Unfortunately I wasn’t able to make it to the opening of ROOFTOP LEGENDS but happy there’s plenty of flicks online to share including some behind the scene shots I took while I was painting check em…

I progress 2 weeks before event. iPhoto by Tony Peralta

Love these structures everywhere…Great photo light when sun is setting, too many shadows in the early afternoon…

It was dope to run into SKUF after all these years. Good to see you man! 90’s CLASSIC! Love it.

Also ran into our boy WANE who’s mad sweet. Good energy here folks! wasup? LOL

WANE COD

Ben was rock’n out with the brushes piece looks fresh…

Trixer and Bounce were also getting busy…I love process shots they’re some of my favorites

Cern’s work is beau-ti-ful! Even though it’s in the works it still looked so fresh unfinished…

Erin Yoshi, and Cece rocked out this little house structure great location!

Sharing some flicks from 99Sense FLICKR Account…See the rest here

TATS CRU always looking mad official, and professional….

Great turn out. Glad folks came through to support this amazing place. It’s so big you can fit 500+ people up here…

DJ ENUFF on the 1 & 2’s with Jesse Pais on the left the man behind ROOFTOP LEGENDS:)

Shout to Anthony Vigo for taking some fly shots of the peeps up there having a chillax time…Miss you guys see ya soon!

Camera Action…

Dope event! See all the pieces and in progress shots at ROOFTOP LEGENDS BLOG

The busy bee season is kicking in! I hope I make it, specially now that I have like no time:( This past weekend I had an opportunity to rock a little 5min video with the FRIENDS WE LOVE youth team attending the New Design H.S aka Seward Park H.S. They did so great! The weather was sweet, the kids rocked the interview, and I got a chance to do paint a little something something. It’s days like this that make me confident the next generation will be alright. Especially with folks who take the time to give back to their communities. Love you guys! THANK YOU:)

When we were all done, I got a chance to walk around and scope out this place. WOW. This rooftop is an artist heaven…

The size of this place is crazy!!! I couldn’t wait to come back and spend an entire day re-doing my quick little throwie…

Voila! Not done yet but it’s getting there. Spent a whole afternoon completely zoned out on this piece and it felt great! I haven’t painted in solo mode in years. It was bliss, and definitely something I need to do more often. Yay! painting season has officially begun folks. Shout out to everyone who’s doing a killer job up there; WANE, BOUNCE, TRIXER, CERN, CECE, ERIN YOSHI, and MARTHALICIA. It was so good to see you guys.  Last but not least the man behind this dope place; Jessie Pais, your the man! It’s people like you who make a huge difference in all our lives. Thank you for helping to carve out a little piece of this city for all of us to enjoy. As you can see I’m really excited about this whole thing, and even more so now that their third annual event is coming up. Mark your calendars! Saturday May 8th ROOFTOP LEGENDS opens it’s doors to the public. You don’t want to miss it. Info below…

Rooftop Legends is a graffiti event presented by the New Design High School. Located in the Lower East side of NYC the event takes place on the schools open rooftop and will be happening May 8th, 2010. Featuring crews such as: FC, TC5, COD, AOK, FBA, TFP, TPA, TDS, TATS CRU and more.

The event started back in 2007 and has been growing every year. DJ ENUFF of the Heavy Hitters will be DJ’ing and with the backdrop of the NYC skyline it has become something that cannot be replicated.

Keep up with the shows progress, artists interviews with Enue, Cycle and more on the Rooftop Legends blog at:
rooftoplegends2010.blogspot.com

Back from a fantastic 3 day graffiti urban arts workshop in Brooklyn with the Young Women’s Leadership School. The girls did an amazing job this week. They got a rare opportunity to learn the art and design of doing letters, and characters. There’s nothing more fun than learning about line, shape, and color when your rocking out your name in bubble or straight letter style. Many kids in our community live around graffiti and street art. This was a great opportunity to teach them something from their own block they can relate to! With a few markers, brushes, and paint the kids not only pieced their names they also collaborated on a large canvas mural that will be installed in their school. The message of choice to represent their winter camp: “ENERGY UP!” A conscious daily choice to get their health in check, and help fight teenage obesity 1 day at a time. Shout out to Big City Walls for teaming me up with Young Womens Leadership, and the Energyup.org program this year;) THANK YOU!!! Till next time…

Pilot marker outlines all by themselves! I was proud:)

Great job ladies! Keeping it fun, clean, and graphic…

These ladies were a bit shy, but cute!

