I want to warn you that there may be a bit of bold type in this post. Even I am still occasionally shocked by the actions of the government, by large numbers and still have the quaint belief that America is still a semi rational nation under the rule of law.
So, in my last Weimar America (yes it looks like a series) post, I warned about the risk of hyperinflation and what might happen if Fed began to "monetise" our ballooning debt by creating money out of thin air. Please tell me they are not doing it, but more and more wise people (the people who predicted this mess, like Peter Schiff, Jim Rogers and many others) are telling me this is what has begun to happen.
"You’ll also find this little snippet in the article, “Most of the money, about $5.5 trillion, comes from the Federal Reserve, which as an independent entity does not need congressional approval to lend money to banks or, in “unusual and exigent circumstances,” to other financial institutions.
Just another reminder that the private, run for profit, Federal Reserve has the printing presses cranked on overdrive in order to bailout Wall Street and the big banks, while the homeowner and the middle class see their savings devalued out of existence.
“If you print money all the time, the money becomes worth less,” warns Diane Lim Rogers, chief economist with the Concord Coalition, but its an empty threat to delirious traders and investors drunk on a record stock market rally after the government pumped more fake liquidity into the bloated bubble.
Veteran investor Jim Rogers echoed the sentiment, predicting the dollar is “going to lose its status as the world’s reserve currency,” adding, “It will be devalued and it will go down a lot. These guys in Washington, they want to debase the currency.”
A website called Prison Planet might be run by kooks you say, but the story's link is to an article in The San Fransisco Chronicle and quotes major investors and other sources like The Concord Coalition which could hardly called fringe.
"A deficit arises when the government's expenditures exceed its revenues in a particular year. Some estimate that the federal deficit will exceed $1 trillion this fiscal year as a result of the economic slowdown and efforts to revive it.
The Fed's activities to shore up the financial system do not show up directly on the federal budget, although they can have an impact. The Fed lends money from its own balance sheet or by essentially creating new money. It has been doing both this year."
The article also points out that these 8.5 Trillion in obligations and promises represent 60% of America's GDP.
Now one other question might come up. It sounds like other countries like England are also deep in a hole and are doing the same thing. Doesn't this mean that we are OK cause the dollar can't fall against anything if other currencies are falling too? The short answer is that all these currencies will fall against any real store of value like gold or any reasonably sound currency like those of Japan, China and other countries we owe money to.
The whole process is accompanied by constant reassurances that this is a temporary thing, and we will act responsibly in the future even though 60 years or more of U.S. history tell you that is very unlikely. The goal as usual is to kick the pain and hard decisions down the road to another administration or generation.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Weimar America
Sorry, they pulled that one since they want you to see the full film.
I've put a lot of videos and links about America's debt and financial condition in this post. I think that only by understanding this condition fully can one see the connection between America today and that of Weimar Germany.
Most people, to the extent they know anything about the Weimar Republic know only a few things-- it was a period of interesting art, Mann, Kandinsky, Klee, Grosz; -- something about carts of money to buy loaves of bread-- and finally, that it was shortly followed by the Third Reich.
Here is an extended quote from the book, The Age Of Inflation. The roots of Germany's problems began with the promises of Bismark's welfare state and the way Germany financed the costs of WWI.
"Like all the other banks, it offered assistance to the central government in financing the war effort. Since taxes are always unpopular, the German government preferred to borrow the needed amounts of money rather than raise its taxes substantially. To this end it was readily assisted by the Reichsbank, which discounted most treasury obligations.
A growing percentage of government debt thus found its way into the vaults of the central bank and an equivalent amount of printing press money into people's cash holdings. In short, the central bank was monetizing the growing government debt.
By the end of the war the amount of money in circulation had risen fourfold and prices some 140 percent. Yet the German mark had suffered no more than the British pound, was somewhat weaker than the American dollar but stronger than the French franc. Five years later, in December 1923, the Reichsbank had issued 496.5 quintillion marks, each of which had fallen to one-trillionth of its 1914 gold value.[1]
How stupendous! Practically every economic good and service was costing trillions of marks. The American dollar was quoted at 4.2 trillion marks, the American penny at 42 billion marks. How could a European nation that prided itself on its high levels of education and scholarly knowledge suffer such a thorough destruction of its money? Who would inflict on a great nation such evil which had ominous economic, social, and political ramifications not only for Germany but for the whole world? Was it the victors of World War I who, in diabolical revenge, devastated the vanquished country through ruinous financial manipulation and plunder? Every mark was printed by Germans and issued by a central bank that was governed by Germans under a government that was purely German. It was German political parties, such as the Socialists, the Catholic Centre Party, and the Democrats, forming various coalition governments, that were solely responsible for the policies they conducted. Of course, admission of responsibility for any calamity cannot be expected from any political party."
This was just the start of the problem. Germany was already deep in debt but it didn't feel like it could handle the sharp recession all the industrial countries had as they demobilized. To put off this pain and potential instability, they began to spend more and more. Many, many people, soldiers, farmers, workers and businesses needed help.
