Hot Shots

Want proof that art and charity can go hand in hand? Click over to The Working Proof, a new site that sells affordable, limited-edition prints that are paired with a charity of the artist's choice. Founded by printmakers Anna Corpron and Sean Auyeung, the online venture aims to showcase emerging artists and promote a variety of charities. Fifteen percent of the sale of each print goes to the designated cause, which means you can pick up Caitlin Keegan's funky, engraving-inspired print of a rooster and donate to Farm Sanctuary (all for $30 plus shipping). Avoid speedy sell-outs by checking in with The Working Proof on Tuesday afternoons, when a new print is released every week.

Milton Glaser, who recently became the first graphic designer to receive the National Medal of Arts, has left his mark on everything from iconic ad campaigns and brand identities to book covers and interiors. Among his latest projects is a bold theater marquee inspired by the helical dream tower of Vladimir Tatlin. Glaser's foray into theater design came just in time for the release of Milton Glaser: To Inform and Delight. Directed by first-time filmmaker Wendy Keys, the documentary peers into the daily life of Glaser, now 80, and his colorful career. Arthouse Films has just announced that they'll release the film on DVD next month, so pre-order your copy now.

We're counting down to National Licorice Day (that would be April 12) by stocking up on Red Vines, which led us to the American Licorice Company's online exhibition of licorice-themed artworks. Click through the works in the Red Vines Gallery to see the child, teen, and adult winners of a drawing contest that challenged licorice fans to pick up their pencils and creatively express their love of the classic candy. There are the usual smiling children encircling the globe (an image no contest can resist) along with more offbeat fare, including an art deco-style portrait and a surreal up-close look at what really goes on between the twists.

When making her first film, Vanessa Gould started at square one -- specifically, the paper square that is the raw material of origami. Between the Folds, now airing on PBS stations nationwide, is the story of a determined group of scientists and artists who have forged new lives as modern-day paper folders. For Gould, the documentary was a project about transformation, in more ways than one. “Most of those featured in the film left traditional lives to devote themselves to the thing they love most— paper folding: the magical process of transforming two dimensions into three dimensions,” she notes. “And their remarkable stories resonated so strongly with me upon abandoning my own former work, that I was determined to bring their inspiring stories to light.”

Always dreamed of competing in the Olympics? Here’s your chance to go for the gold. World champion alpine skier Lindsey Vonn is on the hunt for original artwork that will adorn the customized helmet she’ll wear on the slopes at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. NBC is sponsoring a contest to select the winning design. So put on your thinking helmet and get ready to submit a sketch. The contest opens Monday, November 23 and submissions must be uploaded by December 21. In addition to a lot of air time (Vonn is a favorite in at least four events), there’s a trip to Vail in it for the winner.

Get ready to bookmark Sight Unseen, the online magazine launched this week by Jill Singer and Monica Khemsurov. The former I.D. Magazine editors worked with designers Thomas Porostocky and Matthias Ernstberger of Timko + Klick to create an online destination for offbeat finds in creative disciplines including design, art, fashion, food, and photography. Sight Unseen focuses on “the stories, inspirations, and obsessions of people who love to make things,” according to Singer and Khemsurov, who have organized the site’s content into recurring feature types such as Studio Visit, Factory Tour, and 8 Things, for which the story subjects name eight inspirations that influenced their work or a recent project.