Poketo
Encyclopedia
Poketo is a design firm established in 2003 by Ted Vadakan and Angie Myung. The name "Poketo" , comes from the mispronunciation of the word "pocket" by Myung's grandmother. Currently located in Los Angeles
, CA., Poketo specializes in designing limited edition art products, apparel, homeware and decor. Poketo promotes the work of international artists through collaborative designs and art events. Poketo's wares are available internationally in boutiques, museums and their website. The website also houses the roster of artists who have collaborated with Poketo and is a place for people to connect with the artist
community.
was like "having a traveling art show" with you at all times. In Craft Magazine, Vadakan describes all of the wallets as being made by hand. The images are printed in four-color on high quality paper. They are laminated, then stitched together using an industrial sewing machine. In 2006, Poketo launched an online store for customers in Japan
.
Since then, Poketo has expanded to design
and produce accessories, apparel, homeware and decor. Poketo products, particularly their wallets, have become collectible pieces for buyers because of their limited quantity and original art. Poketo has been commissioned to create exclusive products for museums around the world like San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
and De Young Museum. Poketo has also collaborated with art organizations like Parsons The New School for Design
, the Creative Growth Art Center, Top Drawer Art Center and 826LA
. Various music bands and music organizations have also worked with Poketo to collaborate on promotional merchandise, including The Postal Service
, Weezer
, Arcade Fire, The Shins
, Minus The Bear
, Matisyahu
, Coachella Music Festival and many others. Poketo has also been recognized in HOW magazine's website as one of the top website for designers in April 2009.
In August 2010, Poketo released a 52-piece line of accessories for Target
, designed with the artwork of 21 international artists, including: Betsy Walton, Camilla Engman, Catalina Estrada, Cole Gerst, Dan Funderburgh, DGPH, Joe Rogers, Kate Bingaman-Burt, Katharina Leuzinger, Leah Chun, Leif Parsons, Lisa Congdon, MAKI, Marco Cibola, Melissa Contreras, Mike Perry, Niels Oeltien, Oksana Badrak, Peskimo, Pietari Posti, and Silvia Portella.
. In 2008, Poketo began a project with 826LA
to collaborate on a wallet design that would later be sold to raise funds for the organization. Writer James Ponsoldt held a workshop with 826LA, helping each student craft their own [short story]. The stories were later handed to ten Los Angeles artists commissioned by Poketo to interpret the students' stories with their artwork. The finished product displayed the students' stories on the inside cover of the wallet, with the artists' renderings of their stories on the outside cover. The wallets were sold in 826LA's storefront as well as Poketo's online store. The story of the wallets were later recognized in Dave Eggers
' Once Upon A School foundation..
In January 2009, Poketo collaborated with Dublab
to design a limited-edition wallet. The wallets were sold to raise funds for Dublab and to support the "growth of positive music, arts, and culture."
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, CA., Poketo specializes in designing limited edition art products, apparel, homeware and decor. Poketo promotes the work of international artists through collaborative designs and art events. Poketo's wares are available internationally in boutiques, museums and their website. The website also houses the roster of artists who have collaborated with Poketo and is a place for people to connect with the artist
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
community.
History
After curating many shows for their artist friends, Vadakan and Myung realized that art was not being purchased because it was too expensive to afford. Vadakan and Myung wanted to create an accessible and affordable piece of art for attendees to take home from shows, while also promoting the artwork of their friends. This is when they started creating their limited-edition artist wallets. The idea for this product was birthed out of the notion that carrying an artist walletWallet
A wallet, or billfold, is a small, flat case that is used to carry personal items such as cash, credit cards, identification documents , photographs, business cards and other paper or laminated cards...
was like "having a traveling art show" with you at all times. In Craft Magazine, Vadakan describes all of the wallets as being made by hand. The images are printed in four-color on high quality paper. They are laminated, then stitched together using an industrial sewing machine. In 2006, Poketo launched an online store for customers in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
Since then, Poketo has expanded to design
Design
Design as a noun informally refers to a plan or convention for the construction of an object or a system while “to design” refers to making this plan...
and produce accessories, apparel, homeware and decor. Poketo products, particularly their wallets, have become collectible pieces for buyers because of their limited quantity and original art. Poketo has been commissioned to create exclusive products for museums around the world like San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art is a modern art museum located in San Francisco, California. A nonprofit organization, SFMOMA holds an internationally recognized collection of modern and contemporary art and was the first museum on the West Coast devoted solely to 20th century art...
and De Young Museum. Poketo has also collaborated with art organizations like Parsons The New School for Design
Parsons The New School for Design
Parsons The New School For Design, known colloquially as Parsons, is the art and design college of The New School university. It is located in New York City's Greenwich Village, and has produced artists and designers such as Marc Jacobs, Dean and Dan Caten, Norman Rockwell, Donna Karan, Jane...
