Tim has played everywhere and toured, recorded, performed and played with everyone. Don't make us drop names! 

Tim Easton w/ Megan Palmer
Sunday, May 19 2013
7:30PM doors, 8PM show
18+ | $6 | BYO 

Buy advance tickets at brownpapertickets.com. 

Tim's website.

Don't miss one of the country's best songwriters, in the city's best room.

The redesign of CB's site coincided with their move into The Harrison on Jefferson Boulevard. BFA Commercial Photography did some incredible work on the images throughout the project. They captured the wide open spaces, architecture and contemporary atmosphere that both the new Carson Boxberger website and the new Carson Boxberger workspace are great representations of.

Summer Session will take place on Wednesday, May 8 and Thursday, May 9 from 6:30–8:30PM. Don't worry—the programming is the same each night, and interested students only need to enroll in one of the nights. The price is $15, and while attendees will receive a pretty epic goodie bag, the better news is that we will be donating all proceeds to the AFFW scholarship fund.

Why are we doing this?

Every year, we receive emails, portfolios, packages, even visits from enterprising young students. Most often, they're seeking an internship with the design and production team at OLG. We receive A LOT of these inquiries.

And yet we haven't offered an internship on that side of our business for several years.

Fact is, we're a medium-sized, smallish company that is, at times, unbearably hard-charging. Back when we offered design internships, we struggled to feel that we were giving the students the attention, and opportunity, that we felt they deserved.

So, we came up with other ways to interact with students. We'd visit their classes. Do one-off portfolio reviews. Correspond with 'em on email. Most recently, judge their pitches. Every one of those interactions was valuable for the students and, indeed, for us.

We just felt like maybe there was a way to reach more students, and have a bit more consideration and polish with the information we're sharing. (Bear in mind: polish is a relative term.)

And now we introduce Summer Session. This will be a fun night, with a boutique tour, Q&A, interactive presentations from the OLG team and more.

So come on—enroll! Summer school was never quite like this.

Advanced registration is required. Space is limited and on a first-come, first-served basis. Enrollment will begin at 7AM EST on Monday, April 22nd. Sign up below.

– MK

Please choose which evening session you would like to attend (programming is the same each night):

• Wednesday, May 8 from 6:30–8:30PM
• Thursday, May 9 from 6:30–8:30PM

My good friends, Jenni and Steve Vorderman, were so incredibly kind to let me use their photography from the trip for the website. I hope you get to see a little of what we experienced in Kenya and why I can’t wait to return.

Here are some cliff notes if you just want to read a couple stories (And I definitely don't blame you. There's quite a bit in this thing)—

The stories that I think capture how my heart was changed—how I fell in love with Kenya:
- Homepage
- Welcomed at The Seeds Academy
- Our Visit to Kipsongo
- On Being Home

The stories about the boy I'll never forget—Ezekiel:
- The Day I Met Ezekiel
- The Bus to the Orphanage
- Saying Goodbye
- Last paragraph of Being Home

Click to read "Finding Hope in Kipsongo."

Over the past few months, we've developed a few new publications for our friends at AWS/Benchmark — companies that help children and adults with disabilities live as independently as possible, be included in the community and reach their maximum potential. While based here in Fort Wayne, they work with state and local governments across the country, employing more than 3,000 people and caring for the needs of more than 8,500 people (click here for an impressive list of their current locations).

Their growth is a testament to the good work they do. In many locations, they are helping budget-strapped, understaffed State governments care for the critical needs of people with special needs. And thanks to AWS/Benchmark, thousands of people with disabilities are able to play an active role in their community, sometimes even holding jobs and making a living rather than being confined to an institution. 

Prior to our involvement with AWS in 2009, their logo and visual branding had already been established. And in 2010, we began working with Benchmark mid-way through a logo redesign. AWS has a huge back catalog of printed publications and now we're designing new pieces that must relate to these old brochures while introducing touches of Benchmark's branding. 

Melding the two distinct brands, disparately developed, has been a rewarding challenge. Starting with the deep teal of AWS and the bright cyan hughes of Benchmark, we expanded the palette by adding warm neutral tones and subtle pops of yellow for balance. 

