Brooklyn Workshop Partners With Artists to Create Custom Skatecycles That Benefit Global Giving Relief Efforts in Japan

NEW YORK, June 2, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Brooklyn Workshop, the creators of Skatecycle—the world's first "hubless" self-propelled skateboard, have inspired 13 notable artists to create custom Skatecycles for sale, from which all proceeds will go to Global Giving in support of the Japanese earthquake relief effort. The one-of-a-kind Skatecycles will be sold exclusively on Gilt Groupe's Gilt MAN on Thursday, June 23, 2011.  

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110602/NY13124-a )

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110602/NY13124-b )

A preview event of the customized Skatecycles will be held on Thursday, June 16, 2011 at Toy Tokyo Underground art studio, The Levarek Gallery. Thirteen specialty Skatecycles will be on display for buyers to get a sneak peek before they are available for purchase on Gilt MAN.

Alon Karpman, founder of Brooklyn Workshop, designed the award-winning Skatecycle, and after years of development, launched it in 2010. Constructed with a solid aluminum frame and two polyurethane wheels, the Skatecycle is a self-propelled hubless skateboard that combines the snake-like movement of a caster board with the carving action of a snowboard. The Skatecycle's 9″ donut-hole wheels enable rides with power, quickness, and a small (2′) turning radius.

For this project, a mixed group of today's top creative vinyl artists have each customized a Skatecycle using their own signature graphics and artistic interpretation. Vinyl artists are known for blending sculpture and popular art, which can be seen in the exclusive Japan Relief Skatecycle collection. The artists involved in the project are: Frank Kozik, Doktor A (Bruce Whistlescraft), Jon Burgerman, Travis Cain, Owen Dewitt, Matt JOnes (A.K.A. Lunartik), Jeremy Madl (A.K.A. MAD), Touma, Dave Bondi, Derek Welch, Motomichi, PON and Tokyo Plastic.
 

"Brooklyn Workshop is honored to collaborate with such an extensive group of progressive talent. In recent years, it seems that the lines have been getting blurred between high art and what's accessible and available through merchandising. The Japanese culture has embraced this concept the earliest. Vinyl toys, at one time might have been looked down upon in the art world, but have now become a highly collectable, valuable, and legitimate medium for artistic expression. This is largely due to many of the artists who are contributing to this event. I wanted to pay homage to the Japanese culture for their support of the vinyl art community, by having the artists create pieces that benefit the relief effort after Japan's recent tragedy," noted Alon, founder of Brooklyn Workshop.

"I've always been a fan of street art, pop art, and especially anime.  Having the Skatecycle customized by some of my favorite artists, is really a dream come true. I hope that this will inspire others to personalize their Skatecycles," continues Alon.

The Skatecycle sale will start at 12 pm EDT on Thursday, June 23, 2011 at www.Gilt.com. All proceeds of the custom Skatecycles will be donated to Global Giving to benefit earthquake and Pacific tsunami relief efforts in Japan.
 

About Brooklyn Workshop, Inc.

Founded by former lawyer Alon Karpman, Brooklyn Workshop specializes in innovative, urban riding machines. The Skatecycle—released in 2010—is Brooklyn Workshop's first product. The Skatecycle is foldable, and weighs just 7.3 lbs. Priced at $149.95; the Skatecycle is available at www.brooklynworkshop.com.

About Gilt MAN
Gilt MAN (www.Gilt.com), launched in October 2009, was the first in the flash-sales space to offer a dedicated entry point for male shoppers—curating a broad range of daily sales from apparel and lifestyle items to gadgets and sporting gear—and is the first to offer a dedicated voice, Gilt MANual: The Daily Guide to Permanent Style, a trusted resource for advice and information on how guys can incorporate clothes, accessories, and gear into their daily life with confidence and style.

About Global Giving

Global Giving is an online platform that connects donors to the causes and countries they care about.  Since the 9.0 magnitude earthquake and ensuing tsunami hit Japan in March 2011, Global Giving has been working with local Japanese and international organizations to support emergency disaster relief and aid, and they will continue to support longer-term relief and rebuilding efforts.

VIDEO:  http://www.youtube.com/user/BrooklynWorkshop#p/a/u/0/g2hpp55eIMY

SOURCE Brooklyn Workshop, Inc.