Urbane Apartments celebrated the grand opening of their new Michigan location in a unique way.  On October 22^nd, owner Eric Brown hosted the Sharpie “Draw on the Walls” contest by opening up the space to the public and inviting 12 local artists to create innovative and eccentric designs on the walls of the building’s Co-Work space’s meeting rooms.

*The Co-Work space is designed for small to medium sized companies needing a trendy office space, as well as for Urbane residents’ use of office machines and desk space.

 The winner of the Sharpie “Draw On the Walls” contest and $750 was Urbane resident, Ryan Gardner.  I think that the best way to describe Gardner’s creation (this pun just happens to fit perfectly) would be this:  Uncapping What’s Inside of an imaginative mind. Now, I know that you think I’m just plugging the Sharpie campaign, but seriously, look at the pics and tell me that’s not a pretty accurate description!

1st place Winner, Ryan Gardner

Gardner, Writing on the Walls with Sharpie!

Spotlight on the Winner!

With about 100 attendees, the event was a success.  Taking place in the Co-Work space, the 12 artists drew live on the walls with an assortment of Sharpie markers.  The outcomes are pretty amazing! (See pictures below.) I don’t know about you but I get nervous writing my name on a nametag with 1 person watching, let alone 99 people watching me draw on a wall –Talk about pressure.  I have to give big props to the artists.  Great work guys; you’ve made Sharpie proud!

In addition to live art, Urbane Apts. also provided drinks & appetizers, gave property tours, hosted a live raffle, all the while, moving to the beats of DJ Terry Hall, with photographer Rachel Wade capturing every Sharpie moment!

Here are some pics of the artists drawing at the Urbane Apt. event!

For more on the event check out Urbane on Facebook and their blog.  Of course get the scoop about Urbane Aprtments at www.urbaneapts.com

Sharpie? Yes, please! www.sharpie.com

When it comes to people passionate about Sharpie, we didn’t have to look far. They’re everywhere, just Google! What was hard was deciding who to invite to “represent” and become members of our first-ever fan club, of sorts. The Sharpie Squad is made up of people who talk and teach and tantalize us with their amazing Sharpie ideas and creations. From thrifty Sharpie decorating tips to Sharpie-designed skateboards, art, illustrations and more, these are the people who breathe life into our product and make it shine.  

And for their efforts, we want to show them some Sharpie love. As inaugural members, they’ll be among the first to see and try our new products. We’re also going to showcase their Sharpie ideas and creations on our new community site, sharpieuncapped.com.  And it wouldn’t be official without a personalized Sharpie Squad marker, arriving to members soon! Visit mysharpie.com and you can get one too, personalized your way.

Please be sure to visit their sites as they continue to show us what’s possible with Sharpie. 

THE SHARPIE SQUAD LINEUP

Laura Rowley understands just how far a Sharpie marker (or two!) can go to help families save.  With a little help from Sharpie, it’s easy to create “designer” versions of favorites like backpacks, folders, sneakers, jeans, t-shirts and more  — so you spend less on the pricier versions and end with a one-of-a-kind little something you’ve personalized yourself.  It’s a win-win with Sharpie!  Laura is a journalist specializing in personal finance and values, and author of Money & Happiness: A Guide to Living the Good Life. Along with her Yahoo! Finance column, she blogs at www.moneyandhappiness.com/blog.  Rowley is an ardent consumer advocate who is passionate about helping people identify their deepest values, set goals and manage the complex decisions and risks involved in achieving them. Married with three daughters, she lives what she preaches, showing readers how to get the best deals, avoid debt, invest wisely and strive for work-life balance. Rowley has been tapped as a value expert on The Today Show, Good Morning America, CNBC, the Fox Network, NPR and dozens of other broadcast programs and print and online media. She is a former reporter and producer for CNN in New York, reporting on-air for “Your Money” and “Business Unusual,” and the former money columnist for Self magazine. Her freelance writing has appeared in The New York Times, Parents and other publications.

