Bay Village, Ohio hosts first History, Mystery Bike Tour: October 4th

An Interesting way to tour and learn about this Cleveland, suburb's history while raising money for the town bike cooperative

"The first annual History Mystery Ride (HI MY) to support the Village Bike Cooperative will be held on Saturday, October 4th in Bay Village, OH. The inaugural ride will have three route options, including an easy-paced, family friendly 12 mile History Mystery [HI MY] cruise.
This ride includes stops designed to educate riders about Bay’s History as well as to sharpen detective skills.

• Bicyclists desiring endurance options will have 25 and 50 mile routes.

• All three ride levels will end morning travels with a meal at the Village Bicycle Cooperative where riders will enjoy a historic style picnic experience.  

• Food will be catered by strEAT Mobile Bistro

• VBC Volunteers will host programs in the afternoon.

The Cooperative is adjacent to the Bay Skate and Bike Park, Disc Golf Course, and Huntington Beach Reservation, so we welcome you to ride, learn, eat and enjoy some fall fun in Bay... a lovely place to visit.
All riders will receive a ride packet that will include a T-Shirt. Cost for the ride, packet, and food is $40.00. For more information, contact Rebecca @ 440.346.0560"

Details & ticket info:

Happening this January

So, I've been collecting pins on events here in Pittsburgh that I want to attend. This far, far from a complete list of all of the cool things happening next month. Just the ones that I am particularly interested in going to. Check out the board!

100 Bowling Pins by 100 Artists! @Arsenal Lanes

Hee! Okay, this was fun...



I swung by Arsenal Lanes last night to check out Art Goes Bowling. It was a lot of fun; re-purposed bowling pins were everywhere. One of the artists told me about the making of bowling pins and how, sometimes when they are deemed worn out, the inner core is basically pulverized. Little bit of trivia, there.

Anyway, the crowd and the show were a blast. It sounds like this is a yearly event, so when it rolls around next year, make sure you head over. Following is a blurb from Zombo about the exhibit --

"100 Bowling Pins by 100 Artist!" Yes, the second time we get 100 bowling pins out to ANY and ALL artist and have an Art Goes Bowling show at Arsenal Lanes in Lawrenceville. Come by Zombo Gallery or drop me an email to get your bowling pin to paint/sculpt/mosaic/etc. and sell it and pay no commission when it sells. The last show with pins was HUGE..don't miss it. The show is at Arsenal Lanes and features live entertainment, bowling and best of all your artwork!

Zombo Gallery
4900 Hatfield St.
Pgh, PA 15201
www.zomboworld.com
412-904-3703

And here's my favorites --



Laurenty Josep (This was really cool. The colored tubes were neon. Use your imagination, 'kay?)



Pete Moon



Masha Vereshchenko



Zombo



Gary Weiss



Jason Boone

Preservation Fair @Carnegie Museum

As if you didn't need a reason to visit the Carnegie Museum, here's another one! There will be a Preservation Fair at the Carnegie Museum this Saturday --

Over 30 individual conservators and vendors of conservation supplies and services will be on hand to address your conservation issues. Bring books, photographs, film, letters and other documents, paintings, textiles and family treasures for free conservation advice. No appraisals or valuations will be given.

The featured speakers will be Rick Prelinger, of the Prelinger Film Archive, speaking on the value of preserving film as a cultural artifact and Tom Clareson, of PALINET, with advice on preserving your family treasures in times of disaster. These talks will be held in the Museum’s Earth Theater, from 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM.

The fair has a broad appeal, with an emphasis on family treasures. But that covers a lot of ground, with exhibitors from local museums, galleries and universities. Here is a list of the exhibitors that will be on hand to discuss art conservation issues --

* Carnegie Museum of Art
Ellen Baxter (paintings)
Michael Belman (objects)
Carnegie Museum of Art, Conservation Dept.
* Christine Daulton (paintings)
* Concept Art Gallery (paintings, photographs, art on paper)
Charles Biddle
* Rikke Foulke (paintings)
* Rhonda Wozniak (fine and decorative art, ethnographic and archaeological materials)

In addition to art conservation, exhibitors will also be on hand to discuss film preservation, photography and furniture restoration. Check here for a full list of exhibitors. All in all it sounds like a really full day.