Seen here is the flagship brochure for AWS/Benchmark — a simple, clean 11x17 bi-fold. It's printed on a smooth, uncoated white sheet for a very nice tactile feel — no glossy corporate booklet here. The piece balances the results-oriented business backbone of AWS with the the warm, appealing results that come from tenderly caring for the needs of those with disabilities.

Additionally, we developed bookmarks and stickers introducing the partnership of the two corporations. These items were inserted into legacy publications that are still being used. 

No Place Like Home

Another project that recently came off the presses was a new brochure for HomePointe Healthcare service, a service line developed by AWS. Homepointe specializes in home-based healthcare for children with chronic health issues and severe disabilities. Most potential clients will be introduced to Homepointe by means of their physician. Physicians receive a slough of literature from similar companies in the same market to pass on to consumers. The brochure is the first and, possibly, the only point of contact Homepointe may have with potential customers, so it better be good. 

To help HomePointe stand apart from the competition, we used a high quality metallic paper, oversized dimensions, and rounded off the corners. The warm, candid photo style conveys the compassionate care HomePointe nurses provide. The finished piece has the quality feel you'd expect from AWS, with an added touch of softness and texture that will catch the attention of concerned parents and caregivers. 

You may notice there is a smaller tri-fold counterpart in the images. These brochures may be placed in a standard brochure rack in healthcare facilities across the region, so we created the smaller tri-fold to fit in any sized container. It also can be economically mailed in a standard #10 envelope.

We love working with AWS/Benchmark. These noble organizations do a lot of good, and we're proud to have them based here in Fort Wayne and making a difference across the country.

 
(Fort Wayne, IN) One Lucky Guitar, Inc. (OLG), recently received praise for the work they produced for both local and regional clients at the 2013 ADDY Awards, presented by the American Advertising Federation of Fort Wayne. Recognized for projects across the board—from print campaigns to video animations—the awards highlight the capabilities of the local design & marketing boutique.

Of the nine winning entries, OLG received five Gold ADDY Awards and four Silver ADDY Awards for clients: American Specialty Insurance, Arts United of Greater Fort Wayne, Downtown Improvement District, Fort Wayne Philharmonic, Lutheran Health Network, and Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership. The winning entries will advance to the district level and complete against other winning entries from Illinois, Indiana and Michigan.

In addition to the Gold and Silver ADDY Awards, OLG was selected as one of nine Judge’s Choice winners for their video animation series crafted for American Specialty Insurance’s NCAA Group Insurance Program.

OLG’s wins included:

• Judge’s Choice for American Specialty’s NCAA Group Insurance Program animation series
• Gold ADDY Award for Lutheran Health Network’s print magazine campaign in the Consumer or Trade Publications category
• Gold ADDY Award for Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership’s Your Story Made Here website in the Digital Advertising: Website category
• Gold ADDY Award for Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership’s Your Story Made Here video campaign in the Digital Advertising: Campaign category
• Gold ADDY Award for American Specialty Insurance’s NCAA Group Insurance Program animation in the Digital Advertising: Webisode category
• Gold ADDY Award for Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership’s Your Story Made Here TV campaign in the Local Television: Campaign category
• Silver ADDY Award for Lutheran Health Network’s network TV campaign in the Local Television: Campaign category
• Silver ADDY Award for the Downtown Improvement District’s HollyPop! poster in the Advertising for the Arts & Sciences, Collateral: Poster category
• Silver ADDY for Arts United of Greater Fort Wayne’s Dessert IV: The Taste of the Arts Afterparty poster in the Advertising for the Arts & Sciences, Collateral: Poster category
• Silver ADDY Award for the Fort Wayne Philharmonic’s PSA campaign in the Public Service Campaign: Single Medium category

Just like the clothing itself, we wanted to make the most of the current patterns and colors, infusing them into the design alongside a story that captures the soul of the brand—a brand that prides itself on being "unpredictable." We started by creating a logo that felt like it could be seen inside the popular General Store in Good Hart. The pillow-y heart shape follows on the tradition of previous work with lines like House of Clouds and the hand-lettering is becoming more visible in their current communications. The content contains an eclectic mix of provided candid vacation photos, inspirational materials and a few snapshots of girls sporting the new line. We printed this 12-pager on thick linen stock to give it a nice, substantial feel.

