Carnegie International Reviews Pour In -- Updated List

No excuse, but I haven't seen it yet.

The professional art world is a bit of a circle jerk, where open, honest criticism is rare. Even so, the reaction seems very positive, with reviewers using words like smart, understated & playful

Check out the the blog entry with links. 

Video compilation of Teenie Harris profiles in the national media

The Westmoreland Museum, which hosted a earlier Harris retrospective, uploaded a montage, highlighting some of the attention paid to Harris and the communities he photographed. Almost all of them are really well done, so don't just skip through it.

Seems like many were done during the period of the earlier show, but some are newer.

"what he shows so clearly and forcefully in these photos is the sense of community that existed"

Teenie Harris @ Carnegie Museum of Art

My first impression of the Carnegie's Teenie Harris show was anger, over the tiny number of 12 framed prints. Slowly, I've spent more time with the show and am gathering in the wisdom of what was done.

More than most photographers, Harris's work has a dual identity as both potentially fine art and clear journalistic, documentation. Harris himself, never considered himself an artist. When late in life, he said he felt his pictures belonged at the Carnegie, my guess is that he was making more of a statement about his subject matter than anything else. Clearly, he felt that Pittsburgh's African American community and the Hill District was deeply worthy of recognition and he was proud of doing that. We now largely know this community through his work.

I think, the curator said the museum has about 80,000 Harris negatives, of which only about 30,000 have been well researched. The format, built around a large room of projected images and a larger one showing small postcard sized photos in a huge grid, makes one aware of the huge output, and the immense richness of his subject. Of course, the high consistent quality reveals that Harris rarely took a bad photo.

Be back with more thoughts about this show, which requires and rewards spending time looking.

What is Going On @ Pittsburgh Regional Museums? Great Rundown in The PG

While, many of us feel the Post Gazette still ignores far to much of our grass roots local art scene, it does a pretty good job covering many of the major museum shows.

Here's a Fall Art's Preview of major regional shows @ The Carnegie, The Frick, The Butler, The Westmoreland and more. Very well laid out. As I said, I think if you haven't visited Pittsburgh yet, now might be a great time to spend a week here--or just a few days, if that's what you got.

Cleveland area museums are not included in this list.

Fall Arts Preview

Ai Weiwei, Circle Of Animals/ Zodiac Heads: Public Sculpture To Come To Pittsburgh In 2012

When I took these photos of this work by the controversial Chinese artist and activist, Ai Weiwei in NYC, I had no idea this large scale public sculpture would making an extended stop in Pittsburgh.

Modeled on the once prized possessions of the former Emperors of China later looted by Europeans, this work pushes lots of historic and cultural buttons most of us don't fully understand.

"Circle of Animals / Zodiac Heads is the centerpiece of a global, multi-year touring exhibition that will be presented in the United States, Europe, and Asia. The set of twelve zodiac heads was recently on display at the São Paolo Biennale in Brazil (September – December 2010). The official world tour for Circle of Animals / Zodiac Heads by Ai Weiwei will launch in New York City at the historic Pulitzer Fountain at Grand Army Plaza near Central Park and the Plaza Hotel. The heads will be on display there from May through July 2011, with additional international and domestic venues to follow.

Designed in the 18th century by two European Jesuits serving in the court of the Qing dynasty Emperor Qianlong, the twelve zodiac animal heads originally functioned as a water clock-fountain, which was sited in the magnificent European-style gardens of the Yuanming Yuan. In 1860, the Yuanming Yuan was ransacked by French and British troops, and the heads were pillaged. In re-interpreting these objects on an oversized scale, Ai Weiwei focuses attention on questions of looting and repatriation, while extending his ongoing exploration of the “fake” and the copy in relation to the original."

PITTSBURGH, PA – 10.01.12 - 12.31.12
The Andy Warhol Museum & Carnegie Museum of Art

Read more.

Will The Pittsburgh Biennial Get Much National Press?

