Pittsburgh Art Events: 10/ 16-17/09.

Friday

"3-Way", the new exhibit at Fe Gallery (4102 Butler St, Lawrenceville), runs from 6-9 PM, and features the work of Anna Mikolay (Director of Education at the Mattress Factory), Josh Tonies, and Laura Tabakman. This non-profit venue typically shows art without regard to commercial imperatives, so there's a good chance you will see some stuff to make you go "hmmmm?!"

Have you had the opportunity to check out Maxo Vanka's murals at St. Nicholas Church in Millvale (24 Maryland Ave.)? If you haven't, this is the perfect chance- they are having a "50%-off flea market" this weekend. On Friday, it runs from 5-8PM and on Saturday, it's 8AM-2PM. Along with a dinner and a lunch, they are also welcoming people to tour the church itself.


Saturday

Spend the day (10AM-6PM) in Lawrenceville checking out artist studios. Despite the rapidly increasing price of real estate in this neighborhood, artists haven't (yet) been completely priced out. Although many of the participants are more of the "crafter" sort, you should take this opportunity to invade some strangers' spaces. Unlike the typical "house tour", this event is free. Make sure to stop by Encyclopedia Destructica (156 41st Street) to see where their magic is realized.

Apparently Shepherd Fairey is in town again, for his opening reception for "Supply and Demand" at the Andy Warhol Museum. The museum is encouraging all to come and meet the artist. I used to have a modicum of respect for Fairey... until I realized what a raging hypocrite he is. The guy has been freely appropriating the imagery of other creators for years, and in fact has built his career on the practice. So it galls me that he has sued others for so-called copyright infringement. Anyway you can meet him after 6PM, and meet his lawyers if you decide to appropriate his very own methods.

Pittsburgh Art Events: 5/29-30/09.

My apologies for not posting a weekend round-up here last week… I needed to get out of town, and I focused on preparing for that instead. But this weekend holds some surprises for you and yours, so grab a cup of coffee and peruse your options.

Friday/Saturday

While it’s true that I simply don’t go out to movies anymore, I feel compelled to mention a documentary film playing at the Melwood Screening Room in Oakland (8PM, both Friday and Saturday). “New Muslim Cool” concerns a former drug dealer named Jason Perez, who formed a community of Muslims, and moved to Pittsburgh’s own North Side. I won’t belabor you with the details, but I do encourage you to read more about the film over on the Pittsburgh Post Gazette’s website. There is a reception at 7PM on Saturday night.

Friday

At first I didn’t think anything art-related was going on this weekend, but my internet meanderings brought light to a number of events that I believe would be worth checking out.

If you are so inclined, you might want to check out “Comin at Ya ... Another 15 Minutes of Photos by Eric Holmes” at La Fond Gallery in the South Side (1711 East Carson St) sometime between 6 and 8PM. There are so few galleries left in this neighborhood that it’s pretty much off my radar anymore- but I know Holmes from back in the day, and I’d like to see him get a good turnout. He’s been a local supporter of Pittsburgh arts for years, and so y'all should return the favor.

On the Larryville tip, Fe Gallery (4102 butler St.) will host a reception for new works by local art school undergrads. It’s great to see this non-profit so active in the scene, and it’d be a shame if its productions weren’t well-attended. Go see “Grade A” some time between 7 and 9PM.

Fortunately for you and your tired dogs, your next destination is only a few yards from Fe. Your Inner Vagabond (4130 Butler St.) is having a “Granada Arts Education Project Benefit” featuring an art and poster exhibit, as well as bands (starting at 7P). The idea behind this thing is that teachers can integrate the arts into any subject area they teach. That’s good stuff I can get behind. Plus I do enjoy the venue AND Machete is one of the bands performing. If I wasn’t already committed to seeing another musical performance tomorrow night, this is where I would be.

Instead, starting at 10PM I’ll be over in the North Side at the New Hazlett Theater (6 Allegheny Square East). My buddy Slim Cessna is performing with his son George and local bass guitar hero Rob Loveclutch. Cessna’s been on a European tour with the Auto Club for the last couple of months, and it’s just a good feeling to know he’s back in town. If you haven’t seen his local combo (and you haven’t unless you were at the Zombo Galley in December), then you need to make an appearance. It’s an all ages show, but I implore you not to let that put you off- it’s only $3 stinkin’ bucks and there’s a bar area too.