, the Creative Growth Art Center, Top Drawer Art Center and 826LA
826LA
826LA is a Los Angeles-based nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting students ages 6 to 18 with their creative and expository writing skills and helping teachers inspire their students to write. Programs are structured around the beliefs that great leaps in learning can happen with...
. Various music bands and music organizations have also worked with Poketo to collaborate on promotional merchandise, including The Postal Service
The Postal Service
The Postal Service is an American electronic indie pop band composed of vocalist Ben Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie and producer Jimmy Tamborello of Dntel and Headset.-Background:...
, Weezer
Weezer
Weezer is an American alternative rock band. The band currently consists of Rivers Cuomo , Patrick Wilson , Brian Bell , and Scott Shriner . The band has changed lineups three times since its formation in 1992...
, Arcade Fire, The Shins
The Shins
The Shins are an American indie rock band comprising singer, songwriter, and guitarist James Mercer, guitarist/bassist Dave Hernandez, Eric Johnson of Fruit Bats, drummer Joe Plummer and bassist Ron Lewis. Their sound draws on several musical genres, including pop, alternative rock, indie rock,...
, Minus The Bear
Minus the Bear
Minus the Bear is an American indie rock band from Seattle, Washington. Founded in 2001, the group features current and former members of Botch, Kill Sadie, and Sharks Keep Moving...
, Matisyahu
Matisyahu
Matthew Paul Miller , better known by his Hebrew name and stage name Matisyahu, is an American Hasidic Jewish reggae and alternative rock musician....
, Coachella Music Festival and many others. Poketo has also been recognized in HOW magazine's website as one of the top website for designers in April 2009.
In August 2010, Poketo released a 52-piece line of accessories for Target
Target Corporation
Target Corporation, doing business as Target, is an American retailing company headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the second-largest discount retailer in the United States, behind Walmart. The company is ranked at number 33 on the Fortune 500 and is a component of the Standard & Poor's...
, designed with the artwork of 21 international artists, including: Betsy Walton, Camilla Engman, Catalina Estrada, Cole Gerst, Dan Funderburgh, DGPH, Joe Rogers, Kate Bingaman-Burt, Katharina Leuzinger, Leah Chun, Leif Parsons, Lisa Congdon, MAKI, Marco Cibola, Melissa Contreras, Mike Perry, Niels Oeltien, Oksana Badrak, Peskimo, Pietari Posti, and Silvia Portella.
Accessibility
In reference to Poketo products, Myung uses the analogy of taking art from the gallery walls and incorporating it into one's daily life. Myung understood that acquiring art was often perceived as being only for the exclusive. By creating products that use original art but are still affordable and functional for daily use, Myung says that art itself can become more accessible and more personal.Community
Poketo has also contributed to their local communityCommunity
The term community has two distinct meanings:*a group of interacting people, possibly living in close proximity, and often refers to a group that shares some common values, and is attributed with social cohesion within a shared geographical location, generally in social units larger than a household...
. In 2008, Poketo began a project with 826LA
826LA
826LA is a Los Angeles-based nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting students ages 6 to 18 with their creative and expository writing skills and helping teachers inspire their students to write. Programs are structured around the beliefs that great leaps in learning can happen with...
to collaborate on a wallet design that would later be sold to raise funds for the organization. Writer James Ponsoldt held a workshop with 826LA, helping each student craft their own [short story]. The stories were later handed to ten Los Angeles artists commissioned by Poketo to interpret the students' stories with their artwork. The finished product displayed the students' stories on the inside cover of the wallet, with the artists' renderings of their stories on the outside cover. The wallets were sold in 826LA's storefront as well as Poketo's online store. The story of the wallets were later recognized in Dave Eggers
Dave Eggers
Dave Eggers is an American writer, editor, and publisher. He is known for the best-selling memoir A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius and for his more recent work as a screenwriter. He is also the co-founder of the literacy project 826 Valencia.-Life:Eggers was born in Boston, Massachusetts,...
' Once Upon A School foundation..
In January 2009, Poketo collaborated with Dublab
Dublab
dublab is a non-profit music public broadcasting internet radio station based in Los Angeles. They have also been involved with art exhibition, film projects, event production, and record releases. Their broadcast is open formatted and delivered via recorded sessions that are mixed by their...
to design a limited-edition wallet. The wallets were sold to raise funds for Dublab and to support the "growth of positive music, arts, and culture."