Unblurred in June

As always, Unblurred was an excellent night. And it's becoming such an active, community event. I love the addition of the Garfield Night Market. It's a great combination of artisan and street foods, and a perfect way to wind down after visiting the galleries.

Image Box
Eastern Standard: A Time Exhibition
14 local artists displaying clocks and other time-based mediums. Curated by Joe Mruk
Great show, with some really fun clocks! There are images in the gallery at the end of this post, but this one was totally my favorite. I could have taken pictures of all of them, really. Such a nice idea for an exhibit, too.

Maggie Negrete Elemental Flame

MOST WANTED FINE ART
Pittsburgh Society of Artists presents SMALL WORKS Jason Sauer, Juror

With a plethora of works, it was really hard to stay focused. Nice show, HUGE variety of works, considering that all of them were small format. There were a few encaustic works in the exhibit, a process that I find fascinating. There were a few familiar names, but the gallery was so packed, I'm sure there were some nice works that I missed. I particularly like the work by Martha Hopkins Skarlinski (pictured below), an encaustic and mixed media piece.

PSA, founded in 1965, is one of several artist-centric guilds that operate in Pittsburgh and the surrounding region. Coming up in July, another guild takes over the walls at Most Wanted. Associated Artists will be mounting a group exhibit at the Waterfront location, opening this coming Saturday.

Martha Hopkins Skarlinski Prelude

IN THE MWFA BASEMENT
Stuff N Such Society
DS Kinsel Know News is Good News
From the show description:

A shrine dedicated to the dying newspaper industry built by D.S Kinsel. The audience is invited to enter the sanctum of information and immerse themselves in a fading mode of information exchange through consumption of print.

So, with that in mind; I don't really know what to say. I have been blogging about the local art scene for several years now. I've continued to blog, even if somewhat sporadically, because there is so little support from local publications for emerging visual arts venues. There is at least one paper in town that only reviews exhibits in the non profit galleries. This policy really undermines the vibrant local scene, imho.

As a blogger, I am a little on the fence on this issue. Professional writers do have a certain cache because they have a value that is accepted associated with their work. They have the time to dedicate to running down facts and editing their work. On the other hand, I don't have anybody looking over my shoulder. I think that there is value in both, but I think that the physical press is entirely to dependent on commerce to be as objective as they could be.

July's Unblurred is scheduled to take place over two days, and those lovely people at the Penn Ave Arts Initiative have released a schedule. I am planning to make it up to Penn Ave, how about you?

May Unblurred

Garfield Night Market

It was a really great Unblurred this month, even with the evening on the chill side. Lots of really good work up in the galleries, and the return of the Garfield Night Market. Personal recommendation for nibbles at the Night Market: Tacos from Chicken Latino. It's the splash of lime that gives it extra deliciousness.

I do travel on my stomach. But it really is worth mentioning. On to the art!

I've never seen a full exhibit mounted at Fieldwork before. Sometimes it has art displayed in the windows. But for the May Unblurred there was an exhibit from CSA PGH. The show was really amazing. Small, because the space wouldn't really allow for large works. But tightly curated and well-produced. If I'm reading correctly, the show extends through June, so I may be able to get additional information at the next Unblurred. There are several images from the exhibit in the gallery.

CSA PGH is a unique take on support for artists. It's modeled after the community supported agriculture programs that deliver locally grown produce to its members, but they're delivering culture. It has a strong core membership of local makers, all practicing professionals. It's like black-box art, you don't know what you're going to get when you purchase a share. Whatever is in season!

DS Kinsel, Topographic 5

Great exhibit at MWFA this past month. Very good pairing of DS Kinsel's topographical explorations and Richard Jackley's pigment and surface experiments. The colors were beautiful, and the works had an intriguing surface inticracy.

Tilley Hawk, Motile Trinity

I really enjoyed Tilley Hawk's exhibit at Mr. Roboto, too. Given the presence of animal bones and distressed wood, I was surprised that the work didn't feel ominous, but instead felt peaceful. I can't pinpoint what gave me that interpretation of the work. Even the lighting should have played up a sense of danger.

This is so late out of the box, with June's Unblurred less than a week away. I've been a little distracted this month, and could just kick myself. It was such an awesome Unblurred. I'm sure Hune's edition will be pretty fantastic, too.