I also thought it'd enhance the privileged/sneak peak feeling by creating a unique/custom wrap for the piece. There's a new pattern in the line involving a peach tree so I took cues from that and developed a flowing ring of leaves that when die-cut makes a unique shape that locks together at the front of the moodbook. I think it is a good contrast with the teal color on the cover.

Good Hart launches on March 1st.

A couple months ago I was part of a dozen or so people invited on a river cruise by the Regional Partnership and Fort Wayne Outfitters. Ostensibly, the cruise was to show Fort Wayne's three rivers in their best light, so that we might all imagine their possibilities, but the weather did not cooperate. It was a cold, wet, dank and rainy evening. We cruised anyway. At a certain point, our navigator—let's call him Citizen River—pointed the vessel toward a makeshift dock and said we had someone to pick up. Through the fog, I saw a guy striding right out of an Edgar Allan Poe story and toward our boat, like a castaway or a convict. I thought, "Who would be out here on a night like this!?" Sure enough, it was Kelly Lynch, camera in hand, telling stories, cracking wise and making cinematic magic on a cinematic night on a cinematic riverfront that's finally ready to take on its leading role. 

Kelly and his collaborators are behind an idea for downtown Fort Wayne called Headwaters Junction. If you haven't heard about it, check out the site at headwatersjunction.com. And better yet, come hear Kelly pitch it in-person at CitySquared at Founders on Thursday night at 6PM.

This idea? Well it's wild & bold, just the way we like it.

– Matt Kelley

To see highlights from a previous show with Marah, check this out.

I am proudly representing Kentucky. Motto: United we stand. Divided we fall. Why not Indiana? Cause I was born in Illinois and spent my pre-teens in California. Why not either of those? I’ll tell you why.

Some odd number of generations ago, a young Iroquois woman fell in love with a pasture-man in the Appalachia state of Kentucky. Fast forward to the War of 1812—US Navy Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry proclaims, “We have met the enemy and they are ours.” Ancestors of the aforementioned couple would stake claim and raise a family in the Perry County town using the Commodore’s namesake. Hazard. Fast forward to circa 1930. Dick Van Dyke, Gene Hackman and astronaut Joe Tanner are raised in Danville, Illinois. Elsewhere in Danville, a young woman meets the man of her dreams in an assembly line packaging Chuckles candies. She happens to be daughter of the young Iroquois woman through many generations. Fast forward to Danville, Illinois, 1981—son of the Chuckles candy couple and his wife give birth to a boy with two broken legs. Me.

Why am I posting this now? Because Dan recently organized a physical exhibit of the project at the Ace Hotel in Manhattan. And then a couple days ago The Wall Street Journal covered it. Again… so honored to be amidst all the artists in this project.

Notes from Art Director, Nate Utesch:
Once we decided that the parallax of the Fort Wayne/Castlebar hybrid city was gonna stay, there was no question as to whether or not we were going to continue to use the illustrations we'd previously commissioned from our friend, Aaron Minier. We went back to Aaron's original drawings and built the parallax fresh at a slightly larger scale. Amazing how these six-year-old illustrations came back to life without a hitch. And what's even better is we found an unused drawing from Aaron's early concepts. It was of the Anthony Wayne statue at Freimann Square. So we stuck it in there—sitting at approximately 568 feet tall. Enjoy!

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Another new addition to the site is a page that tallies up all the games playing on the major Soccer networks. JKO's has proudly become an incredible spot for watching the games that ESPN and the broadcast networks aren't playing day-to-day. You can now click through to LiveSoccerTV's daily schedule for exact matches and local times.

We've got more to share, but…let's meet for a Speckled Hen and move the conversation to a more comfortable environment, eh?

Well, the desks have moved, and the space has come alive. We're calling it The B-Side at One Lucky Guitar.

