Who’s EXCITED!!!

We monkeys are excited and now that those silly human holidays are done, we’re gearing up for the best holiday (because it comes when we need it the most) MONKEYSHINES!!!

 

Not only does Monkeyshines come at a dark and dreary time of year, but it is a time for Tacomans to gather together, make friends, get exercise and maybe, just maybe find a piece of art in an act of serendipity.

More important, our monkey friends gather together to leave their own creations to share with the community. glass, pottery, jewelry, poetry, polymer clay, photographs, marbles and many more.

People meet their friends and neighbors, pick up trash and make Tacoma a friendlier place.

The more love, art and community the better!

What will YOU do for Monkeyshines?

Not an artist? Don’t like the cold? Love glass? Love the monkeys?

Become a monkey friend, get a limited edition piece of glass and know that you are helping this tradition continue in our fair city.

What’s Up Monkey Butts?

新年好 / 新年好

Rise and Shine Tacoma!!!

It’s “Monkey Time”

Team Monkey has deployed throughout the city and surrounding areas with all sorts of wonderful gifts to celebrate the Year of the Rooster…

Remember…

TAKE ONLY ONE!!!

Monkeyshines are created to be a gift from local artists to be found in an act of serendipity; not a treasure hunt.

Please…

Do NOT follow, stalk or harass the monkeys. Monkeys fling poop.

THIS is what happens if you get too close to a monkey

If we are followed, we will go into hiding, leaving nothing behind.

In addition to glass floats and medallions, there is pottery, messages in bottles and other fun items, not to mention #tacomarocks, and other gifts from our Rogue Monkey friends.

If you don’t find anything today, take heart. We monkeys are sneaky and will be hiding items for the next several days so that everyone, not just the hard core hunters, has a chance.

We will also be hiding in places you don’t expect, neighborhoods outside of the downtown core, back allies, pocket parks, small out of the way spots where the hard core hunters don’t go…

Enjoy your Chinese New Year monkey friends and remember…

TAKE ONLY ONE!!!

Don’t forget to post your finds to social media using the hashtag #monkeyshines2017

Much Love ❤

Team Monkey

Gagged! I was GAGGED!!!

Oh come on!

It’s not like I was tweeting about facts or science or something…

I’ve been under gag order since New Year’s when Ms Monkey discovered my little indiscretion with the rooster medallions at First Night.

It’s never good when a message starts out with “WHERE DID YOU GET THAT?!”

Don’t worry folks. the Naughty Monkey has your backs (and a few tricks up here sleeve)

Oh. and there may or may not be a Rogue Facebook Page…  https://www.facebook.com/MonkeyshinesTacoma/

 

A new riddle and hint for our monkey friends

The monkey and the rooster were having an argument. The rooster made a bet saying he knows a place where he can sit but the monkey cannot. The monkey agreed to the bet. The rooster won. What place could the rooster sit but the monkey could not?

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Answer:

The monkey’s head.

How is this a hint you might ask?

many people spend their entire monkeyshines time looking at the ground, behind rocks, under bushes and other such low level places.

Look up!  Look on walls, fences, up in trees.

Heck, “looking up” is a good metaphor for life.

Happy hunting monkey friends.

NM

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We’re not saying it has, but we’re not saying it hasn’t

The Monkeys, including yours truly are too busy to blog right now.

In addition to using the #monkeyshines2016 hashtag on social media, it’s time to head over to Exit 133 to share information and post your finds.

http://www.exit133.com/articles/view/monkeyshines-2016-the-year-of-the-monkey#.Vrbu5bIrKUk

Happy Hunting monkey friends…

You can always help fund Monkeyshines and ensure that we are able to continue it for the full 12 year cycle.

You can donate any amount of money to the project. Every dollar makes art: DONATE HERE.

You can purchase a limited edition Monkey candle cup. The price is $100 and the money is intended to, again, make more art for this year’s Monkeyshines. Pick up is either at Sonja’s in Proctor, or Creative Forces in the Murano Hotel. They will both have inventory available for sale as well. You can BUY THE CUPS ONLINE and pick it up from one of these two shops or you can purchase it at the shop. The fine folks at the shops are just helping Ms. Monkey and not technically selling these, so please pay in cash or check if you’re planning to do it in person.

