Toonseum, Kelly-Strayhorn and Union Project Ignite GA/GI Fest 2012, Pittsburgh, PA

This year, GA/GI  Festival weekend (say GAH-gee) gets super-sized by Toonseum, Kelly-Strayhorn and Union Project from Thursday, April 5 through Saturday, April 7.

Toonseum is hosting the first in its series of
mini conventions in Garfield to kick off the annual Geek Arts/Green Innovation Festival for 2012. It all starts Thursday, April 5, at the BGC Community center, 113 N. Pacific at 6 pm. Come meet the many emerging cartoonists and animation vendors, who will be featured. The Toonseum Mini Con continues the next evening during GA/GI Fest @ Unblurred on Friday, April 6. This nationally acclaimed art crawl will showcase dozens of eye-popping art exhibits at Penn Avenue galleries and businesses all evening. Festival-goers will enjoy eco/tech displays, pumped up fashion, spoken word, food and fun for all ages!  GA/GI starts 6 pm.at the Pittsburgh Glass Center, 5472 Penn, where you can get all the festival details happening throughout the arts district. One more example:Kelly Strayhorn's Bap Boom Tourism, 8 pm. Or.. You catch this unique performance by Makoto Hirano on Saturday evening, April 7. But you'll still have plenty of time to stop in at a Saturday celebration hosted by Union Project. It's UP's Monster Open House! Child and family-friendly events all day long on April 7, starting 9:30 am.at 801 North Negley Ave.

Said GA/GI Festival Director, Christine Bethea "We never want GA/GI Festival to seem stuck or stodgy. That's why we love collaborating with great partners like Toonseum, Kelly-Strayhorn and the Union Project. They really help us mix things up. And  this year, we think people will love how we've revamped our Friday night fashion segment, making it a 'plein air' extravaganza. We've coordinating a mass designer trunk show where their models can strut through art spaces and restaurants. Kristin Barker, our GA/GI Stylist calls it Fashionation: March of the Fashionistas."

GA/GI Festival is a Paspports Art Diversity Project in partnership with Bloomfield Garfield Corporation, Friendship Development, the Penn Avenue Arts Initiative, Google and other fine sponsors.

For details on these events visit www.gagifest12.blogspot.com 
or contact Christine Bethea @ 412-596-6521