Born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Paul Zepeda has been creating professionally and roaming the United States for over ten years. His oil paintings, etchings, and sculptures can be found in private collections around the globe and have been sold at auction to benefit many worthy causes, and he has exhibited in galleries, backyards, and everything in-between. “I create to remind humanity (including myself) of its roots – what is truly important, what is still magical. Beyond racial or national identity, there is an ancient common ancestry that runs deep in our memories and is the source of our deepest emotions. To touch on that is to attempt to communicate in a language that is understood by anyone who allows their self to put away the superficial facades we have developed to shield us from the often caustic constructs of society. I believe every child is born an artist, and that the world would be a better place if more of them were allowed to hold on to that.”

Ze goes to The Brooklyn Latin School, and is about to complete his first full year in Stoked. He has participated in Stoked to Serve and Snow Mentor programs in addition to the after-school program, and says of his experience in Stoked: “The best part is the interaction between people. It just simply creates beautiful sparks.” Ze has become the resident stencil expert in his class, holding the patience and dexterity necessary to carve extremely intricate stencils. Working with Paul, he says, helped him understand a more abstract area of art.

You can support Stoked by attending Stoked on Spring this Wednesday! All proceeds from the event will directly benefit Stoked’s after school programs in New York. If you are unable to attend, you can still support Stoked by clicking here.

Tim Young is a renowned iPhoneographer recognized for his signature black-and-white shots celebrating the often overlooked details of day-to-day life in New York City, and in particular, Brooklyn, his home base. Recently, two of his images of the Brooklyn Bridge were among the 200 (out of 10,000 submissions) selected for exhibit in the first-ever International iPhoneography Show at the Soho Gallery of Digital Art. The exhibit was sponsored by MacPhun LLC and FX Photo Studio. An artist, illustrator and graphic designer with 20+ years of experience, Tim has lent his expertise to such national and international clients as Disney Resorts, Inter-Continental Hotels, Lowes Home Improvement, Michelin Tire and Combi Juvenile Products.

Brittany attends the Institute for Collaborative Education, where she participated in the Stoked Plus: Skateboard Build program. She also learned to snowboard this winter through the Snow Mentor program. She said that making this board with Tim makes her feel extremely proud because she would “love to see Stoked after-school programs in many more schools because teenagers in high school should have the experience that I had. Being a part of Stoked made me feel a part of a big community where everyone can count on one another.”

For this collaborative deck, Brittany and Tim looked through a variety of photographs to decide on the imagery for the board. They also utilized song lyrics to come up with a word or phrase to use with the imagery. Brittany conceptualized having colorful paint dripping down the board as part of the design, and Tim showed Brittany his iPhonography for more design ideas to come up with bird imagery. After bouncing ideas off each other, Tim sketched out the design on the board and they both painted the colorful drips of paint and white birds on the deck together.  

Buy tickets to Stoked on Spring to bid on this deck. If you’re not able to attend, please consider making a donation to Stoked to support its youth development programs. Don’t forget to check in on Monday for the next Stoked on Spring Spotlight!

This week will have music before the double feature by the wonderfully talented Joani Maher.  Tomorrow’s movies are: “Paradigm Shift” & “Fresh Fruit For Rotten Vegetables.”  Lastly, this movie night will have a Raffle benefiting Stoked with the top prize being a Sector 9 Longboard.  Come on out, show your support, meet new friends and Spread the STOKE!!!

For More info
http://www.zjboardinghouse.com/index.php/night-sesh-movie-night-featuring-paradigm-shift-fresh-fruit-for-rotten-vegetables/

Facebook event
http://www.facebook.com/events/296198923796604/

What:   ZJ Boarding House for Movie Night - Music by Joani Maher, Movies: Paradigm Shift & Fresh Fruit For Rotten Vegetables
When:  Friday 5/11 – 7pm
Where: 2619 Main St. Santa Monica, Ca 90405.