Preservation Fair
Carnegie Museum of Natural History
4400 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh.
Saturday, February 28, 2009, 10 AM – 4 PM

Co-sponsored by Carnegie Museum of Natural History and the School of Information Sciences, University of Pittsburgh

Society for Photographic Education Mid-Atlantic Regional Photo Conference

November 7 & 8, 2008
Carnegie Mellon Campus, Pittsburgh, PA
Society for Photographic Education Mid-Atlantic Regional Photo Conference

Technocracy: image production/distribution/consumption
Techno-lust vs. Technophobia

In this age of postproduction, how do imagemakers and institutions respond to this shifting landscape, creating alternative models for exhibition and education? How do those involved in the making, exhibiting and selling of images respond to the eradication of the boundary between production and consumption? How does imaging technology (camera phones, webcams, photo and video blogs) affect our capacity as imagemakers to navigate through the cultural chaos extracting new forms of production a.k.a art? Or does the proliferation of technology yield a return to traditional modes of production?

Keynote Speaker Douglas Fogle, curator of The Carnegie International.

Panel Discussion with Rhizome, Eyebeam and Perpetual Art Machine moderated by Thomas Sokolowski, Director for the Andy Warhol Museum.

Orange Balloons - open studio this Sunday!

Susan Constanse, Christine Bethea and guests

Susan Constanse and Christine Bethea have been sharing a studio space in Bloomfield for the last year. The studio, generally not open to the public, will host other artists in the space for the day. This is a rare opportunity to view new work by local artists.

Susan Constanse is a painter. Her studio presentation will include a range of works from early series as well as new paintings and works on paper. Christine Bethea works primarily with salvaged materials. Some of her masks will be available during the open studio.

Joining us for the day --

Amy Kerlin
Christiane D
Laurenty Sweich

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!

Also, for those artists out there that are looking for shared studio space, this is the perfect opportunity for you to take a look at the studio. We would happily talk to you about temporary or permanent arrangements.

Susan Constanse
412-969-7689
susanconstanse@gmail.com
www.susanconstanse.com
oranje.susanconstanse.com

What: Orange Balloons, an open studio event
Where: Bloomfield, 4073 Liberty Ave – 2nd floor
When: October 26, 2008: 12PM – 6PM

Art What You Got

Lauren Toohey and her Ducktopus

The devastating wind, the heavy drops of rain, did not deter us from having a wonderful time at the first arts festival in Polish Hill. Even through the disastrous weather, the bands kept playing.

How absolutely marvelous.

There was a taste of everything for the arts crowd; jewelry next to zombie art and across from hand-thrown pots, it was an amazing variety of works. It was nice to see some artists that usually wouldn't participate in a festival stepping out for Art What You Got. Too, this festival drew an atypical festival crowd. While there was the expected hipsters, there was also a grand attendance of neighborhood residents. The food at the festival was great, too. Who could turn down homemade halushki?

The festival was a grassroots effort, supported by members of the Polish Hill community and arts lovers everywhere. The city of Pittsburgh did their part -- Citiparks sent a sound system and manager. I thought the festival was unique for that and I am looking forward to next year's first annual Art What You Got.

Art What You Got - Save the date

Okay kids, time to have a party.

We have been working on this for a few months now, down in Polish Hill. It is going to be an absolute blast! Seriously, you gotta come. Some of my favorite artists are going to be there, like Maura Doern Danko and Lauren Toohey. Also, live music from some terrific bands. I am especially looking forward to hearing Joy Ike. What I have heard on her MySpace page is pretty incredible.

Did I mention the food? No holds barred, authentic Polish cuisine coupled with yer standard festival fare. And pickles on a stick. No, really; and they're only 57 cents. Yum!

So, what else? demonstrations and hands on stuff to do --

Ice carving, provided by Mastro Ice
Origami hats
Face Painting
The Andy Warhol Museum
The Mattress Factory

Where is this happening? In Polish Hill, between 30th and Dobson on Brereton Street.



All kinds of information is available on the MySpace page. Check out the artists roster and the festival playlist!

A sweet gesture

Carnegie Mellon University is presenting Elizabeth Catlett with an honorary doctorate during their commencement this Sunday. Catlett, whose work addresses social justice and women's rights issues, has had a long career only recently acknowledged. A small presentation of her sculptures and prints will be on view at the Regina Gouger Miller Gallery on the campus today and tomorrow. The gallery will also have a taped interview of Catlett available for viewing through May 31.

