Thanks for buying Blik on Earth Day! For every package you purchased, we planted a tree. Because of you, we planted over 500 native pine, fir and cedar trees in the Plumas National Forest in the Sierra Nevada mountains of Northern California. The over 500 trees will help reduce 5,000 pounds of pollutants from the air every year. You guys rock! This certificate from the Arbor Day Foundation goes out to you.

Giant Robot Magazine needs your help! All Giant Robot wall graphics are 20% at Blik for one week, April 29 through May 6. For every package of Giant Robot purchased, Blik will donate 100% of the proceeds to support our friends at Giant Robot.

For more than 15 years, Giant Robot Magazine has been documenting, promoting, and growing Asian and Asian American pop culture. In order to continue publishing, Giant Robot needs to raise $60,000. Buy a pack and help a robot out!

If you are a Blik fan in LA, join us on Saturday night at the Viva La Art! benefit party: Art, Drinks & Music Spring ‘10. The big draw of the night is the silent art auction featuring work from 30 artists including upcoming Blik artist, Sarah Joncas.

Blik is a partner in the event and has donated five sets of graphics from Hannah Stouffer, Saelee Oh, Joe Ledbetter and Jeremy Fish for the night’s raffle.

Viva La Art is a non-profit organizing and empowering the art/music community to promote education, activism and fundraising for socially responsible charities in Los Angeles. All proceeds from Saturday night benefit Homeboy Industries, a charity assisting at-risk youths in Los Angeles.

The party starts at 8pm at the Xbar @ the Hyatt Regency in Century City. Tickets are a $20 donation. For more details, visit http://www.vivalaart.org/

As we’ve told you over the past few weeks, Blik was a proud sponsor of Manifest Equality which closed last Sunday in Hollywood. We had the pleasure of working with organizers Yosi Sergant and Apple Via to help transform the raw space into a sprawling, pop-up art gallery with more than 200 artists including street artists Robbie Conal, Swoon and Shepard Fairey, and illustrative painters Barry McGee, Gary Baseman and Elizabeth McGrath. Plus one of our favorites – the JUSTICE Mural by El Mac, Retna and Kofie. Watch the time lapse installation video.

The five-day show was a smashing success with 10,000 people trekking through the gallery to see art in addition to great musical lineups that included Fitz and The Tantrums, Sea Wolf, Ben Lee and Crystal Method.

While Manifest Equality has ended, the fight for full and equal rights still marches on. Visit Courage Campaign to find out more about repealing Proposition 8.

Manifest Equality Shop graphics

Equality Arrow

Spray-painted mural by Retna, El Mac & Kofie

As Manifest Equality prepares for its VIP opening tonight, we are thrilled to present a sneak peek of the space. Blik proudly transformed the raw space into a massive pop-up art exhibition that goes live tonight with events continuing through Sunday.

We created the exterior banner for the giant sign outside; a quote “with certain unalienable rights, that among these are … liberty and the pursuit of happiness” that wraps around the interior of the space (pictured); interior and exterior graphics for the onsite shop; the logo/entrance wall that proclaims Manifest Equality’s mission statement and an exterior “Equality” arrow on Vine (pictured.)

“Being a part of Manifest Equality has been a tremendous experience for Blik,” said Scott Flora, co-founder of Blik. “The high caliber of artists involved have created an inspiring visual call to action that speak volumes about the fight for equal rights.”

The Manifest Equality gallery will be open to the public, March 3-7. Visit http://www.manifestequality.com/ for more details.

Today we trekked to Hollywood and toured the Manifest Equality gallery. Blik will be helping transform the raw space into a pop-up art gallery showcasing over 200 artists. We can’t wait to show you the finished space in a few weeks; below is a sneak peek of the before. Fun fact: the space was formerly used to house Oscar statues.

Lead by the Yosi Sergant of Taskforce, the gallery will gather an array of the nation’s most talented visual artists under one roof to celebrate and demand full and equal rights for all Americans. Taskforce’s mission is to give voice to the voiceless and to utilize art and creative thinking to engage the country for progressive action. We are proud to support Taskforce in their effort to engage a community of independent artists to make change in America.

The Manifest Equality gallery will be open to the public, March 3rd - March 7th, 2010. Check out http://www.manifestequality.com/ for more details.

Judges Jerinne Neils, Scott Flora + Christina Cody

Our friends and neighbors at the Boys & Girls Club of Venice invited our very own Scott Flora and Jerinne Neils, along with Christina Cody from Storyboards, Inc., to adjudicate at the Fine Arts Exhibit, part of their, “No Strings Attached” Art Show this past January 15th. Winners from this local competition will be submitted to the Pacific Regional Fine Arts Judging & Exhibit in Kennewick, WA and could go on to the National Fine Arts Exhibit, displayed at BGCA’s annual National Conference. The judges were responsible for selecting nominees, based on the age of the member, skill and artistic sensibility expressed in their work. Out of 50 entries, 4 pieces from the exhibit were selected. Jerinne shared, “Scott and I had a great time and were thrilled to participate. There are some very talented artists in the Venice club. We’re hopeful that these winners go all the way!” Good luck artists!

"Italy" x Amaya, 9+Under

"My Guardian" x Sophie, 10-12yrs.

"He Sang to Me" x Laura, 13-15yrs.

"Untitled" x Tara, 16-18yrs.

Mod Livin’ is teaming up with several of their favorite manufacturers to bring you mid-centuri(red). Buy any (red) products from select brands through Mod Livin’, and 10% of the sale will go to Global Fund, the international leader in the fight against AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, started by Bono of U2. Some fab participating companies include Alessi, Kartell and Blu Dot. Whether you buy a sofa or a bottle opener, just buy through modlivin.com or from their showroom between 10/26 and 4/26 and choose (red) to support global health.

blik is proud to be a sponsor of Mod Livin’s kick off party and silent auction to be held at their showroom on October 26th. We’ve donated a blik gift certificate to be auctioned off and hope it goes for buckets of money for this great cause–so if you are in or around Denver, be sure to stop in. For more info, go to modlivin.com or midcenturired.org.