The “notoriously harmonious” Billi Kid is a street artist determined to refine his voice while leaving an indelible mark on the over saturated urban and cyber landscapes. A life-long doodler, art enthusiast and design junkie, his work blur the lines between graffiti, pop culture, iconography and art. Never too busy to look, feel and listen, his collaborative works with artists from around the world have been celebrated in both the media and street art community alike. His passion for the streets has led him to curate ground-breaking exhibitions that have helped bridge the gap between the urban landscape and the sterile indoor environment. Take a close look at it, smile at it, tear it or cover it with something new. From his hand to the streets at large.

Taimir is a freshman at City Polytechnic High School in downtown Brooklyn. Once he completed his own skateboard deck in the after-school program, his enthusiasm for all things Stoked took off when he learned to snowboard in Snow Mentor season. He squeezed onto every trip he possibly could, became an impressive snowboarder, and is currently improving his skateboarding skills in Skate Mentor this spring. He reflected on his time working with Billi Kid, saying that he learned a new technique and a new way of thinking of a piece of art work, and added it to his list of experiences he’s had through Stoked that he can brag to his family and friends about. He said he recommends the program to everyone he knows, “not just because of the trips, but because you learned new skills and you can have a talent that you did not know you had until now. You meet new people that can teach you things. My experience with Billi was awesome, if I could do it again I would.”

Buy tickets to Stoked on Spring and bid on this rad sticker collage deck. If you’re not able to attend, please consider making a donation to Stoked to support its youth development programs. Don’t forget to check in tomorrow for the next Stoked on Spring Spotlight!

Salomon Gallery recently exhibited the beard series in December 2011 named John Gordon Gauld: Tickle Your Fancy. The short-term exhibition displayed a medley of facial hair in an installation of over 100 works on paper. Highlighting Fu Manchus, handlebars, muttonchops, chinstraps, and Santas, the exhibition reinforced a sparked contemporary interest in facial hair, and was intended for aficionados and haters alike. While the beard is timeless, certain patterns recall historical figures, eras, and past trends. Facial hair can show one’s status and level of intellect, or one’s diligence or laziness. It can truthfully reflect a personality; and it can deceive.

John Gordon Gauld: Tickle Your Fancy Exhibit at Salomon Contemporary

Gauld’s work includes genre scenes of everyday life, still lifes, and the human figure; and frequently juxtaposes natural objects with those manmade in imitation of nature. The artist’s signature painting style, precision, and satirical tone is evident within the current series. The gestural beards are shown in an alternative context––independent of its eyes, nose, and mouth––giving them the sense of importance they deserve. The blend of skillfully painted watercolors and lighthearted subject matter is sure to tickle everyone’s fancy.

John Gordon Gauld lives and works in New York. He has a BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design. He is known for employing unique and delicate materials such as plaster, silverpoint, and egg tempera. Gauld has been included in many New York group exhibitions and has worked with Bergdorf Goodman since 1998, creating large paintings for the store’s renowned window displays. Past works can be found in the recent book Windows at Bergdorf Goodman published by Assouline, 2010.

To bid on John Gordon Gauld’s piece and other art at Stoked on Spring, buy a ticket to the event. If you are unable to attend, you can still support Stoked’s action sports and youth development programs by making a donation.

Alice Mizrachi is an artist, curator, social entrepreneur, educator, and community organizer. Born and raised in Queens, she has long been an active part of the art community near and outside her home town. Since her graduation from Parsons School of Design in 1999, she has exhibited her works in galleries worldwide such as Powerhouse in NYC,  Colette in Paris, Lab 101 in L.A,  and Intermedia Arts in Minneapolis to name a few. Her works reflect a nostalgia for a city that once was an urban subculture, gritty and thriving through a variety of buildings woven together as a colorful luminous cityscape; sometimes vibrant, but always invoking a hidden tranquility. With a knack for intensity, it is no wonder that Alice’s work is commissioned for a list of iconic companies including Gravis, The Washington Post, and Shape Magazine. Alice has also been featured in a variety of niche publications such as Giant Magazine, Juxtapoz, and Square Rootz for her hard work and dedication to the arts. She continues to paint murals all over the world as an additional part of her artistic ventures and collaborative partnerships. While educating today’s youth in central Harlem as a teaching artist, she is also keeping busy as a co-founder of the YOUNITY Arts Collective. Alice is not only known for her excellence as an artist and educator, but also for her passion in uniting female artists and entrepreneurs through YOUNITY.