Additional information about the event can be found here.

Regina Gouger Miller Gallery
Purnell Center for the Arts
Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA 15213-3890
event line: (412) 268-3618

Above the Pitt - 10/27

Above the Pitt - Too
Saturday, October 20, 7PM - ???
Bill Cousins will be opening his doors on Saturday, October 27, for Above the Pitt - Too, new and old abstract works by Bill Cousins . So, while you are in the neighborhood for Conceived Bully and Same Frequency, take the stairs up to visit Bill.
Food - Drink - People
Music by Rick Bach
Card Art

Metamorphose

It was great to so many people out for Unblurred. And really terrific that so many stopped by at Metamorphose. It was a terrific and varied evening. My henna tattoo is still very vivid! It was great to see Diva Dale with her lovely glass works and Judy Dickson had a small table set up.

Thanks to everyone that helped out with the event. I really appreciate it! Especially Louise, purveyor of books, whose support over the years has been invaluable. And to Serendipity for the nice shout-out.

Stay tuned for more developments. There are whispers about a closing party.



Fashioned by Monica Phillips


Marci Gehring


Marci Gehring


Marci Gehring


Matt Dearboff


Matt Dearboff


Matt Dearboff


Susan Constanse


Susan Constanse


Susan Constanse


Susan Constanse

Metamorphose
4922 Penn Avenue
Pittsburgh PA 15222
724-538-5268
412-277-1238

Flat Out in Bloomfield

What: Creative Tour
Where: Bloomfield
When: Saturday, September 29: 12PM – 6PM

You can download a map here

Digging Pitt Gallery will be taking part in the Creative Tour in Bloomfield, during Little Italy Days. We'll be presenting portfolios at Susan Constanse's studio on Liberty Avenue. Hope you can join us!

From the website --

Mark your calendar for the sixth annual “Little Italy Days” Festival on September 28, 29 and 30. This year you can visit some of the artists working in Bloomfield. Expect lots of music, food, games, more food and other fun activities amidst Bloomfield’s unique shops and dozen or so fine restaurants.

As a part of the festival, Creative Tour in Bloomfield will focus on artists, crafters and creative businesses in Bloomfield. Several studios, that are generally not open to the public, will welcome visitors during the festival, on Saturday, September 29. Painters, woodworkers, photographers and sculptors are among the artists presenting work during the open studio event. Some studios will host artists from other parts of Pittsburgh. This is a rare opportunity to view new work by local artists and sample the works on display at some of the venues in Bloomfield where creative work is always on display.

Maps will be available on the site and at each of the venues and studios that are on the tour. You can visit the Creative Tour blog (susin15224.wordpress.com) for additional information about the artists and an up-to-date roster of participating creative workers.

4071 Liberty Ave
Iron Eden

4073 Liberty Ave – 2nd floor
CJB Photography – Photography
Susan Constanse – Painting and Drawing
SB Image - Photography

Guests
Christine Bethea – Salvage sculpture
Digging Pitt Gallery – Flat Out in Bloomfield
Steve Dines - Drawing
Noir LeBlanc - Photography
Meredith Laura Lynn - Painting

4073 Liberty Ave – 3rd floor
Ben Bigelow - Crater Eraser (work in progress)

4523 Liberty Ave
BoxHeart Gallery

307 Taylor Street
Solidio Wood & Metal Craft - Julie Graf & Mitch Richardson

4730 Liberty Ave
Allure
Ellen Levick – sculptor

4765 Liberty Ave
Botanical Designs by Leon
Leon Sheffey - Painting

… and others

Larryville Artist Studio Tour

The Lawrenceville Artists’ Studio Tour kicks off this Saturday, July 7, as eight artists open up their space for a behind-the-scenes look into the creative process that leads to a finished artwork. This self-guided walking tour is free and open to the public. Maps of participating studios can be found at coffee shops on Butler Street (Perk Me Up, Coca Café, Crazy Mocha), or downloaded from their site.