Saturday

Occasionally the gall of local organizers, planners, and city functionaries is so prominent that I have to remember to breathe. Such is the case with the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy. They have planned a “Children’s Carousel Tea” to be held at Schenley Park at 11AM. Now, that’s all well and good until you consider the price tag- $25 per kid and $50 per adult. For that nominal fee, attendees are promised lunch, treats and rides on the Merry-Go-Round. Awesome. Global recession, anybody?!

Believe it or not, cheaper entertainment is to be had on Saturday evening. Panza Gallery (115 Sedgwick Street, Millvale) offers an opening reception for the works of three artists-
Mark McLaughlin, Gloria Dufresne, and Pat Lee. The hours for this event are 6-9PM.

Afterwards pay Gooski’s (3117 Brereton Street) in Polish Hill a visit, and support the “Art What You Got Benefit Show” (starting at 9PM). This annual arts festival is only in its second year, so get on board while it’s still hip. UkuLizzy, DJ Mary Mack, and folk-pop band Horse Or Cycle will be providing you entertainment for the mere price of $5.

Pittsburgh Art Events: 5/15-16/09

Friday

The place to be tomorrow night is definitely Lawrenceville. Regular readers of my events updates probably shouldn’t be surprised by this. The L-Ville is firmly establishing itself as the most culturally diverse and stimulating neighborhood in the ‘Burgh.

Both The Framery (4735 Butler Street) and the Gallery on 43rd Street are having opening receptions. Elise Rugolo and Adrienne Borkowski are presenting their work at the former space, under the title “Traces of Light”. Rugolo makes mixed –media paintings and Borkowski is another among a large group of regionally-based assemblage artists. Meanwhile Diane Grguras is over on 43rd with a collection of pastel pieces.

After you’ve seen what you wanted at those locations, stop by the Fe Gallery @ 4102 Butler Street for their 5th Anniversary Celebration. Various artists (including yours truly) have donated their work to benefit this non-profit arts space. Reportedly, local luminaries like George Davis, Brian Holderman, and Rick Byerly have also chipped in to help. There will be a DJ (Kelly Carter of Milk Records), as well as refreshments at this party, so don’t whine about the $5 admissions fee. It jumps off at 8PM.

Saturday

There are a lot of yard and garage sales happening this weekend, so head on over to the Pittsburgh Craigslist and peep the listings. I’m not going to hip you to my intended destinations (don’t want the treasure-hunting competition, after all), but I am putting you on alert anyway.

Also, the Pittsburgh Dragon Boat Festival will be held at the South Side Riverfront Park starting at 11AM on the 16th. They’ve got displays, music, dance, martial arts, food, art and textiles. And can you guess the common thread? Asian culture, of course. It’s free and you have no excuse to miss it.

Pittsburgh Art Happenings: 1/30-31/09.

Due to an unusual amount of chaos in my life, I haven't been entirely accurate in my predictions for what I might do during the weekends. I have listed a number of events over the past couple weeks that I may have had the best intentions of attending, only to find myself waylaid by life's surprises. But somehow I feel grounded if I continue to identify potential highlights, so I'm going to forge ahead and mention a few places where I may be found over the next couple of days.

Friday

If you didn't go to the opening reception for "The Big Hang-Up" at the Zombo Gallery, you do get another shot to see the work at the closing (6-11PM). Michael's happy about the nice turn out and some "groovy" sales, so it's an ideal time to drop by and say "hi!". Maybe you'll even run across Jason Woolslare, who I am told has been offered a future solo on the strength of the work he contributed to this show. And if you get bored, Stinky's is across the street.

Fe Gallery has finally moved on from the rigors of planning, organizing, and executing their huge survey of local art. Now the gallery features the work of just one artist- Joshua Space. I don't know what kind of work he does, and I can't find a lot of documentation on the web, so all I can do is alert your attention to the opening on Friday night from 7-9PM. At least you heard about it somewhere...

