City Of Asylum's Bookstore/Cultural Center Approved In Spite Of Insane Car Oriented Zoning

Sometimes, I think all the posts I do about urbanism and design are a boring distraction on a blog originally started to cover the exciting cultural scene in Pittsburgh. But I'm constantly reminded how important they can be.

You may have been really excited to hear about plans to create a small bookstore/cultural center a few steps away from The Mattress Factory.

After years of complaints from residents about criminal behavior surrounding the bar, the Manteca closed voluntarily in April 2008 under threat of action by the Allegheny County district attorney a month after two patrons were shot, one fatally, upon leaving the bar.

At the time, Mr. Reese had an option to buy the bar as one of three adjacent parcels he wanted for an expansion of City of Asylum's presence and mission.

As Literary Ventures LLC, he bought a house two addresses from the bar in 2006. In October 2008, he bought the vacant lot beside it and the Manteca beside the lot. The two buildings will be razed to accommodate a nearly 4,000-square-foot building with an interior, glassed-in courtyard. The center will house a bookstore, a cafe, a public gathering space for readings, performances and other events, and two upstairs apartments.

What's not to love? A dangerous, poorly kept up bar and small empty lot in a still struggling but improving part the city is replaced by a small cultural center, run by a respected non profit. People can come and listen to poetry and music, thumb through a diverse selection of books, perhaps attend a workshop or class?

Oooops--wait--how many people? WHAT ABOUT PARKING??!!!

From today's Post Gazette

Zoning requirements for the integrated uses -- a cafe, bookstore and two apartments -- required eight spaces.

Thankfully, in this case of a popular project, in a very historic and walkable part of the city-an adjustment to these rules was made-after a study showing peak use would be unlikely to cause problems.

You have to wonder how zoning codes like this effect the rest of the city since the easy, default option is always to make more space for cars and less for people.

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

Pittsburgh Artist, Diane Samuels: A Noiseless patient spider @ Kim Foster Gallery in NY

"Samuels’ drawing The Odyssey of a patch of street exactingly renders a 21 x 310-feet stretch of scarred asphalt onto a 92 x 33-inch sheet of paper. With the help of a magnifying glass, you discover that the drawing is made from handwriting that word for word transcribes the entire text of Homer’s Odyssey, the epic poem of war and homecoming. The cracked asphalt is the street in front of Samuels’ home. The text winds its way down one side of the sheet of paper returning up the other side, back to her home, and ends with the text’s call to bring a halt to the great leveler, War.

Before beginning to write, Samuels affixed a photo-mask of the street’s crevices and potholes over the paper. After the text was written, she peeled away the mask removing some of the text. Where the text was destroyed, the drawing was created. Accompanying the drawing is an archive of the lost and destroyed memories made from the text-covered photo-masks.

The patch of street is the same small slice of Sampsonia Way, that inspired this major Samuels's work you might have seen at The Mattress Factory.

"Diane Samuels lives on a small alley in Pittsburgh that was originally populated by immigrants in the 19th and early 20th centuries and is now the home to several exiled writers in the City of Asylum/Pittsburgh project, of which she was a co-founder. Samuels will be participating in the exhibitions “Neighbo[u]rhood” curated by Georgina Jackson, independent curator from Ireland, at the Mattress Factory opening in May and “Gertrude’s/LOT” curated by Eric Shiner, Acting Director & The Milton Fine Curator of Art, at The Warhol Museum opening in September."

Diane Samuels
A Noiseless patient spider

April 28 - June 4, 2011
Reception: Thursday, April 28, 6 - 8 pm

Open Tuesday through Saturday 11am to 6pm

Kim Foster Gallery529 West 20th Street
New York, NY 10011

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.

Saturday on the Northside Warhol Museum Marilyn Opening 24 hour party AND....

The Warhol Museum opens a big Marilyn exhibit tomorrow...and it is the Museum's 15th anniversary. To celebrate, they will be open, and for free...for 24 hours. I tried to get into the party 15 years ago and couldn't...I expect to have better luck tomorrow. See details for tomorrow below

Join us as we celebrate our newest exhibition, Marilyn Monroe: Life as a Legend, as well as our 15th anniversary with a free 24 hour RADical opening.