Mennen is a student at the Institute for Collaborative Education in Manhattan. Mennen is a talented artist and creative writer, and has done photography, ceramics, prints, and pencil drawings prior to this collaboration, but painting was one medium she was not all that comfortable with. While Mennen was waiting for Alice to arrive at their first art session together, she sketched out the image of a squid, a character from a story she wrote. When Alice arrived, they discussed how the squid could be best applied to the skate deck using paint, selected an image from Alice’s sketchbook of a girl to represent the other character in Mennen’s story, and made a completely collaborative design on the skate deck. Mennen also wrote the words from her story on the deck to unite their imagery. After they completed their design, Mennen reflected that working with Alice was “awesome” and that Alice helped her feel comfortable with painting by making “it seem really easy and doable.”

To bid on Alice and Mennen’s amazing skate deck artwork, buy tickets to Stoked on Spring. If you’re not able to attend, please consider making a donation to Stoked to support its youth development programs. Don’t forget to check in tomorrow for the next Stoked on Spring Spotlight!

Collectively these riders raised more than $4,000 for Stoked to continue to develop its action sports programming for under-served youth. Thank you to all who donated to Team Stoked. View the full album from the day on Flickr.

For information on how to get involved in upcoming Team Stoked events, contact teamstoked@stoked.org. Great job everyone and keep up the ‘Stoke!’

Julian Michael Ungano, born 1982 in Chester, VT, is an award-winning photographer specializing in editorial portraiture and fashion photography. His clients include Elle, Lovecat Magazine, The New York Times, The BBC, Lutte Magazine, ESPN, Paper Magazine, Esquire Magazine, Futureclaw, and The Village Voice. He currently lives and works in Brooklyn, NY.

To bid on Julian’s photo and enjoy the great music he’ll be spinning, buy tickets to Stoked on Spring. If you’re not able to attend, please consider making a donation to Stoked to support its youth development programs.

Stoked founder Steve Larosiliere featured in Timeout New York

Congratulations Stoked Steve for this article in Time Out New York! Read the full article if you haven’t already.

Jayson Atienza was born in Batangas City, Philippines and raised in Jersey City, NJ. Starting out as a design major at The School of Visual Arts, he became intrigued with the creative possibilities of mixing and matching different textures and started experimenting with the process of combining media.  He currently specializes in ink and watercolor, and combines his knack for figure drawings with the smooth subtlety of watercolor.  Jayson has a unique devotion to his subjets and pays particular attention to the details most people do not see – painting with the emotion he feels in himself and the emotion he feels from his subjects. Jayson is currently adapting his signature ink and watercolor style to a variety of different “canvases” including apparel, handbags, and more recently vintage style kicks. 

Most recently, though, Jayson partnered with Milo, a veteran of Stoked from  City Polytechnic High School. Milo built a skateboard with Stoked Plus in the fall of 2010, and has since kept in close touch with the Stoked crew, popping into the newer Skateboard Build sessions to lend his expertise. Says Milo, “Stoked helps me every day, so it feels good that I can take time from my life to help them gain something. This art board can help another student to be a better person like Stoked helped me.”  He continued to say that Stoked has helped distract him from negative things around him, and it made him “grow and become responsible and a better leader.”

Support Stoked by buying tickets to Stoked on Spring!