Flux #14, in Braddock.

After a three-year layoff, Flux is back in Pittsburgh! For those of you who don't remember it, the Flux series brought artists and musicians to a special one-night-only location for each event. They were always held in abandoned buildings in neighborhoods in transition. Some of the past 12 Flux events (starting in 2000) have been located in Garfield, East Liberty, Lawrenceville, Downtown, the South Side, and the North Side. Oftentimes the locations have been notable - the former 'Stock Exchange", the present Pittsburgh Glass Center, an outdoor event at the Brew House, the photo antiquity museum, and the Oakland Beehive Theater. But perhaps the most memorable space was the parking garage of the no-longer-existent St. Francis Hospital. The view from the top deck was simply breath-taking. That was the last Flux that I attended. When I found out that they were going to discontinue the series for lack of funding, I was disappointed, and so were many of my friends.

Now the Flux organizers have partnered with the Three Rivers Arts Festival. There will be three parties every year from 2007 through 2009- one will be located in Braddock, one in Downtown Pittsburgh, and one at an unspecified location. The cooperation with TRAF should result in benefits for both principals. Flux will receive assistance in staffing and funding, while the TRAF will strengthen their ties with local artists. Additionally, instead of participation being based upon informal groupings of friends, artists wil be selected by special coordinators with expertise in various artistic mediums.

The basis of the Flux series will remain intact. Each event will include a broad roster of visual, installation, performance, and musical artists. The excitement of Flux is the constant and varying range of activity going on at any given time. While a band plays in one section, a dance troupe is improvising a guerilla stomp somewhere else... and a sculptor is assembling a work-in-progress in a third area. To date there have been over 800 artists involved with the series, and over 20,000 attendees. No doubt some of that clientele is liable to resent one change being made. While at past editions of Flux beer and water have been free- there will be a charge for refreshments this time around. For many, getting looped on free beer was much of the allure.

But this series is also about the emergent communities where Flux has been held. These neighborhoods are seeking to revitalize themselves, and showcase the possibilities for their development. Indeed each Flux has had its own unique identity based around the particular feel of its location. Part of the fun is knowing that each audience is going to have its own flavorful mix, and that you will have the opportunity to run into people you rarely have a chance to see. The atmosphere is festive, and folks are often open to meeting new friends. That can certainly be said of John Fetterman, Mayor of Braddock. He's been actively working to promote the attraction of artists and young people to his beleaguered community. It seems that he's scored a coup in scoring Flux, both for now and the near future.

Flux #14 will be held on Saturday, April 14th on the corners of Braddock Avenue and Liberty Street (in Braddock). Participating venues include the A.J. Silberman Building, The Carnegie Library, the Braddock Elks Lodge, and at the Mayor's house. Operating hours are from 8PM-1AM. Featured artists include Tim Kaulen, Tom Sarver, James Simon, Tony Buba, Andreas Tapias-Urzua, Chris Ivey, etc. Music and other performance highlights will be provided by Attack Theater, Daryl Fleming & Public Domain, Centipede E'est, Lucid Music, the Pandemic DJ's, and the Steel City Poetry Slam Team. Admission is $10.