Finally, a number of major cultural venues, The Warhol, The Carnegie Museum, The Warhol, Pittsburgh Filmmakers and CMU's Miller Gallery are collaborating on a large scale exhibit project similar to what I have long advocated on here.

"We are quickly becoming one of the most dynamic art communities in America, and the Pittsburgh Biennial is going to prove that Pittsburgh is a place that cherishes and supports the arts," says Warhol curator Eric Shiner.

Highlighting a broad spectrum of works and providing increased recognition for more than 60 of the region's top artistic talents, the survey-style show features everything from 2-D work, installation and sculpture, to time-, interactive- and process-based works.

Pittsburgh Filmmakers will dedicate its galleries to a presentation of media arts, while works on view at The Miller Gallery will examine the city's long labor history as well as CMU's legacy of presenting courses that explore the social role of art in public contexts. Featured at the Miller will be collectives and artists who work collaboratively in socially engaged ways, such as in publishing, installation, art education, new media, performance, and printmaking."

Finally, many of the best artists in the city brought together in the kind of large scale show that should allow each to really show off what they are doing.

Now comes the next question--will anyone beyond the immediate Pittsburgh region know about or care about this show? Well, on a positive note-since the show has a somewhat broader definition of a "Pittsburgh artist" and has included several people who no longer live here full time, at least one NY dealer I talked to knew about it.On the negative side, the absence of any artists from a wider region-means that those places have no particular need to pay attention.

I think the show will receive limited out of town coverage and that very little of the wider contact, dialog and recognition will develop. Pittsburgh is like the irritating date who only talks about themselves. My guess is Pittsburgh Foundations and other large funders are behind some of this extreme introversion. They are not doing any serious Pittsburgh artist any favors.

More Answers and Questions About Keith Haring In Pittsburgh: Did He Paint a Bathroom at The Center For the Arts?

From the Keith Haring Archives website.

"...I went to a huge retrospective by Pierre Alechinsky at the Carnegie Museum of Art. It was the first time that I had seen someone who was older and established doing something that was vaguely similar to my little abstract drawings. It gave me this whole new boost of confidence."3

"...I used the library at Carnegie all the time. I was reading a lot. I was really into Dubuffet at the time... the last works that he did were very similar to the little shaped things I was doing...."

The drawings from this time do relate strongly to Dubuffet's late graphic style--which in his case were painted on large sculptures and shaped environments.

Later Haring heard a talk Christo gave in Pittsburgh about his projects that was even more eye opening.

"...The thing I responded to most was [Christo's] belief that art could reach all kinds of people, as opposed to the traditional view, which has art as this elitist thing..."

In the end, Haring's time in Pittsburgh was capped by a solo show at the Pittsburgh Art's and Craft Center-as The Center For The Arts was then known.

Still, I have so many questions. Someone responded on twitter, saying he worked as a janitor at The Center and was actually given permission to paint a bathroom there, which was later painted over. Is this true? Has anyone read Haring's journals? Looks like I should.

Should We Have A Panther Hollow Design Competition?

New York's High Line project took a space that was already there but that was rarely noticed or thought about and used it to transform and add to the way people thought about a whole part of Manhattan.

So, does Pittsburgh have a single space which with potentially small amount of effort and rethinking could be transformed in a huge way? An obvious concept is extending the waterfront parks--but this is already being thought about. Fixing and Allegheny Center is also a transformative project but no easy task.

However, the deep ravine in the center of Oakland is a place where the creation of a few amazing buildings which creatively use the rim, or a series of interesting paths or well who knows--could change the entire way we think about Oakland and all the neighborhoods that border the Hollow. Should Pittsburgh really try to ignore and evade some of the most interesting parts of it's geography in the way it's design does now?

As you can see from these images, soil erosion along large chunks of the rim is creating issues that must be dealt with anyway and soon.

