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Yeah you read that right, my little brother Justin Mesina can now officially claim that he was in A Spike Lee Joint.

It all started a few months back when I was on the phone with Justin, who lives in the Williamsburg area of Brooklyn, NY, excitedly telling me that Spike was in the hood directly across the street from him taking portrait style photographs of locals. Being a photographer himself, my brother was intrigued and wanted to get in on the action especially since Spike would occasionally shoot a look his way as he scouted the area. Sensing that the Do the Right Thing director would eventually do the right thing and ask him to participate, Justin stayed close by on the phone with me doing his best to feign disinterest just in case Spike would ask him if he was ready for his closeup.

Sure enough, a few minutes later Justin ended our conversation as one of Spike’s associates approached him to talk about the project. What it turned out to be was a collaboration with Absolut featuring Spike’s ode to his beloved BK as well as hip-hop artist Lemon Anderson waxing poetic for the new apple/ginger flavored vodka Absolut Brooklyn.

And that’s how a crook bamboozled his way onto A Spike Lee Joint in the 25th hour. Needless to say, Justin Mesina a.k.a. the inside man, he got game. May as well gratuitously throw in Kobe Doin’ Work too since today is Laker championship parade day here in L.A after all.

Justin straight muggin’ for the man

Also…behind the scenes with Spike coming up with the Absolut Brooklyn commercial concepts.

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Gabriel Reese’s (aka Specter) clever faux-advertising pieces can currently be seen around the streets of Brooklyn as they speak on what’s going on in the community as well as promoting MoCADA’s (Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts) group show The Gentrification of Brooklyn: The Pink Elephant Speaks which opens tomorrow night in, of course, Brooklyn.

Click here to see the entire set of Specter’s ads here via the wonderful Wooster Collective.

More from MoCADA:

“This exhibition, guest curated by Dexter Wimberly, will examine how urban planning, imminent domain, and real estate development are affecting Brooklyn’s communities and how residents throughout the borough are responding. The exhibition will include the works of several Brooklyn-based artists, as well as those who have been forced to relocate as a result of gentrification. In addition to works of art featured at MoCADA, there will be a schedule of public programs taking place throughout Brooklyn.”

Also…Read more about the show including Specter’s thought on the project here from The Brooklyn Paper.

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Yo New York, Michael Rapaport took a break from editing the Tribe film with me out here in LA to head back east to host tonight’s diabetes fundraiser featuring the “funky diabetic” and guest of honor Phife Dawg, along with Ghostface Killah, Talib Kweli, Jay Electronica, Consequence and many more at the Knitting Factory in Brooklyn.

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With the holidays and gift giving seasons upon us, some generous art shows and events are here to lend a helping hand with giveaways, affordable stuffs and comic books.

• The Secret Headquarters hosts a “one night only” evening with acclaimed artist and creator of Hellboy, Mike Mignola, at their Silver Lake comic book store. In addition, “SHQ will also be offering a limited edition Mignola illustrated 3 color letterpress print made specifically for this show. The prints feature never before seen Hellboy artwork by Mike Mignola with color supervision by Dave Stewart.”

• Sonja Rasula once again gives us her uniquely locally independent design show which features direct shopping from over 300 designers and artists, in support of local design as well as our economy, with the UNIQUE LA Holiday Show. Admission not only gets you re-entry through the weekend and a free drink, but also a free tote with exclusive artwork by Shepard Fairey’s Studio No. 1. Also our Gelatobaby friend Alissa Walker will be on hand to help you do the robot, ornaments that is.

• To commemorate the DVD release of our film, Beautiful Losers, director Aaron Rose will be coming on hand to introduce Beautiful Losers Shorts, rare films by the artists and friends of the film. Screening at The Cinefamily on Fairfax, this special presentation features works Mike Mills, Harmony Korine, Thomas Campbell, Geoff McFetridge, Cheryl Dunn, Chris Johanson, Stephen Powers, Spike Jonze, Clare E. Rojas, Tobin Yelland, Jo Jackson and more!

(flyer design once again creatively crafted by Keith Scharwath)

• Giant Robot’s ever affordable cash and carry show is back at GR2 with Post It 4 featuring new work on post its by Gary Baseman, Bob Dob, Evah Fan, Matt Furie, Ryan Heshka, Travis Lampe, Johnny Ryan, Souther Salazar, Deth P. Sun and many, many more. Prices vary between $5.00 and $100.00 - but most pieces priced at $20.00. Limit one piece from each artist on opening night.

• Deck the Halls with Tony Alva for a charitable silent art auction and 4 Year Anniversary Celebration at his Exhibit A Gallery on Fairfax. Featuring artwork from skateboarders Christian Hosoi, Wynn Miller, Mark Gonzalez and many more. RSVP a must!