"Immediately after the war the German government, under the leadership of the Socialist Party, embarked upon heavy expenditures for health, education, and welfare. The demands on the treasury were extremely heavy anyway because of demobilization expenses, the demands of the Armistice, the disorders of the revolution, and the staggering deficits of the nationalized industries, especially the railroads, postal services, telephone, and telegraph. Public administration by the new men raised to power by the revolution, nevertheless, was extravagant, as the resources made available by the creation of new money were apparently unlimited. A number of measures for the nationalization of certain industries (e.g., the coal, electrical, and potash industries) were introduced, but failed to become law. The eight-hour day was enacted, and labor unions were given many legal immunities and privileges. In fact, a system of labor councils was set up which authorized the workers in each enterprise to elect representatives who shared in the management of the company! While government expenditures rose by leaps and bounds, the revenue suffered a gradual decline until, in October 1923, only 0.8 percent of government expenses were covered by tax revenues. For the period from 1914 to 1923 scarcely fifteen percent of the expenses were covered by means of taxes. In the final phase of the inflation the German government experienced a complete atrophy of the fiscal system."
The immediate effects of their actions weren't clear to most and the monetary authorities went to great lengths to tell people that the inflation people saw in their daily lives wasn't really there.
The other thing that reminds one of this time was not just that Germany was up to it's eyeballs in debt but that this debt was largely owed to foreigners who had once considered it a good credit. They continued to lend and only slowly realized their mistake. When they did, the Mark dropped like a stone and the real pain began.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
The Long Depression
The recent market situation has a lot of people researching the word "Depression". For most people, the word evokes one era alone but there are perhaps closer links between our current problems and other periods in world history. One that I know about pretty well (but most Americans don't) is the inflationary depression in post WWI Germany. Another that some people are mentioning is the long serious depression of the 1870's. I thought I'd do a post on it because it was also a critical period in the history of Andrew Carnegie and early Pittsburgh. I'd like thoughts and feedback on this from history buffs, historians and people who heard tales from that time.
One thing that seems to come out is that real deep brutal downturns across entire economies seem to linked to fiat money. This was of course very true in Germany's crisis, and most economists now admit the Great Depression's original root cause was in the careless monetary expansion since the creation of the Federal Reserve. That is not to say particular regions and industries cannot suffer downturns in any economy. I also noticed that Depressions often closely follow wars and the debts they leave behind 1873 followed the Civil War and the Franco Prussian War, The Weimar period followed WWI as did the Great Depression.
Anyway here are a bunch of quotes and links to make sense of. Scott Reynold's Nelson places the starting point of the downturn in Europe.
"The problems had emerged around 1870, starting in Europe. In the Austro-Hungarian Empire, formed in 1867, in the states unified by Prussia into the German empire, and in France, the emperors supported a flowering of new lending institutions that issued mortgages for municipal and residential construction, especially in the capitals of Vienna, Berlin, and Paris. Mortgages were easier to obtain than before, and a building boom commenced. Land values seemed to climb and climb; borrowers ravenously assumed more and more credit, using unbuilt or half-built houses as collateral. The most marvelous spots for sightseers in the three cities today are the magisterial buildings erected in the so-called founder period."
I'm going to make a wild guess from the little I know of Bismark's ideology that the German and likely the Austrian States had some role in this credit promotion. And similar policies were promoted in the U.S. "expressed by railroad speculator Jay Cooke in 1869: "Why," he asked, "should this Grand and Glorious country be stunted and dwarfed--its activities chilled and its very life blood curdled by these miserable 'hard coin' theories--the musty theories of a bygone age." [1]
Of course Jay Cooke appears again at the center of the storm."In September 1873, Jay Cooke & Company, a major component of the United States banking establishment, found itself unable to market several million dollars in Northern Pacific Railway bonds. Cooke's firm, like many others, was invested heavily in the railroads. At a time when investment banks were anxious for more capital for their enterprises, President Ulysses S. Grant's monetary policy of contracting the money supply made matters worse. While businesses were expanding, the money they needed to finance that growth was becoming more scarce.
Cooke and other entrepreneurs had planned to build the nation's second transcontinental railroad, called the Northern Pacific Railway. Cooke's firm provided the financing, and ground was broken near Duluth, Minnesota, for the line on February 15, 1870. But just as Cooke was about to swing a $300 million government loan in September 1873, reports circulated that his firm's credit had become nearly worthless. On September 18, the firm declared bankruptcy.[6][7][8] The Northern Pacific would not be completed until 1883, and then by another financier: Henry Villard.[9][10]
This period also marks the transfer of global power from Europe to America. At the end of it, the few strongly operated firms with cash and little debt were able to buy out their weaker competitors. Carnegie Steel and Standard Oil come to mind.
Next Up --- A comparison to Weimar Germany.
