Every once in a while, I throw out an idea hoping someone else might consider following up on it.
Lots of college kids and others leave town for the holidays, but the diaspora floods into Pittsburgh to share a few days with family. I'm pretty sure the day after Thanksgiving is The Warhol Museum's busiest day.
Too bad for the city, we don't have a great, cool way to share some of the grass roots energy happening in places like Garfield with people who don't know about it. Pittsburgh has more going for it than Station Square, or a walk down Walnut or Carson Street, but often it's hard to show that off in a day or two.
The First Friday Unblurred is already a well known way to experience the alt galleries, stores and performance spaces that have popped up on Penn Ave. My guess is it wouldn't be a big leap to market a "Penn Ave Black Friday" as a night of indie art, craft and shopping.
Something for folks on Penn to think about.
Showing posts with label First Fridays on Penn Avenue. Show all posts
Showing posts with label First Fridays on Penn Avenue. Show all posts
Sunday, November 25, 2012
Friday, May 30, 2008
Artini: Art Shaken, Not Stirred
Artini is the first of several events planned by Passports: Art of Diversity. The organizers, Christine Bethea, Brenda Brown and Leslie Ansley, have brought together a wide range of artists for the exhibit. As with most exhibits on Penn Avenue, the time that you can see the work is limited to just the one evening, so a review of the show is not really an option. Since the exhibit is so short, I thought it was important to put it out there early.
Passports has, thankfully, provided a list of artists that will be in the exhibit --
Amir
Kate Dambach
Biko
LaVerne Kemp
Laura McLaughlin
Bill Cousins
Ruth Ward
Sandy Simon
Jorge
Bob Johnson
Tom Panei
Susan Constanse
Leslie Ansley
Ian green
Vanessa German
Monique Luck
Ian Green
George Gist
John Wlater
Bob Ziller
Adam Wadell
Ben Crouse
Susan Wagner
Micheele Gregio
Mart Martin
Justin Rothshank
Cheryl Capezzuti
Norman Brown
Cathleen Bailey
Wendy Osher
I am sure that, if you are a Pittsburgh resident, you recognize quite a few artists on the list. The show promises to present a diversity of mediums, including representations from assemblage through painting. Along with the usual crew for first Friday Unblurred events, Art Cubed will...
Kick-start your summer June 6th & 7th with Art Cubed, a weekend-long celebration of the art, music and culture of three flourishing East End neighborhoods. The festivities begin Friday night with Unblurred in the Penn Avenue Arts District. Saturday features events in all three neighborhoods, highlighted by Proud Hood Happenings in East Liberty and Lawrenceville's all-day Sidewalk Sale. Don't miss this two-day showcase of the best Pittsburgh has to offer!
You can find more information about the event, along with a map and schedule, here.
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Reflections of the May Unblurred.
Spring is swingin' and folks have unleashed their A-game. All of that cooped up energy from winter is being released simultaneously. It's a fun and exciting time. This month's Unblurred was no disappointment. After a string of First Fridays that did little to excite me, yesterday was refreshing.
I started out with a visit to the Community Activity Center, where some of the galleries from Lawrenceville were represented by rows of Bingo-style tables. I'd never been to the location before (it's a former church on Pacific Avenue) and I was struck by the possibilities of the space. Manny T. told me that he booked a show there once. Unfortunately I believe that there are few people outside ofGarfield that know it exists. Anyway, I was pleased (in a vain sorta way) to note that John from the Digging Pitt had a portfolio of my work sitting out. It reminded me that I have to get some of my newer images into his files. Beth from Musee' de Monoian and the owner of the Trinity Gallery were hawking their wares as well. It's just a shame that everyone on Penn Avenue didn't make it to this setup.
It was nice to see Carolyn Wenning's SPACE with an active show of work by CMU students. It's a great looking studio, and run by a talented and gracious woman. Carolyn did say that it will be the last exhibition for awhile, as she wants to concentrate on her own work, and get a figure drawing session up and running (I am anxious to see that happen, as many of my regular spots are shut down for the summer).
The highlight for me last night was the Bigfoot-themed show at Modern Formations. You all should know of my pseudo-obsessive interest in the elusive, furry beast. There was ample quality work in the gallery. The "gentle giant" was represented in needlepoint, sculpture, collage, paintings, and illustrations. Initially I had difficulty trying to choose what I wanted to take home with me. It was curated by parties outside of the gallery, and for some reason the artists insisted on not listing any of their prices. Initially I was put off by this choice, but ultimately it worked to my advantage.