October 23 Activities:

Noon - 4pm silkscreening and other art activities
6pm - midnight silkscreening and other art activities
8pm - midnight DJ Les Noise spinning a mega Marilyn mix
8pm curator gallery tour with Director, Tom Sokolowski
9pm curator film tour with Curator of Film & Video, Geralyn Huxley
10pm film quiz contest
11pm Marilyn look-a-like contest with Milton Fine Curator of Art, Eric Shiner as MC
midnight thru Sunday, Oct. 24, 10am ongoing Marilyn film screening

Read more at warhol.org: http://www.warhol.org/webcalendar/event.aspx?id=1993#ixzz138XaKIYR

Also Tomorrow on the Northside: A hip hop concert sponsored by the Mattress Factory.
Free to museum members. 9 dollars for students with Pitt or CMU ID...12 dollars for everyone else.

PARADISE GRAY, FREESTYLE, HANDSDOWN + BZE JOIN SOANDRY
We are thrilled to announce additional performers and a very special host who will join Soandry on stage this Saturday at the New Hazlett Theater. Soandry will be joined by special guests and Pittsburgh and international favorites FREESTYLE, HANDSDOWN (ShaRon Don and Deejay Huggy), and BZE! We are honored to have PARADISE GRAY host this special event!
Tickets will also be available at the door:
$12 general admission
Mattress Factory members (+1) free at the door
Pitt & CMU students with I.D. are $9 at the door
Performance begins at 8pm

Nothing Is Impossible

"With each new exhibition and event, we are consistently blown away by the support from our online community. And we could really use your help again! I've embedded two sizes of electronic flyers (complete with corresponding HTML code) below. Feel free to help spread the word by posting these awesome MF Shannon-designed flyers within your social networks and emailing to the art-loving friends in your contact book. Anything you can do is greatly appreciated by the artists and all of us here at the MF! I hope to see you at the opening next Friday."

Yinz be down and jiggy with the latest way to buzz up their "product", down @ The Mattress Factory.

Lucky for us, the product itself is almost always worthy of the hype and that's the first rule of internet buzz. Deliver an experience people want to share and shout about and then let em do it for you.

Better Late Than Never : Gestures Post Coming Soon

I saw the Gesture's show at the Mattress factory the day before it closed and still felt it deserved some kind of post which will go up in the next few days.

It always frustrated me that reviews here could never come out after a show was over. This "what to do this weekend", bias is one of the single biggest factors limiting the exposure of small and offbeat independent spaces and galleries since all the major shows must be reviewed. Even better, is the "that place is rarely open excuse"--small shoestring galleries might very well be open more if people knew about them. If the show is good, it should be reviewed.

Reviews and write ups have a value far beyond this and act as a historical record of the show. Almost all magazine art reviews come out long after shows are over.

I'll finish with a call for more contributors to this blog. Contact us if you have thoughts and opinions about the arts scene in Pittsburgh.

Thad Mosley Reviewed In Art In America November Issue

In spite of Pittsburgh's higher profile in the broader media, reviews of area shows in National Art Magazines are very rare-- perhaps more so than they were even in the 1980's and early 90's.

Thad Mosley's amazing mini retrospective at the Mattress Factory got a very nice review by Melisa Kuntz in this month's Art in America which doesn't seem to be online yet.

Taking a small chance-- I am typing in the first paragraph since I agree fully with her words.

"The work of Thaddeus Mosley might seem derivative at first glance: the influences of Noguchi, Brancusi, Giacometti and African Art are evident. Yey closer consideration of his prolific career reframes the work, and Mosley emerges as an artist driven obsessively to explore endless permutations of his chosen medium."

I'd steal more but -- here is her closing.

"Each of the 78 exceptional works is proof of his inexhaustible commitment to one medium and evidence that imitation does not preclude brilliance."

One great thing is that Thad is good at speaking for himself. In this video he talks about his process.



Anyway-- buy the issue.

