When we’re not sinking to the lowest common denominator, we’re promoting the classical arts. Alex Castanada sells oil paintings on skateboards via Etsy. Some have more of a classical nude feeling, while a few are more pinup style poses. They aren’t cheap, but apparently they are selling. The whole collection is viewable on the the artist’s blog. – Thanks to Sam for the tip.

Skateboarder Magazine. has a slide show from the opening of the Seen of Change photography show in Portland. If you haven’t checked out the show you should get over there before it’s gone. Artery also has shots from the opening. It’s in frames, so you need to hit the main site and click on the Opening Photos link at top.

Just like House of Neil, I have a major issue with people who cut up old skate magazines (or Life, or anything else, really) and try to sell the individual ads out of context. Plundering history for a modest monetary gain is needlessly destructive. Frankly, it pisses me off. Then again, I have been known to get bent out of shape about stupid things. You might expect me to be similarly upset with Solitary Arts and their Traveler Deadstock boards, but instead I am green with envy. The folks at Solitary arts managed to get their hands on a limited quantity of NOS 70’s era wooden plank style skateboard decks. They’ve gone ahead and hand routered the bottoms so they could mount their own inlay in place, then fitted them with new trucks and their own retro styled wheel to make a board that is half reproduction, half NOS, and all genius. It doesn’t violate my anti-desecration of history policy because these unnamed plank boards are a dime a dozen, from a time when the technology of skateboard decks was easily accessible to anyone with a jigsaw and some sandpaper. Nobody wants to buy them on eBay, I know because…

I should have guessed these guys were involved. The wave ramp at the Kiasma museum was another distinctive project from the collective known as The Side Effects of Urethane. This particular exhibit is called Aalto. TSEOU has images ranging from the concept phase right on through construction (time lapse video) and finally skating. One interesting thing about the design, it looks more like a boat under construction than a traditional skate ramp. Check out Aalto on TSEOU. – Thanks to Ian for the tip.

Before you get your panties in a bunch, this is an art piece, and not something that is in production, unlike this, and let’s not forget about this or this. This one comes from UK artist Chris Jackson.

A museum in Helsinki, Finland had an indoor installation of a styley mini ramp, but incredibly enough, there seems to be only two [ 1 – 2 ] online pictures of it anywhere. Kiasma has some sort affinity to skateboarding. They also did a major outdoor mini ramp for a while as well. I am still not sick of skate-ramps-as-art. I say, bring it on. Who has more shots of the indoor ramp? Up top, Anna Kangas photo by Satu Pulkki

Hot off his recently filmed “interview” for GVK, Bryce Kanights is curating the Seen of Change skateboard photography show at the Portland space called Artery. Artists in the show include Grant Brittain, Joe Brook, Jon Humphries, Ryan Flynn, and Bryce Kanights. The opening is this Friday from 6-9, with live music from Ben Krahn. We’ll be there, and so should you. Dig that shot of Burnside up top, if you like that, you’ll appreciate this.

Well, it’s a sculpture of a helicopter made out of skateboards, except the front is a big skull. It’s part of a Japanese show called Harvest put on by NEW YORK – TOKYO. There’s an opening in New York on the 25th of March.

The Benton County Skateboard Alliance is holding their second annual music and art benefit for the skatepark they are trying to get built. These guys are making it happen, and if you are near that part of Oregon this Saturday you should make a point of helping them out. Last year’s event looked like it was well attended and fun to boot. Live music and an art show/sale to benefit the concrete. Details at the BCSA site, or you can check out a flyer for the event by Diego Banuelos after the jump.

We’ve covered marginally skateable architecture, so now we travel to Punta del Este, Uruguay for this apartment complex surrounded by waves of bricked banks. This corner is a JAWBREAKER, since the first time I passed by this corner during the 80’s I felt in love with the arquitecture. Good that It was free to ride this “wave”… The “skate abuse” of the place during early 90’s made skateboarding prohibited. Nowadays there’s a security guard 24/7 and they don’t even like people who go there to take pictures. If u come with a skateboard you’ll have a not so nice welcome. Check out the pictures and the video on Yerbah. – Thanks to Luciano for the tip.