Laura Kelly is an official Sharpie Guru and proud member of the Sharpie Squad.  Her art is created with Sharpie markers to create bright, bold and simple designs that uplift the human spirit.  Laura says she lives in a world as whimsical as her art. Surrounded by people who share her aspirations to generate joy, happiness and empowerment in a vibrant, organized environment, she fills notebook after notebook with playful Sharpie drawings inspired by everyday images: a child chasing a butterfly, a bouquet of flowers, a pair of cowboy boots, a swirl here and a curl there. Suddenly, a new collection is born.   Laura currently licenses her work to companies in a variety of industries including gift, stationery, gourmet food and home décor as well as bank products.  She also owns her wholesale company, Laura Kelly Designs, which manufactures stationery products for stores around the country. When she isn’t working on her licensable portfolio, you will find her painting, baking, gardening, playing with clay or making stuff out of recycled stuff.  She is also a active member of the Greeting Card Association, Craft and Hobby Association where she serves of the Trend Team and a delegate to the National Stationery Show.

Erin of Things Moms Like, a popular review and giveaway blog, is the mother of two (6 and 13).  She has worked as an event planner and promoter.  She is frequently speaks at parenting conferences all over the country and enjoys traveling.  Erin enjoys offering fabulous contests and honest reviews to parents all over the world with her blog.  She uses Sharpies daily!

Kristin is the mother to Kai and Brooklin, a newborn and four year old spunky girl. She’s a busy full time college student living in Oregon.  She chronicles the daily life of just another Ordinary Mom. Kristin and Del love to share their journey as a family. Together they spend time learning and growing as a family. Kristin is the owner of Our Ordinary Life; a blog in which she talks about her journey through life as a Mom, and college student. She enjoys keeping it real and always has an opinion about something. Since her second daughter was just born Kristin has been busy with her ever changing family.   Kristin has been featured and works along side many wonderful companies. She’s always sharing what her family finds useful and is involved in many projects around the blogpshere. She is one of Frito Lay’s Fab 15 moms and is also one of the lucky Frigidare Test Drive Moms. You can also find her tweeting away on Twitter with her fellow moms who blog.

Linsey Knerl is the mom behind Lille’ Punkin Reviews and is always on the lookout for the next best thing when it comes to making her life easier. As a free resource for parents and friends of parents, Knerl offers regular, unbiased opinions of a variety of family-friendly items.

Lauri Harrison is founder of MomToBeDepot.com and is a blogger for several media sites including Working Mother magazine and Examiner.com. She’s the mom of a tot and a teenager and informs parents about great new products. 

Travis Todd creates sharpie art on everyday objects from lunch boxes to automobiles.  He even carries a sharpie on his key chain where ever he goes in case he wants to create “instant art”.  He has become renowned on the online automotive forum community for his creations on the hood of his “Sharpie Artcar”.  He has developed his own style that is a blend of elegant scroll work and graffiti style art.  He says that people tend to see what they want to see in his artwork.  You can find some of his works on his Flickr page @ www.flickr.com/spdu4ia.

Lunchbagart.com is where Derek Benson shares the designs he creates on his kids’ lunch bags every day with intricate drawings of cartoons, super heroes and a variety of other artwork. During his own lunch breaks in San Diego, California, where he creates art for video games, Benson uses Sharpies to create his unique designs. His drawings have been featured in Parents magazine and can be seen on his blog or via his twitter account.

Mark Rivard is known for his skateboard art covering a wide variety of genres and designs. Based out of Breckenridge, Colorado, Rivard’s work has been seen in exhibitions around the world, including shows in Belgium, Denver, Detroit, Seattle and New York City. Rivard takes his Sharpies with him while traveling to teach and inspire with art.  

Jon E. Nimetz and his website, superfineart.com, are both based out of Venice, California, where Jon is a producer, marketer and advertising producer. He is known for his loud personality and passionate style that he emphasizes in his art. He uses a combination of acrylic paint and Sharpie paint markers to create nature-inspired paintings that are both unique and self-expressive.

