Spring has come to Brooklyn, so I decided to go for a walk. A few weeks ago my wife and I had stopped by the Brooklyn Superhero Supply Company, which is just down the street from us. I had actually been a few years ago—before we’d moved to the area—drawn in by the fantastic design of the storefront, and some loose recollection that I had read something about it.

The store is filled with everything you need to become a superhero: capes, grappling hooks, and stun guns. You can buy jars of “X-Ray Vision” and “Speed of Light” and “Antimater” to help you along the way. Just like the outside of the store, everything that is sold within has a simple, strong look. It’s fitting.

The last time I was there, we were chatting with some of the staff  and they mentioned that they are all volunteers. I knew that there was a community aspect to the shop, but didn’t know the details. They explained that in the back, hidden behind a secret door in the shelves, was a writing workshop for local school kids. All staffed by volunteers. All superhero items sold went to cover the costs. Brilliant concept.

For the past few months, my wife has been in the middle of a long, high-pressure project with a lot of late nights, and crazy deadlines. Nothing says “thanks for all your hard work” like a jar of invincibility powder on your desk, so she asked me to pick up a few for the people on her team. As I walked over to the shop, I snapped a photo of the store, and posted it on Instagram.

When I got home later, I noticed that someone commented on the photo: Had I seen the TED talk about the store? Immediately I Googled it and realized that Dave Eggers was behind this whole project. Yeah, that Dave Eggers. (I had even reviewed the McSweeney’s iPhone app a while back.)

Somehow I hadn’t realized the connection, but I immediately sat and watched the talk, enthralled. Take a look at the video below, and if you’re ever in Park Slope, Brooklyn, stop by. You never know when a sharply designed can of X-Ray Vision will come in handy, and now you know it’s going to a great cause.

Oh, and a bit of postscript: When you buy something from the Brooklyn Superhero Supply Company, you are required to stand and recite a superhero pledge in front of the whole store. I was not prepared for this.

I’m not sure what the current art world/political feelings are about Banksy, and I don’t really care. I always like his work. It’s funny, creative, and clever—and it usually makes a point. I was in L.A. earlier this week when I saw that some new pieces had popped up in advance of his film premiere. I had the afternoon free, so I grabbed my camera, did a bit of location research, and hit the road.

I was excited to coincidentally be in town to see this. I happened to be in New York in the fall of ’08 when the Village Pet Store, and other large pieces, were on display as well, so I’ve been lucky in the timing department.

So much of Banksy’s stuff gets defaced, stolen, or damaged, that I wanted to snap some shots as soon as I could. There’s something fun about going on a little hunt for street art like this. You have an address and a general description (La Brea and 4th, behind a fence), but that’s all. It’s a bit of a thrill to be walking down a block, looking around every corner, and suddenly spot what you’re looking for. My ever-patient wife—who has become a fan in her own right after seeing the NY stuff a few years ago—came along with me, snapping her own action shots along the way.

The Guard piece on La Brea was on a wall in a nondescript, under construction building surrounded by used car dealerships. It was behind a fence, and there was a security guard walking around the empty space, and sitting in his car. (You know, it would be pretty funny if that was actually Banksy in there in disguise—I always wonder about stuff like that.) Other than that carload of Japanese hipsters that pulled up and snapped some photos with their phones, no one else seemed to pay any attention.

The “Park” piece was on a brick wall behind a parking lot in downtown L.A. (near the theater where the premiere was held, I believe). Again, I knew the general area, but still had a jolt of excitement at spotting it. It’s odd/fun feeling to stand and get excited about something on a wall that thousands of people an hour walk by, most not noticing, almost all not caring.

Forty-eight hours later I’m back on the other side of the country and I see that the La Brea Guard piece is gone (look at the before and after) and surrounded in controversy. I’m glad I was in the right place at the right time, because it was a fun way to spend an afternoon.

Last summer Lance Armstrong and Nike presented the STAGES art exhibition in Paris. The exhibition brought together over twenty world-renowned artists who donated pieces inspired by Lance, and his LIVESTRONG fight against cancer.

Last week the STAGES show opened a three-week stay at the Deitch Projects gallery in New York. I had a chance to attend the opening and take a closer look at some of the pieces. In addition to the works of KAWS, Ed Ruscha, Shepard Fairey and more, New York street-art legend Futura also had a piece that joined the exhibition in New York.

The scene was an interesting mix of art and sport, with everyone from local New York art scenesters to kids on skateboards to Nike executives in attendance. Many of the artists were on hand to discuss their work as well. It was hard to miss when Lance himself showed up about halfway through the event. While soft-spoken and understated, he was still the man everyone wanted to say hello to, or catch a glimpse of. There was a buzz in the room as he made his way through chatting with friends, having photos taken, and generally seeming to enjoy himself.

I spent a lot of time walking around looking at all the various pieces. There was a nice mix of paintings, photos, and sculptures. One piece that I kept coming back to was Tom Sachs’ object-art piece “Lance’s Tequila Bike For Girls.” It was a mixture of creativity, humor, and ingenuity that I loved. The bike was prominently displayed in the middle of the floor, so that you could walk around it on all sides and enjoy every little detail. Every time I walked by I seemed to notice something else.

At one point later in the evening a crowd gathering around the tequila bike. Tom Sachs and Lance had decided to put it through its paces. Everything that was needed for a good old-fashioned round of shooters—from the limes, to the knife, to the salt shaker and shot glasses—was contained within the bike. Suddenly Sachs was slicing limes and Lance was filling shot glasses with the motorized tequila pump. Everyone cheered as they threw down the shots. You’d be hard-pressed to find a more practical piece of modern art for the tequila connoisseur.

As much fun as it was taking in the scene and getting to see some amazing works of art, the cause that brought everyone there was never far from my mind. Throughout the night, the whole room seemed to be bathed in various shades of yellow, which has become so synonymous with the LIVESTRONG cause. It’s a testament to Lance, Nike, and the work of his foundation that the art world and the sport world can combine for something as unique as STAGES.

STAGES will be open to the public in New York: October 31 through November 21, 2009. The show will move to Miami during Art Basel Miami Beach in early December.