What I have in mind is to hold some kind of design competition allowing an open ended contemplation of any and all ideas people might have for buildings, paths, ecological designs for any and all parts of The Hollow.

My personal guess is that many students at CMU, Pitt or the other schools in Oakland have drawn up an idea or two. Needless to say, this could easily then be tied to an exhibition at The Carnegie Museum Of Art and or The Miller Gallery. The Carnegie and area museums also have many paintings and historic objects that relate to this iconic yet mostly ignored urban space which could provide context.

No guarantee of executing or using any of the designs would be implied but most likely some type of cash prizes would be granted. Public voting on designs might also be considered. Using any of these ideas--would be a separate issue. The goal would be to invite all Pittsburghers and designers from around the world to publicly meditate on this unique space we should think about more.

Paul Thek @ Carnegie Museum Closes May 1: Great Post by Steeltown Anthem

Wow, time has flown and the Paul Thek show is nearing it's end. I saw it once and have to get back again. Mysterious, quirky, visceral and in my opinion often beautiful, this is a must see show.

Steeltown Anthem has a post with her thoughts and lots of images.

Catholicism, the Body, and the Art of Paul Thek: A Conversation @ Carnegie Museum

I am still trying to wrap my head around the Carnegie's Paul Thek show. His work is much more beautiful and visceral than I expected and left me asking all kinds of questions.

Tonight at 6:30 there will be a free panel talk about the show.

Start:March 31, 2011 6:30 pm
End:March 31, 2011 8:00 pm
Cost:Free

"The human body, both in representation and symbol, is ever-present in Paul Thek’s art, which could be simultaneously intensely spiritual and insistently profane, lyrical and base. Join Dr. Paula Kane of the Department of Religious Studies, University of Pittsburgh, and Dr. Katharina Winnekes of Kolumba, Art Museum of the Archdiocese of Cologne, Germany, in examining paradoxes embedded in Thek’s spirituality and artistic practice."

FYI, this talk is literally free since there is no charge for admission after 3:30 PM on Thursdays during the month of March, thanks to a grant by The Buncher Family Foundation.

Andrey Avinoff: In Pursuit of Beauty: Watercolors and Collections @Carnegie Museum

Iridescence, 1925/1947, graphite, pen and ink, and watercolor on paper mounted on artist’s board; Carnegie Museum of Art,

I have actually not seen this yet but it looks interesting on lots of levels. (BTW, The Paul Thek show at The Carnegie IMHO, will blow your head clean off. I haven't blogged about it partly because it's very hard to put into words.)

What I think I will like about this show is that it attempts to to create shows both artist's paintings and collections in a way that gives insight into an amazing life story involving global travel,serious science and artistic exploration. From 1926 -1945 Arinoff was director of the Carnegie Museum of Natural History.

"Born in 1884 in Tulchin, Ukraine, Mr. Avinoff earned a law degree from Moscow University and in 1913 joined the protocol staff of Nicholas II. His interest in butterflies developed early, and in 1908 and 1912 he used inheritance money to fund collecting expeditions.

Mr. Avinoff first traveled to the United States in 1915 to purchase war supplies for the Russian Army. By 1918, as the Russian Civil War raged, he, his mother and his sister's family had immigrated to New York. When their dairy farm failed, he turned to commercial illustration to earn a living while his sister, Elizabeth Shoumatoff, developed a career as a portrait painter. (Her formal portrait of Mr. Avinoff is in the exhibition.)"

And then it goes on from there.

As you can see, he had mad technical skills as a painter too. Check out the Slide Show.

More articles and reviews.

Recollecting Andrey Avinoff Carnegie Magazine

Carnegie Museum of Art Unveils the Visionary and Rarely Seen Art by Andrey Avinoff Art Daily

Andrey Avinoff: In Pursuit of Beauty
February 26–July 24, 2011
Works on Paper Gallery

Girl Power: Women Take leading Roles In Many Pittsburgh Arts Organizations

The Trib had a nice piece highlighting the leading role women play in the city's art establishment. Included are some nice quotes and interviews.