I haven't been to the Society for Contemporary Craft (2100 Smallman Street) in awhile. That's mostly due to the fact that their last exhibition opened more than six months ago. With that kind of manufactured anticipation, the joint reception (5:30-8:00PM) for Bridge 10 (the three solo exhibitions opening this month) carries an air of heightened importance. Robert Briscoe (clay), Tom Loeser (furniture) and Christina Y. Smith (small metals) are the featured artists.


Friday and Saturday

People that know me well are aware that I don't go to see films in theaters. You can't smoke, there is always someone nearby doing something irritating, and no one will pause the movie if you have to go to the bathroom. Why not stay home and watch something on your own terms? Occasionally there is something so compelling that I have to go out to see it, and it's usually a work that I have little hope of seeing issued on DVD. Such is the case with "Fear(s) of the Dark", a collection of animated shorts focused on presenting the disturbing, the thrilling and the haunting. I don't recognize many of the creators, but Charles Burns is among them. That alone justifies the $7 ticket price at Melwood Filmmakers in Oakland (showtimes 7:30 and 9:30 both nights). As a bonus, Bill Boichel (of Copacetic Comics) will be on hand live on Saturday to introduce the production.


Saturday

In these trying economic times, we can expect to see all sorts of different approaches to selling art in the Pittsburgh region. Joan Barenbregge over at Élan Gallery (427 Broad Street, Sewickley) has decided to forge ahead with a series of monthly art auctions. The first of the series occurs this weekend. Show up Saturday morning between 9-10AM to preview the work, and bid on your favorites from 10AM-3PM.

And finally... Encyclopedia Destructica is releasing their latest book: Make Your Own Truth, which contains work by Jonathan Brodsky, Juliacks, Paus Akid, Alberto Almarza, Josh Atlas, and Rick Gribenas. As a bonus they have included some prints documenting some pretty fancy powerpoint presentations. To celebrate this issuance, they have an event at the Regina Gouger Miller Gallery on the Carnegie-Mellon campus, starting at 5:30PM. Get there on time and you won't miss the presentation of their "Flying Destructucate Award" to the aforementioned Brodsky.

Pittsburgh Art Happenings: 9/12/08

Today is obviously a day that's been mothballed, and thus both sides in the presidential race have decided to suspend political activities. I figure that if a break in the action is acceptable for them, then it's ok for me as well. It just so happens that this particular date falls on a Thursday, so it's easy for me to simply follow my routine of posting about art events. So here is what this weekend has in store for the art fanatic:

Friday

After months of preparation which included a grant proposal, a jury process, an inordinate amount of convoluted communication, the layout and printing of a full-color 250-page catalog, and the actual physical setup of the exhibition... In the Making: 250 Years/250 Artists is finally opening at Fe Gallery in Lawrenceville (4102 Butler St.), tomorrow night at 7PM. Well over 400 local artists submitted pieces for consideration in the show. Those who were eventually accepted each got to include one image to be displayed in the catalog, and one piece to be hung on the wall. The latter were selected by curator Jill Larson- former owner and proprietor of the Fe Gallery before it received its non-profit status.

The exhibition started with the awarding of a Sprout Fund Grant coinciding with the Pittsburgh 250 Community Connections Initiative. The idea was to organize a survey of the best local art currently being produced around town. In addition a print production would accompany the exhibition, and serve as a permanent testament to the project. A general cattle call was put out, and word spread quickly throughout the local scene. Because of limited resources and busy judges, there were several delays before official invitations were sent out to the artists who had been chosen. While not everyone was pleased by the process, few had a realistic idea of the logistical nightmares that a show of this scale entailed.

But now the work is on the wall, and a mock-up of the catalog is available for perusal. The show itself will be available for viewing until January 10, 2009. Catalogs can be pre-ordered the night of the opening, and there will be a reception for its official release on some as yet unspecified date in October. While all of your favorites aren't likely represented, I'm certain that at least a few of them are. Keep in mind that just because someone is not in the show does not mean that they were turned down. Many artists I know didn't even submit work. Still, having scanned the list, I have confidence that this will be a high-quality sampling of what the 'Burgh has to offer the rest of the world.

