GA/GI Festival Anchors Huge Pittsburgh Arts Weekend

Fresh Baked Goods PERFORMANCE NIGHT: Friday, April 1, 5-8pm

While Fresh Baked Goods is not officially part of GA/GI this show is all about multimedia, mad science and technology.



Dance Alloy Improv Jam @GA/GI


I'm doing a rare weekend events post myself to make sure people know about this Weekend's GA/GI (Green Arts + Geek Innovators) Festival.

The intention of this festival is to highlight locally grown art,technology,ecology and innovation with the galleries, glass center and other spaces along Penn Ave hosting related shows. Last years festival also included many demonstrations and tables by many local Sprout Fund projects, projection art; a peak into a mobile science lab and an Eco Art Fashion show.

Best to check out the GA/GI sight for all details. Here's the general schedule--which involve many events off the main Penn Ave drag. This year promises projects from 9 area colleges.



Friday Night GA/GI
Mostly centered on normal "Unblurred Penn Ave Corridor"

GA/GI NIGHT
Friday, April 1
“Unblurred” on Penn
@4900-5740 Penn Avenue
(Between Negley Avenue and Mathilda St.)

50+ Businesses and Galleries
100+ Artists
9 Universities and Schools
Showcasing:
Eco-Friendly Events,
Technology Demos,
Scientific Displays,
Art/Glass Exhibitions,
Eco Workshops,
And other mind-bending Sport

The Union Project has jumped on the bandwagon in a big way this year by hosting a dance party friday night, GA/GI events on Saturday and an open house all weekend.

See more about the Union Project below.

Union Project Documentary from Alex Lake on Vimeo.

Day Two GA/GI Events

Saturday April 2
GA/GI Day
Two Locations!

@ The Union Project 801 N. Negley
"Bird, Trees and Robots" Eco/Tech Fun for Kids 10 am-Noon
UP Open House until 5 pm

@ Penn Ave Arts District (Negley to Mathilda)

Pittsburgh Glass Center 10 am- 4 pm
GAGIPAN/Gigopanorama Project
Meet "Fuzion" Fashion Designers Noon-3 pm

I MADE IT MARKET /"I re-Made it SMART" Noon-5pm
Eco/Tech Art Exhibitions
Lofts Open House
Meet Penn Avenue's SALT Restaurant @ the Lofts
Spoken Dreams Concert w/ Joy Ike and Speaklife

Don't try to figure it all out--Just show up around Penn Ave and search for maps. Accept that you may miss a few things.

GA/GI Festival Website and Blog

See The POP City Feature

Pittsburgh Weekend "Art" Events: 5/7-8/09.

If you were considering taking a roadtrip out of Pittsburgh, the upcoming weekend would be a nice time to do it. Not surprisingly (given the onslaught of diverse options last weekend) there isn’t a whole lot going on over the next couple of days. I suppose this will give you a convenient excuse to hang out with your mother. Just don’t mention the great abyss in the schedule to her, and it will be a pleasant surprise.

Anyway, I suppose it’s all for the good. I had a hell of a time narrowing the highlights a week ago. So here we go…

Thursday, Friday, Saturday

I don’t know much about dance, but I’m assuming the NewMOVES Contemporary Dance Festival at the Kelly-Strayhorn Performing Arts Center is worth a look-see over the next three days. From the little I’ve read about it, it seems to be an opportune chance to see a diverse selection of newer works by local choreographers. Dance Alloy, Attack Theater, Point Park and independents will all be represented. Check out the program HERE.

Friday

Every year the Mattress Factory calls in a guest curator to put together “Gestures: An Exhibition of Small Site-Specific Works”. This year is the 12th installment, and the pivotal figure behind it is Katherine Talcott. Previously Talcott was responsible for the Three Rivers Arts Festival visual arts program, and she has also selected work to show at the 937 Liberty Avenue Gallery downtown. There are 19 participating regional artists, including Kenny Marshall, Atticus Adams and Rise Nagin. It all happens at the annex (1414 Monterrey St.) from 7-9PM. It costs ten bucks (which seems a little steeper than usual) for the rabble, and free for Pitt and CMU students with ID.

If fundraisers are more your speed, you can check out two of them in the L-Ville Friday night. Both support the Lawrenceville Resource Fair and Community Celebration- an event to occur in the Allegheny Cemetery on the last Saturday of this month. The fun starts at the New Amsterdam (6-8PM), and continues at Remedy (10-2PM). These will cost you a few bucks for admission, but you’ll get the benefit of the sounds spun by local DJ superstars. No one’s asking for any super-sized sacrifices- do something for someone else for a change, and drink cocktails while you are at it.

Saturday

I don’t know about you, but I’ve always wanted to see the inside of a modern-day operating room without a bunch of bloody victims lying around. You can get a chance at Allegheny General Hospital this Saturday at 8AM. This is presented in part by the Association Of Perioperative Registered Nurses (AORN), the national association committed to improving patient safety in the surgical setting. For more information, call (412) 359-3808 or (412) 782-5439. They are even going to let you ask questions!!

After that, you might as well take in some sun (and good luck with that, my friend… I DID suggest a road trip, didn’t I?). The 12th Annual all-day Friendship Flower and Folk Festival is happening Saturday starting at 11AM. There will be lots of plants for sale, demonstrations, music, food, and raffles (why does anyone think those are a major draw?). It all goes down at Baum Grove (400 Roup Avenue). Come and find a healthy way to brown your thumb.

In the evening (6-9PM), make sure to visit Shawn Farester’s exhibition opening of sculptural pieces at Moxie Dada in the North Side (1416 Arch Street). The stuff’s made from metal and inspired by nature and “his interest in medieval times.” And Matt will likely be behind the bar, which in and of itself should be a major draw