I also curate independent projects, such as gallery shows and Remastered, for which I have invited 55 artists to revisit the masters of Western Painting. The Remastered book will be released this Fall internationally.

How did you become involved with Starbucks Salon?

I became involved in the Starbucks Salon through Genart, who gave birth to the Starbucks Salon concept at the last Sundance Festival. Back then, the Salon was basically a series of concerts hosted in an existing cafe. Genart called me up to take on the creative direction of the space. This project was a bit particular for me since I not only curated the art, some of the performance, but also designed the space. And suddenly, most of my clients want me to design a space for them! Seriously, it's very unexpected. When that happens, I take interior design as a way to extend my interest in art installations. I met Adam Gerard, Genart's founder, two weeks after I moved to New York back in 1999, and I guess that I was at the back of his mind when he thought of who to develop the Starbucks Salon with.

Who else was involved in determining the creative direction for the Salon?

Well you have three different areas here. For the perfomers, we were four members :Catherine Burns (The Moth), Jesse Ashlock (RES Media), Carmine Pietri-Diaz (Nuyorican Poets Cafe) and myself in a jury headed by Genart's programming director. For the art installation and exhibition, this was basically my call. And for the interior design, we collaborated with the Starbucks design team in Seattle. The look and feel of the promotional campaign, including the website, was developed by ad agency Wieden+Kennedy.

What were some of the criteria you considered when crafting not just the programming but the overall feel of this highly unconventional marketing program with Starbucks

The fact that brands are participating in contemporary culture is now a given. Starbucks produces and distributes movies, music, books. Even Bob Dylan recently released albums through Hear Music, Starbucks' music label. Starbucks, like other brands, is changing the dynamics of contemporary culture, which is why I came up with the slanted gallery installation downstairs, where all the angles of the walls were off, as a literal reaction to this phenomenon. And as far as the artistic collaborations, we tapped into a wide spectrum of interesting talents, who are respected by music or art aficionados with performers including: Jose Gonzalez, Angela McCluskey, Ursula Rucker, Darryl DMC McDaniels of Run DMC, Jonathan Lethem, Jim Carroll, House of Diehl and Eugene Mirman. It was a space for people who are plugged into contemporary culture. There was a real creative intent. Actually, Starbucks did not interfere with any creative decision. Seriously, they were a pleasure to work with.

How do you think the project went? Did the public come out in the numbers everyone hoped they would? Did you feel like you were able to make some meaningful creative statements while at the same time reinforcing Starbuck's intention to be not just prominent for it's coffee but for it's cultural perspective as well?

Starbucks seemed very pleased with the project. Even their CEO flew in from Seattle when he heard how well the Salon was going. I think it was a very well orchestrated campaign, and somewhat of an adventure for them. Personally, I was also very happy with the project, for two reasons: 1. because I was happy with the exhibition, the performances, and the design of the Salon. 2. because it was very well attended. My goal as a curator is for more and more people to be exposed to relevant artistic and cultural content, wherever it is placed.

A short Flickr slideshow of images from Sebastien is viewable here

Some internet top tens

Emerge Trends — 2006-02-10T14:34:15Z
The fine folks at BurnCopy are hosting an interesting list of interesting peoples' favorite websites of 2005. Complied by acclaimed artist/computer programmer Cory Arcangel and artist Michael Bell-Smith, the list features contributions from Arcangel, Bell-Smith, Ken Freedman from freeform radio station WFMU, artist/curator Marisa Olson, Fake Is The New Real and more.

Interesting reading and browsing...