2009 Pittsburgh Parking Day Map

View 2009 Pittsburgh Park(ing) Day in a larger map

The second Pittsburgh Parking Day on September 18th was a relative success. There were a good number of projects spread around and a lot of symbolic support from sponsors and politicians.However, from what I could tell the event still has failed to spark serious publicity about Pittsburgh's antiquated and regressive land use and parking policies. Put on a Green T shirt, take the picture, next event! That's Pittsburgh.

Here are some images taken by Chuck Alcorn , People used their spaces for demonstrations, some as mini parks, a few sold stuff and many handed out literature about parking day and their own organizations. I only managed to see the three spaces on Craig street.

myG20

"A Crowd Curated guide to Pittsburgh"

So, what does that mean? Me, you, everyone is the "crowd". Instead of relying on the mayor, The Cultural Trust, The Tourist Office, The Post Gazette and a few interns at "approved institutions" paint a picture of Pittsburgh, we can play a part ourselves.

How does it work. OK, it took me a while to figure this out.

If your on Twitter

If you think your tweet is about Pittsburgh, Art, Culture, Food, Performances, life in Pittsburgh and you think it might be of interest to people during G20, tag your tweet with #myg20. Just put #myg20 at the end of your tweet.

For Flickr

Yes, it's even better. You can also share the images of happenings and things of interest during g20. Here's how

For Facebook

Yes, you can use Facebook too.

What happens next is that all this stuff tagged #Myg20 shows up on one site Myg20.org

"myG20 is a real-time, crowd-curated guide to Pittsburgh that will take place prior to and during the G20 Summit (September 24 + 25). It is a bottom-up response to the top-down flow of information that takes place around events of this magnitude. The objective of this project is to provide a platform for all people and parties – both on the ground here in Pittsburgh, as well as those looking in from afar – to share information in an efficient manner.

For approximately one week in September, millions of international eyes will focus on our region. And for good reasons. The health care and education sectors along with technology and green development have helped bring our city from an antiquated steel town to a 21st century force to be reckoned with.

Arts and culture in Pittsburgh are thriving. The arts community here is vibrant and impassioned. Our city's museums, artists, performers and performing arts organizations are second to none. They've played an integral role in the transformation of Pittsburgh as well.

So while the international eyes are upon us, tell them what makes Pittsburgh such a special place for you. Engage each other in a dialog about, "Why Pittsburgh?" Share your favorite hidden gem of a restaurant. Upload a photo of a piece of Pittsburgh architecture or public artwork that has made an impact on you. Share your most vivid Pittsburgh memory. Live tweet or photostream one of the many events taking place throughout the city."

MyG20 is a product of The Mattress Factory and Deep Local.

Not Too Late For Parking Day Projects

Still not too late to particpate in Parking Day, 2009.
The deadline for permits for metered parking was Sept 11th but it looks like no permits are needed for non metered spaces.

Friday, September 18, 2009 marks the return of PARK(ing) Day to Pittsburgh. PARK(ing) Day is an annual, one-day, international event in which artists, activists and citizens collaborate to temporarily transform parking spots into “PARK(ing)” spaces: temporary public parks.

"Calling artists, activists, and citizens for this one-day global event!" Go Here to learn more and see examples of Pittsburgh PARK(ing) spaces from last year. Should you decide to use a Pittsburgh Parking Authority metered space, click here for a registration form.

PARK(ing) Day is a great chance to get Pittsburghers thinking about how they use public space. It is also a great opportunity to generate more awareness about your organization by showcasing your mission, activities and values to people on the street!

The Community Design Center of Pittsburgh is partnering with the Mattress Factory and the Office of Public Art to promote Pittsburgh’s Second Annual PARK(ing) Day. Please contact CDCP’s Andrea Lavin or the Mattress Factory’s Emily Craig with any questions.

The Office of Public Art is a partnership between the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council and the City of Pittsburgh funded by The Heinz Endowments. For more information visit us at http://www.publicartpittsburgh.org.

This is Legal!

Here's the park the mayor and a few city council members put together last year.

Pittsburgh Weekend Art Events: 7/24-25/09.

We're really smack-dab in the middle of Summer now. Embrace the opportunity to get out and about while the gettin's good. Here are a few ideas for your weekend plans...