One thing that seems to come out is that real deep brutal downturns across entire economies seem to linked to fiat money. This was of course very true in Germany's crisis, and most economists now admit the Great Depression's original root cause was in the careless monetary expansion since the creation of the Federal Reserve. That is not to say particular regions and industries cannot suffer downturns in any economy. I also noticed that Depressions often closely follow wars and the debts they leave behind 1873 followed the Civil War and the Franco Prussian War, The Weimar period followed WWI as did the Great Depression.
Anyway here are a bunch of quotes and links to make sense of. Scott Reynold's Nelson places the starting point of the downturn in Europe.
"The problems had emerged around 1870, starting in Europe. In the Austro-Hungarian Empire, formed in 1867, in the states unified by Prussia into the German empire, and in France, the emperors supported a flowering of new lending institutions that issued mortgages for municipal and residential construction, especially in the capitals of Vienna, Berlin, and Paris. Mortgages were easier to obtain than before, and a building boom commenced. Land values seemed to climb and climb; borrowers ravenously assumed more and more credit, using unbuilt or half-built houses as collateral. The most marvelous spots for sightseers in the three cities today are the magisterial buildings erected in the so-called founder period."
I'm going to make a wild guess from the little I know of Bismark's ideology that the German and likely the Austrian States had some role in this credit promotion. And similar policies were promoted in the U.S. "expressed by railroad speculator Jay Cooke in 1869: "Why," he asked, "should this Grand and Glorious country be stunted and dwarfed--its activities chilled and its very life blood curdled by these miserable 'hard coin' theories--the musty theories of a bygone age." [1]
Of course Jay Cooke appears again at the center of the storm."In September 1873, Jay Cooke & Company, a major component of the United States banking establishment, found itself unable to market several million dollars in Northern Pacific Railway bonds. Cooke's firm, like many others, was invested heavily in the railroads. At a time when investment banks were anxious for more capital for their enterprises, President Ulysses S. Grant's monetary policy of contracting the money supply made matters worse. While businesses were expanding, the money they needed to finance that growth was becoming more scarce.
Cooke and other entrepreneurs had planned to build the nation's second transcontinental railroad, called the Northern Pacific Railway. Cooke's firm provided the financing, and ground was broken near Duluth, Minnesota, for the line on February 15, 1870. But just as Cooke was about to swing a $300 million government loan in September 1873, reports circulated that his firm's credit had become nearly worthless. On September 18, the firm declared bankruptcy.[6][7][8] The Northern Pacific would not be completed until 1883, and then by another financier: Henry Villard.[9][10]
This period also marks the transfer of global power from Europe to America. At the end of it, the few strongly operated firms with cash and little debt were able to buy out their weaker competitors. Carnegie Steel and Standard Oil come to mind.
Next Up --- A comparison to Weimar Germany.
World Turned Upside Down Part 2
The Times reinforced my thesis about American emigration trends with a story about American lawyers looking overseas for work. Again, it's not just that there's demand in other places and countries or that firms are opening and expanding offices in places like Tokyo, Hong Kong, Dubai, Doha and Singapore. The shift is that this growth is now firms growth engine. These jobs used to be very hard to fill.
"When Kirkland opened its Hong Kong office in 2006, Mr. Eich says, it was hard to complete its hiring locally. American and British firms there were willing to make candidates the kind of fantastic offers they’d rarely see at home. “Two years ago I saw third-years asking to be made partners,” Mr. Eich says. “With the market crash we immediately felt the inflection of that. These days I see partners happy to take a salary adjustment for their circumstances.”"
"When Kirkland opened its Hong Kong office in 2006, Mr. Eich says, it was hard to complete its hiring locally. American and British firms there were willing to make candidates the kind of fantastic offers they’d rarely see at home. “Two years ago I saw third-years asking to be made partners,” Mr. Eich says. “With the market crash we immediately felt the inflection of that. These days I see partners happy to take a salary adjustment for their circumstances.”"
Monday, November 24, 2008
The World Turned Upside Down
The NY Times had a story the other day about the growing trend among Americans of Indian decent to return to India. This has of course always happened to some degree, but what strikes one is the number of wealthy and highly skilled people doing it and more importantly their reasons. Many see more economic opportunity and increasingly even basic stability and security in India.
This strikes against the deepest mythology held by most people in the world, that we are the land of economic opportunity and social stability. Even more scary is that the world economy is so intertwined with this belief and America so dependent on it that even small cracks in it would have a devastating effect. Remember that our country needs to import billions of dollars a day in new foreign loans and investment to finance it's debts.
The motivations seem like those that brought so many people here, only now they are reversed.
"Pessimism crept into the sunniest nation. A vast majority saw America going astray. Books heralded a “Post-American World.” Even in the wake of a historic presidential election, culminating in a dramatic change in direction, it remained unclear whether the United States could be delivered from its woes any time soon.
“In the U.S., there’s a crisis of confidence,” said Nandan Nilekani, co-chairman of Infosys Technologies, the Indian software giant. “In India,” he added, “for the first time after decades or centuries, there is a sense of optimism about the future, a sense that our children’s futures can be better than ours if we try hard enough.”
