This edition of “Geeking Out” features two new art sites with a social media theme.

The first site is “Dribbble – What are you working on?”. I think of this website as a visual version of Twitter. It allows designers to showcase the latest version of what they are working on in “120,000 pixels or less”.

I’m so glad this site exists! The best thing about it is you can only become a contributing member if you are invited, or “drafted” as they say, by someone who is already a member, also known as a “player”. The branding is a play off of basketball and I think it works. The fact that the basketball is pink is perfect. It should help keep the jocks from getting confused.

Anyways, this site is an amazing community because it is curated by it’s members. Players can start design contests (example here), share work, get and give feedback, and all of the other things you’d expect to find on a social site. Good luck getting drafted!

BetweenCreation is a social network that seeks to promote emerging art worldwide. This is another great social networking site for artists and designers. Anybody can sign up!

Unlike Dribbble, this website will let you upload larger images. I like the “related artwork” sidebar feature which provides a pleasant way to browse through the artwork on the site. Also, you can post and share art events easily.

Filed under: Art, Technology

ArtBabble had a big day yesterday! Big ups to everyone who tweeted birthday wishes and all the partners who sent “gifts”. Thanks for the love. Right back atcha.

Filed under: Art, Current Events, New Media

Something that could easily be over looked about the IMA’s web presence is the amount of social media the museum is creating on a weekly basis.

So in the process of the redesign, the IMA Stream was invented.  What is the IMA Stream? You might ask.  Well the idea behind the stream was to create a single consolidated “stream” of all the content that is being produced by the museum.  The stream contains up to the minute updates from Flickr, Twitter, the IMA Blog, press releases, YouTube, Del.icio.us, and Artbabble.  This allows visitors to quickly browse thru the latest internet offerings from the museum in one convenient spot.

The system was made possible utilizing a common internet standard known as RSS.  In a nutshell, RSS is a standard for sharing and syndicating content across the internet. Leveraging the power of RSS feeds we are able to programmatically aggregate all of our content from multiple sites into a single feed which is what you see when you visit the IMA website.

Filed under: New Media, Technology

I love documentaries. The more depressing, the better. The kind that hit you over the head with how the world is going to hell in a hand basket, leaving you sad and hopeless. Yep. Love it. When I asked my Twitter followers if they liked documentaries and why, I got some really great responses…

Director Chris Paine, via NUVO.net

@mitchmaxsom: Happy or sad, well-told stories that better help us understand another perspective or circumstance are beautiful and necessary

@joanofdarkknits: I watch them, but I hate them [at the same time]. I still have images burned into my brain from one on animal cruelty and one on child cruelty.

@raypawulich: They can be powerful, but if I’m going to invest my time in sitting still and watching something, I choose to be entertained.

Sure, they can really open your eyes. But sometimes, they just tell you to keep on keepin’ on. For example, I’ve been on an save-the-planet documentary kick lately, but I’ve always been pretty passionate about the environment. I don’t eat meat, I recycle, ride my bike a lot, I’ve worked for an environmentally-conscious local newspaper, and now an environmentally-conscious museum. All good things, but I have to admit, just like anyone I get lazy (I forgot my reusable grocery bag at home. Again. Oh well.) and stray from the path. Sometimes I just needed a jolt of reality to reaffirm my tree-hugging beliefs. That’s not a bad thing, right? Do what you gotta do to stay motivated. Read the rest of this entry »

Filed under: Current Events, Film, Local, Public Programs, The Toby

The Pharmacy prescribes the following links to combat Monday online anemia.

blackandwtf.tumblr.com

Blog: Black and WTF

Black and WTF is a photoblog of strange black & white photos that kind of look like the yearbook of a carnival side show. Everyday a new wonderfully weird vintage photo is posted without context. So use your imagination to figure out what exactly is going on, or submit your own black and white photo to the mix.

ArtBabble Video: Remains- Beth Lipman

Filed under: Art, New Media