In October, America's last rock & roll band, Marah, played here. And just last month Clem Snide's Eef Barzelay made a memorable return for 50-odd enthralled fans.  

Shows at The B-Side are super-intimate and absolutely one-of-a-kind. We've got so much planned for 2013, and we couldn't be more excited to kick the year off with Stuntman One.

Stuntman is an ambitious project from Mark Hutchins, featuring new songs plus new takes on stuntman-themed tunes that have appeared on Vandolah and MH solo releases since 2003. This project will evolve over 2013 through recording and performance with an incredible roster of friends and guests.

Stuntman One will present the songs in their raw, initial draft forms. Featuring Mark Hutchins, Dan Greunke, Lee Andrews, Casey Neal and Kevin Hambrick.

Friday, January 18 2013,
7:30 doors, 8PM music
$5, 18+, BYO 

Advanced tickets recommended at BrownPaperTickets.com. 

RSVP and invite your friends on the Facebook.

We look forward to seeing you on The B-Side!

OLG received a merit award in the online promotions category for the animated video series it produced along side American Specialty Insurance. The videos were created to promote their NCAA Group Insurance Program and were embedded into an e-marketing campaign. The series featured a retro-arcade feel and sported a pixel-precious hero. Along with the animation, OLG specially produced a chip-tune soundtrack for the adventure. The result was an incredibly different way of looking at something that is usually not associated with the word “fun”—insurance.

Our work on this project consisted of several elements: 1) naming the initiative, 2) designing a logo, 3) building an informational website for the community and volunteers, and 4) developing an advertising campaign consisting of print ads, TV commercials and outdoor. The winning name, Learn United, quickly rose to the top of our list (we came up with several dozen options) because it complemented United Way's national Live United campaign.

The logo uses the established Trade Gothic typeface of the national United Way branding, but wrapped in circular bands of color that represent the cooperation and involvement of the entire community that's needed to make this initiative a success. The circular shapes are also a nod to the circular bars that rise up from an open hand in the national United Way logo. 

So what is Learn United? It's a 10-year initiative designed to ensure that every child who graduates third grade in Allen County can read at or above their grade level. Third grade is a transitional year for children; it's when they switch from learning-to-read and begin reading-to-learn. Importantly, research indicates that kids who struggle with reading in third grade will likely continue to struggle throughout their educational career. As curriculums advance, these children fall further and further behind. The Learn United project was designed to bolster support for educators and parents who are helping children who struggle with their reading skills, with 3rd grade being the primary measuring point.

The effects of this campaign reach far into the community. Consider this chain of events: children who read at grade level by third grade are statistically likely to fare much better through their remaining years of school. This means they'll be more likely to graduate and attain a degree or certificate of higher learning which, in turn, helps them achieve a satisfying, well-paying career. As the education level of our community's workforce improves, the talent pool of our region will grow and attract more entreprenuership and business investment (this coincides nicely with the goals of the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership's initiatives like the Made Here campaign and Vision 2020). All this business investment fuels our regional economy which, in turn, leads to a better quality of life for people of all ages in Allen County and northeast Indiana.

Grade school reading skills are the catalyst for all of this progress. When kids read well, everyone wins. If our kids aren't reading well, the entire chain of events comes to a halt. 

The focus of the Learn United campaign was to raise awareness and attract volunteers. Children need help from tutors and to see grown-ups from all walks of life embracing reading. In creating our TV commercials with John Hartman (2010 series) and Punch Films (2011 series), we saw the process in action as business owners, busy professionals, entrepreneurs and community leaders wholeheartedly embraced the initiative. We didn't need to hire actors, we used real moms, dads, teachers, grandparents and kids. We wrote a loose script for some of the voice overs, but beyond that we just put the kids and volunteers together and started rolling the cameras. We think we capture some real magic, too.

