You're in luck, 'cause there's a lot of great stuff happening over the next two weekends!
Small Business Saturday is tomorrow. I'm sure that you have favorite store that you intend to patronize. One of mine is BoxHeart Gallery, located in Bloomfield.
Blooming with Holiday Spirit at BoxHeart Gallery
Enjoy holiday goodies while shopping for unique gifts of original artwork. In addition, they'll be offering 10% OFF all purchases and providing FREE gift wrapping!
Small Business Saturday Celebration:
Saturday, November 30th: Noon - 5pm
Free and Open to the Public.
- 10% OFF All Purchases!
- Free Gift Wrapping!
- Holiday Goodies!
Holiday Book Sale at Belvedere's Ultra Dive
Hosted by Small Press Pittsburgh, the Holiday Book Sale is gonna be great for all gifts Lit. The sale takes place at Belvedere's Ultra Dive on Sunday, December 1.
Browse selections from some of Pittsburgh's Best Bookstores, for the book lovers on your holiday gift list! New books, used books, art books, photography books, graphic novels, small press books, bestsellers, books on sale, cards, and more. More info
It's an Unblurred Holiday
Taking place, as usual, on the first Friday of the month (December 6). Tons of great opportunities to find those really unique gifts, for yourself or a special person. Check out the line up.
Pittsburgh Glass Center Holiday Glass Sale
The Pittsburgh Glass Center has events going throughout the weekend, starting with Unblurred on Friday December 6. On Saturday and Sunday -
"Funky, fanciful and functional glass will be for sale for three days only! Regional artists will display handmade art and jewelry in all price ranges. Hot glass demonstrations will be ongoing on Friday evening. If you'd rather make your own glass ornament, you can on Saturday from 10am-4pm. Make a blown glass ornament for $35 or a fused glass ornament for $25." more info
Handmade Arcade
"Enjoy this earth friendly sampling of handmade goods from Handmade Arcade artists. Because nothing feels better than giving a gift that reduces, reuses, recycles and inspires others to do the same. Come out to see the rest of our amazing artists and craftspeople at this year’s Handmade Arcade, Saturday, December 7th at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center." more info
This is far from a complete list of all of the great things happening in Pittsburgh during the holiday season. The Small Business Saturday event and the weeks leading up to Christmas are going to be full! Enjoy, and stay safe.
Oh, I have been looking forward to this. It seems like, for the last several years, I have been occupied during the single day that Handmade Arcade is on. This year, I was free to attend. Although many of the vendors are local, and I have seen their work in other settings, it was really great to see everyone in one place.
The huge hall, filled with vendors and shoppers, was noisy with conversation and music. There were tons of hands on activities to keep little hands occupied. It was my first visit to the David L Lawrence Convention Center. I didn't stick around to explore, and don't know if it's possible to do that, but it warrants its own visit.
There were over 150 vendors at Handmade Arcade, I'm sure everyone has their favorites. Here's a few of mine --
I love hats. I have a beautiful old fedora, my dad's favorite hat, a variety of watch caps, and several By Suz originals. She makes some really funky accessories, as well as her hats. A selection is available for viewing at the Pittsburgh Artist Registry.
Grace Napoleon up-cycles clothing, making clothes out of clothes. She calls her dresses "party dresses for big girls". And so they are. There was a great variety of beautiful and quirky dresses and sweaters.
Great little stuffed toys. I loved these great clear colors, and the variety of toys from Phil Barbato. Especially the octopuses! More on his Etsy site.
Toys for grown ups. Or at least sort of grown up. Paper Robot Army,A paper doll disguised as a robot. Fully non-functioning and incapable of any minor computations.
These great little paper cuts were created by Renee Ruth. She had some beautiful prints available, based on these images. Watch for her Etsy store!
Loved the Cotton Factory sign! If you missed them at Handmade Arcade, catch them at Unblurred in December.
All kinds of fun little things, made from fun colors, from The Littlest Bean. above are pincussions, more in the slideshow.
Super great colors. Amber Coppings started out with a line of handwarming fingerless mittens, and expanded to year round accessories. More on her site.
More pretty colors! Yes, there were traditional jewelers, and vendors with beaded and assembled earrings. I was really drawn to the fiber pieces, though. These headbands were from Get Felt Up, more in the slideshow.