Happy Seeking Monkey Lovers…

~NM

Happy Hunters! #monkeyshines2016

We cold, tired wet monkeys here at Monkey Central are enjoying seeing photos marked with the #monkeyshines2016 hashtag of what folks are finding on their searches and how/where they are searching and hiding….

Here are a few of our favorites:

 

 

 More surprises await over the course of many days…

Keep searching, keep hiding and please keep sharing the joy of #monkeyshines2016

We Love you Tacoma!

~All of the Monkeys and Monkey friends…

Oh Where Oh Where have my MonkeyShines gone?

Greetings Intrepid seekers of monkeyshines.

As promised, I’ll be answering your questions about where to look for treasures.

The number one rule of MonkeyShines is that all of the goodies must be hidden in public places.

That means:

If it is on private property not open to the public…  It is NOT a MonkeyShine

If it’s in someone’s front yard or on their porch… It is NOT a MonkeyShine

If it requires climbing a fence or breaking and entering…  It is NOT a MonkeyShine

If it is *illegal or **unreasonably dangerous to retrieve…  It is NOT a MonkeyShine

*MonkeyHiders may bend rules about dusk to dawn closures in public parks.

**Ms Monkey does love to throw floats into bodies of water (because duh… they float) please use common sense and beware of the risks of hypothermia and tides.

Good places to look are parks, business districts and public gathering places.  But don’t forget to search off the beaten path, as we are not grouping them as tightly as in past years to prevent monkeyshines hoarding by those unscrupulous individuals who do not appreciate the spirit of the event.

If you’d like to see where they were found last year, check the comment section of the Year of the Ram Monkeyshines article on Exit133.com http://www.exit133.com/articles/view/the-year-of-the-sheep-monkeyshines-2015#.VrULGbIrKUk

When you find a MonkeyShine and post to social media, please remember to use the #monkeyshines2016 hashtag.  Heck, use the hashtag for anything MonkeyShine related that you’d like to share, including goodies you’ll be sharing or juicy rumors of shinies hidden.

BREAKING!!!

More items are being found that were left by Monkey Friends…

This, in Wright Park this morning.

We also got a sneak peak at what BrassMonkey has created for us

Our sources tell us that the rogue hiding of glass in the North End a few nights ago is likely true, so keep your eyes open and your monkey senses sharp!
Don’t forget to visit Exit 133  The “Official Monkeyshines Hub”

This is where you go to get the latest official MonkeyShine news and find out where people are searching and finding:  http://www.exit133.com/articles/view/the-end-of-the-monkeyshines-cycle.-or-is-it#.Vq7tL7IrKUk

And of course, you can always help fund Monkeyshines and ensure that we are able to continue it for the full 12 year cycle.

You can donate any amount of money to the project. Every dollar makes art: DONATE HERE.

You can purchase a limited edition Monkey candle cup. The price is $100 and the money is intended to, again, make more art for this year’s Monkeyshines. Pick up is either at Sonja’s in Proctor, or Creative Forces in the Murano Hotel. They will both have inventory available for sale as well. You can BUY THE CUPS ONLINE and pick it up from one of these two shops or you can purchase it at the shop. The fine folks at the shops are just helping Ms. Monkey and not technically selling these, so please pay in cash or check if you’re planning to do it in person.

Happy Seeking Monkey Lovers…

~NM

 

Lions and Monkeys and Questions… Oh My!

Greetings fellow Gritty Tacomans, Monkey Lovers and Intrepid Urban Explorers (from all around the world based on our blog statistics)

Welcome to today’s installment of “Ask the Naughty Monkey a Question”

But first… a monkey tease…

What’s shiny, round, made of glass and hangs out with loins?

Marble Man’s treasures…

More are being found, and there are some big ones this year!

Don’t forget to use the #monkeyshines2016 hashtag to post your finds on social media!

And now…  another one of your questions answered…

What might we found out there? 

The monkeys have been frantically staying up late creating lovely glass creations

Just over 1,000 pieces of glass art; roughly 60% are medallions and 40% floats.

Year of the monkey stoneware pendants created by Muddy and Dizzy Monkey

Collectible (first in a series of 12) watercolor painting print postcards

Sunflower seed bombs

Messages in bottles: jokes, stories, pictures, poems and calls to action created by our mini monkeys at Grant Elementary (don’t tell Ms Monkey I gave away our mini monkey’s identities or I’ll be in big trouble again.)

