2006 Year End Survey | The Mile Project

Joe Hudak is the creator of The Mile Project which is a cool art project taking place in Northern Vermont. Here's the idea: Joe is collecting drawings from anyone that will draw something for him. He is then screening those drawings onto one continuous canvas that's a mile long. Considering that each drawing is shrunk down to 2.5"x1.7", he needs about 40,000 drawings to complete his plan.

The idea isn't to generate a museum piece. The idea is participation and how participating in the arts can be democratized.

If you want to see some of the submitted pieces, go here.

If you want to learn more about submitting a drawing, go here.

If you are interested in pre-buying a piece of the final product, go here.

Well, Joe is also a big music fan and spent part of the year going to music festivals to collect drawings from the concert goers. However, he also took some time to send over his favorites of the year.

1) What was your favorite song of 2006?

If I hafta pick one, I think I'd have to go with something that is engineered to be a favorite, some chunk of immaculately processed crack to make my ears happy happy happy, and something that sums up the year (or the last several.) How about Nausea? Beck (www.beck.com) loves to play in the sandbox of my teenage decade (check out the 8 bit variations of tracks from Guero on iT(M)S...), and he's just weird enough to be ridiculously famous and lovable too.

2) What was your favorite album of 2006?

My Favorite Place to Drown by Michael Leviton (www.michaelleviton.com). I saw Michael open for They Might Be Giants (www.tmbg.com). He came out and played a whole set almost completely by himself on a ukulele. I know, I know, right now you're lunging for the bucket of Tiny Tim clichés you keep by your monitor. Well, stop. It was so great, I had to get the CD.

The album is a really cohesive, atmospheric thing. He creates a beautiful day on the beach, but doesn't skimp on the undertow. It lands somewhere between Ritchie Rich Atlantic east coast prep school summer out yachting on the cape, and marooned in the South Pacific of the thirties. Tracks with luscious names like Salt Water to Quench your Thirst, You'll Pay for your Day at Pleasure Island and the straight on Summer's the Worst are variations on a theme. Fickle teenage affection, with all the sand-kicking self loathing of being that age and unable to find love. This guy spins snickering melancholy better than Edward Gorey, and as sad as this thing's soul is, it's a wonder to listen to.

There are a bunch of reasons this has landed on the top of my CD heap for the year. The company I kept when I first heard it was the best, he was rad in person but I think the fact that this was just such a surprise.

3) What was your favorite concert of 2006?

I went to a lot of little shows that were excellent, a ton at the 9:30 Club, and the NIN/Peaches bill were all great. The favorite would have to be the one I worked. I had my first vendor booth at the Virgin Festival at Pimlico, collecting little drawings for (brace for impact with vulgar, self-aggrandizing plug) my art thing, The Mile Project (www.1mile.org). We had a full frontal of the mainstage all day, and with the Jumbotrons I got to see the whole thing. I got 2000 drawings, plus we got free beer, free burgers, and had a great day watching Gnarls, the Raconteurs, Wolfmother and a bunch of other headliners. We also packed up and got to stand in the crowd for RHCP.

The music was solid, mainstream radio players, but what made the show great was the fact that It launched my paper golem into the air. I'll always thank Sir Richard Branson for that. A shivering second fav was a band with more heart and courage than most, Momster at the Art Cares benefit at JDK. Momster's members include a mother and son duo (there's the courage part), plus Dale the dude, and I think their orbit intersects Pluto's. They play anything, and their arsenal includes a collection of created instruments (electric helmet, anyone?) and bravado galore. Momster rocks.

4) What was your favorite thing about 2006?

This one I'm going to have to bend the rules a little, there were only a few things great about this year for me, so I think I should put in as many as I can to overcompensate. America pulling it's collective head out of it's collective ass and taking the firecrackers away from the Republicans. My dog Pixie trying to fix the gaping holes in my life with her beautiful, walnut sized brain. Ten seconds of held breath before the fall. Creativity using the ol' eggtooth to get up and out. Contributing to the delinquency of a minor with a fake ID, a conversation about Kurt Cobain with someone who knew him, and a few other things that I'll allude to to keep your breath bated. Like you care.

5) What are your best wishes for 2007?

A changed mind. A mile long print. A future. Some peace on Earth. Some good will toward folks who don't much like us anymore. Some Lennon-style love. 40,000 little drawings. A good night's sleep. Getting the documentary made. Having a little fun.

Beck | Nausea | Buy