A Spring Unblurred

OMG! What a great night on Penn Ave (Brian Kane installation on the MWFA facade)

I knew it was going to be great night when I got off the bus on Friendship and spotted that double rainbow. Sure, it was spattering a little, but it wasn't even bad enough to put up an umbrella.

My first stop was Garfield Artworks and the Pittsburgh Artists Against Fracking fundraiser. The gallery looked great, as did ALL of the donated art work. The final count was 78 donating artists, many of whom contributed multiple pieces. Kudos and roses for Bob Ziller, who coordinated the event, making sure that the gallery was in top shape for the opening. There are several pieces from the show included in the gallery at the end of this post. If you weren't able to make it to the opening, there will be a CLOSING PARTY on Monday, April 28th from 6 to 9 pm.

Matt Gatto VIII

 Meanwhile, next door at ImageBox, there was a wonderful little show of Matt Gatto's work: Diametric Forces. I was really struck by the wall pieces in this show. They were compact bursts of light and metal, very interesting to the eye. The exhibit is open through the month by appointment.

If you're planning on going to the Mr. Roboto Project over the next month, you'll have a chance to see Megan Shalonis' Mansion Apartment Shack House. These brightly painted assemblages are sweetly charming. Now, I am seriously old; I had never heard of the game that is referred to in the show title. I did look it up, though. It seems pretty popular, you should see the umpteen number of returns I got on search.

Anonymous Street Art

One of the the many things I like about traveling along Penn are the random acts of art, like the piece at the right. It was just such a bright bit of color in that grey night.

I stopped in at Edge Studio, but I must have missed the Pyrotopia promo. The doors were up, and the two artists that were there had a nice collection. Louis Boston the "Pi Guy" who does art from mathematical equations and anomalies, had a table of prints based on pi. The robot sculptures of Donald Jones were simply fun.

Stay tuned for part 2 of the first Springtime Unblurred. In the meantime, get ye to the Waterfront for the opening of Most Wanted Fine Art's new digs! The grand opening is this Saturday. More images from Unblurred are available in the slideshow. Image credit: Jason Sauer (for the OMG! image)

Unblurred in the summer = hothothot

Night Market

I usually get these posts up in a more timely manner, but August makes me lazy. If you missed the August Unblurred, I feel a little sorry for you; it was a blast!

I thought the Night Market was going to be limited to the Cultural District, but it appears to be branching out. A block of N Pacific, between Penn and Dearborn, was filled with local DIY crafters and purveyors of sidewalk cuisine. There were familiar booths and vendors, along with some new faces and new wares.

The Community Center on N Pacific, hosted a small press book fair, which is just the kind of event I love. Local and visiting authors and illustrators were on hand with tables of self-published books, 'zines and graphic novels. I am so glad that I didn't know it was taking place until I was on Penn Ave. I only had a limited amount of cash with me and these events always put a gaping hole in my budget!

Assemble was extremely active, hosting No Fly Zone - an installation by D.S. Kinsel. The space was a riot of color and sound, with paper airplanes (with greater and lesser success) sailing across the space.

Across the street at Mr. Roboto were these super sweet cross stitch pieces by Steel Wools:

Steel Wool at Mr Roboto Project

I spotted several of this artist's pieces in the wilds of Pittsburgh, and have wondered about them. They're such a nice surprise to run into on a street corner. It's nice to be able to make some connection between these anonymous works and at least some semblance of their agent. Steel Wool documents their work on Tumblr. I am looking forward to spotting more works in the wilds of Pittsburgh.

Kathryn Carr Glorious Growth Hormone

Most Wanted Fine Art hosted an exhibit of Kathryn Carr's cut paper works. These are exceptionally striking pieces, with a lot of character to them. I was particularly intrigued by Glorious Growth Hormone (picture above) with its layered papers and its claim to a contiguous, amorphic space. While the works maintain a certain delicacy, they are considerably stronger than previous shows that I have seen.

There are several images of the exhibit in the gallery, but for a more complete picture of Kathryn Carr's work, check this link.

Carolyn Wenning

  Carolyn Wenning opens her doors for some Unblurred events, and I was lucky enough to get in for a few minutes during the last event to see what is fresh from her easel. These very fresh paintings were up in her space. Her work is so atmospheric, with just a wonderful glow. I was so happy to see her open for the event, and I am looking forward to seeing her open again for future Unblurreds.