On my second look around the gallery, I noticed a wooden box upon a stool, with a peephole drilled in its front. When I bent down to look at the illuminated scene within, I was struck with joy and wonder. Inside was a diorama with a Bigfoot impersonator languishing in a bathtub with a hairy suit hanging on the wall like a bathrobe. The piece was inventive, lovingly-crafted, and had a lively sense of humor... and I knew I had to have it. I inquired about the price and was stunned by how reasonable the figure was. The artist (Beth Warner, if my flawed recollection is correct) was pleased to have made the sale- but not as happy as I was to purchase such genius. My friends may laugh at my penchant for being first at these events, but I am often rewarded by getting the opportunity to buy the best pieces. Anyway, I left lots of great stuff for them. Luckily for those who missed this, the gallery has a series of events scheduled for this month. It's well worth making a note of it in your schedule.
Another stop worth making is Garfield Artworks. Despite the resident curator's seeming disinterest in the visual arts, every once in awhile he comes up with some gems. My friend Marci Gehring continues her saturation of the local arts scene with her form-fitting afghan dresses and a retrospective of one of her earliest series of paintings. This month she is joined by Jenn Crawford, who displays some of her own slinky (?) fashion designs. Also notable are the Juxtapoz-y paintings of Cleveland resident Amy Casey. Illustrative colorful animals invade post-industrial urban spaces in her accomplished works. Particularly striking is a mural-sized canvas priced beyond my means at $3000. It's worth it if you have the cash. But it don't cost nothin' to see it.
Rounding out the night were exhibitions of the works of Vanessa German (@ The Clay Penn) and Jason Shorr (@ ImageBox). I had seen both bodies of work represented elsewhere around town, but they stood up to repeated viewings. From secondhand accounts, I learned that one very offended "art-lover" actually pulled one of German's pieces from the wall. Apparently he was enraged by its title- "Nappy-Headed Hos". It's really too bad he wasn't patient enough to learn the context of the work- not all art is meant to be decorative. On the other hand, Shorr's work (meanwhile) manages to be both decorative and packed with subtle hints of meaning and inflection. If you ever get a chance to talk to him about his paintings (which are inspired by both Pop Art, classical mythology AND medical illustrations), you should seize the opportunity.
I started out with a visit to the Community Activity Center, where some of the galleries from Lawrenceville were represented by rows of Bingo-style tables. I'd never been to the location before (it's a former church on Pacific Avenue) and I was struck by the possibilities of the space. Manny T. told me that he booked a show there once. Unfortunately I believe that there are few people outside ofGarfield that know it exists. Anyway, I was pleased (in a vain sorta way) to note that John from the Digging Pitt had a portfolio of my work sitting out. It reminded me that I have to get some of my newer images into his files. Beth from Musee' de Monoian and the owner of the Trinity Gallery were hawking their wares as well. It's just a shame that everyone on Penn Avenue didn't make it to this setup.
It was nice to see Carolyn Wenning's
The highlight for me last night was the Bigfoot-themed show at Modern Formations. You all should know of my pseudo-obsessive interest in the elusive, furry beast. There was ample quality work in the gallery. The "gentle giant" was represented in needlepoint, sculpture, collage, paintings, and illustrations. Initially I had difficulty trying to choose what I wanted to take home with me. It was curated by parties outside of the gallery, and for some reason the artists insisted on not listing any of their prices. Initially I was put off by this choice, but ultimately it worked to my advantage.
On my second look around the gallery, I noticed a wooden box upon a stool, with a peephole drilled in its front. When I bent down to look at the illuminated scene within, I was struck with joy and wonder. Inside was a diorama with a Bigfoot impersonator languishing in a bathtub with a hairy suit hanging on the wall like a bathrobe. The piece was inventive, lovingly-crafted, and had a lively sense of humor... and I knew I had to have it. I inquired about the price and was stunned by how reasonable the figure was. The artist (Beth Warner, if my flawed recollection is correct) was pleased to have made the sale- but not as happy as I was to purchase such genius. My friends may laugh at my penchant for being first at these events, but I am often rewarded by getting the opportunity to buy the best pieces. Anyway, I left lots of great stuff for them. Luckily for those who missed this, the gallery has a series of events scheduled for this month. It's well worth making a note of it in your schedule.
Another stop worth making is Garfield Artworks. Despite the resident curator's seeming disinterest in the visual arts, every once in awhile he comes up with some gems. My friend Marci Gehring continues her saturation of the local arts scene with her form-fitting afghan dresses and a retrospective of one of her earliest series of paintings. This month she is joined by Jenn Crawford, who displays some of her own slinky (?) fashion designs. Also notable are the Juxtapoz-y paintings of Cleveland resident Amy Casey. Illustrative colorful animals invade post-industrial urban spaces in her accomplished works. Particularly striking is a mural-sized canvas priced beyond my means at $3000. It's worth it if you have the cash. But it don't cost nothin' to see it.