Ceramic sake cups

Clay zen pots

And some other special surprises…

Let’s just say that there are more than 2,500 pieces of art just waiting to be discovered in a moment of serendipity in the spirit of community.

*check the archives of this blog for photos

And then there are our Monkey Friends…

Marble Man has been quite busy this year.

But wait!  There’s more!

We’re also looking forward to Brick Monkey’s lego monkey faces and Ms Brick Monkey’s knit/crochet monkeys, the 12th Man Sisters fabulous polymer creations and hopefully MoonSnail will be back out with their treats from the sea.  And for gosh sakes, the Naughty Monkey is dying to know…  Will there be Octopi this year?

BREAKING!!!

We just got word from another tribe of rogue monkeys who are also putting out shiny things.

Oh MY!

The Naughty Monkey is SO EXCITED!!!

Stay tuned tomorrow, when the Naughty Monkey tells you where to look!!!

Of course, you can join in on the fun and be a monkey friend as well!

What do YOU do/create/share?  Do you create art?  Have any fun collectibles to share? Inspirational messages? Music you could leave on a CD? Performance Art?  Or just sharing joy and community?

Don’t forget to visit Exit 133  The “Official Monkeyshines Hub”

This is where you go to get the latest official MonkeyShine news and find out where people are searching and finding:  http://www.exit133.com/articles/view/the-end-of-the-monkeyshines-cycle.-or-is-it#.Vq7tL7IrKUk

And of course, you can always help fund Monkeyshines and ensure that we are able to continue it for the full 12 year cycle.

You can donate any amount of money to the project. Every dollar makes art: DONATE HERE.

You can purchase a limited edition Monkey candle cup. The price is $100 and the money is intended to, again, make more art for this year’s Monkeyshines. Pick up is either at Sonja’s in Proctor, or Creative Forces in the Murano Hotel. They will both have inventory available for sale as well. You can BUY THE CUPS ONLINE and pick it up from one of these two shops or you can purchase it at the shop. The fine folks at the shops are just helping Ms. Monkey and not technically selling these, so please pay in cash or check if you’re planning to do it in person.

Happy Seeking Monkey Lovers…

~NM

 

Bombs Away!!! AKA “What’s New?”

Another question the Naughty Monkey has been asked recently,

“It’s a new cycle, so what’s new with Monkey Shines?”

I’m so glad you asked silly hairless simian!

Last year we started adding MORE art, NEW art for the end of the cycle as we thought it might be the last MonkeyShines.

The community wasn’t having it.  The spirit of MonkeyShines is part of the social fabric of Tacoma.

So we are continuing to add more new art and more calls for community action.

Our latest edition is the encouragement of guerrilla gardening and the reclamation of ugly and abandoned urban spaces.

We’re going to seed bomb Tacoma Beautiful!

Actually, YOU are going to seed bomb Tacoma Beautiful.

Can you imagine a Tacoma filled with lovely, golden sunflowers?

Let’s make 2016 the year of random acts of beauty and gardening!

Seed Bombing is a radical act of love, beauty and natural art  https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/2012/04/14/gIQArAA6HT_story.html

*please note, seed bombing must be done responsibly which means not to use invasive seeds/plants.  Sunflowers are non-invasive and provide high quality protein for wild birds.  When in doubt as to if a seed or plant could be bad for the environment, check with your local Native Plant Society and/or University Extension.

Marble Man is back with bigger and better marbles than ever in addition to his usual lovely collections.

And it’s not just the usual band of monkeys and monkey friends bringing new things into the game.

Yesterday we introduced you to our new friend BrickMonkey and his Lego monkey faces.

Ms BrickMonkey is working on these lovely creations.

But what the Naughty Monkey wants to know is…

Will there be Octopi this year? (if you know, please tell me)

What do YOU do/create/share?  Do you create art?  Have any fun collectibles to share? Inspirational messages? Music you could leave on a CD? Performance Art?  Or just sharing joy and community?

Don’t forget to visit Exit 133  The “Official Monkeyshines Hub”

This is where you go to get the latest official MonkeyShine news and find out where people are searching and finding:  http://www.exit133.com/articles/view/the-end-of-the-monkeyshines-cycle.-or-is-it#.Vq7tL7IrKUk

And of course, you can always help fund Monkeyshines and ensure that we are able to continue it for the full 12 year cycle.

You can donate any amount of money to the project. Every dollar makes art: DONATE HERE.

