The Pittsburgh Zine Fair 2-8pm tomorrow @ The Union Project

From Next Pittsburgh

Vendors, who range from teens to veteran ‘zine makers, hail from all around Pittsburgh, across Pennsylvania and even from Ohio and Michigan. Launched in 2011, the fair also aims to showcase Pittsburgh as a growing new media hub for producers of ‘zine-related content across a range of subject matter, themes, disciplines and formats—from politics and photography to sci-fi and identity. Also new this year is on-stage child care provided by Yellow Bridge Collective.

Can’t wait until Sunday? Check out the fair’s week-long series of events celebrating independent artists and media makers leading up to the big day. Meet and mingle with this year’s vendors at a special ‘Zine Fair Mixer on Saturday, September 27th at Bunker Projects, where Nils “Balls” Hanzcar, Juan Fernandez, Catherine Conley/Steer Queer, Maggie Lynn Negrete, Thom Delair, Erin Oh, Natty Soltesz, and Kelly Thomas/Wild Age Press will read from their work during the social gathering.

Don’t miss a signing with international cartoonists Michael DeForge, Simon Hanselmann and Patrick Kyle on September 24th at Copacetic Comics, and a special signing and Q&A event with “Hospital Suite” and “King-Cat Comics” creator John Porcellino, along with a screening of the documentary film, Root Hog or Die, about his life and work.

Union Project
 801 N Negley Ave, 
Pittsburgh, PA 15206
(412) 363-4550

GA/GI Festival Anchors Huge Pittsburgh Arts Weekend

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

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



Dance Alloy Improv Jam @GA/GI


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

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

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



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

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

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

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

See more about the Union Project below.

Union Project Documentary from Alex Lake on Vimeo.

Day Two GA/GI Events

Saturday April 2
GA/GI Day
Two Locations!

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

@ Penn Ave Arts District (Negley to Mathilda)

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

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

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

GA/GI Festival Website and Blog

See The POP City Feature

Handmade Love For Sale

Hopefully, this explains itself. 50 area artists and crafters listed!

Pittsburgh Weekend Art Events: 9/4-5/2009.

It's been awhile, so I thought I'd pop in with a hasty roundup of the many offerings the local art scene is rolling out this weekend. Forget about going out of town... you'll miss way too much if you do.

Friday

Unblurred is back again. Most Wanted Fine Art is celebrating with "Jon Howe vs Jason Sauer: MWFA 2-Year Anniversary". It runs from 6-10PM and offers discriminating viewers the chance to see bands like Grand Snafu, Fulmarine Petrels, and Das Black Milk. (*** Apparently, as Rick Byerly pointed out to me, although Most Wanted will be hosting a reception Friday night, the bands are actually playing on Saturday. Thanks Rick)

How do two artists get married? Apparently they build an installation piece. See artist interpretations of the union of Dave Bernabo and Lindsey Clark at Modern Formations @ 7PM. Also, stop by 5020 Penn Avenue for Harvest, a group show of illustrative painters who seemingly share an interest in the type of images found in Juxtapoz Magazine. There are some great images of the work (along with lots of other great stuff) over at Bitersweet Harvest.

And there's a new gallery at 3700 Butler Street in Lawrenceville. It's apparently called Fast<Lots of Pulp: Works on Paper Group Exhibition". The opening reception for this show is from 6-10PM. I'm having difficulty finding any information online, so you'll just have to stop by and see for yourself until we find out more details about who's behind this project.

*** I forgot to mention (thanks MW!) that my buddy Bob Ziller will be having his first jam session for the new Sprout-funded Pittsburgh Beautification Project. It's basically a painting party whereby participants will be able to color/paint templates, producing works that will be hanging all over abandoned buildings throughout the city. Bob will be down at the old Red Star building (4810 Penn Avenue) from 7-midnight. Check out more info here...

Also, check out Lucas Stock and Alison Pochapin at the "Philosophy Kings Art Show" (5131 Penn) from 7-10PM.

Oh my! Here's another--- Mia Tarducci Henry's paintings at Imagebox will be an absolute must-see.

Meanwhile Shadyside offers its own version of First Friday. Gallerie Chiz is still kicking, and hosting "The Pleasure of Their Company (Tom Nozum) & mirrors, miniatures, mugs & more (Ida Michaeli)". That runs from 6-9PM. And Steve Mendelson opens his annual Salon des Refuses. Based on a historical collection of rejects from a prestigious European art show from the beginning of last century, this is the gallery's (5874 Ellsworth Avenue) effort at honoring the stuff that doesn't make it into the big AAP show. Judge for yourself whether the curatorial decisions this year were merited or simply misguided .

Saturday

Experience Crafts N'at over at the Union Project, starting at 10 AM. There will be over 50 different artisans displaying and selling their wares in this fundraiser for Parkinson's Disease. This is an excellent opportunity to participate in the homegrown economy during these tough economic times. The only sweatshop victims are the crafters themselves!

Have a taste for a bit of the bubbly during the afternoon? Check out the "Art: East Meets West Champagne Reception" at the Michael Berger Gallery (their new location is 30 South Sixth Street, over on the South Side) at noon. The show features an international lineup of names you can't pronounce. How culturally sophisticated of you to show up...

And finally... stop by (6-10PM) the Panza Gallery in Millvale for Form of Fission, a collaboration between Pittsburgh Society of Sculptures, the Pittsburgh Society of Illustrators and Pittsburgh Poets.