The cyclist killed in Williamsburg just after midnight Wednesday has been identified by the NYPD as Mathieu Lefevre. The 30-year-old artist, who was originally from Alberta, Canada but had been residing in NYC, was killed by a flatbed truck while riding his bike on Morgan Avenue, at the intersection of Meserole Street. Nicolas Mavrikakis, a Canadian art critic, writes, "I am without words. The news of the death of Mathieu Lefevre, 30, a young artist who promised so much, but who was already a great artist, leaves me totally dazed. A work that was already excited and growing has been suddenly amputated. A truck broke it all in one evening." more ›

This weekend the Life of Fire party was held in three warehouses in Brooklyn (a risky move after the city's been on a raiding spree). The brainpower behind the party included several of NYC's "most riotous creative groups" who built a performance adventure that spanned a former brewery, a former furniture factory and a former garment factory. Along with 3rd Ward, the Burning Man art collectives Image Node and The Animus Society were also involved in putting it all together. more ›

Last month Governor Paterson signed legislation that required illegally converted loft buildings (think 475 Kent) to get up to code. According to the Brooklyn Paper, it was "designed to protect tenants in illegally occupied manufacturing buildings from landlord harassment and rental hikes, but would not prevent evictions if the building itself has significant safety violations"—it's known as the Loft Law. more ›

This week there's a new food truck from 3rd Ward, the re-opening of the Pink Tea Cup Restaurant, World Cup fun at Loreley Williamsburg, and Milk and Roses in Greenpoint. more ›

Last Sunday Tom Mylan cut the tip of his finger while hustling to turn a 200-pound hog into pork tacos for hundreds of hungry hungry hipsters at 3rd Ward. WNYC was on hand to document the process from the beginning, and though they missed his dramatic injury, their video is still sickeningly fascinating. Or deliciously fascinating, if you're the kind of person who enjoys swine. more ›

Oh dear. Remember when Manet's Le déjeuner sur l'herbe (aka Luncheon on the Grass) was a huge scandal to those prudish art critics back in the 1800s? Well they'd certainly be shielding their eyes and turning their noses up at the 3rd Ward's latest exhibit—the Brooklyn establishment just announced an open call for those upskirt shots you've been saving on your cell phone. (You know who you are.) They're specifically asking for "well-executed, erotic expressions made only with a cell phone." Videos, photos and texts will all be accepted, and the winner will take home 500 bucks—enough to buy a mediocre SLR for a future in less pixelated porn. Meanwhile, the best of the best will be picked for a future group show. While their Sex Cells submission form comes with a disclaimer, nowhere does it say that the subject of your pervy pics need to be made aware of their possible public display. You are all fair game! more ›

ART: We've been loving the Love=Love show at Jen Bekman Gallery, which just opened earlier this week. The exhibition by Kent Rogowski is comprised of six large-scale photographic prints based on altered puzzles, as well as a selection of the original objects. Think of a puzzle collision resulting in collage art; also: see pictured. more ›