The next Unblurred is coming up soon, just a couple weeks away on September 6th. The Penn Ave Arts Initiative should be releasing the new calendar soon. I'm looking forward to it!

Unblurred - July on the Avenue

Small Press Pop Up, Karen Lillis and Laura Zurowski

So, so much fun at this month's Unblurred.

I love this time of year on Penn. On top of the regular gallery venues, the are tons of street things happening. There were a couple buskers, and several artists had tables set up, or were just sitting on stoops, selling zines and sketches. There was a terrific one-man percussion performer near the corner of Penn and Winebiddle. A half block away was a guy with a ukelele. Hmm. Funny stuff, there.

I stopped by the Irma Freeman Center and saw the series of copper foil portraits by Irma Freeman (1950's - 70's). This was a really nice exhibit. I'm sorry to say that I got there late to the party; Friday was the closing reception. But the portraits were really wonderful. There's a great shot at the link, and also a good one in the below gallery.

JR Holtz had a table of his retro paintings on glass set up near Most Wanted Fine Art. Mr. Holtz has shown his work at several of the Penn Avenue venues, as well as points across the city. He can also be found most Saturdays in the Strip District. Window on Penn Ave

Small Press Pittsburgh had a pop-up near the Clay Penn.This is a new venture, I believe. The next one will be during the Cultural District Gallery Crawl, on Friday, July 12 at the Toonseum. It's a great opportunity to pick up some cool local lit and zines. I picked up a copy of Weave, which I am thoroughly enjoying. Karen Lillis was on hand, along with Laura Zurowski and Sarah LaPonte. So, these kinds of pop up events are also a good time to meet some of the artists involved in the Pittsburgh Lit scene.

Most Wanted Fine Art played host to Graham Shearing and Associated Artists of Pittsburgh for the exhibit Conversations: 5:10. It was a nice little show. I think this is the first time that AAP has had a venture on Penn Ave. One really fun piece was taking place in the back corner: Jo-Ann Bates' American - Straight, Wave and Weave. A hybrid of installation, performance and formal representational art, it struck me as witty and conversational.

Lots more happening, and I'll be putting up a couple more posts over the next few days. In the meantime, enjoy the slideshow!

Fit to Print @ Most Wanted Fine Art

Paul Roden and Valerie Lueth Garden (Color Woodcut)

Now, this was a show that left me wanting more! It is a really fine selection of makers and techniques, with local and national representation. Printmakers exhibited works created with techniques in wood block, lithography, screen printing and more.

For all of you new collectors out there that want a new piece, prints are a great way to expand your collection without breaking the bank. Seriously good work and excellent technique for extremely reasonable prices from artists that really know what they're doing. Not just in technique, although there is plenty of that.

I am leaving a couple images up; these are indicative of what appealed to me. There are additional works that were bolder and more graphic that are just as good.

Paul Roden and Valerie Lueth (Tugboat Printshop) make some beautiful woodcuts, don't they? The color and detail are amazing, as are the intricate backgrounds and detailed figures. There is something very whimsical without being sappy about their works.

There are a couple of small lithographs from Scott Frish that tugged at me, too. I get a sense of powerful control and deliberation from this very small sampling of his work.

Valerie Lueth Livingroom (Color Woodcut), Scott Frish Untitled (Lithograph)

From MWFA's description: Large Prints presented by world famous rock poster printers Strawberry Luna, Woodblock super stars Tugboat Print Shop, Lithographs from Texas based Vermillion Press, and More

Most Wanted Fine Art
Fit to Print: a group show of Master Printers
March 1 - 23, 2013
www.most-wantedfineart.com
MOST WANTED FINE ART
5015 PENN AVE, PGH PA 15224
#MOSTWANTED5015, 412-328-3747

Unblurrrrred

I admit, I didn't make it to every venue that was open this past First Friday. I usually try a little harder, and welcome the random wanderings that Penn Avenue presents in its warmer weather offerings. February is always a trial, so I just focused on a few spaces and beat a hasty retreat to my warm little house.

