GAFTA (Gray Area Foundation for the Arts) in partnership with Google, Eyebeam Art and Technology Center recently launched the Data Viz Challenge. They asked designers and developers to use the data provided by WhatWePayFor.com and transform the federal budget into meaningful visualization and inspire the public to "Visualize Your Taxes." A total of $10,000 will be granted to the winners, including $5,000 for the top interactive web application, graphic, or video that was submitted by an individual or a team. Submissions are now closed and the winners will be announced on Tax Day (April 18).

Good luck to everyone who applied!

ZER01 would like to congratulate San Jose Museum of Art's Chief Curator JoAnne Northrup, for being awarded a Fulbright Scholarship.  The Fulbright Scholarship Programs sends hundreds of U.S. faculty, professionals, and students abroad each year. JoAnne will be traveling to do research at ZKM: The Center for Arts and Media in Germany.

We are very excited that JoAnne has received this opportunity and can't wait to hear all about her research and travels when she returns. Congratulations!!

YBCA invites college students to visit its visual arts exhibitions for FREE during the month of April with student I.D. Experience Chinese artist Song Dong’s much-heralded, large-scale installation Waste Not, part of his family-focused exhibition Dad and Mom, Don’t Worry About Us, We Are All Well, and peruse Euan Macdonald’s 9,000 PIECES, an exhibition of new work investigating the imagery and cultural significance of the piano.

Gallery Hours:

Thu-Sat: 12:00 pm – 8:00 pm

Sun: 12:00 pm – 6:00 pm

Closed Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, except FREE First Tuesday

FREE first Tuesday: 12:00 pm – 8:00 pm

photo by Mark Palmer

Come down to the Z Space (formerly Theater Artaud) March 16-27, as the The Paul Dresher Ensemble celebrate the 25th Anniversary and the premier of SCHICK MACHINE. The show revolves around a plethora of invented, mechanical instruments designed and built by Paul Dresher, Matt Heckert (founding member of SRL, Survival Research Laboratories); and Daniel Schmidt. The instruments will be played by Virtuoso Percussionist Steve Schick (formerly of Bang on a Can).

For the 25th time, Prix Ars Electronica, one of the foremost international prizes for computer-based art, calls for entries in the categories Computer Animation/Film/VFX, Interactive Art, Hybrid Art, Digital Communities, Digital Musics & Sound Art, [the next idea] voestalpine Art and Technology Grant, and u19 – freestyle computing, Austrian’s largest youth computer competition.

Take a moment and help them identify projects that you think should participate in the competition. Nominations can be made via website or  Twitter.

The online Submission Deadline is March 18, 2011. Nominate your favorite project today!

Shelley Jackson's Skin opened yesterday at the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive. In 2003 Jackson wrote a 2,095 word short story, which has now been published in her own way. She invited readers to apply to have one words from the story to be tattooed on their body. The words were chosen at random by Jackson and from the 1,875 applicants, 522 have currently been permanently inked. Skin shows some of the tattooed words cut together in video footage to tell a new "sub" story.

Skin will be on display until May 31, 2011.