Fun, Fabulous, and Fierce! Perfect team for the name tagz canvas…

the fruit and veggie character crew:)

The pink apple lady with gold earrings lol! It’s all in the attitude…

How dope would it be if I had my very own classroom! The art and design projects I can do with these kids would be awesome…

Thinking hard on design elements so they can make me proud!

Good Job!

Little pineapple character with Mohawk hair almost complete…

Last step TAG UP!

TOOFLY & HIGH VOLTAGE rock’n for 2010!

Thank you for the THANK YOU CARDS!!!:)

Energy Up! is the health and wellness program started by lifestyle guru Kathie Dolgin, aka High Voltage, to get America’s girls moving, healthy and energized. Or, as she puts it: “Fit, Fabulous and Fierce!”

EUVA’s (Energy Up Voltage Approved) mission is to fight teenage obesity and prevent type 2 diabetes and other diseases associated with poor nutrition and a sedentary lifestyle. EUVA focuses on the belief that wholesome lifestyle habits acquired as a teenager provide a lifetime of benefits in the form of weight control, reduced health risks, and greater self-esteem. EUVA’s Energy Up! Program educates and motivates teenagers to make healthier food and lifestyle choices by forging a strong emotional connection in a manner that is fun, exciting and energetic to promote positive physical, mental, emotional and social development.

EUVA is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization that runs its unique Energy Up! program in schools in socio-economically disadvantaged neighborhoods.

Want to see more workshop photos?

TOOFLY WORKSHOPS

YOUNG WOMENS LEADERSHIP SCHOOL – Graffiti Workshop 2009

Heading to paint in Minniapolis! See ya’ll there…

INTERMEDIA ARTS MORE INFORMATION BELOW>>>

Also check out my Female Sneaker Fiend hommies Lori Lobenstein, and Amanda Lopez doing a photoshoot for GIRLS GOT KICKS at the festival!

WOW lot’s to catch up on. NYC is just crazy in the summer lot’s of stuff going on….okay so we’ll set it off with my kids mural workshop that went down this past week…

BIG CITY WALLS – Younity + Toofly Street Art Mural Project with The Women’s Leadership school was a huge success! The workshop kicked off at our favorite summer spot THE SECRET GARDEN in Bushwick. Weather was loving us! For the past 3 days a group of 30+ young women got a chance to experience the stages of producing a collaborative aerosol mural project with a NATURE theme reflective of what we created at the Secret Garden. It was one of my first official street art mural projects with a large youth group and it went smooooooooth as pie. WHEW! I can def get the hang of this every summer, kids rock!!!

Day 1 – Introduction, Project Details, Concept, Sketches, and a walk through the Secret Garden for some inspiration. SEE THE REST OF THE PHOTOS BELOW >>>

Letter pieces, graphics, and design elements…

GATES AVENUE train station up above…

Nothing like sitting in the shade with mother nature, drawing, and hanging with your friends…

We’re ready for tomorrow!

Once their sketches were done we got the secret key from Joseph and took a stroll through a hidden treasure…

THE SECRET GARDEN tucked away in the very back a large landscape with an array of homegrown vegetables, and fruits. Sustainable living at it’s best! GROW YOUR OWN FOOD!

Ready for the wall on thursday!

DAY 2
Wall Sketch – Ran into some problems with the owners for a quick minute, but once I whipped out the photos and dropped the science they calmed down. When folks see spray cans they don’t know how to react. Is it graffiti? Is it art? Is it legal? your getting a free wall dude! Chill out…

DAY 3
Full on teacher organizer mode that day.  Kids and spray cans can be a hand full if you don’t know how to manage. Especially when you got a large group of 30+ teens with a lot lot of energy. Once they were in their teams, and got their daily dose of direction, technique instruction, and guidance they were free as a bird. I enjoyed watching them make their own decisions at one point. That made me very very proud;)

Can control technique in full effect…

Lot’s of spraying going on…

A 60 foot wall was complete in 4 hours! AMAZING. Good job ladies!!!