Rounding out the night were exhibitions of the works of Vanessa German (@ The Clay Penn) and Jason Shorr (@ ImageBox). I had seen both bodies of work represented elsewhere around town, but they stood up to repeated viewings. From secondhand accounts, I learned that one very offended "art-lover" actually pulled one of German's pieces from the wall. Apparently he was enraged by its title- "Nappy-Headed Hos". It's really too bad he wasn't patient enough to learn the context of the work- not all art is meant to be decorative. On the other hand, Shorr's work (meanwhile) manages to be both decorative and packed with subtle hints of meaning and inflection. If you ever get a chance to talk to him about his paintings (which are inspired by both Pop Art, classical mythology AND medical illustrations), you should seize the opportunity.
Thursday, January 11, 2007
Wanta know what's going on where?
Here's a handy map for your travels through Lawrenceville and along the Penn Avenue corridor in Pittsburgh. Kind of do-it-yourself tour of some of our really cool little spaces. Watch this space for additional maps as we either find or make them.
Love
DPG
Love
DPG
Sunday, October 08, 2006
October Unblurred
First Fridays on Penn Avenue are starting to be an energising art event. New venues have opened since last year and some businesses are offering their space to artists for display. One of the dual use businesses is Carolyn Wenning's (c)space. The building is her studio, so during the month the space used for presentation during Unblurred reverts to a workspace. Light and open, it is ideal for both purposes.
(c)space had a strong show: DIAGRAMS, MOCK-UPS AND MAPPINGS. I have been trying something different with my camera: shooting the labels for the pieces to record the name of the artist and the title of the work. Unfortunately, things did not work out for the image on top; all I can make out is Nicholas and Untitled Series for the title. The series were figures drawn on graph paper and framed with distressed metal. At bottom was a mixed medium piece by Adam Walsh.
Modern Formations had Introspections: The Artwork of Taya Hanauer. Modern Formations is a smallish space, with two rooms connected by a narrow hallway. I don't often think about the space that a show is in unless it has some bearing on the work. In this case, it is pertinent. The two rooms and the hall were hung with work. The front room had about a dozen framed drawings. The work was intuitive, but figure-based. Along the top of the wall leading into the hall were roughly drawn, illustrative figures, reminiscent of some comic book art. The figures were repeated in the hall but as digital prints and drawings on wood. The back room of the gallery is painted a dark eggplant. Here, the comic book character came out and really played in several mediums. Large-scale stencils, drawings on paper and wood and some evocative digital images. I had hoped to find more of the artist's work online, but she doesn't seem to have a website.
Imagebox is another venue that doubles as a full time business and presenter. This month, the work on exhibit was Charles Smith III's Autumn Abstract. The colors were rich and vibrant, much like the palette he prefers in the works presented on his website. It could be that this exhibit is a new direction for Mr. Smith since they are a radical departure from the figurative work for which he is known. The above image is one of the smallest in the exhibit and seemed to me to be the most interesting.
The mob scene at Garfield Artworks was overwhelming. Tons of people dropped in for the show. Or maybe they were all there at the same time as me!
Garfield Artworks presented the work of five artists in the City of Monsters. The works were as crowded on the walls as the patrons were on the floor. Not a lot of breathing room for such active work.comic art seemed to be a theme here as well as at Modern Formations. There was an illustrative quality to the work. Pictured at top is one of Ben Kehoe's paintings. At bottom, one of Joe Bruce's works on paper. Bruce's work, though still informed by the aesthetics of comic book artistry, seemed to reach beyond the rather limited visual appeal to something that was of greater complexity.
I have to say that if you only have a limited time to get into Pittsburgh to view art, first Friday's Unblurred event in the Penn Avenue corridor is worth working your schedule around. It is the only time when some of the veneues are open to the public or are open at the same time. Really, it was difficult to get to everything, there are a lot of gaps in what I got to see on Friday. I never made it to 5151 or the Pittsburgh Galss Center, which from what I hear had good shows, too.
This was a far cry from the disappointment at the Downtown Gallery Crawl the week before. Penn Avenue really is reflecting the diversity of the Pittsburgh visual arts scene. If you want to find out more about the district, check out the PAAI site. I'll be going every month. How about you?
