The American Folk Art Museum in Manhattan was created to showcase traditional folk art as well as contemporary works from self taught artists from around the world. Like so many places in NYC though, it’s more than it seems! Of course they have constantly updated exhibitions, but they are also a passionate group offering lots of learning opportunities and special live events. One of my favorites? Stop by the Columbus Ave and 66th Street location any Wednesday at noon and you’ll be treated to some free live guitar from jazz musician Bill Wurtzel.
What’s with the American Folk Art coverage, monkeys? Well, of all the neighborhoods to have our first display window, NYC at Columbus Ave and 66th Street at the American Folk Art Museum store near Central Park was just something we dreamed about a few months ago! Yesterday though, we set up the window and even sold a couple bags on the spot! If you’re in Manhattan and stop by the American Folk Art museum location on Columbus and 66th, take a picture in front of the window, we’ll post it here and on our facebook page!
Thanks so much to the generous and passionate people at the American Folk Art museum for their help and support! Now get outside to central park and put the urban grind out of your mind for a few hours NYC friends!
We want to know! How many of you know about QR codes or use them when you see them? They are all the rage in Asia, but as always, late to adoption in the US. We think the time is now!
If you see a QR code, you can take an image of it with your smartphone using a QR Reader. Your phone will then load whatever content the QR code creator wants you to see about the place or thing where you see the code. QuickMark on the iPhone does a great job and is only 0.99 cents. I think there are free versions on the Blackberry and Droid, but you tell us.
Here’s ours for the Esplanade Urban Blanket Bag linking to the demonstration video! What do you think? Will you use QR codes now?
Hey overworked Washington DC and Baltimore people, it’s Memorial Day. Summer is here! I think it’s time to get out of town for the weekend. Consider this your permission slip. Now hop in the car, and head 90 miles west to Shepherdstown, WV and check out the oldest town in West Virginia, stroll German Street, and look out for events going on all summer.
Cool, Monkey Bed’s first little mention on television! Happy picnicking everyone. If you’re in NYC, Urban Blanket Bags can be found at Tent Trails in the financial district and starting mid-next week, at the American Folk Art museum on 66th and Columbus.
May is National Bike Month, but we at Monkey Bed think biking to work is one of the best things you can do for yourself and your community all year. REI asked the other day on their blog, Have You Tried Bike Commuting?, wondering what’s preventing 98.4 percent of Americans from commuting by bike. We won’t drone on here with all the environmental, health, and economic issues it helps address, but lets all nod our heads and acknowledge they are huge before we jump right in to shamelessly bribing you to bike to work.
That’s right, we have a bribe to offer bike commuters! We’ll be developing the next Monkey Bed product this summer on the streets of the northeast and we need your help. We’re looking for people in New England or the Tri-state area who commute to work on their bike, or even bike regularly on the weekends. If you’re already at it, reach out to us by e-mail, by leaving a comment, by tagging a Tweet with #bikecommuter, or leaving a comment on our Facebook page. We’ll get you all the details separately, but you’ll be asked over the summer for things like feedback on ideas and help testing prototypes.
In exchange you’ll get one free final product that you helped develop and a couple coupon codes for friends!
Space is limited, so reach out soon. For those of you wondering if now is the time to give bike commuting a try, it is. Start today and then e-mail, comment, tweet, or facebook us to be included in our small bunch of VIP Monkeys!
Thanks to everyone whose already ordered Urban Blanket Bags our first week out. You’re a bunch of really special monkeys! We’re also so fortunate to be working with some amazing retailers already.
Reports from Tarrytown New York and one of our great retailers, Whimsies Incognito, seem to indicate there are already several people strutting their stuff in the park with some Monkey Bed gear! Whimsies is a great boutique that is, in their own words:
“A fun place somewhere between a gift shop and a gallery.
At Whimsies, it’s not just shopping, it’s retail therapy.”
Stop in and say hi to Jackie at 35 South Broadway in Tarrytown, NY, she loves what she does and it shows in the fun selection and the total experience you’ll find shopping at Whimsies Incognito.
Oh, and if you do find yourself in Tarrytown, perhaps looking for a boost, you must check out Coffee Labs at 7 Main Street for some of the best locally roasted coffee we’ve had in a while!
A crisp beautiful day here in Boston just in time for Mother’s Day and Urban Blanket Bags to go on sale. It’s been a great winter developing the bags with amazing feedback from our community. Thanks so much for the early support and coverage from Urban Sherp and Daily Candy.
“Newton-based design outfit Monkey Bed debuts its line of nylon city-adventure satchels, each containing a water-resistant fleece blanket with room for four.”
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“As fellow Bostonians, we know that when you catch a glimpse of sunshine, you’ve got to get out and take advantage of it.”
We’re going to have a great summer outside, hope you’ll join us!
In advance of putting Urban Blanket Bags on sale, we’re excited to be supporting Minuteman senior services. Minuteman is a local non-profit that provides services for seniors during some of life’s more personally challenging events. Aging is something we so often hide from view in the US so we’re happy to be helping bring senior care issues into focus and supporting a great local organization.
Our mission is to help elders and others with long-term care needs remain in their own homes, safe, comfortable and independent, for as long as they are able, and to support their caregivers as they face the challenges presented by the competing needs of family, work and self. (more)
We just got word that Urban Blanket Bags are on the way! Here are some pics of the boxes as they were prepared for shipping. Why does the FedEx guy suddenly look more like stork to me!
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