Crew 5 – BUTTERFLY

Crew 4 – TREE LOVE

Crew 3 – FUNKY FLOWS

Crew 2 – FLY HIGH

CREW 1 – FLOWER POWER

Shout out to the councelor crew! Summer Camp is just one stop away from caring folks like these in the community;)

The Young Women’s Leadership School of Astoria!
” MAKE IT A BETTER PLACE  FOR YOU AND FOR ME” R.I.P. MJ!

Thanks for the THANK YOU CARDS!!!:) { Cheeze Smile }

Took it to jersey yesterday with the GFC fam. Rolling 30 deep is madness sometimes but we always make it happen. Shout out to TATU for organizing this sunny summer afternoon BBQ! Summer painting sessions are in effect especially with the little ones. Schools out but the real lessons have just begun!

Lesson# filling in the wall sketch…

team collaboration…

can control techniques…

Solid shapes…

outlines…and shading…

inspiration is everywhere…photo by ©Mark Anthony Vigo 09

a little Toofly teacher action…

FINITO! Good job little ones. You’ve officially been HOOKED!

LOL, now for the grown up sessionz…

Veester grilling, on the 1&2’s…mad food!

Summer, summer, summertime Time to sit back and unwind…

Remembering Michael and all the folks we lost this year. Making us consious to LIVE, LIVE LIVE. This summer kick back, make art, eat some good grub, hang with your peeps, and chill with your kids!

Rain of shine we made it! This year’s Brooklyn Hip Hop Festival was NOT a wash out. Mad people came through. As long as you had an umbrella, rain boots, rain jacket, or even a garbage bag over you head you were good. Damn missed that flick that was funny. I’m happy we got an opportunity to build with Allison she’s so DOPE!!! One of the organizers for the F.O.K.U.S team. Girl is no joke LOVE HER! Thanks for everything hommie, we had a blast. We’re def looking forward to more YOUNITY ARTS + F.O.K.U.S projects with you!

10:30am call time. Younity is here bring ya’ll the sunshine!

1 Main Street. Dumbo Brooklyn…Great SPACE.

FAMILY DAY 12-4PM

The ILLLLLLLLLest! Organizer I’ve met so far miss Allison Maritza Lasky! Repping F.O.K.U.S

Setting up YOUNITY, TOOFLY NYC, and AM FILES…

Shout out to our Younity team Shana Louallen, and Yvette Devito for helping us hold it down! LOVE YOU GUYS!!!

Our hommie Black Rob, and booth neighbor for the The Hip Hop Association. FACILIATING, FOSTERING, & PRESERVING HIP-HOP CULTURE! Don’t miss JUNE 25th event next week!!! Get Your Tickets!

JUNKPRINTS! Hommie is def part of  Younity’s collective this year love her stuff! RECYCLE, RECYCLE, RECYCLE!

Show your support for your fellow independent artists making HANDMADE, and with LOVE.

AM preparing the FRESHER STENCIL for the Younity kids workshop.

Gotta spread the word!!! www.myspace.com/younityspace Call for entries have been extended to JULY 1st!

Had to make an irrigation system first to keep the rain out. MAD FUNNY!

Gotta give kids an opportunity to rock out too!

LADIES LOVE NYC Mommy dropped by with her little one!

A little rain never hurt nobody. GET your ass out the crib, one day we may not be able to. Mother Nature is not playing!

Booth is all packed up, time for Performance FUN! PHOTO BY: ★TECHIENYC★

Yeo Time for LIVE MUSIC! We out, Smif n’ Wesson, Dead Prez, Brand Nubian, and suprise guest BUCKSHOT!!!

SEE YA NEXT YEAR!!! BROOKLYN we go hard, we go hard….BROOKLYN we go hard, we go hard….

Got an invitation from my hommie Jessica Green while I was away to do a short presentation with Destroy&Rebuild following the SPRAY MASTERS film screening. Gonna try and bridge our 90’s foundation with the present state of urban arts culture / education alongside some of the pioneers who paved the way for us:) Jessica’s been mad supportive of the positive roles we play in helping to preserve, evolve, and continue this story. Since the golden days of STRESS ( Best magazine EVER!!! ) all has not been lost! Whew. Happy to see her and the crew on the inside of these events. We def need more folks from our own community, in it! Makes a HUUUUUUUGE difference. Thanks girl!.