Of course, being so close to the project, we couldn't help but get involved as well. A few OLG'ers signed up for Real Men Read, one of Learn United's many volunteer programs, and spent a few days each month reading stories to second and third graders — and still do. It's easy to forget how much kids love a good story; they hang on every word. Seeing a grown-up stranger take time out of their busy day to come in their class and read to them means more to a child than many people realize — especially for children of a single-mother home. It sends a message: Reading is important. It's cool. It's something that we should all be good at. This kind of volunteering leaves an impression on the volunteer and the kids that can last a lifetime.

There's so much more to tell about the people involved in this project and incredible experiences we enjoyed. So, to close this post, here's a stream of photography of cute kids and awesome community volunteers. Check out that note from one child to his volunteer, "...you mean a lot to my heart." Wow, even if that was the only child affected, it would be enough. Fortunately, United Way's Learn United volunteers have reached thousands.

And yet, there’s a void. I admit I sense a lack of appreciation for as many specific artists and albums this year. It makes me wonder if the sheer availability and accessibility of so much music at once diminishes the experience somehow. It remains to be seen if or how I continue to use Spotify in 2013, especially since it's come to light that Spotify and other streaming services don't appropriately compensate musicians. 

This has been a topic of conversation quite a bit at OLG, which is why we’re currently on a no-digital-music-only-vinyl policy as we wind down 2012. It’s awesome, but more on that another day. Right now I'd like to share a few notable 2012 albums that have risen to the top of my playlist, be it in Spotify, iTunes, Google Music or other. Here they are:

Chromatics - Kill for Love
Hands down, this my favorite album of the year. Dark and moody. Soundtrack to a city at night. The sounds and melodies are so simple and patient in their delivery. I listen to it while I write, while I draw, when I sleep, in the background while friends are hanging out. I’m listening to it right now. Favorite Track: Into the Black

Beach House - Bloom
Wow. Just wow. What a gorgeous album. Every song is like a film. Her voice, oh her voice. It's like a warm blanket. I change my mind, maybe this is my favorite album of the year. Favorite Track: Myth

A.C. Newman - Shut Down the Streets
I loved this album from my very first listen, but I didn't think it was favorite-of-2012-list-material. No way, not this one. And then it grew on me. I’d be a little worn out from other music, needing a palette cleanser — something fun to listen to. Shut Down the Streets hit the spot every time; fun is exactly what this album is. Lighthearted and free. It makes me want it to be summertime really badly. Favorite Track: I’m Not Talking

M. Ward - A Wasteland Companion
I loved this one from the start, too, and somehow promptly forgot about it. But when the cold winds came in, the album came back to keep me warm. I love M. Ward. Truly one of my favorite musicians. And I love his style: chilled, fine to be in the background, and a little goofy, too. Just a little. Wish I had a head of hair and a voice of gold like his. Favorite Track: Wild Goose 

Brian Eno - Lux
Everything I love about Brian Eno is here in the focused ambient journey. A brilliant sonic landscape. This one reminded me of his masterpiece Ambient 1 / Music for Airports. Do not operate heavy machinery while listening — though I think the mechanisms of some metal construction equipment digging a whole or clearing a building would probably be pretty amazing juxtaposed with these songs. Favorite Track: All of them

House of Bread - Hypnic Jerk *
This was a latecomer for me — I just started listening to it during the final weeks of December. After only a short while, I can honestly say this is easily one of the most listenable albums of the year for me. A great palette of sounds gently layered up in each track, but nothing is overdone. It’s a dreamy album. It soars high and makes you feel good when you listen to it. Favorite Track: Blush On

* This album is an amendment to the list — added a week or so after the initial post. Sorry for the late change, but it was too good to leave off the list.

And that’s it for my year. The cool thing is so many other sites are posting their best-of 2012 lists — it’s helping me find a ton of amazing music I missed throughout the year. That gives me plenty to listen to until the new Yo La Tengo is released in February. Maybe I'll come back and revise this list after I give them all an earnest listen. 

A portion of the Partnership's relationships focuses on contacts with site selectors. These are the folks around the country that can help sway growing companies where to relocate, build new facilities and so on. Obviously, it's important to make a good impressions with these folks. While it would be fine to send a standard gift of treats from the region, it makes sense to "one-up" the deliverable and give them something that's not only nice and tasty but also provides some level of education.