For whatever reasons, women were important players in this field long before they were in many others. Cross Peggy Guggenheim, Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, Grace Borgenicht, Betty Parsons, Holly Solomon, Ilena Sonnabend, Paula Cooper, Mary Boone, Gracie Mansion, Annina Nosei, Pat Hearn, Andrea Rosen, Dominique De Menil, Lisa Spellman, Barbara Gladstone and the like out of 20th century art history and you get a very grey picture.In light of these powerful roles, it's surprising women artists were so ignored.

As you can see from the list below, The Mattress Factory, Quantum Theatre, Dance Alloy and Attack Theater would not exist without the women who founded them.

List from The Pittsburgh Tribune Review

Barbara Baker: president and CEO of the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium since 1990

Karla Boos: artistic director of Quantum Theatre, which she founded in 1990

Tracy Brigden: artistic director of City Theatre Company since 2001

Betsy Burleigh: music director for the Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh since 2006

Rene Conrad: executive director of the New Hazlett Theater since January.

Michelle de la Reza: founded Attack Theatre with Peter Kope in 1994. They serve as artistic directors.

Jackie Dempsey: founded Squonk Opera in 1992 with Steve O'Hearn. She and O'Hearn serve as artistic directors.

Ellen Fleurov: executive director of Silver Eye Center for Photography since 2009

Dawn Keezer: director of the Pittsburgh Film Office since 1994

Barbara Luderowski: founding director and board president of The Mattress Factory, North Side, which she founded in 1977. Since 2008, she and Michael Olijnyk have served as directors.

Barbara K. Mistick: outgoing president and director of Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh; a position she's held since 2005.

Ann Metzger: Henry J. Buhl Jr. co-director with Ronald J. Baillie of the Carnegie Science Center since 2009.

Judith O'Toole: director and CEO of the Westmoreland Museum of American Art since 1993.

Greer Reed-Jones and Susan Sparks: artistic director and executive director, respectively, of Dance Alloy, since 2009.

Janera Solomon: executive director of the Kelly-Strayhorn Theatre since 2008

Jane Werner: executive director of the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh since 1999.

Lynn Zelevansky: Henry J. Heinz II Director of Carnegie Museum of Art since 2009.

From High Art to Low Art...From One "Ordinary Madness" to Another

That is "Ordinary Madness" at the Carnegie Museum of Art, and Steeler's Madness at the "Whatever It Takes" exhibit at Miller Gallery at CMU.
Ordinary Madness at the Carnegie is a terrific exhibit and high art in the best sense of the term. The exhibit is close to the end, only up through January 9th, so make haste to go if you want to see choice works by: Phillip Guston, Willem De Kooning, David Hockney,Tony Oursler, Charles Burchfield, Ed Ruscha and others, both well and less well-known. One hundred and seven works are included. Oridnary Madness refers to the premise that the "ordinary is in fact laced with the contradictory, uncanny, and surreal". I really enjoyed this exhibit. So much strong work by both famous and not so famous artists. For more information see

The exhibit "Whatever It Takes" at the Regina Miller Gallery at Carnegie Mellon University draws from the everyday Steeler madness that is around us in Pittsburgh. The exhibit focuses on Steeler fan rituals, collections and obsessions. The exhibit is up through 1/30/11.The Steelers man cave, recreated from its basement home is amazing. A local cook? chef? Denny DeLuca who has painstakingly put his Steeler's memorabilia together in one room over the years recreated his space in the gallery.. It's fascinating. And the accompanying video of Mr. Deluca suggests that his collection is something he enjoys and has a sense of humor about. Whereas an item such as the Steeler's poodle....(a photo on exhibit) is much more...dark...in my view. For information on the exhibit,see