Friday:

Take a trip to Fun Land: The Art of Pinball! The Warhol Museum is hosting a reception (7-10PM, free admission) for the launch of two pinball machines designed and created by local artists Mike Budai and Brian Holderman. The shindig is sponsored by art-collective Unicorn Mountain and the Professional Amateur Pinball Association (PAPA). I've seen these functional art pieces in promo shots, and I'm confident that they'll be absolutely stunning in person. You may have to wait in line a long time to play them, but there will also be twelve more vintage games to stick your quarters in. See what the kids of today are missing.

Guest curator Katherine Talcott has put together the 13th Gestures Show over at the Mattress Factory (1414 Monterey St., 7:30-9:30, $10). Included within is John Riegert's Sublet, a "gallery-within-a-gallery". These exhibitions are always worth seeing, if only to have a look at the individual aesthetic of a single art-world personality. I've seen some I've liked better than others, but they are invariably interesting (and very crowded... so get there early if you want to take some time with the work).

And if you have the time to stroll by Future Tenant starting on Friday, you can see a window installation called Planet Dragulon! by Scott Andrew and Michael McParlane. If you want to know what it's all about, there will be an artist Q & A from 9-10PM.

Saturday

All you really need to know is that Slim Cessna's Auto Club is playing at the 31st St Pub. Although Cessna himself has called the 'Burgh his home for more than five years, the rest of the band lives in Denver, and so their appearances in town are limited to 1-2 events annually. If you haven't yet had the honor to attend a performance of this Tent Revivalist stream of energy, spirit, and sound- by all means show up around 10PM and prepared to be altered forever. You may not get the chance to be told again.

Thad Mosley Talks About His Work

One of the coolest things in the two floor Thad Mosley Show at the Mattress Factory was the long film interview with him in which he talks a lot about his life as an artist and his work. I can't find anything but a few clips of it online but I thought the most interesting part was his thoughts on the connection between his art and music.

Thad is a "process oriented artist", which I think means that his work is not thought out before hand in any conceptual way, but builds out of the process of making with each piece feeding and riffing off the others as well as on the outside world- All the more so since many of his works involve the combining separate components.

His work also calls into question the weird relic of defining artists as "insider or outsider. Thad majored in I think, English Lit, and shows in the interview a knowledge of both visual art and extensive knowledge of Jazz music.He also talks a lot about issues of skill, chops and craft in a way musicians often do.

Please see this show which now has been extended till August 2nd.

Street With A View

Sorry, some of these posts are of out of date events and stuff I coulda/ Shouda/ woulda put on here before-- if I had time or whatever.

I finally got to the Mattress Factory to see the Thad Mosely show which was much much better than even I imagined (cept they shoula given him every inch of the place)

This made me remember about the weird antics some Pittsburgh Artist's rigged up when Google's street view car came by to film Sampsonia Way.

"On May 3rd 2008, artists Robin Hewlett and Ben Kinsley invited the Google Inc. Street View team and residents of Pittsburgh’s Northside to collaborate on a series of tableaux along Sampsonia Way. Neighbors, and other participants from around the city, staged scenes ranging from a parade and a marathon, to a garage band practice, a seventeenth century sword fight, a heroic rescue and much more..."

Pittsburgh Weekend Events: 6/12-13/09.

I realize that most prideful 'Burghers are likely to focus on the fortunes of their beloved Pens this weekend, and believe me... as far as vicarious pleasures of the sporting nature, I can think of few better than NHL hockey. Having said that, don't forget that you have many opportunities to engage in much more direct amusements, and on a much more intimate scale. For instance...

Friday

Local arts collective Unicorn Mountain is having the reception for a group show of participating artists, featuring many stellar works including those of rising star Elina Malkin. It all goes down at the Steve Mendelson Gallery (5874 Ellsworth Avenue, Shadyside) between 5:30-8:30. Participants include Jon Carling, Bill Wehmann, Jeff Schreckengost, Masha Vereshchenko, Ian Finch, David Grim, Christopher Kardambikis, Jenifer Cooney, Ben Kehoe, Beano, Christopher Cornwell, Tom Hall, Katherine Young, Amy Conroy, Brian Holderman, Laura Jean McLaughlin,
Paul Roden, and Valerie Lueth.