Most Wanted Fine Art (5015 Penn) … 6PM TO 11PM
“CONVERGENCE: New works by Donnie Toomer & Andrew Rabb
Month Long Exhibit

Donnie Toomer (left) and Andrew Rabb (right) at MWFA

Oh, now, Donnie Toomer's work was fun to look at. Really, the exhibit of portraits is colorful and active; lots of energy packed into those little frames. It was nice to see some familiar faces on the walls, too. You know, this is the second portrait show I've seen recently. I'm hoping that the interest in portraiture continues to appeal. Human portrayal is very complex, and becomes even more so when you are also looking at the subtext of the artist in his portraits.

By contrast, Andrew Rabb's photography was more quiet and contemplative. The photographs were very clean and crisp, with a nice light quality to them. The image above was my favorite from his small presentation of several works. There are more examples of these ephemeral portraits on his website, which are every bit as good.

All in all, a very nice show at MWFA this month, even if the works are so divergent.

Get to know Andrew Rabb and Donnie Toomer a little bit better.

Modernformations Gallery and Performance Space (4919 Penn)
“Darkness and light: The Artwork of Richard Claraval”
Exhibit runs through Feb 22nd.

Richard Claraval at ModernFormations

Richard Claraval's intentions are very clearly drawn in his exhibit Darkness and light. From the show statement -

The back room of the Gallery, with it’s hues of deep red and purple, will be filled with drawings that explore the destructive forces of the world: greed, nationalism, the great disparity between the haves and have-nots, religion; the “Dark”. While the white cube front room will contain images of the “Light” or positive forces: science, education, independent thinking, tolerance.

The works were larger-scale drawings, treated with a loose and expressive hand. Thematically separated, the works in the front room were more controlled while the ones in the back, designated as depicting darker forces, were treated more chaotically. The large scale of the drawings (about 36" x 36") gave them a lot of impact.

A few notes:
Stuff 'n Such Society, along with its nostalgic miscellania and original artworks, has also begun to carry chapbooks.
LAW OF OFFICE OF RICHARD J. WALTERS and THE DANCE EMPORIUM (5005 Penn Ave)has Tango music, beginning at 9:30PM every first Friday
Catapult Co-Working Space has a Show 'n Tell every First Friday, beginning at 5PM.
Awesome Books is Awesome! Also, show them some love.

December Unblurred

It had drizzled all day on Friday. While that makes for a very dreary, hiding-in-the-house and drinking cocoa kind of day, it made for a glittery evening on Penn Ave for the lat Unblurred of 2012. The streets were alive with lights.

David Bernabo: Having Already Said Quite A Bit

David Bernabo's works were the highpoint of Ghosts, etc. at ModerrnFormations. The installation took up most of one wall in the back gallery. The light, fresh palette made me homesick for spring.

Ghosts, etc.
Modernformations Gallery and Performance Space
Exhibit runs until the 28th.
412-362-0274
4919 Penn Ave

Emily Eckel (left) and Joyce Compton (right) at the Irma Freeman Center

This was a really great exhibit! So many incredible variations on the theme of Dolls; some were sweet, some were frightening, but all of them were amazing. The dolls were created by a loosely organized group called the Jane Street Art Doll Collective, who explore the boundaries of dolls and doll-making.

Over the next two Saturdays, Chris Fondi will be conducting doll making classes. If you missed the opening reception, the show will be up for the first Unblurred of 2013, on January 4.

ART DOLLS³
Through January 4th. (closing reception)
The Irma Freeman Center for Imagination
Gallery Hours are 2 -5 PM on Saturdays in December
412-924-0634
5006 Penn Ave.

Gary D. Owens at Most Wanted Fine Art

Gary Owens' works at Most Wanted Fine Art were really energetic, almost frantic. Even the somewhat prosaic subject matter of a sleeping pet was approached with this incredible energy. I really do need to get a better camera; these images are a little washed out, but you can still read the texture really well.

The Doors of Perception
Most Wanted Fine Art
412-328-3747
5015 Penn

Steph Sciullo at
Stuff N Such Society

Heh heh. It's a rat. In a box.

This, along with many other oddities, are available for the off beat holiday shopper at the Stuff N Such Society. You know, to celebrate Krampus.