Gnome Enterprises had some very fun tee shirts. I'm not real big on team shirts, so these kind of fun images are a great alternative.
Although it is too late to attend the Handmade for the Holidays fair, the lovely folks at Handmade Arcade, and the vendors that brought their wares in today, do other events throughout the year. Keep up with them here. There were too many vendors to list here, and too many images! The post would be miles long, instead of just feet! Check out the slideshow.
Lots and lots and lots of really cool stuff, all in one place. Handmade Arcade has everything, from accessories to music. A lot of local artists try their hand at creating gift items for this spectacular show, so the wares should be really varied. Also, some of the artists will be doing hands on tables, so bonus for making some stuff!
Some of my favorite DIY creators are going to be presenting for the day. Amber Coppings with her XMittens and Suz Pisano with all of her quirky accessories. Here's the complete vendor list. I plan to have images this Saturday from my visit.
It was a dark and rainy night. But that didn't deter Pittsburghers from making their way to the Cultural District for the Gallery Crawl.
Wonder of wonders, the most recent edition of the Gallery Crawl was not scheduled for the same Friday as Unblurred. Too often, I have had to make a choice on which to attend. Usually I end up on Penn Avenue in Friendship because the venues have much more limited hours and the exhibits have a shorter run. In case you have lost track, Unblurred is taking place on Friday, October 7.
Looped
You have probably seen Tom Mosser's work, walking down Smithfield Street in Downtown. His Two Andy's mural is located on the wall above Weiner World. This past month, Mosser's work has been displayed in the lobby of L'enfant Lofts.
In place are a few oil paintings, including the above work. There is a fine attention to color in these works, layered meticulously. On close examination, the canvas works have a low-relief of texture, heralding back to the concepts expressed by the Pointillist school. The over-blown depiction of the flower and the single eyes that comprise the paintings on exhibit allow for a lot of latitude in the color composition.
If you want to see Mr. Mosser's work, he has a very extensive website and his studio is at the Blackbird Lofts in Larryville. L'enfant Lofts, where he is exhibiting downtown, is a loft development in progress and does not has regular hours. You can, I'm sure, peek through the windows while you're walking on Penn Avenue.
Universal Expressions: Movement in Multiple Dimensions Thomas Bigatel Open Wound Healing
This is an aptly named exhibit: the works by Thomas Bigatel express gesture very well. His palette, while focused within individual works, is broadly employed in the presented in the exhibit. His color choices seem impulsive, but are definitely guided by an experienced eye. Coupled with the gestural quality of his mark-making, the works are intense and kinetic.
I was particularly drawn to Open Wound Healing (pictured above). The subtle transitions of yellow to yellow-green is a calming counter to the contrasting blood-reds of the central motif. My sense of the piece was that it pulsated to the beat of a heart.
Universal Expressions has just recently opened and will remain on display through November 13.
Universal Expressions: Movement in Multiple Dimensions Painting and Sculptures by Thomas Bigatel and Peter Johnson Friday, September 23 - Sunday, November 13, 2011 709 Penn Gallery 709 Penn Ave Gallery hours Wednesday through Thursday, 11 Am to 6 PM, Friday-Saturday 11Am to 8 PM, Sunday 11 to 5 PM. till 5 PM
Progression 707 Penn Gallery Progression
Harish Saluja includes painting in his many artistic passions. The Progression exhibit includes works from various series, showcasing Saluja's range of expression. The works are layered with detailed texture and shift between figurative and abstract. I was drawn very much to the interpretative Mandalas that were included in the exhibit.
Harish Saluja Mandala #4
From Mr. Saluja's site --
In his Mandala Series, his latest set of paintings, he has started incorporating figurative and semi-abstract images with abstraction. The result is a sumptuous, almost erotic celebration of joy. Mandala is Sanskrit for circle, polygon, community, and connection. It is a symbol of man or woman in the world, a support for the meditating person. The Mandala is often illustrated as a palace with four gates, facing the four corners of the Earth. Before the meditating person arrives at the gates, he/she must, however, pass the four outer circles: the purifying fire of wisdom, the vajra circle, and the circle with the eight tombs and the lotus circle.
I would further add that Mandala #4 has a quality of controlled danger to it, with its central circle of slashed red and the overlapping textures that demonstrate an intrusion of one circle into the next.