Jeffrey Fulvimari began his illustration career in 1993 with commissions for Barney’s New York and Interview magazine. He went on to work in all aspect of printed media, and his illustrations have been animated on Nickelodeon, MTV and VH-1, The Food Network, and in numerous television commercials in Japan. He has also produced a broad range of licensed goods in Japan, with popular product lines launched in the United States, the UK, France, Italy, Mexico, and other territories.

Check. It. Out. These kids are kool!  They are The Chi-Town Finest Breakers.  According to their dad, Henry Borjas (a popular DJ on Chicago’s westside), they are the world’s youngest professional breakdancers.

The group is a brother-sister act made up of B-boy Lil Ozone, age 12; B-girl Spinderella, 9; B-boy Lil Turbo, 8; and Boy Crazzy Legz, 7.

Now here’s what makes them super cool in my book.  When DJ Dad Henry contacted me, they had already perfected their Sharpie Spin. This is where B-girl Spinderella performs an amazing feat – she head spins while writing completely legible words with a Sharpie at the same time. It takes a while to get to the big payout on the video, but so worth the wait.  

It also just so happens they are famous!  The group was recently selected for second round auditions for America’s Got Talent.  You’ve got my vote, CTFB!

The group is based in Chicago (Sharpie’s hometown!) and has opened for several famous rap artists, including Common, Q-Tip, Busta Rhymes and more.  They’ve been getting lots of local media attention, too. DJ Dad Henry says he hopes his kids are sending a positive message about staying off the streets and staying motivated in a positive way through dancing and performing arts. 

I want a cool name like Spinderella. 

For more information on the group or to book a gig, email chi_townfinestbreakers@yahoo.com.

Check. It. Out. These kids are kool!  They are The Chi-Town Finest Breakers.  According to their dad, Henry Borjas (a popular DJ on Chicago’s westside), they are the world’s youngest professional breakdancers.

The group is a brother-sister act made up of B-boy Lil Ozone, age 12; B-girl Spinderella, 9; B-boy Lil Turbo, 8; and Boy Crazzy Legz, 7.

Now here’s what makes them super cool in my book.  When DJ Dad Henry contacted me, they had already perfected their Sharpie Spin. This is where B-girl Spinderella performs an amazing feat – she head spins while writing completely legible words with a Sharpie at the same time. It takes a while to get to the big payout on the video, but so worth the wait.  

It also just so happens they are famous!  The group was recently selected for second round auditions for America’s Got Talent.  You’ve got my vote, CTFB!

The group is based in Chicago (Sharpie’s hometown!) and has opened for several famous rap artists, including Common, Q-Tip, Busta Rhymes and more.  They’ve been getting lots of local media attention, too. DJ Dad Henry says he hopes his kids are sending a positive message about staying off the streets and staying motivated in a positive way through dancing and performing arts. 

I want a cool name like Spinderella. 

For more information on the group or to book a gig, email chi_townfinestbreakers@yahoo.com.

Now before you start thinking Sharpie has has gone all gallery on you, I want you to know we haven’t forgotten where we came from.  Sharpie began as a permanent way to label things — exciting stuff, I know — things like storage containers and gym clothes, tools and lunch boxes, folders and CDs.  Not exactly art, but ask anybody who has ever had to label something, and you’ll get a Sharpie endorsement on the spot.  That same permanent feature also helped catapult Sharpie into the glamorous world of celebrity.  Today every A, B, C (and D list – can’t forget Kathy Griffin) celebrity on the planet uses Sharpie markers to sign autographs (a special thanks to football’s T.O. who helped things along during Sharpie-Gate).  That’s a pretty big resume for a little ol’ marker, and some of the Sharpie stuff we’ll be talking about here too.

(If you really want to wrap your head around all this Sharpie business, check out Sharpie Nation).

I could talk Sharpie all day but the boss knows that’s too much fun so I’m turning this blog over to you.  If you’ve got something cool you’d like to share about Sharpie, just drop me a note on the contact page.  Don’t be shy.  We mean it when we say “Write Out Loud!”

Thanks for visiting and come back soon!