Stuff N Such Society
"The Art of Collectible Culture"
5015 Penn Ave (Basement)

November Unblurred

Tugboat Printing

As always, there is somebody trying something new during Unblurred. This month, Tugboat Printshop had a shallow sort-of bookshelf kiosk on Penn, between Winebiddle and Evaline. I hope they make it back again next month. The booth was such a nice addition to the Unblurred event.

Artists in Mission

Another new face, Artists In Mission Gallery (AIM), located at 5159 Penn, had a photography exhibit by Jessica Nan and a reading. The venue was a private residence, and the exhibit was held in the livingroom. It was really crowded and I couldn't get an interior shot, but it was so cool that someone opened their home for the Unblurred event.

I never have a chance to get to all of the venues and special events during these first Fridays. There was so much more that was just happening for the evening, and there are still all of the regular venues, like Awesome Books. I did stop in to say hello to Christine Bethea at ARTica. The shop got a recent "face lift" from designer Joesph Hall and is looking particularly spiffy. If you're looking for some quirky or unique gift, stop in and poke around a bit.

ARTica

The Irma Freeman Center for Imagination (5006 Penn)
Closing reception for Pittsburgh by Pittsburgh Artists II
 

June Edwards

Wendy Osher

Tim Fabian

The Irma Freeman Center has moved to an alternating monthly exhibition schedule, covering two months for each exhibit. So it does give you a little longer to come back and really explore the works. The current show, Pittsburgh by Pittsburgh Artists, is a really far-ranging survey exhibit. There are several pieces that are exceptional among the works presented, alongside some that are sort of naive. The installation was well thought out, though, so the works didn't clash. Among the best works were those by Tim Fabian, June Edwards and Wendy Osher (pictured above).

ModernFormations 
 “The Good Fight” New Works by Christian Breitkreutz

Christian Breitkreutz

From the show statement --

Men, women, children and beast alike, we cannot afford another day lost behind blinded eyes. This is a call to arms to do battle against the trumpets of evil sounding off in our brains! We must all rally behind one another to keep fighting The Good Fight!

Do you like Quentin Tarantino, with his over-the-top portrayals of violent acts? You know what I mean; shiny, farcical violence, violence that is so extreme it becomes kitsch. Like a Tarantino movie, this was an exhibit of some pretty intense images of stylized violence. Cute skeletons, pretty blood colors and decapitated heads with bland expressions. There was also a touch of the kind of imagery you would see in a Dia De Los Muertos festival.

Most Wanted Fine Art
"A Year in A Life" - new works by Nina Sauer and Ryan Dunmeyer

Ryan Dunmeyer

Ryan Dunmeyer

Curses. I really need to get a new camera. Yes, I took pictures of both artists' work. Please take my word on it that Nina Sauer's work is really great. They were small-format pieces, with a really nice sensibility. Her work pairs very well with Mr. Dunmeyer's, pictured above. Definitely a show worth catching, and Most Wanted Fine Arts does have regular hours.

If you want to catch the transitory stuff that happens each month, you might want to sign up for the Unblurred e-blast. Or just be spontaneous and show up some First Friday. You never know what you'll find.

Unblurred - Bits and Pieces

It was a dank and sultry night, up on Penn Avenue last Friday. Nobody was moving very fast; but why would they? It wasn't hot, but it was really humid. I was there early and left early, so I missed the throngs that usually come out after the sun goes down and it starts to get a little cooler. There's always at least a show or two that deserve special attention during the month, and I'll be coming back in a day or two to talk about one. But there's also a lot of other programming that doesn't fit the exhibition bill that are worth mentioning.

Catapult Pittsburgh is a co-working space that opened on Penn Avenue earlier this year, hosting Designers, Developers and Indy Workers. Catapult has also stepped up with a monthly Show and Tell which is a great way to start out your Unblurred evening. Last Friday, the lineup included Josh Lucas of RedBlueVoice.com, a crowdsourced political advocacy platform company, Deena Blumenfeld from Shining Light Prenatal Education, Lara Schenck, designer turned improv theater performer, and Norm Huelsman, who previewed Pittsburgh’s premiere new media conference, Podcamp Pittsburgh 7.

  

There's something new happening at Most Wanted Fine Art. In the back of the gallery is a nondescript door that leads to a basement shop. Partly a retail store that... "specializes in memorabilia of years gone by and part gallery/event space focused on the Art and Community of Collectible Culture." What did I see? Tons of comic books, action figures, and vinyl albums and miscellaneous items of popular culture. Worth checking out, if you have a penchant for nostalgia.