Harish Saluja - Progression 707 Penn Gallery 707 Penn Ave Gallery hours Wednesday through Thursday, 11 Am to 6 PM, Friday-Saturday 11Am to 8 PM, Sunday 11 to 5 PM. till 5 PM
Shake It & Make It with Handmade Arcade!
The last Gallery Crawl saw a pop-up exhibit of Jason Sauer's work at 929 Liberty Avenue; this month, the lovely people of Handmade Arcade took over for an evening of DIY crafting and making. Tables were ranged around the room, a DJ was spinning some great tunes, and the space was packed with dozens of people. A continuous stream kept the Handmade Arcadians hopping, helping with making buttons, postcards and flowers. You could also leave a message for anyone that came in about the things you love to make.
The projects underway last evening --
"Greetings from Pittsburgh" (handmade postcards); "Say you, Say me" (personalized pin-back buttons); "ReFab & ReFunk" (junk flowers and mini sculptures).
Handmade Arcadians are gearing up for their big holiday show, coming in November. Hands on activities are part of the fair, so while you're doing your gift shopping, you can also plan on making a little something. I'm sure they will be posting a vendor list on their site, but in the meantime, put this on your calendar.
HANDMADE ARCADE FOR THE HOLIDAYS SATURDAY, NOV. 12, 2011 11 AM - 7 PM EARLY BIRDIE ENTRANCE AT 10 AM David L. Lawrence Convention Center, Downtown • Free admission • Over 150 vendors, local and from out-of-state • Early Birdie passes • Refreshments on-site • Hands-on Handmade activities
Your Place at the Banquet
Rose Clancy Food For Thought Table
Your Place at the Banquet, curated by Rose Clancy, attempts to engage its audience in the poltics of sustenance. The exhibit extends beyond the gallery walls to include screenings and performances in satellite locations. From the exhibition site --
Your Place at the Banquet is a visual art exhibition and public awareness initiative that critically examines the mechanisms of our industrial food system and aims to empower people to sow the seeds of change through their daily choices and actions.
The exhibition features new work by Rose Clancy, H.E.A.P. HQ (Kevin Clancy, Dan Mooradian, Ali Reid), David Pohl, Tom Sarver, and Zayde Buti that seek to generate public awareness, critical discussion, and collective action around issues of food politics.
Curated by Rose Clancy. Participating artists include: Rose Clancy, David Pohl, Tom Sarver, H.E.A.P. HQ and Zayde Buti.
Of course as someone who came here from somewhere else--I'm always looking for that right time to call up people I knew back when and tell them they gotta see Pittsburgh.
Now might be a good time to make plans for an extended mini trip of a few days or a week to check out some of these happenings.
You likely already know this, but Pittsburgh's largest Indie Craft Fair has been super sized to fill the downtown convention center--allowing for more space and 120 Vendors from Chicago, Ohio, Upstate NY, Baltimore, New Jersey, Seattle, Pennsylvania and of course many, many from the Burgh itself.
ACCESSORIES TOYS CLOTHING CHILDREN PRINT & POSTERS JEWELRY HOUSEWARES BATH & BODY STATIONERY Other (often the best)
The Arcade website has been posting images and previews as well as full links to all the crafters home pages. Check it out
Also, I can't add to the great preview Steeltown Anthem has posted. Follow her blog, she will likely post more.
SATURDAY, APRIL 16, 2011 11-5 (I think) Admission: Free 200 Earlie Birdie passes for sale at $15 each allow an early hour of shopping before the crowd hits.
I found this video documenting the 2009 Handmade Arcade, the largest Pittsburgh indie craft fair held every year in the Christmas season which draws in crafters and customers from all over.
Anyone have thoughts about the Handmade Arcade this past Saturday?
Handmade Arcade is Pittsburgh's first-ever indie craft fair. And, now that we're in our third year, may we modestly add it's still the biggest, the baddest & the best. We created the annual Handmade Arcade to give grassroots, independent crafters an opportunity to show and sell their wares. It's an alternative to Pittsburgh's established, traditional craft and art fairs. Handmade Arcade's uniquely Pittsburgh, but shares the DIY aesthetic of fairs like Bizarre Bazaar, held in Boston & LA and the Renegade Craft Fair, held in Chicago & New York.
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