The result was to develop a 3-D puzzle composed of four clear, plastic cubes. This provided us the opportunity to make six different designs on a printed and constructed paperboard box that was placed inside each cube. Within each cube, we placed a different local treat, from hand-made popcorn to cookies. Most of the art tells a fact about our workforce or educational opportunities. 

The cubes along with a holiday card were placed festively in a custom blue box for shipping. We hope there's a lot of desks across the country with our puzzle cubes, reminding people of our amazing 10 counties!

Bottleneck Gallery
60 Broadway, Ground Floor
Brooklyn, NY 11249

Last year I was super lucky to be asked to contribute a piece to the online gallery called Silver Screen Society. SSC curates artists to create one-off pieces inspired by a new film every month. Over the last several months, Silver Screen Society has been working with 60 artists from their roster for a three week exhibit opening tonight. It's called "Alternate Ending" and it's at the Bottleneck Gallery in Brooklyn. Here's Bottleneck's message about the show:

The movie I selected was "The Wizard of Oz."

But times are a-changin'. Over the last couple years, Apple has challenged the way we use digital books. First with digital magazine subscriptions and earlier this year with interactive textbooks that completely change the learning experience. All of a sudden these books now offer wildly different things than a printed page can do. They merge our interactive experiences with what we use to know about digital books. Books with quizzes and tests, animation, Keynote slides and full screen videos. And what's more, they coupled it all with a free authoring application (iBooks Author) so we can all do it on our own. iBooks Author will be a year old this January and as of the end of October has been updated to 2.0.

As a companion to the Your Story Made Here campaign (launched October 1st) we worked on a very limited run of full-color, hardcover books. Don't get me wrong—it's gorgeous—but with all that went into this campaign it seemed only fitting to also build it into an iBook. One that could allow the user to pan through slideshows and watch full-screen video along with the stories captured for the campaign. We were pretty proud to get our feet wet while iBooks Author 2.0 was still in its infancy. You can pick it up from iTunes for FREE here. Along the way we discovered a slew of iBooks that turned the digital book experience on its head. Here are some of the stars of the show.

DC Comics

DC Entertainment is officially one of the first major publishers of comics to make their monthly titles available digitally. They even have their own app for managing and downloading the issues. This poses numerous struggles for me both as a comic reader and a lover of print… but I have to say it's pretty remarkable. The user interface for navigating the page and viewing each panel is unique to any other iBook.

The Beatles Yellow Submarine

I may have been the last person on the internet to finally download this but in the words of Drew Kora, "holy cats" it was incredible. And jam packed with all the goodness of the 60's animated feature. Each page is full of lyrics, clips from the movie, interactive animations and silly sound effects. Although it's meant for a younger audience—and whether you're a Beatles fan or not—this was a fun time.

The Magic of Reality

The Magic of Reality is a brilliant example of an iBook that brings a different experience to the user with each read. You are able to literally touch and interact with the storyline through hands-on science projects (e.g. a simulation of the effects of heat and gravity, genetically altering frogs and playing with light and prisms right on the screen). The whole read felt like being a kid in a science museum.

Numberlys

Numberlys is a vertical children's book with games along the way for little ones. A game, within a book within a whimsical black and white adventure, about the origin of our known alphabet.

Treasure Island

I feel a little partial to this one because my friend, Tymn Armstrong, is an illustrator for its publisher, Space Dog Books. But all biases aside, I can't wait to have little babies and read this thing to 'em. From the Space Dog Books crew: "Voyage from the Admiral Benbow to Skeleton Island by tapping, rotating, swiping, and shaking to uncover images, audio, and animation as part of an enhanced reading experience."

Kooky

This is an interesting concept. A popular video game developer from the Czech Republic, Amanita Design, has produced a feature film that combines puppet animation, stop motion and live action—and released it as a digital book on the iTunes store. So there's not much to really say here about the interactivity of the piece, but using iTunes as the vehicle for releasing a film is quite bizarre. And very cool. And the trailer is more than worth a watch.