Dovetailing with this phenomenon is that millions of native born Americans are making similar decisions to pursue life abroad, for political reasons or to stretch out limited retirement savings, escape taxes or chase greater opportunities.
"But if the government is not counting, others are. Estimates made by organizations such as the Association of Americans Resident Overseas put the number of nongovernment-employed Americans living abroad anywhere between 4 million and 7 million, a range whose low end is based loosely on the government's trial count in 1999. Focusing on households rather than individuals (and excluding households in which any member has been sent overseas either by the government or private companies), a series of recent Zogby polls commissioned by New Global Initiatives, a consulting firm, yielded surprising results: 1.6 million U.S. households had already determined to relocate abroad; an additional 1.8 million households were seriously considering such a move, while 7.7 million more were "somewhat seriously" contemplating it. If the data collected in the seven polls conducted between 2005 and 2007 are fairly representative of the current decade, then, by a modest estimate, at least 3 million U.S. citizens a year are venturing abroad. More interesting, the biggest number of relocating households is not those with people in or approaching retirement but those with adults ranging from 25 to 34 years old."
Will new reasons emerge like real fear of a collapsing economy and currency dramatically losing it's purchasing power? This is actually the first major economic downturn we have experienced in the post Soviet world of expanded global options.
This strikes against the deepest mythology held by most people in the world, that we are the land of economic opportunity and social stability. Even more scary is that the world economy is so intertwined with this belief and America so dependent on it that even small cracks in it would have a devastating effect. Remember that our country needs to import billions of dollars a day in new foreign loans and investment to finance it's debts.
The motivations seem like those that brought so many people here, only now they are reversed.
"Pessimism crept into the sunniest nation. A vast majority saw America going astray. Books heralded a “Post-American World.” Even in the wake of a historic presidential election, culminating in a dramatic change in direction, it remained unclear whether the United States could be delivered from its woes any time soon.
“In the U.S., there’s a crisis of confidence,” said Nandan Nilekani, co-chairman of Infosys Technologies, the Indian software giant. “In India,” he added, “for the first time after decades or centuries, there is a sense of optimism about the future, a sense that our children’s futures can be better than ours if we try hard enough.”
Dovetailing with this phenomenon is that millions of native born Americans are making similar decisions to pursue life abroad, for political reasons or to stretch out limited retirement savings, escape taxes or chase greater opportunities.
"But if the government is not counting, others are. Estimates made by organizations such as the Association of Americans Resident Overseas put the number of nongovernment-employed Americans living abroad anywhere between 4 million and 7 million, a range whose low end is based loosely on the government's trial count in 1999. Focusing on households rather than individuals (and excluding households in which any member has been sent overseas either by the government or private companies), a series of recent Zogby polls commissioned by New Global Initiatives, a consulting firm, yielded surprising results: 1.6 million U.S. households had already determined to relocate abroad; an additional 1.8 million households were seriously considering such a move, while 7.7 million more were "somewhat seriously" contemplating it. If the data collected in the seven polls conducted between 2005 and 2007 are fairly representative of the current decade, then, by a modest estimate, at least 3 million U.S. citizens a year are venturing abroad. More interesting, the biggest number of relocating households is not those with people in or approaching retirement but those with adults ranging from 25 to 34 years old."
Will new reasons emerge like real fear of a collapsing economy and currency dramatically losing it's purchasing power? This is actually the first major economic downturn we have experienced in the post Soviet world of expanded global options.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Rust Belt Blogger Update: Neighborhood Walks
I've been to busy enjoying the country slide into a replica of the Weimar Republic and gathering canned goods to have noticed hopeful signs of life on Rust Belt Bloggers which now has 111 members.
On November 11th a number of bloggers each put up a post on their blogs with the aim of creating a visual slice of daily life in the places they live. To many this might seem like a waste of time but I really don't think so. Many of our towns are chock full of real, honest assets that need to be remembered and rediscovered. Hopefully, after the government's desperate efforts to keep millions of people underwater in overpriced homes finally falls through, people will come back to looking for real value-- and find a lot of places shown in the walks.
"The Neighborhood Walk is a chance for individuals throughout the Rust Belt of the U.S. and Canada to recognize the place they live, work, or call home -- and to introduce it to the world. The project is the inspiration of a social network called Rust Belt Bloggers.
On November 11, 2008 (11/11/2008), bloggers, podcasters, vloggers, photobloggers and others throughout the Rust Belt region will each take a walk around their neighborhood, make media about it -- a blog post, photo gallery, video, or whatever you prefer -- and post it on the web.
These individual perspectives and accounts of life at the street level will show both strengths and weaknesses of these neighborhoods: new businesses taking root, old factories and shops closed and abandoned. By raising awareness this way, the people involved hope to build interest in simple revitalization efforts.
How can someone get involved? Take a walk around your block and photograph what you see. Sit outside and write about the people who pass and the world around you. Turn on your video camera and give a guided tour of your neighborhood.
