Determination

November 2, 2014

Here's a link to the complete stop-action video of the final assembly:

Determination

November 2, 2014

Determination was unveiled today, in front of 75-80 friends and family at the Brooklyn Park Community Activity Center.

I got help from Mitch Ebert, Rick Weyrauch, Alejandro Moreno, Kelly Weyrauch, Pat Ahern, and Gordy Rogers, safely moving it to the garage, and to/from the BPCAC. All went well, except there was way too much leftover cake.

Photo by Randy Salas.

October 1, 2014

Want to see Determination in person? It will be on exhibit at Art Attack, Nov 7th-9th.

Art Attack is an annual art show at the Northrup King Building, NE Minneapolis, featuring work by over 190 artists, open to the public.

See more here.

September 11, 2014

I finished putting in the pennies and disks on Sept 9th. Got help from some friends on the 10th, putting on the top layer of glass. And I got the frame bolted together at 11:18pm, September 11th, 2014. WAA-HOOOOO!!!

See more here.

September 2, 2014

I am DONE DRILLING DISKS!!! Well, there's enough acrylic for about 75 more. I'll finish them later, and hand them out as souvenirs. But I can STOP DRILLING NOW if I want to!!!

June 6, 2014

Am now over half done with the final assembly. Here's a new up-to-date stop-action video: Determination 0036

May 4, 2014

Am 1/3rd done with the final assembly. Long way to go...

I reached a stopping point, and updated the stop-action video. Please check it out at: Determination 0030

April 6, 2014

Here's a longer stop-action video, including music by Todd Tanji: Determination 0018.

I'm done with twelve states (FL, SC, NC VA, MD, NJ, CT, RI, MA, VT, NH, and ME), and started eight more (MS, AL, GA, TN, KY, WV, PA, and NY).

March 13, 2014

Determination is getting some attention from the media:

The StarTribune ran a story on Tuesday, March 11th. [see story here]

And Twelve TV, the Brooklyn Park cable news station, did a story on Thursday the 13th. [see story here]

March 10, 2014

Check out this short sample of the stop-action video: Determination 0007

March 7, 2014

I started the final assembly! It's risky, because I'm not done drilling out the disks yet. But I'm just too excited not to.

Pictured here are the first three rows of disks. I'm also testing out the time-lapse video. Based on what I've seen so far, the video might turn out to be the coolest part of the whole project.

March 3, 2014

I got the GoPro mounted over the map. And I can control it remotely from my smartphone. Those are my feet at the bottom of the picture. I'm standing on the floor, snapping the shot remotely with the phone.

Check out how I mounted it, in 7 new pictures at the end of the Project Album. Those people who say I'm crazy? I'm starting to agree. But now I can shoot a time-lapse video of the final assembly!

February 27, 2014

I know, real "newsworthy", right? Anyway, I continue to rearrange and prepare for the final assembly.

A few days ago, I left the second pane of glass leaning against the couches. But it was already starting to warp. I put it flat on the floor over in the dining room, and put the couches around it. And I put a plastic sheet over the map, to keep dust out when I'm not working on it.

February 22, 2014

I picked up a GoPro camera. I'm going to try to make a time-lapse video of the final assembly.

Pro: I can control the camera remotely from my smartphone, and take shots without constantly walking back to the camera.

Con: Perspective distortion from the wide-angle lens will distort the map.

February 20, 2014

I launched this new website for the project. Please let me know what you think, and tell your friends!