Continue the swank by making a hop to the North Side for the Urban Garden Party fundraiser at the Mattress Factory. Gourmet food, drinks, entertainment, artwork, and this year's "rock theme" should justify the exorbitant admission price. Besides you'll just feel cooler if you are there, rather than sitting at your local neighborhood bar doing whiskey shooters and talking about how great it feels to piss in a public sink (not that I know anyone who has ever done such a thing).

If you feel some pressing need to head downtown, stop by the SPACE gallery for "Smoke and Mirrors". Check out this roster- Cory Arcangel, Matt Barton, Chris Bearegard, Robin Brasington, Jacob Ciocci, Olivia Ciumo, Thad Kellstadt, Ladyboy, Guthrie Lonergain, Spencer Longo, Eileen Maxson, Jesse Jamaica McLean, Alex Miller, Jae Ruberto, Mike Smith, Scotty Vera, Jeffrey Vulture, John Daniel Walsh and David Wightman. Too bad I'm gonna miss this one. Also see ArtUp's "Homeland Insecurity" (937 Liberty, 8PM, $10).

And in the South Side (for the real masochists), Sam Thorp will be showing her latest work under the title "Adjournment" (7:30-11PM) @ The Rex (1602 East Carson). I've always enjoyed the clean lines and bright pallette of her portraits.

Saturday

If you want a window into the vast diversity of celebratory options in Pittsburgh, consider visiting the Cultural District on Liberty Avenue in glorious downtown for "Pride in the Streets"- a block party featuring DJs, food, and fierce fun. That gets underway at 7Pm, and costs a mere $20. Jennifer Holliday headlines, and while I don't know who that is, I am assured that she is famous, and honey... that's all that matters.

Or for a completely different scene, check out the free opening for Warhol Live at the Andy Warhol Museum (competing at the 7PM slot). This show focuses on the themes of music and dance in the great one's work. Also, you get a chance to see Dean and Britta (of the band Luna) for a very reasonable $10.

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

Heather Pesanti Becomes Head Of Buffalo's Albright Knox Gallery

People relying on this blog for up to date info on everything should realise that this is a small operation and lots of things fall through the cracks.

"Heather Pesanti, Carnegie Museum of Art assistant curator of contemporary art, will leave the museum in October to become curator at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery in Buffalo, N.Y., a museum known for its fine collection of modern and contemporary art.

Pesanti joined the Carnegie in 2005 to assist with "Life on Mars," the 2008 Carnegie International, curated by Douglas Fogle, Carnegie curator of contemporary art. She curated "Forum 58: Jonathan Borofsky -- Human Structures" and "Forum 60: Rivane Neuenschwander" at the Carnegie."

The revolving door at the Carnegie has likely just begun to spin. I wonder if Heather might help build alliances between The Albright Knox and the Carnegie. I would imagine both institutions have similar issues in terms of having strong collections and large facilities that reflect their once wealthy heritage.

Heather was the primary Carnegie curator that did studio visits with local artists and played an active role in curating local shows like a Gestures show at the Matress Factory and the recent show at Unsmoke in Braddock.

Pittsburgh Art Events 7/11-12.

Rick Byerly ain't just shuckin' and jivin' (over on his Pittsburgh Gallery Blog) when he says that this weekend is a "hot spot" for art in the 'burgh. There's no possible way that you can see everything there is to see over the next couple of days. You're going to have to pick-and-choose just like the rest of us. Frankly I'm not even going to mention everything that's happening, but rather the things that I'm considering attending. So without further ado, here's the breakdown...

The biggest concentration of receptions tomorrow evening are part of the Downtown Gallery Crawl (5:30-9:00PM). I have to admit being underwhelmed by the last couple of these, but I have reason to believe that this one will be an improvement. It's not just personal bias that drives me to recommend a stop down at 709 Penn Avenue for the Sylvania show. You'll get to see a preview of some of the artists who will be appearing in the next Unicorn Mountain publication (tentatively entitled Black Forest). I'm going to be in it, I have a photo in the exhibition, and there is a good amount of strong work to peruse. Plus all the hipsters will be there. Yum! If you do show up, ask me where the "after-party" is that Curt's been talking about for a month (if he's not just blowing smoke, of course).