Post your media anywhere -- your blog, Facebook, MySpace, anywhere. Tag it as "neighborhoodwalk" so everyone can seek out what everyone else has posted. Then do a search and see everyone else's neighborhood.
This is the first project of its kind dedicated to documenting and raising awareness of life, work, and culture in the Rust Belt of the United States and Canada. More than 20 bloggers throughout the region have already committed to the project, with more joining each day."
Looks like around twenty folks posted walks from areas all around the Pittsburgh region and places like Butler, Youngstown and Dayton, Ohio. See them here.
By the way-- Elmira, NY now has the nation's hottest housing market.
On November 11th a number of bloggers each put up a post on their blogs with the aim of creating a visual slice of daily life in the places they live. To many this might seem like a waste of time but I really don't think so. Many of our towns are chock full of real, honest assets that need to be remembered and rediscovered. Hopefully, after the government's desperate efforts to keep millions of people underwater in overpriced homes finally falls through, people will come back to looking for real value-- and find a lot of places shown in the walks.
"The Neighborhood Walk is a chance for individuals throughout the Rust Belt of the U.S. and Canada to recognize the place they live, work, or call home -- and to introduce it to the world. The project is the inspiration of a social network called Rust Belt Bloggers.
On November 11, 2008 (11/11/2008), bloggers, podcasters, vloggers, photobloggers and others throughout the Rust Belt region will each take a walk around their neighborhood, make media about it -- a blog post, photo gallery, video, or whatever you prefer -- and post it on the web.
These individual perspectives and accounts of life at the street level will show both strengths and weaknesses of these neighborhoods: new businesses taking root, old factories and shops closed and abandoned. By raising awareness this way, the people involved hope to build interest in simple revitalization efforts.
How can someone get involved? Take a walk around your block and photograph what you see. Sit outside and write about the people who pass and the world around you. Turn on your video camera and give a guided tour of your neighborhood.
Post your media anywhere -- your blog, Facebook, MySpace, anywhere. Tag it as "neighborhoodwalk" so everyone can seek out what everyone else has posted. Then do a search and see everyone else's neighborhood.
This is the first project of its kind dedicated to documenting and raising awareness of life, work, and culture in the Rust Belt of the United States and Canada. More than 20 bloggers throughout the region have already committed to the project, with more joining each day."
Looks like around twenty folks posted walks from areas all around the Pittsburgh region and places like Butler, Youngstown and Dayton, Ohio. See them here.
By the way-- Elmira, NY now has the nation's hottest housing market.
The New Yinzer presents
If you are out and about tonight, stop by Modern Formations for The New Yinzer readings. As always, The New Yinzer brings the best Pittsburgh voices out for readings and immersion into the literary efforts of our city.
The November installment of TNY Presents is a feast with all the trimmings. Join us as Karen Lillis, Yona Harvey, Amy Guth, and Boca Chica give us all a little something extra to be thankful for.
As always beverages will be provided the kind folks at Penn Brewery.
The New Yinzer Presents
Where: ModernFormations 4919 Penn Ave. (Garfield/Friendship)
When: Wednesday, November 19
Cover: $4
Friday, November 07, 2008
Homestead: The Glory and Tragedy of an American Steel Town part 2
"The corporation was said Life in 1946, "the most fabulous giant yet produced by the industrial revolution." Steel was the basic metal on which the development of America, and the building and rebuilding of the post war world, depended. The steel making facilities in Germany and Japan had been destroyed in the war and those in Great Britain substantially damaged. since no other countries had had a sizable steel industry, the corporation and the rest of the American steel industry faced almost no competition. There were no steel imports to America and American companies dominated the export trade."
The result was astronomical profit and sleepy complacency. "In 1950, the corporation produced 31.4 million tons of steel, surpassing it's war time high of 30.8 million tons per year. It's workforce in 1950 reached 288,265, the highest level in it's history except for the war years. Profits were immense. In 1950, the corporation made 215 5 million (that was real money back then folks-- multiply by something like 20 to come up with what that equals today) three times 1946 earnings and the largest amount since 1917, during World War I, when earnings were 224 million."(Page 243)
In spite of a string of additional acquisitions, mostly of new plants built during the war and the clear intent to create a safe monopoly environment, U.S Steel's market share had dropped dramatically from the 65% it had at it's creation to 33% in 1950. The company's lazy nature breed competition from smaller American firms like Bethlehem and Republic and also soon from a few foreign competitors. The basic oxygen furnace was developed in Austria, but there was no need to worry and more than enough business to go around.
And, the workers and their union's shared the prosperity with substantial wage increases in the 1947 contracts as well as new efforts to study plant safety and provide worker health plans. The succeeding contracts grew ever more generous and the once militant union grew into a stagnant giant resembling the industry it operated in.