You can purchase a limited edition Monkey candle cup. The price is $100 and the money is intended to, again, make more art for this year’s Monkeyshines. Pick up is either at Sonja’s in Proctor, or Creative Forces in the Murano Hotel. They will both have inventory available for sale as well. You can BUY THE CUPS ONLINE and pick it up from one of these two shops or you can purchase it at the shop. The fine folks at the shops are just helping Ms. Monkey and not technically selling these, so please pay in cash or check if you’re planning to do it in person.

Happy Seeking Monkey Lovers…

~NM

 

 

More Questions Answered

I’m going to answer a couple more questions today… (yes TWO questions because I am feeling generous (no offense to Generous Monkey, she’s the most generous)

“When are monkeyshines going out?”

Like I’m going to tell you that.

The magic of MonkeyShines is just that, the magic, the suspense and the serendipity of finding a gift lovingly made by a local artist.

It’s about building community, walking our neighborhoods, meeting others, picking up trash, a sense of joy and celebration.

We’ve also had problems in the past with Monkey Stalkers who try to follow us and scoop up the prizes before anyone else has a chance to find them.

SHAME on the Monkey Stalkers.

We WILL stop hiding if we are followed and we WILL engage in traditional monkey methods of defense up to and including flinging poop.

THIS is what happens if you get too close to a monkey

Don’t be a stinky monkey stalker, you ruin it for everyone else.

Last year we also had a couple of Monkey Hoarders.  One woman went so far as to post a photo of her ill gotten gains (5 MonkeyShine items) in a photo to Twitter.

Condemnation from the community was rightfully harsh.  She was encouraged to go back and re-hide all but one in order to make things right.

Not only is our crack team of NinjaMonkeys watching the backs of our MonkeyHiders, but We have many Social MediaMonkeys watching for and discouraging such displays.

Retribution will be swift and that doesn’t even begin to describe the bad karma.

We hope members of the community will police themselves and each other so that these gifts and the spirit of MonkeyShines can be shared with as many people as possible.

Better yet, instead of thinking about what you can “get” please consider also thinking about what you can “give”.

In answer to your question.

You Never know when they will be hidden.

I heard a report last night of someone who ran into a MonkeyHider last night in the North End who said he had just been out hiding Monkey Balls.  I can neither confirm nor deny this.

I can also neither confirm nor deny an other officially sanctioned early release, although there have been rumors.

With that said, we did release MonkeyShines last year over the course of a full week, so it certainly doesn’t hurt to look early, and you most certainly don’t want to give up because you think others beat you to it.  There are MonkeyShines that stay hidden for years.

Monkey Friends have been busy.

One of Marble Man’s marbles has already been found.

Another new friend “Brick Monkey” has indicated that he will be leaving out Lego Monkeys between now and Sunday, so keep an eye out for those.

Another Question:

What might we find out there?

All sorts of interesting community art.

As of right now, we’ve counted well over 2,000 pieces of official MonkeyShines art.  These include glass floats, glass medallions, ceramic medallions, ceramic sake cups, ceramic pots, messages in bottles, lucky monkey coins, collectible painted poetry postcards and more.

We have no idea how many wonderous pieces of art from Monkey Friends may show up.  We know that many of them have been very busy and are excited.

What you YOU do/create/share?  Do you create art?  Have any fun collectibles to share? Inspirational messages? Music you could leave on a CD? Performance Art?  Or just sharing joy and community?

Don’t forget to visit Exit 133  The “Official Monkeyshines Hub”

This is where you go to get the latest official MonkeyShine news and find out where people are searching and finding:  http://www.exit133.com/articles/view/the-end-of-the-monkeyshines-cycle.-or-is-it#.Vq7tL7IrKUk

And of course, you can always help fund Monkeyshines and ensure that we are able to continue it for the full 12 year cycle.

You can donate any amount of money to the project. Every dollar makes art: DONATE HERE.

You can purchase a limited edition Monkey candle cup. The price is $100 and the money is intended to, again, make more art for this year’s Monkeyshines. Pick up is either at Sonja’s in Proctor, or Creative Forces in the Murano Hotel. They will both have inventory available for sale as well. You can BUY THE CUPS ONLINE and pick it up from one of these two shops or you can purchase it at the shop. The fine folks at the shops are just helping Ms. Monkey and not technically selling these, so please pay in cash or check if you’re planning to do it in person.

Happy Seeking Monkey Lovers…

~NM