"Plush You!" An art show that will tickle you pink

On the evening of August 26th, curator and crafty-cool princess, Kristen Rask of Seattle, Washington celebrated the opening night of her drop-dead adorable art show "Plush You!" which took place at Munky King in Los Angeles, Caliifonia. This exhibition includes the work of over 65 of the best plush artists from around the world who create the most peculiar stuffed critters and creatures. The walls were covered with what looked like the most adorable demented characters from a surrealist cartoon. A particularly mystical 2-headed unicorn by Sara Lanzillotta, from Seattle, graced the walls with his majestic presence, while Miss Muju, a duo from the U.K., entranced everyone with personified versions of a sunrise and a moonrise. This glittering child-like dream pranced into a darkly humorous yet beautiful nightmare with Robyn Fabsit's morbid magician assistant dolls. Adorned with feathers in their hair, they are crammed into boxes with swords piercing through them! Apparently, many of the contributing plush artists started making plush toys as a hobby while working on painting, illustration, or animation. However, this hobby quickly became a stronger and more practical form of creative expression for these artists considering the high demand and accessibility of these fun little guys. It is an art form that young and artistic individuals can relate to and afford, whereas the traditional idea of "high art" appeals more to rich art collectors. Obviously, selling a plush toy for between $50 and $175 is a bit easier than selling a painting for over $1000! "Plush You!" a playful exhibition that engages its audience in a silly and endearing way. The fantastic rascals decorating the walls will be sure to tickle you pink, so Munky King would be a delightful gallery to explore for anyone with a soft spot for ironically cute arts and crafts. The show runs until September 19th and is open daily from 12pm to 7pm.

The lovely lady behind the scenes, Miss Rask, is proud owner of Schmancy, a shop that is a hybrid between a quirky toy store and trendy art gallery. She founded the annual plush exhibition in 2005 and has exhibitied in several places around the U.S. including San Francisco, New York, and of course most currently in Los Angeles. Each year high volumes of plush artists apply to get in to this prestigeous traveling exhibition, but only about 50% actually make it. Rask spends a long time inspecting the work of these applicants before narrowing it down to the creme de la creme, if you will. In addition to owning Schmancy and founding and curating this unique art show, she has recently put out a book under the same name of the show, "Plush You!" which provides instructions for people to create their own plushy friends. What a gal! Check out Schmancy's online store! You might just have to snatch one of those dazzling little critters for yourself!