Alexandra Etschmaier, Sculpture • 218 39th Street
Ron Donoughe, Paintings of Our Region, 208 Main Street
Tugboat Printshop, Art Woodcut Prints and Etchings • 298 Main Street
Mary Coleman, Weaving • 187 43rd Street
Tracie Yorke Dance, Performing Arts: Dance • 100 43rd Street
Margaret Meinzer/Ben Gregory, Painting/Metalsmithing • 179 43½ Street
Digging Pitt Gallery, Various Artists • 4417 Butler Street
Jay Design Soaps and Gifts, Soapmaking • 4603 Butler Street

Gallery Guide released

I was dowtown for the gallery crawl on Friday. Mostly to check out what Art-iculate is doing with the gallery guide. from their website --

Pittsburgh Creative Network releases the premier edition of the Pittsburgh Gallery Guide at the Gallery Crawl. Thirty-five galleries & art organizations will be featured in the first catalog published, spotlighting the best of Pittsburgh's art. An exhibit will include galleries that have participated in the Gallery Guide.

We now have a gallery guide for Pittsburgh, which is great. The website will, hopefully, serve as a gateway to the city's visual arts. The exhibit, which was packed, had some familiar faces represented. See below for the images from the exhibit.

Since this was the gallery crawl, all of the venues were packed. There was a line for the elevator for Wood Street, SPACE was so packed and, well, LOUD, that I just backed off. Future Tenant and all of the usual suspects were open...

Anyway, I have to go downtown for a meeting on Friday. I'll be sure to take my camera and get some shots while I'm in the neighborhood.

Artist Talk on Saturday - SPACE 101

SPACE 101 Gallery
The Brew House Association
2100 Mary Street
Pittsburgh PA 15203
412-381-7767

BARE III


SPACE 101 Gallery will host an artist talk on Saturday, June 23 @1:00 PM. Join some of the artists exhibiting in the show to discuss life, drawing and life-drawing.

Saturday, June 23 @1PM
Pat Barefoot
Rich Brown
Steve Dines
... and others

Pat Barefoot

Rich Brown

Women in the arts

The New Hazlett Theater is beginning a year-long festival, celebrating the contributions of women to the arts in Pittsburgh. You can read the entire Pittsburgh Post Gazette article, announcing the inaugural fundraising event, but here is an excerpt that I found interesting --

The city lags behind the national average of women in executive roles at public companies -- holding 10.9 percent of the jobs, to the nation's 15.6 percent -- but makes a much better showing in the arts. Almost 60 percent of executive roles at Pittsburgh's cultural organizations are filled by women, according to a Pittsburgh Post-Gazette study last year.

The festival, Women in the Arts: Founders, Pioneers, Instigators, continues with a multi-day symposium in September and performances in September, November, January and February.

This is a continuing theme this year in Pittsburgh. In March, 709 Gallery mounted the Women's Work exhibit. Just a month ago, an anonymous artist posted signs around the Carnegie Museum asking --

Where are the names of notable women on the facade of the Carnegie Museum? Some suggestions for inclusion are written on Easter eggs and hidden in and around the museum. How many can you find?

More information about this project, as well as a statement from the artist, were posted in the Digging Pittsburgh Arts blog. Coming up this October, Future Tenant will mount Power, another exhibit that is working to expose the contributions of women artists in Pittsburgh.

There's something in the air, isn't there?

Flat Out @ Unblurred on May 4

Digging Pitt Gallery, Trinity Gallery and the Musee' de Monoian will be joining forces for Unblurred on Friday, May 4. The table-top show will be housed in the Community Activity Center, one block off of Penn Avenue.

Flat Out @Unblurred
May 4, 2007
6-9PM
113 North Pacific Avenue
Pittsburgh PA, 15224

The galleries will bring a range of artists’ work. Digging Pitt will draw from its extensive flat file archive, bringing a sampling of the gallery’s artists to the Pittsburgh community. Trinity gallery will be presenting some of Dan Gaser’s fine photography.

Pinhole Photography Workshop @Digging Pitt

Pinhole photography workshop with George Kollar
April 29, 2007: 12:00pm

Join George Kollar, Trever Miller and John Fobes at Digging Pitt Gallery on April 29, Worldwide Pinhole Photography day. George will be conducting a pinhole photography workshop. 12-2pm Free. Please RSVP your interest to Digging Pitt Gallery by email or at 412-605-0450

George Kollar
Pinhole Photography Workshop

George Kollar has been producing work with a pinhole camera for many years. His subject matter ranges from motorcycles to carnivals. In this workshop, George will go over constructing your own pinhole camera. George will supply his expertise and materials for the workshop. The workshop is free. Please RSVP to Digging Pitt Gallery by email or at 412-605-0450.