  

Awesome Books is, well, AWESOME! As with any independent, used bookstore, half the appeal is taking the time to peruse the shelves for just the book to bring home. Awesome Books is great fro that. They also have a selection of small press poetry chapbooks and novels from local authors. They do have a downtown location, but the original shop on Penn Avenue is the one with the cats. 

 

Along with these venues, Penn Avenue has a very active sidewalk scene during Unblurred events. Last Friday, Artica had a DJ in front of the store, a couple of drummers had set up in between two buildings near ImageBox, and JR Holtz had his table of painted glass pieces on the sidewalk in front of Most Wanted Fine Art.

---

 

Also of note are two upcoming events. I heard about the Zine Fair when I stopped in at the Pittsburgh Beautification Project. This, by the way, is a really great active space, with several artists working in all kinds of media. The place is usually packed floor to ceiling with art, and they also host guest artists for the Unblurred event. One of the guest artists had some handouts about the Zine Fair, which really sounds great. You can find out about the activities, vendors and ongoing events over at their site. Briefly --

The Pittsburgh Zine Fair is back for it’s second year and is hosting a greater number of regional zine-makers and artists with featured appearances from the Carnegie Library Zine Collection, Just Seeds, Cyberpunk Apocalypse, Assemble, and The Roboto Zine Library. The event takes place on September 22nd 11am-7pm at Carnegie Mellon’s Wiegand Gym in the University Center. It is a Free Event open to the public!

 

On Saturday Oct 6, 2012, Most Wanted Fine Art turns Penn Ave and Winebiddle into an outdoor car-sized art gallery, with the event Vehicular Abstraction. From the event description --

Vehicular Abstraction is a free 4-hour art car exhibit and community event with the focus on licensed, registered, and insured vehicles that artists have permanently altered. These are not parade floats or puppets; the unique aspect of this medium is that they bring art every day to the city streets. Celebrity Judges, Live art performances, Local vendors tables, food sales, and children’s activities will also be happening as part of the event. The outdoor exhibit is suitable for all ages and includes indoor art displays at participating Penn Ave Art Galleries.

But wait! There's more! Most Wanted Fina Art is accepting vendors and entries for the event, there's tons of information on their event page on how you can participate. It sounds like it will be a lot of fun, and I am looking forward to the October edition of Unblurred.

August Unblurred

The night was humid. I'm not kidding, here, it was stultifying in its denseness, it was a miasma heat and sweat, practically visible in its density. But that didn't stop the stalwart souls of Pittsburgh from making their way to Penn Avenue for the monthly Unblurred.

They were rewarded with some very fine shows. The regulars at Artica and Awesome Books were on hand, doors open and smiling in spite of the heat. If you missed the anniversary show at Modernformations in July, Friday was a great alternative to view the exhibit. It wasn't nearly so crowded.

___________________________________________________________
At Most Wanted Fine Art

Michael Galone, Untitled (flower)

Kati Burgess, Lost Love

 

Charcoal Drawings by Kati Burgess and Michael Galone are showcased at Most Wanted Fine Art. A small show, but well presented. The works by Ms Burgess and Mr Galone are clean and very well executed.

Most Wanted Fine Art
5015 Penn Ave
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

___________________________________________________________
At Image Box

Rebecca Spitler, Seahorse Study #2

These were a series of very small, very clean drawings. Kind of sweet, and charming.

LITTLE DRAWINGS
... a solo exhibition featuring a series of ink drawings by Ms. Rebecca Spitler.
Image Box
4933 Penn Ave
___________________________________________________________
At Assemble


Dana L Depew, Pleasure of Course

Oh, this was just an all around fun place. Tons of stuff going on, ranging from installation to more static forms. The work by Ms Depew (pictured above) got a lot of attention, with its tiny vignettes. Each of the suitcases contained a lit diorama, just a lot of fun to explore. I am looking forward to weeing what assemble will be binging us in the coming months.

assemble
5125 Penn Ave

Penn Avenue in March

The Irma Freeman Center for the Imagination has an amazing textile-based exhibit up. The work, created by Joan Brindle, is richly ornamented and gorgeously presented. The works are based in narrative quilts, using a combination of techniques. A lot of depth, in the technique as well as the content of the work.

