KickstARTer: our pick of crowd-funded art projects for May
The world's biggest painting of outhouses, Japanese metalwork explained, a piece examining the lives of Malaysian students living in the USA, and a hardbound book dedicated to the "art of weightlifting" are among our picks of Kickstarter's art projects finishing this May.
Morbid Anatomy Museum
Ends: May 3
A Brooklyn museum intended to serve as a public display, preservation house, and tribute to "liminal artifacts, art, and ideas" connected with the conservation of materials left behind by the earth's departed.
Lowest physical reward tier: $1, a thank you postcard and website credit
Sample reward: $25, admission for two (usually $10 each) plus Morbid Anatomy Anthology book, postcard, credit
kickstarter.com/projects/1038582734/the-morbid-anatomy-museum
Bamboo Bicycles Beijing
Ends: May 7
Part urban transportion, part practical art piece, the project of BBB is to connect people literally, socially, environmentally and in conversation by outfitting them with the skills needed to produce DIY two-wheelers.
Lowest physical reward tier: $10, 10 Bamboo Bicycles Beijing postcards plus handwritten thank you note
Sample reward: $350, priority place on Build Your Own Bike list
kickstarter.com/projects/dwang/bamboo-bicycles-beijing
Outhouse Island
Ends: May 8
Michigan artist John Leben is hoping to create the world's biggest painting of outhouses -- those small, one person toilets -- and display the resulting 20-foot-tall digital diptych during this September's ArtPrize festival and competition in Grand Rapids.
Lowest physical reward tier: $10, top half of diptych printed on archival quality paper
Sample reward: $190, 12x12 and 12x24 diptych, unframed
kickstarter.com/projects/390452798/outhouse-island
Japanese Metalwork Technique by Ford Hallam
Ends: May 20
"The first volume of a series of 7 books that will present for the first time in any language, even Japanese, a comprehensive introduction to Japanese decorative metalwork techniques, materials and processes."
Lowest physical reward tier: £30 ($50), unsigned copy of the book, online access to HD film footage, website credit, laminated bookmark (£15 postcard tier also available).
Sample reward: £90 ($151), signed copy of the book, online access to HD film footage, website credit, laminated bookmark, 5 art postcards of Ford Hallam's work, 1 8"x10" limited edition HQ art print of backer's choice.
kickstarter.com/projects/525883510/japanese-metalwork-technique-by-ford-hallam
Sederhana: Documenting Malay Women studying in America
Ends: May 26
An American at Rochester Institute of Technology examines the strong bonds between Malaysian students who, like her, have been studying away from home for the first time -- but in this case on the other side of the world, carrying familiar traditions into a foreign culture. Has already resulted in multimedia piece "In Accordance with the Sun."
Lowest physical reward tier: $30, 8"x10" photographic print of your choice ($10 Malaysian postcard tier also available)
Sample reward: $100, limited edition travelogue book
kickstarter.com/projects/1831432725/sederhana-documenting-malay-women-studying-in-amer
You Are Here - Coast-to-Coast
Ends: May 26
Original 1950s archival pigment print maps of cities across the USA overlaid with images of modern-day urban icons, expanding on the original gallery exhibit from Portland-based artists Lyn Nance-Sasser and Stephen Sasser.
Lowest physical reward tier: $5, 1 button badge ($5 extra for postage outside USA)
Sample reward: $120, 4 ready-to-frame prints of your choice from existing collection of 32, website credit
kickstarter.com/projects/1727813388/you-are-here-coast-to-coast
The Art of Weightlifting
Ends: May 31
Asian-American strength and conditioning coach Diane Fu provides the insight for this look at "theories behind the seemingly simple, but deeply mysterious two moves that lifters around the world and in every culture have been perfecting since the late 19th century - the 'clean and jerk' and the 'snatch.'"
Lowest physical reward tier: $30, hardbound book
Sample reward: $200, hardbound book, wristwraps, tank top, exclusive access to AoW animation, original portrait.
kickstarter.com/projects/1731468517/the-art-of-weightlifting