It seemed like the problems of production had been "solved" once and for all. The plants were looked at as giant money trees that could never die or fail and perhaps could bear fruit with little water or fertilizer. The big issue was sitting down and sharing all the fruit. Investment and invention were a dangerous, disruptive hassle, best left to somebody else. New foreign mills adopted continuous casting technologies and new management methods based on continuous improvement. In fact, most USS plants were running on obsolete equipment, but that wasn't seen as an important issue like providing higher and higher salaries and increasingly large health and pension benefits for which to little was set aside. The patient was fat, happy and terminally ill. The union and management wanted one thing--- stability and a nice even lifestyle free of change or strikes.
A new sick culture had developed in the mills. " The notion of "getting it at the mill"was now a way of life---pencils:toilet paper; hammers, wrenches, pliers and screwdrivers; nickel, brass and other metals which could be sold to scrap dealers--- almost anything people wanted, they took, blue collar and white collar workers alike." Some workers slept on the job and golf became the universal path to success among management.
"The 1963 contract contained a new item-- an extended vacation plan that gave every worker with more than five years of service a thirteen week vacation with pay every five years. The plan was extremely costly and no other American industry had anything like it. But it was, for the most part, not questioned and highly praised." One worker called the situation in the early 1970's as " harvest mode". " Take everything out you can get and abandon the rest. And when you just take out and don't put anything back in, well pretty soon your holding pieces together with baling wire." The truth is that the company was eating it's seed corn leaving future workers to starve. The union's new goal was "total job security"; the only path to anything close to that meant producing the best possible products at at the lowest possible price and it looked like that hadn't been a priority in years.
A few years later when the reckoning came, both labour and management bent over backwards to act shocked at the company's condition and to shift the blame. Kind of looks like America today, doesn't it? We were in harvest mode for too long, most of our seed corn is gone and if we don't wake up we will starve.
The result was astronomical profit and sleepy complacency. "In 1950, the corporation produced 31.4 million tons of steel, surpassing it's war time high of 30.8 million tons per year. It's workforce in 1950 reached 288,265, the highest level in it's history except for the war years. Profits were immense. In 1950, the corporation made 215 5 million (that was real money back then folks-- multiply by something like 20 to come up with what that equals today) three times 1946 earnings and the largest amount since 1917, during World War I, when earnings were 224 million."(Page 243)
In spite of a string of additional acquisitions, mostly of new plants built during the war and the clear intent to create a safe monopoly environment, U.S Steel's market share had dropped dramatically from the 65% it had at it's creation to 33% in 1950. The company's lazy nature breed competition from smaller American firms like Bethlehem and Republic and also soon from a few foreign competitors. The basic oxygen furnace was developed in Austria, but there was no need to worry and more than enough business to go around.
And, the workers and their union's shared the prosperity with substantial wage increases in the 1947 contracts as well as new efforts to study plant safety and provide worker health plans. The succeeding contracts grew ever more generous and the once militant union grew into a stagnant giant resembling the industry it operated in.
It seemed like the problems of production had been "solved" once and for all. The plants were looked at as giant money trees that could never die or fail and perhaps could bear fruit with little water or fertilizer. The big issue was sitting down and sharing all the fruit. Investment and invention were a dangerous, disruptive hassle, best left to somebody else. New foreign mills adopted continuous casting technologies and new management methods based on continuous improvement. In fact, most USS plants were running on obsolete equipment, but that wasn't seen as an important issue like providing higher and higher salaries and increasingly large health and pension benefits for which to little was set aside. The patient was fat, happy and terminally ill. The union and management wanted one thing--- stability and a nice even lifestyle free of change or strikes.
A new sick culture had developed in the mills. " The notion of "getting it at the mill"was now a way of life---pencils:toilet paper; hammers, wrenches, pliers and screwdrivers; nickel, brass and other metals which could be sold to scrap dealers--- almost anything people wanted, they took, blue collar and white collar workers alike." Some workers slept on the job and golf became the universal path to success among management.
"The 1963 contract contained a new item-- an extended vacation plan that gave every worker with more than five years of service a thirteen week vacation with pay every five years. The plan was extremely costly and no other American industry had anything like it. But it was, for the most part, not questioned and highly praised." One worker called the situation in the early 1970's as " harvest mode". " Take everything out you can get and abandon the rest. And when you just take out and don't put anything back in, well pretty soon your holding pieces together with baling wire." The truth is that the company was eating it's seed corn leaving future workers to starve. The union's new goal was "total job security"; the only path to anything close to that meant producing the best possible products at at the lowest possible price and it looked like that hadn't been a priority in years.
A few years later when the reckoning came, both labour and management bent over backwards to act shocked at the company's condition and to shift the blame. Kind of looks like America today, doesn't it? We were in harvest mode for too long, most of our seed corn is gone and if we don't wake up we will starve.
Thursday, November 06, 2008
Homestead: The Glory and Tragedy of an American Steel Town
I had a long list of books related to the region's history and culture, I wanted to get around to reading. One of them that, I'm so glad I got around to was a book called Homestead: Tragedy of an American Steel Town written in 1992. It was written by a the former labour and workplace corespondent of the NY Times during the tragic and tumultuous years between 1979 and 1986 which saw the death and near death of much of industrial America. The writer's deep association with the industry and committed work talking to people in the town over many years really pays off.