Irma Freeman Center for the Imagination
February 5 - March 13th
Gallery Hours are Saturdays 2 - 5 PM or by appointment
5006 Penn Ave
412-924-0634



New Works, by Carolyn Wenning, are on exhibit at Modern Formations. Ms. Wenning, always consistent in the quality of her work, has mounted an exceptional exhibit. There is a series of small, luscious works in the first room of the gallery that are a delight.

Modern Formations
Thursdays 7pm - 9pm
Saturdays 1pm - 4pm or by appointment
4919 Penn Avenue
412.362.0274

Also, check out "Picture Burgh" at Most Wanted fine Art - a collection of photos of the Pittsburgh scene scape by Jamie Sauer & Dan Thompson. The exhibit will be up throughout the month of March.

Opening Fri. March 5th 6-10pm.
Most Wanted Fine Art
5015 Penn Ave.

A couple asides: Bob Ziller has begun his second month with Awesome Books (5111 Penn, formerly the Clay Penn). The bookstore is open regular hours and is definitely worth checking out. Everything from art books to women's studies is available. The C Space Collective is going strong at 4823 Penn Ave.

Some stuff that I am doing (shameless self promotion post)

October is always a busy month for the arts. This month's first Friday is a good example. On October 2, there were gallery crawls in Downtown, on Penn Avenue and in Shadyside. It's a good thing that galleries have regular hours so that you can catch all of those shows that you missed on opening night. Right?

Unblurred

Click on images for detail

I have a two-person show at Most Wanted Fine Art during the month of October. Above, far left, is an installation shot from the gallery. The works on display are from the Unreal Spaces series and are some of my newest works. T.I.N.A. is the artist that I am showing with (center image). His work is very political/commentary/social. Interesting is that he is using a pochoir technique for producing original multiples. The exhibit is at --

MOST WANTED FINE ART - 5015 PENN AVE.
T.I.N.A. and Susan Constanse displaying their newest images just in time for the "G-20 reply". Meet the artists Friday night! Please stop by the space or make an appointment Wed-Fri 1PM-6PM, search "MWFA" on www.youtube.com.

While I was on Penn Avenue for the October Unblurred event, I didn't really get out to take a look at the other exhibits. I did pop across the street to Artica to say hello and was pleasantly surprised to find a collection of Vanessa German's assemblages (far right).

Orange Balloons, an aRt-O-noMic open studio event




I like having open studios. It gives me a chance to show off my newest work. My studio is such a great big place that I always ask a few artists if they would like to bring some work in and set up in the studio for the day. This year, in addition to my wonderful studio mate, Christine Bethea, Michelle Gregio and Laurenty Josep will be joining us for the day.

How do you find us? We are near the Bloomfield end of the Bloomfield Bridge, next door to Iron Eden and across the street from Paul Lumber. Look for the orange balloons!

Orange Balloons, an aRt-O-noMic open studio event
Bloomfield, 4073 Liberty Ave – 2nd floor
Sunday, October 18, 2008: 12PM – 6PM

soulpurpose



This little show in 709 Gallery ended up being a really terrific survey. The work presented is from a wide range of artists whose practices include glass, painting, drawing, assemblage and collage. The exhibit was meant to showcase Pittsburgh artists to the dignitaries and luminaries visiting our fair city for the G-20 Summit. But that doesn't mean that we, as citizens of this fair city, can't enjoy the selection too.


Christiane Leach


Vanessa German (foreground)


Susan Constanse


Installation, left wall


Josh Hogan


Christine Bethea

soulpurpose, 709 Penn Gallery, Closing reception, November 6
The Trust’s Education and Community Engagement Department will also host a survey of 15 local artists in an exhibition and sale called “soulpurpose: Local Artists Showcase.” The exhibition at 709 Penn Gallery will run Friday, September 11, through Friday, November 6, 2009. Participating artists include: Leslie Ansley, Christine Bethea, Margaret Burley, Susan Constanse, John Flatz, Vanessa German, Rita Gregory, Gary Guydosh, Josh Hogan, LaVerne Kemp, Christiane Leach, Saihou Njie, Sandra Moore, Susan Ragland, Mark Traughber and Richelle Wilson.