(c)space
(c)space had a strong show: DIAGRAMS, MOCK-UPS AND MAPPINGS. I have been trying something different with my camera: shooting the labels for the pieces to record the name of the artist and the title of the work. Unfortunately, things did not work out for the image on top; all I can make out is Nicholas and Untitled Series for the title. The series were figures drawn on graph paper and framed with distressed metal. At bottom was a mixed medium piece by Adam Walsh.
Modern Formations
Modern Formations had Introspections: The Artwork of Taya Hanauer. Modern Formations is a smallish space, with two rooms connected by a narrow hallway. I don't often think about the space that a show is in unless it has some bearing on the work. In this case, it is pertinent. The two rooms and the hall were hung with work. The front room had about a dozen framed drawings. The work was intuitive, but figure-based. Along the top of the wall leading into the hall were roughly drawn, illustrative figures, reminiscent of some comic book art. The figures were repeated in the hall but as digital prints and drawings on wood. The back room of the gallery is painted a dark eggplant. Here, the comic book character came out and really played in several mediums. Large-scale stencils, drawings on paper and wood and some evocative digital images. I had hoped to find more of the artist's work online, but she doesn't seem to have a website.Imagebox
Imagebox is another venue that doubles as a full time business and presenter. This month, the work on exhibit was Charles Smith III's Autumn Abstract. The colors were rich and vibrant, much like the palette he prefers in the works presented on his website. It could be that this exhibit is a new direction for Mr. Smith since they are a radical departure from the figurative work for which he is known. The above image is one of the smallest in the exhibit and seemed to me to be the most interesting.Garfield Artworks
The mob scene at Garfield Artworks was overwhelming. Tons of people dropped in for the show. Or maybe they were all there at the same time as me!
Garfield Artworks presented the work of five artists in the City of Monsters. The works were as crowded on the walls as the patrons were on the floor. Not a lot of breathing room for such active work.comic art seemed to be a theme here as well as at Modern Formations. There was an illustrative quality to the work. Pictured at top is one of Ben Kehoe's paintings. At bottom, one of Joe Bruce's works on paper. Bruce's work, though still informed by the aesthetics of comic book artistry, seemed to reach beyond the rather limited visual appeal to something that was of greater complexity.Most Wanted Fine Art
Most Wanted Fine Art is not quite ready to open its doors, so they had a sidewalk show featuring Jason Sauer, Gene Fenton and quite a few others. Walking up Penn Avenue from Garfielsd Artworks, I was pleased to see art set up on the sidewalk. And even more pleased to run itno Gene, that maker of dinosaurs.
From MWFA's mission statement...
Most Wanted Fine Art is dedicated to being a growing forum for the advancement of underground fine art and music in Pittsburgh. In conjunction with J&J Sauer Trailer Sales, Most Wanted makes its art mobile and publicly available by displaying it at various local sites in a utility trailer (also for sale via J&J Sauer). Most Wanted operates on a loose philosophy of artistic socialism; while each artist promotes his own work, it is for the goal of the group's success as well as the individual's. By booking shows for our artists and musicians, Most Wanted is serious about helping each member of our team achieve success while simultaneously enriching the local (and eventually national) art and music scenes by giving below-the-radar artists a platform and a voice.
I have to say that if you only have a limited time to get into Pittsburgh to view art, first Friday's Unblurred event in the Penn Avenue corridor is worth working your schedule around. It is the only time when some of the veneues are open to the public or are open at the same time. Really, it was difficult to get to everything, there are a lot of gaps in what I got to see on Friday. I never made it to 5151 or the Pittsburgh Galss Center, which from what I hear had good shows, too.
This was a far cry from the disappointment at the Downtown Gallery Crawl the week before. Penn Avenue really is reflecting the diversity of the Pittsburgh visual arts scene. If you want to find out more about the district, check out the PAAI site. I'll be going every month. How about you?
Monday, August 07, 2006
Garfield First Friday
Image Box
Vanessa German
Katherine Young
Marci Gehring
Marci Gehring (detail)
Here are few shots from my trip to the first Friday on Penn Ave., in Garfield. I know that I did a pretty half assed job of capturing it. Katherine Young had her closing and I wanted a chance to see her show again. Also The Clay Penn had a show of the fashion Art Pieces of Marci, an artist that you just sort of half to see to believe. I will have to get back to her later. A new gallery called Image Box had a show of the Photography of Vanessa German. Honestly, I spun through there way too fast to have much to say. The works were installed above a strip with writing that ran around the space and I didn't read it.
I just sort of feel lucky that I was able to see what I did since I had to rush from the Society to get up there. I haven't looked at the future schedules that well, but I expect the first friday drunk driving road show to be in full swing by September when no doubt everyone will plan stuff for the same night.
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