KINGS OF THE CITY ( Shouldn’t it be KINGS & QUEENS OF THE CITY? I’m just saying…)
Wednesday, May 27 2009
7:00 pm
Maylesfilms
343 Lenox Ave, Harlem NY
(127th and 128th streets)
www.mayslesinstitute.org

FILM:
Tunnel Vision
Dir. Reid van Renesse, 2003, 2 min.
This short film with footage shot in 1983 shows Zephyr, Min One and Revolt painting a wall. Reid van Renesse will be present for the q&a.

FILM:
SprayMasters
Dir. Manfred Kirchheimer, 2008, 85 min.
SprayMasters follows up on some legendary writers from the 70s and 80s. The film includes Lady Pink, Lee, Futura 2000 and Zephyr and lots and lots of trains. Manfred Kirchheimer will be present for the q&a.

extremely proud to be part of this event! SAVE THE DATE!!!

WOMANHOOD PASSAGE FUNDRAISER & WOMANHOOD LEARNING PROJECT
Hip-Hop Association Hosts Inspirational Fundraiser, Honors Pioneers of Hip-Hop Culture

NEW YORK, NY (May 12, 2009) – The Hip-Hop Association, in collaboration with the Center for Multicultural Education and Programs at New York University, proudly presents the Womanhood Passage Fundraiser, a special evening acknowledging the strength, beauty, leadership, challenges, and successes of women in Hip-Hop. With an exquisite rooftop view of Washington Square Park and New York City, the event will take place at NYU’s Rosenthal Pavilion, located in the Kimmel Center, from 7pm-10pm on Thursday, June 25, 2009.

Special guests represent Hip-Hop artists, as well as executives, activists, media makers, and entrepreneurs. Confirmed speakers include: MONIE LOVE, ROCKAFELLA, BARAKA SELE, TOOFLY, MARCELLA RUNELL HALL, DJ BEVERLY BOND, KIM OSORIO, DJ JAZZY JOYCE, RACHEL RAIMIST, THEMBISA MSHAKA, DR. ROXANNE SHANTE, MARTHA COOPER, and CINDY CAMPBELL, the Mother of Hip-Hop. The Womanhood Passage Fundraiser is meant to serve as a safe space where we can address issues affecting women. The youngest guest speaker is 15 year-old P-STAR, who will talk about her documentary P-Star Rising, recently screened at the TriBeCa Film Festival. The event kicks off the Hip-Hop Association’s 2009 Womanhood Learning Project (WLP) initiatives.

Womanhood Passage Fundraiser
June 25, 2009
7pm -10pm
NYU Kimmel Center-Rosenthal Pavilion, 10th Floor
www.hiphopassociation.org

The Womanhood Learning Project magnifies women’s roles and leadership positions within Hip-Hop culture and the community.  The two main goals for the WLP in 2009 are a resource book entitled, Fresh, Bold, So Def: Women in Hip-Hop Changing the Game and the Ladies First Fund, the first grant for women in Hip-Hop. Fresh, Bold, So Def: profiles over 300 artists, activists, and entrepreneurs, while the Ladies First Fund is an initiative that offers a $5,000 grant to a candidate dedicated to social entrepreneurship in the Newark, New Jersey area.

The WLP is supported by the likes of the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, The Center for Urban Entrepreneurship & Economic Development at Rutgers Business School, New York Liberty, Ford Foundation, Union Square Awards, and the NYU Office of Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Student Services (LGBTSS).

“This event is more than just honoring those that have paved the way, it is also promoting intergenerational healing amongst women,” says Martha Diaz, Founder of the Hip-Hop Association. “Too often the negative associations of women in Hip-Hop go unresolved; we hope to have the Womanhood Passage Fundraiser move us toward a resolution while promoting some of the most positive women in Hip-Hop.”

Ticket Info:
$100 (General Admission)
$45 (Students & Non-Profit Organizations)
$300 (Groups of 4 – $100 Savings)

PURCHASE TICKETS HERE: www.hiphopassociation.org

PRESS CONTACT:
Shana Louallen
shana@hiphopassociation.org
P: 646.359.8448