The "250 Show" just so happens to fall on the same night as Pittsburgh Center for the Art's reception for "Artist of the Year" Susanne Slavick. To be honest, I've never heard of her before*... but her work looks good online. As the PCA staff notes Slavick's latest series is concerned with "digitally and manually transforming photographic images of wreckage, she 'recognizes, rues or reconstitutes' what has been decimated." I'm sure it's nowhere near as cute as it sounds. Alongside Slavick, the work of "Emerging Artist Award"-winner Adam Welch will be presented. Welch is an installation artist who had a particularly memorable piece in the 2008 PCA Biennial. Things get underway at 5:30PM and run until 8PM. Admission is $10 ($5 after 6:30).

I also want to give a quick shout-out to the Wizard of Oddities (4314 Butler St.). This idiosyncratic art space is also having a reception this Friday, from 7-11PM. It's for a retrospective of paintings from the "Voyeur" series by Sam Thorp. Stop in before or after you visit the Fe Gallery.

* Likely due to the fact that she is part of the CMU arts faculty- the majority of whom do not seem all that well-integrated into the local Pittsburgh arts scene. I suspect this is largely intentional.

Things to Do This Weekend. (6/20-22/08)

It's a bit odd to find so much to do in the middle of the month in Pittsburgh, especially in the arts scene. But for some reason this weekend has a few things you might want to consider attending. That should be good news to those of you without travel plans. Now you can tell all the naysayers- "Y'see... the 'Burgh is just as exciting as anywhere else during the summer. Mild climate... lots to do... who could want anything more?" Or you could stay at home basking in the cool of your A/C unit, and cry in your beer while daydreaming about the seashore.

Friday night features an opening for the Group A artists collective at the Fe Gallery in Lawrenceville. I'm happy to report that I am now receiving snail mail hot-cards from Jill and Co. alerting me of events at this spot. This particular group show promises to address political promises (presumedly of the unfulfilled variety). Come see what this shadowy little cabal is up to. The reception runs from 7-9PM. Expect the gallery staff to be a bit distracted as they are laboring to put together the catalog for "In the Making: 250 Years/250 Artists"- an exhibition that will be in place by September. But as far as I am aware, this is the main art attraction tomorrow night.

On the other hand, Saturday is going to demand a bit of prioritization. If you get an early start, you should probably make Artists Image Resource (AIR) your very first destination. They are throwing down with their Annual Summer Bash. From noon until midnight there will be art, music, performances, and refreshments. All you have to do is pay a one-time $10 entrance fee, and you can come-and-go as you please. You can watch local superstar poster-boy Mike Budai do his thing live and in person... Or take a chance on the Artist-Made T-shirt Raffle. The Burndowns and Power Pill Fist will be playing for the hipsters, and I'm told there will be cupcakes and beer from East End Brewery!

Later in the evening you might want to make your way to Market Square for the last (?) Art Olympic Theater. Of course it will be hosted by its creator Tom Sarver (late of the Tom Museum). If you haven't seen any of this series of events, you have to grab the opportunity while you can. Sarver is off to Yonkers (or France?) in the Fall. Come see local and regional artists stumble all over themselves competing to make a sculpture out of random materials in the space of two hours. The contest is to be decided by Jeffry Inscho (Mattress factory), Kurt Shaw (Tribune Review), Al Hoff (City Paper), and Laura Domencic (PCA). Get there at 6PM to see local jazz favorites OPEK open for the event. It's all free and Penn Brewery is providing the suds.

Before you give in to the bars for the night, you should stop by the Wizard of Oddities (4314 Butler Street) in Lawrenceville. This is a relatively new gallery opened by some newly transplanted farmers. The owners are gracious on their occasional forays back into the city, and feature an eclectic mix of local and national artists. Saturday night's opening (@ 7PM) features the watercolors and collage of Bill Ireland and Chris Ingham. Just look for the neon naked-lady silhouette in the front window. If you stayed at AIR all day instead, head a few blocks over to Moxie Dada (1416 Arch Street) for the first installment of their new Summer Music Series (featuring the jazz fusion of "So Say We").

After a couple of busy nights in a row, you probably just want to take it easy with a nice Sunday morning church service. But if you are inclined more toward elitist, black-separatist, Socialist, Muslim, flag-hating, messianic figures (and their villainous associates)- make sure to stop by Zombo Gallery (4900 Hatfield St., Lawrenceville) between noon and 4PM for some baked goods. Sales benefit Barack Obama's campaign and MoveOn.org.