Of course you're going to want to plan to hit SPACE Gallery for curator Robert Raczka's You Are Here. It's a group show including 11 artists riffing on the concept of place. Meanwhile Wood Street Galleries, Inc. is always worth a quick run-through. OK... I meant to say "seldom", but what the hell? The image posted for this exhibition is actually intriguing. And Jairan Sadeghi has a SOLO at 707 Penn. I dig her illustrative musings enough to own a piece. If you are into high-falutin' chamber music, you can see Chatham Baroque at Future Tenant.

If you don't want to mess with the "Golden Triangle", you should definitely head over to Millvale for 91-year old artist Sid Kweller's opening at Panza Gallery (6-9PM). Apparently it's the Merry Green Dog creator's birthday, so stop by and say "Hi". While you're at it, you should have a refreshing draft beer with the estimable Mark Panza, owner and operator of the gallery. For the first time in awhile he's scheduled a reception that's not on his band practice night. He won't be distracted.

Then there's your opportunity to see Eric White's display of 'monoprints' over at Modern Formations in Garfield (7-10PM). With all the other stuff going on, you'd think the artist could come up with a more compelling tagline for his show than "An Exploration of Technique". That work is usually done in the studio well before showing its results in public. But I have confidence in proprietor Jen Q.'s tastes, so it's likely to be worth a visit. While you are at it, why don't you check out her fancy new website.

Finally we have the 11th installment of the Gestures series over at the Mattress Factory. It's called Meet the Made and the opening reception is 6-8PM tomorrow night. Not only will the participating artists be displaying their creations, but they will be working on them too- in real time. Appearing will be my buddy Christopher Lisowski, along with Kim Beck, Adam Schreckhise and 13 others. This is tied in with the whole Robot250 initiative. Meet your future masters!


Take a pause for the cause overnight, because Saturday has its own enticements. I've already mentioned Urbanic: Sightlines and Microcosms over at Moxie Dada. I mentioned a "soft opening" last week that never happened (thanks, Kyle!). Anyway the official reception is definitely two evenings hence, from 7-10PM. I'm tempted to boycott it, but I expect it to be too good to miss.

And I'll be doing my damnedest to get over to the Zombo Gallery's first anniversary celebration (Stubble and Smoke) featuring the illustrations of noted cartoonist Wayno. My presence is still up-in-the-air though, as this happens to occur simultaneous to my gay friend's annual outdoor summer tiki party- and after all... how could I possibly miss that?! And while we are on the subject of private affairs... Saturday night also offers Jason D.'s bash complete with Spelling Bee- but if you don't know what I'm talking about, I guess you aren't invited.

If none of this appeals to you, you can try Doodah Days in the Allegheny Cemetery. Or brave the weekend carnage of SouthSide Exposed (Rick will be there). Or go crosstown to the monthly Bellevue Art Crawl. Have fun.

India: New Installations @The Mattress Factory

The Mattress Factory is serving up some interesting panel discussions in conjunction with its current exhibit, India: New Installations. There are several discussions planned, the first of which is tonight. From their website --

Tonight's topic will be "Traditional vs Contemporary Approaches in Visual Art"
7pm, Thursday, September 13th

These questions will be answered: "How do contemporary visual artists relate to, and diverge from, traditional Indian art? Does globalization impact contemporary and traditional arts in India today?"

This panel discussion provides the opportunity for you, the audience, to gain a better understanding of India through dynamic presentations and discussions with renowned experts in the field.

Moderator and Presenter
Dr. Michael W. Meister (W. Norman Brown Professor of South Asian Studies, Dept. of the History of Art, University of Pennsylvania.)

Cost: $10/$5 for members and students

For information about other panel discussion, check their site. There are several on the calendar and it should be an interesting component to their exhibit.

MY First Visit To the Tom Museum

These are some shots from my first visit to the Tom Museum which happened only last month. I knew Tom's work pretty well and had visited his studio before, but I was still stunned by the fun, cute, creative and powerfully subversive world he is creating in the little house near the Mattress Factory.