George Kollar

Time is of the essence. Worldwide Pinhole Photography day is April 29. Anyone, anywhere, that makes Pinhole photography can send it to www.pinholeday.org, which maintains a gallery of lens-less photography. Last year, there were 2267 participants from sixty countries.

What is pinhole photography? It is photography in which a tiny hole is used in place of a lens. Most pinhole camera are home made. The hole is made with a fine needle and household aluminum foil. Some of the cameras are made using cardboard boxes, coffee cans and even fifty-five galleon drums. Today you can purchase any size format pinhole camera to shoot film.

As an independent photographic artist I have experimented with the unique image produce by the pinhole camera. The camera I use is a Zone 2000 film camera, 6x6 format with a pinhole of f/138.

There is an endless supply of information on pinhole photography on the web. Today pinhole has come full circle as fine art photography. Enthusiasts from all parts of the world realize pinhole photography has been revived. I hope to see other pinhole photographers out on world wide pinhole day. Gear up, make a camera and welcome aboard.

Digging Pitt Gallery
4417 Butler Street
Pittsburgh PA
412-605-0450
www.diggingpitt.com
Digging Pitt on MySpace
Digging Pitt blog

Closing reception for Lush Life, Visual Abstraction and Regenesis

The Pittsburgh Tribune Review has listed the closing in their top picks for the weekend. Check it out here.

Closing reception for Lush Life, Visual Abstraction and Regenesis
April 7, 6-9PM

Lush Life - Side I --more information
Paul LeRoy
Todd Pinkham
Jessica Sommer
Katherine Young


Visual Grammar: Five Approaches to Abstraction-- more information
Curated by Gary Jurysta
Charles Andresen
Glen Brunken
Joren Dykstra
Patrick Schmidt

Regenesis: David Grim @Digging Pitt Too-- more information
David Grim

Easter Egg Hunt @the Carnegie Museum

So, there are flyers up around Oakland, near the Carnegie Museum.

Where are the names of notable women on the facade of the Carnegie Museum?
Some suggestions for inclusion are written on Easter eggs and hidden in and
around the museum. How many can you find?

Good Luck
E. Bunny

We at Digging Pitt have received further explanation from E. Bunny, in the form of the following statement...

March 29, 2007
One of the first interesting things I came across when I returned to
Pittsburgh two years ago was the list of notable women posted on the skinny
building in commemoration of Women's History month - women who might be
candidates for inclusion in the all-male frieze of names carved into the
facade of the Carnegie Museum. A self-addressed stamped envelope is not what it
used to be and my request for a copy of the list that LUPEC compiled went astray. I thought it would
be fun to write the names on the bottom of those plastic ducks they use in
carnival games and dump them in the fountain in front of the museum. I bought a
dozen ducks from a novelty store on the strip and finally found someone who
would download the names for me. Wouldn't you know it, the fountain has been
shut off for a month now because of some sort of repairs or construction. So I
bought two bags of those plastic eggs, wrote names and dates from the list on
the outside and scissored apart the biographic material and folded it inside the
egg: Then I posted flyers at the bus stops announcing the Easter egg
hunt after I hid them in, on and around the museum.

Another idea I had for using the names (which any other like-minded
feminist is welcome and encouraged to copy) was to write them on smooth stones
and leave them at the base of the statues of the four white guys outside, the
way that Jews leave stones at a gravesite, on a headstone, to commemorate a visit to
a dead family member. Or attach the name, with paper and string, as one would
tie a message to a stone about to be hurled through a window.

I had some questions about the list itself - it was unnecessarily long and
I found myself clipping a group of three or four and making them share an
egg.There was someone named"Roger" with no biographical or explanatory material
provided. Artemsia Gentileschi's name is
misspelled. And why isn't Elizabeth Barrett Browning's name included? I
also wish that it had mentioned that one of my favorites, Hypatia, had been stoned to
death by a mob of Christians.

Your Friend
E. Bunny

Happy hunting everybody. And thank you, E. Bunny.