Charles Rohlfs at CMOA, last day Sunday 4/25/2010

You may have already seen a great deal of art this weekend. After all there was the Gallery Crawl downtown on Friday, and Art All Night Sat-Sun at 2p.m.
But there is an exhibit at Carnegie Museum of Art that looks very worthwhile, and tomorrow is the last day. Charles Rohlfs, who was inspired by both the Art Nouveau and Arts and Craft's movement, has been tagged "The Curator's Secret" i.e. those in the know how great he is.
There is a very interesting write up about Rohlfs in the Post Gazette:http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10030/1032074-437.stm

This is a touring exhibit, and this is the last stop. There are a number of other interesting exhibits at the Carnegie as well, such as Gods, Love, and War (a jaw-dropping exhibit of tapestries), a dazzling Cecil Balmond installation, and Caricature, Satire, and Comedy of Manners: Works on Paper from the 18th through 20th Centuries.

And given that I read that tomorrow's weather is supposed to be "showers in the morning, followed by thunderstorms in the late morning" and then "showers in the early afternoon, followed by thunderstorms in the late afternoon" an indoor activity sounds pretty good.

CMoA and TRAF

A couple of things have come through my inbox over the last week or so that I wanted to share. TRAF is reviving its juried exhibit and CMoA has a free admission program this month. So, two do not miss opportunities for artists. All you painters out there, let's bombard the festival with some smashing good work!

New Juried Visual Art Exhibition - Three Rivers Arts Festival
Back by popular demand, this juried exhibition will showcase the Pittsburgh region's vibrant creative community. The exhibition will take place at an indoor Cultural District gallery during the 2010 Three Rivers Arts Festival, June 4-13, in downtown Pittsburgh.

Submissions are welcome from across the spectrum of visual arts. Works will be juried by a panel of Pittsburgh-based artists and curators.

Artists who meet residence requirements may enter up to three qualifying individual pieces for jury. The goal of the New Juried Arts Exhibition is to showcase the best art produced in the Pittsburgh region. Decisions will be based solely on aesthetic quality as determined by the jury panel in an anonymous jury process.

More information about the exhibit. Download a prospectus and application.

Carnegie Museums
During the month of March, admission to the Carnegie Museums will be free on Thursday evenings form 3:30 - 8PM. Visitors on Thursday nights may enjoy an exceptional array of special exhibitions --

* Forum 64: Cecil Balmond
* The Artistic Furniture of Charles Rohlfs
* Caricature, Satire, and Comedy of Manners: Works on Paper from the 18th through 20th Centuries
* Gods, Love, and War: Tapestries and Prints from the Collection
* Imagining Home: Selections from the Heinz Architectural Center

-- as well as the permanent exhibits. If you've been meaning to go, now would be a good time.

Carnegie Museum of Art and Carnegie Museum of Natural History
Located at 4400 Forbes Avenue in Oakland

A Wonder! "Gods, Love, and War: Tapestries and Prints from the Collection" Carnegie Museum of Art through June 3rd

I found this exhibit to be, in a word, jaw-dropping. While the exhibit also contains wonderful drawings and prints by masters such as Durer and Bruegel, the tapestries are the star. They are wall size and stunning. I found myself briefly wishing that I was a small child. I think that the combo of the size of the works and the ability of a child to suspend reality for a bit would give a child a real "you are there" experience. I had some of that myself. You are there in front of a castle with the nobles ice skaing. There at Alexander the Greats triumphal entry into Babylon. There with the harvesters stomping on their grapes, and an ancient god in the sky in his chariot. Note: There are many mythological themes as kings liked comparing themselves to the ancients. The successful ancients, that is.

I am probably being too fussy, but the images I found on the web just didn't seem to do justice to the exhibit. So I did not post one here.

