Step out for a free stage performance

If you're someone who always intends to see theater but a) never makes the time for it; or b) never has the money; mark your calendar for Oct. 16.

That's when more than 100 cities will celebrate Free Night of Theater, an excellent promotion that offers thousands of theatergoers the opportunity to see a show free of charge.

"I booked a Halloween-themed ballet production in San Diego and I'm totally stoked!" says Pop reader Alisa D., who adds that not all of the free performances are scheduled for Oct. 16. "Oddly enough, it's not just theater. Several types of dance performances are also available, which is great."

Check the website for availability, and act fast, because the shows are "selling out" quickly.

'The world is really dirty'

I just watched a cool video about "reverse graffiti" artist Paul "Moose" Curtis that may inspire you to make art ... or clean your house. Moose creates work on walls, tunnels and other public surfaces by cleaning them instead of applying paint.

Documentary filmmaker Doug Pray (Big Rig, Scratch) filmed this clip, which shows Moose creating a landscape in San Francisco's grimy Broadway tunnel:

You can learn more about Moose's graffiti at www.reversegraffitiproject.com.

40 years ago today ...

On this date in 1968, pop-culture icon Andy Warhol was shot in his New York studio by Valerie Solanas. Solanas was the author of the SCUM Manifesto, an outspoken, violent 50-page declaration calling for an all-female society. (Her life and the events leading up to the shooting were portrayed in the 1996 film I Shot Andy Warhol, with Lili Taylor in the lead role.)

Though Warhol survived the shooting -- art critic Mario Amaya was also wounded that day -- his life and work were permanently affected by the event. In a way, June 3, 1968, was the day the freewheeling "Factory Era" of the 1960s died.

Solanas was released from prison in 1971 and died in 1988. She's mostly remembered for the violent act she committed 40 years ago, though today's L.A. Times notes that, "for a deranged criminal who committed an indefensible act, Solanas has remarkable staying power."

You can watch eight-and-a-half minutes from I Shot Andy Warhol on YouTube. (Watch out for spicy language, though.) It includes some great moments with Taylor, Jared Harris as Warhol and Michael Imperioli as Ondine. The film was directed by Mary Harron, who went on to helm American Psycho and The Notorious Bettie Page.

Street art in motion

"This is one of the absolute coolest things I have ever seen," raves Pittsburgh-based reader Lee about this video. When an e-mail begins with that kind of praise, I can't help but click -- and, in this case, I think she's right.

Lee was mesmerized by a phenomenal "wall-painted animation" by graffiti artist Blu. He has posted work before, but this one, Muto, tops his previous endeavors. Made in Buenos Aires and Baden, Germany, Muto crawls across walls, buildings and floors; jumps at the viewer in three dimensions; and explodes with vivid sound.

Adds Lee: "I could not blink the entire seven minutes."

Take a look at the clip when you can give it your full attention, then head to Blu's site to see more of his artwork:

If you're interested in learning more about graffiti/street artists, this DVD from Upper Playground and Fifty24SF includes a nice overview of 30 influential artists. (I own it at home.) I'm already eager to see Blu's next creation.

Spending time with a pop icon

Pop reader Wes O., aka wowotrain, lives in Pittsburgh, just steps away from the spot where Andy Warhol is buried.

On this date, 21 years after Warhol died, Wes and his wife have launched a blog called "Time With Andy." The site will post occasional photos of the artist's tombstone.

"The items collect in an unusual-looking display of love and devotion," Wes writes. "From time to time the staff removes the items, giving a fresh canvas for the visitors to decorate."

Today's photo shows the tombstone half-obscured by a pile of snow. On top of it, someone has placed a can of Campbell's soup.

Paying tribute to Stan 'The Man'

If you live in the Los Angeles area, you may want to check out a cool new art exhibit at Gallery 1988. Under the Influence: A Tribute to Stan Lee opened this week and includes artists' interpretations of the comic-book legend's characters.

Here's a story about the exhibit that includes several photos of the works. Included are great versions of Wolverine, the Incredible Hulk, Magneto, Iron Man and others. Thanks to ChrisV for the tip; the show lasts through Feb. 1.

Get advice from your favorite artists

The New Yorker Festival is upon us (Oct. 5-7), and it looks like a great excuse to make a trip to the Big Apple.

This year's events include an event with Judd Apatow and Seth Rogen, a "Superheroes" panel, a conversation between Miranda July and A.M. Homes and "An Evening with Sigur Rós." Tickets can get pricey and some things are already sold out, but you may have luck on Craigslist. I think the Q&A with Steve Martin would be at the top of my list ...

Cool stuff at the (other) Whitney

Pop reader Nancy B. had a blast at the Whitney Museum's Summer of Love: Art of the Psychedelic Era exhibit this week and wanted to make sure everyone in the New York area knew about it before it closes on Sunday. Her e-mail was so persuasive I wish I were there this weekend:

"It was a cool mix of young people and older folks who were actually around in the 1960s," she writes. "I heard more than a few people say, 'I actually have that poster,' or 'I have the original pressing of Disraeli Gears.' There's one cool piece where you actually get in and climb around in a psychedelic-colored room with sloping, cushy floors. The kids, who were there in abundance, were treating it like the playground at Burger King.

"There were some Warhol items -- mostly related to the Velvet Underground and not his own art -- the famous Richard Avedon photos of the Beatles, tons of cool little psychedelic movies that are about 10 minutes each and some light installations. I stared at one for so long I actually started to get nauseous."

Sounds like a good time with many excellent eavesdropping opportunities. If you feel like a flashback, you may want to check it out.

Gone before their time

I just read this fascinating and sad article from New York magazine about Jeremy Blake and Theresa Duncan. The two young, New York-based artists committed suicide last month. Blake was a video artist who worked on Beck's Sea Change album and Paul Thomas Anderson's Punch Drunk Love, among other projects. Duncan was a video-game designer and blogger.

The story of their relationship involves ambition, passion and paranoia. Duncan died July 10, and Blake disappeared one week later. This blog includes a few clips from Blake's films, and you can still read Duncan's cultural musings on her site, The Wit of the Staircase.

Photos that shook the world

Pop reader Caitlen (aka caitlen315) sent me a link to these "52 Influential Photographs," which reads as a history of the most important photos throughout history. You've seen most of them before, but you may not know when they were taken or why they're important.

(Note: As is the case with much influential art, some of the pics are unsettling/graphic/thought-provoking.)