The first few chapters and the last are in some sense, not that interesting to me---The massive pain of catastrophic job loss in all it's devastation are laid out in painful detail. Several other chapter's paint a vivid picture of the incredibly tough and insanely dangerous life in one of the world's largest steel mills-- a place where the author estimates more than 1000 workers lost their lives in the the works more than 100 year history.
The middle of the book holds a somewhat more dry but clear and concise history of both the massive Homestead works and the company of which it was a central part-- U.S. Steel as well as the birth of the American labour movement.
While, Pittsburgh had been a central part of the American iron, glass and industrial history almost from it's birth, the scale of the massive industrial complexes in the Mon Valley that kicked off with Carnegie's Edgar Thomson works in Braddock in 1873 were unprecedented. Carnegie copied the new Bessemer process used by a few new English mills, to build a company marked by an almost brutally competitive nature, quick to innovate in new technologies, aggressive in sales and driven to be the lowest cost producer. Soon other mills followed, opened by both Carnegie and a host small host of other operators. The business was very tough on everyone and required massive amounts of upfront investments in fixed capital. Miscalculations in projected demand or disruptive new innovations can and did bankrupt many, but the potential profits were huge. Workers in a Carnegie Mill and most competitors worked 12 hour shifts, six or seven days a week. Not surprisingly, both the managers, investors and workers dreamed of an easier way.
Carnegie bought the new Homestead mill across the river from Braddock from it's financially strapped competitor and and in a few years new mills were built by Carnegie in nearby towns on the Mon as many of the smaller competing mills were bought out and consolidated into companies controlled by JP Morgan. The stage was set for a tragedy that few saw coming. Carnegie was ready to retire from the brutally competitive industry he had worked so hard to dominate through pricing and relentless innovation and Morgan who never could take the strain. " Although he was regarded as the archetype of the American capitalist, Morgan was in many ways not a capitalist.... but as as Joseph Frazier Wall wrote: " He did not really believe in the free enterprise system.. Like most ardent socialists, he hated the waste, duplication and clutter of unrestricted competition". It was for this reason that he had been so intoxicated by Schwab's portrayal of a combined, efficient steel industry."
Morgan made Carnegie an offer of a massive payment in gold for Carnegie's mills to create a company controlling 65% of the existing industry and once and for all stop the unpredictable, competitive free for and replace it with a stable comfortable and reliable business that would run almost as a perpetual machine. The deal was done and most of the rest of the book deals with the results. The combined company seemed indestructible and the only central issue seemed to be one of dividing the profits among the owners and also increasingly with the workers. Problem solved-- capitalism was just too much work!
"By 1936, the stagnation at U.S. Steel was such that Fortune magazine "recalled that the Corporation's policy had once been summarized as 'No inventions: no innovations'" (p. 132) and Charles M. Schwab reported that "the chairman of US Steel admitted to him that the Corporation, in fact, had missed every 'new thing' in steel" (p. 132). Under Carnegie's reign, Pittsburgh-based steel facilities had competed successfully against growing location-based advantages of other regions by relying on innovation, efficiency, and superior management. U.S. Steel under Gary did participate in the geographic dispersion of American steel-making but its "Pittsburgh Plus" pricing (an artificial attempt to exercise industry price discipline by linking prices across America to steel prices in Pittsburgh plus freight from Pittsburgh) led to a hobbling of the corporation's growth into new markets and eventually shrank the region in which Pittsburgh-area steel was competitive. Even in its infancy, U.S. Steel was an illustration of inertia and captivation by sunk-cost investments."
A further quote from an industry expert was even more honest about the results.
"Actually the operation of basic processes has not changed significantly in either theory or fundamental design of equipment in the past 75 years. While automobiles were being made better and cheaper with ever newer processes.... tonnage steel as distinguished from the specialty or the alloy steels grew neither cheaper or better"
Charles Ramsayer 1935
Much of the rest of the book deals with the struggles of workers to attain a larger and larger share of company output. In fact-- it sort of looks as if distribution of profits was the primary thing people thought about more and more as the years went on. The post WWII period ushered in what seemed like a golden age, culminating in what were increasingly cosy relations between workers and management. There was more than enough money to go around, seemingly little prospect of competition from abroad and no need to sweat. The company spent big-- but rarely, if ever took the lead and often built new plants and expansions with equipment that was obsolete from the start.
Anyway, great book, well worth reading. I hope to get back with more thoughts about it.
Monday, November 03, 2008
Where in the world is kevin Stokes?
These things are starting to come in at greater frequency. Artists File Online has a discussion board with a lot of these scams listed. If in doubt about someone contacting you, please be sure to check in there to see if a history already exists. Please feel free to share your communiques'. The more these people are exposed, the less likely it will be that someone will get caught up in their salacious scheming.