A description from the Carnegies web site reads:

The rooms of Renaissance castles in Northern Europe typically were lined with immense and colorful wall hangings often highlighted with threads of silk, silver, or gold. The ideas dramatized in these monumental pictures—religious, historical, or mythical—not only glorified their owners, but also reflected and reinforced the artistic, political, and social values of the age. This exhibition, highlighting a selection of tapestries and prints from Carnegie Museum of Art’s collection, explores the historical popularity of these engaging pictures in textile; the patrons, artists, and studios that created a taste for tapestries; and the thematic intersections between tapestry and print imagery, such as masterworks by Albrecht Dürer, Andrea Mantegna, and others.

I found this exhibit to be one of the best that I saw in 2009, and that is including two extensive trips to NYC. I am looking forward to seeing this again, hopefully several times, before it goes down in June 2010.

Tribune review and pictures here:
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/ae/museums/s_658985.html

Pittsburgh Post Gazette review and pictures here:http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09358/1023176-437.stm

Two other excellent exhibits currently at the Carnegie are Palm Springs Modern: Photographs by Julius Shulman and Forum 64: Cecil Balmond.

Some Great Shows @ Carnegie

Visited Carnegie and saw some great new shows yesterday. Will post later.

Associated Artists Of Pittsburgh Ninety-Ninth Annual : First Thoughts

I got to the opening of The big AAP show at the Carnegie, and thought I'd put down a few impressions. Although the Carnegie gave me a yearly press pass, I took no notes yet and don't intend to try to get permission to penetrate the museum's no photography policy.

Hanging, as usual was well done and the show occupied a major chunk of first class gallery space.

The curator, Doryun Chung had no prior experience with Pittsburgh at all and put together a show with a decent number of true lows (really bad work) as well as many extreme highs. Dry conceptual work was rarer than ever. Color, humor and very accessible personal expression were the common theme.

Wonderful to see Deanna Mance get her moment in the sun with two stunning big drawings and a major purchase award! Vanessa German's moving, mysterious doll totem also got an award.

More thoughts to come.

New director for the Carnegie Museum announced

Via Tyler Green, via the NYT --

The Carnegie Museum of Art in Pittsburgh has named Lynn Zelevansky, who leads the contemporary art department at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, as its new director. Read the NYT announcement

Ms. Zelevansky has a really great list of publication credits to her name, as evidenced in this list on BestBookBuys. It should be interesting to watch what develops from this new appointment. Richard Armstrong was at the helm of the Carnegie Museum for a very long time.

Preservation Fair @Carnegie Museum

As if you didn't need a reason to visit the Carnegie Museum, here's another one! There will be a Preservation Fair at the Carnegie Museum this Saturday --

Over 30 individual conservators and vendors of conservation supplies and services will be on hand to address your conservation issues. Bring books, photographs, film, letters and other documents, paintings, textiles and family treasures for free conservation advice. No appraisals or valuations will be given.

The featured speakers will be Rick Prelinger, of the Prelinger Film Archive, speaking on the value of preserving film as a cultural artifact and Tom Clareson, of PALINET, with advice on preserving your family treasures in times of disaster. These talks will be held in the Museum’s Earth Theater, from 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM.

The fair has a broad appeal, with an emphasis on family treasures. But that covers a lot of ground, with exhibitors from local museums, galleries and universities. Here is a list of the exhibitors that will be on hand to discuss art conservation issues --

* Carnegie Museum of Art
Ellen Baxter (paintings)
Michael Belman (objects)
Carnegie Museum of Art, Conservation Dept.
* Christine Daulton (paintings)
* Concept Art Gallery (paintings, photographs, art on paper)
Charles Biddle
* Rikke Foulke (paintings)
* Rhonda Wozniak (fine and decorative art, ethnographic and archaeological materials)

In addition to art conservation, exhibitors will also be on hand to discuss film preservation, photography and furniture restoration. Check here for a full list of exhibitors. All in all it sounds like a really full day.

Preservation Fair
Carnegie Museum of Natural History
4400 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh.
Saturday, February 28, 2009, 10 AM – 4 PM

Co-sponsored by Carnegie Museum of Natural History and the School of Information Sciences, University of Pittsburgh