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This Sunday through next Saturday walk with a street walker, Alissa Walker that is. To commemorate the release of her New York walking guide, City Walks Architecture: New York published by Chronicle Books, the Gelatobaby herself will be taking you on a specially guided walking tour through the mean streets of the Big Apple. On the (free) personally guided tours throughout the week, Alissa will take you through “the fantastic structures left behind by the 1964 World’s Fair” in Queens to a “brisk early morning walk over the Brooklyn Bridge into Manhattan to see New York rising in all its glory” to “a leisurely stroll up New York’s public space pride-and-joy, the converted railway corridor now known as The High Line, recently named to the GOOD 100 as one of the people, projects or places changing our world.” For more take a hike over to Gelatobaby.com

Here’s the full schedule of Alissa Walker’s walking adventures:

Sunday, October 18
A World of Tomorrow in Queens: Space-Age Adventures for Pint-Size Walkers/Pre-Walkers
Sponsored by Core77
Bring the kids (and strollers) for this walk as we wander through the fantastic structures left behind by the 1964 World’s Fair. We’ll be joined by World’s Fair enthusiast and designer Andrew Sloat who will tell us about the ongoing work to preserve the New York State Pavilion. And we’ll end at the New York Hall of Science for a round of Rocket Park Mini Golf ($6 for adults/$5 for children 6+) and astronaut ice cream.
1pm Meet at Willets Point Blvd – Shea Stadium Station [7], Queens

Monday, October 19
Sustainable Skyscrapers: Times Square Goes Green
Sponsored by Worldstudio & SVA MFA in Interaction Design
Join Alissa and a group of special guests, including Glenn Weiss, manager of public art and design for Times Square Alliance, as we learn about the reactive interiors and intelligent materials that make up the Bank of America Tower and six more of the city’s greenest buildings. We’ll find out how this unlikely corner of the city is going green, from low-energy LEDs to pocket parks in closed streets. Then we’ll head to SVA’s Interaction Design HQ for eco-friendly refreshments.
6pm Meet outside the Bank of America Tower at One Bryant Park (corner of Sixth Avenue

& 42nd Street)
8pm Reception at SVA MFA in Interaction Design, 132 W 21 Street, 6th floor

Tuesday, October 20
Official Release Party at Jen Bekman Gallery & Rising Lower East Side Walk
Sponsored by ForYourArt
Join us at Jen Bekman Gallery for drinks, carb-loading and and Hosang Park’s photography, then stroll through the ever-changing Lower East Side with special stops at the New Museum, Red Square, BLUE, the Hotel on Rivington, Storefront for Art & Architecture and more. Then we’ll head back to Jen Bekman Gallery for four special New York-inspired flavors of gelato from il laboratorio del gelato. Purchase a copy on-site and Alissa will sign your favorite neighborhood!
6pm Meet at Jen Bekman Gallery, 6 Spring Street
7-8:30pm Walk through the LES
8:30pm Gelato reception at Jen Bekman Gallery

Wednesday, October 21
The Brooklyn Bridge Before Breakfast
Sponsored by Chronicle Books
Don’t miss this brisk early morning walk over the Brooklyn Bridge into Manhattan to see New York rising in all its glory. And gosh darn it if we don’t find some breakfast ice cream on the other side. We’ll be finished by 8am, just in time for you to head to work.
7am Meet outside the High Street Station [A/C], Brooklyn

Thursday, October 22
Broadway Skyscrapers: How New York Got High
Sponsored by The Architect’s Newspaper
Pack a picnic for this one-hour lunchtime walk that starts at Bowling Green Park and marches up Lower Broadway, revealing the Gossip Girl-worthy back-stabbing backstory behind the battling buildings (and architects) who attempted to keep topping each other during the skyscraper race of the early 1900’s.
12pm Meet outside the Bowling Green Station [4/5]

Friday, October 23
Midtown Modernism: Then & Now
Sponsored by SVA MFA in Design Criticism
Wear your Mad Men finest for this evening walk to see some of the city’s modern masterpieces, as Alissa narrates with excerpts from reviews of each building that were published at the time of completion. Includes the “Slaughter on Sixth,” MoMA, Lever Building, Seagram Building and a few lesser-known/secret spots, followed by Gordon Bunshaft-approved martinis and Mies van der Gelato.
6pm Meet in front of the Time & Life statue at the Time-Life Building, 1271 Avenue of the Americas

Saturday, October 24
The High Line: A Rail Good Idea
Sponsored by GOOD
A leisurely stroll up New York’s public space pride-and-joy, the converted railway corridor now known as The High Line, recently named to the GOOD 100 as one of the people, projects or places changing our world. We’ll also be gawking at the spanking-new architecture sprouting up around New York’s “Starchitect Row,” followed by gelato in the shape of Frank Gehry’s InterActiveCorp Building. Kids absolutely welcome!
11am Meet at the southern terminus of the High Line, at the corner of Gansevoort & Washington

Lost? Left behind? Raining? Canceling? Wanna meet the tour already in progress? Simply check my Twitter updates or send me a message at @gelatobaby

Also check out Alissa’s coverage of City Walks Architecture: New York which is now on sale at bookstores everywhere as well as online at Amazon.com!

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