My name is kevin, I am an individual art agent and interior decorator from Glasgow,
scotland. I got an order for the supply of some artworks from a group of client, and when
i came across your portfolio on your site, while searching for good artworks, I found some
of them to interest me and fit what i am looking for, and I intend to market these items
to my client and also negotiate a price that will include your price (i.e your selling price) and a mark-up as a profit for my effort.
Payment will be made directly to you at the price i am selling and i will expect you to ship after payment clears and send me my commission /margin afterwards.
My client prefers to make payment using a credit card as this is much easier and cost
effective for an international transaction thus will provide you directly their credit card for payment.
Please let me know if you do commission work and if you accept master card payment after which I will let you know the items we are interested in, and we can proceed with the order.
I am looking forward to a long term working relationship beyond this order.I am sorry I do
not have a website yet but it should be ready soon however you can always contact me if
you have any question and I would get back to you as soon as possible.
Hope to hear from you soon.
Best Regards.
kevin Stokes
kevinstokes12345@rocketmail.com
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
There's something therapeutic about watching strangers eat each other's guts, sitting there in the dark with a room full of acquaintances.
I hosted a zombie film festival at the Brillobox last night. The films were strange, predictable, clumsy, awkward, and some, utter genius. The show, poorly attended, as Pittsburgh enters a new ice age.
I really, really needed to see all those films. Zombie flicks with their seams showing. The 'hey, there's a boom mike in the shot' moments, the 'wow that makeup is bad' moments. Since most of the 32 were 3 minutes long tops, you knew it would be over quickly anyway ...
The rawness of the metaphor of 'humans devouring each other for sustenance' still gets me. I love horror like this because it extremes a subtler reality I perceive on a daily basis - people feasting on their own perceptions, feeding on their own judgements of what they imagine to be true, taking satisfaction in their own omnicient narrative voice - fuck, I'm doing it RIGHT NOW in this blog. Its part of the necessary psychology of being alive.
Best line of the night: "I think you complain just to hear the sound of your own voice." This is my inward response to the noise of other people's complaints most of the time. I hear a lot of it in my job.
Some people complain at the drop of a hat. From how they talk, crossing the street is akin to breaking a leg. Wait five minutes? Noooo, the sky's going to fall. God forbid they have to survive cancer or something. Do they realize that they're eating their own exhaust, making their own quicksand with every complaint?
Of course I am being an absolute hypocrite, complaining about the complainers. On some level I search with how to deal with what I percieve to be patterns of behavior in others, particularly customers at my job, in a way that I don't injure myself with my own response to other people's behavior.
By injure myself, I mean, respond in a way that pollutes my own consciousness (i.e. flying off the handle, judging, complaining, and otherwise making myself miserable in response to the everyday absurdities & entitlements of customer behavior). That sort of reactivity costs me valuable art production time outside of my job, not to mention peace of mind.
For the most part, I succeed. I didn't realize what an inner journey it is until I was watching the zombie films last night. Ahhh, watching consumerist fables play out in the relentless bloody devour, devour, need, need.
There's something therapeutic about watching strangers eat each others guts, sitting there in the dark, with a roomful of acquaintances. And laughing at all that fake blood, repetitive screaming, and earnest, clumsy overacting.
I really, really needed to see all those films. Zombie flicks with their seams showing. The 'hey, there's a boom mike in the shot' moments, the 'wow that makeup is bad' moments. Since most of the 32 were 3 minutes long tops, you knew it would be over quickly anyway ...
The rawness of the metaphor of 'humans devouring each other for sustenance' still gets me. I love horror like this because it extremes a subtler reality I perceive on a daily basis - people feasting on their own perceptions, feeding on their own judgements of what they imagine to be true, taking satisfaction in their own omnicient narrative voice - fuck, I'm doing it RIGHT NOW in this blog. Its part of the necessary psychology of being alive.
Best line of the night: "I think you complain just to hear the sound of your own voice." This is my inward response to the noise of other people's complaints most of the time. I hear a lot of it in my job.
Some people complain at the drop of a hat. From how they talk, crossing the street is akin to breaking a leg. Wait five minutes? Noooo, the sky's going to fall. God forbid they have to survive cancer or something. Do they realize that they're eating their own exhaust, making their own quicksand with every complaint?
Of course I am being an absolute hypocrite, complaining about the complainers. On some level I search with how to deal with what I percieve to be patterns of behavior in others, particularly customers at my job, in a way that I don't injure myself with my own response to other people's behavior.
By injure myself, I mean, respond in a way that pollutes my own consciousness (i.e. flying off the handle, judging, complaining, and otherwise making myself miserable in response to the everyday absurdities & entitlements of customer behavior). That sort of reactivity costs me valuable art production time outside of my job, not to mention peace of mind.
For the most part, I succeed. I didn't realize what an inner journey it is until I was watching the zombie films last night. Ahhh, watching consumerist fables play out in the relentless bloody devour, devour, need, need.
There's something therapeutic about watching strangers eat each others guts, sitting there in the dark, with a roomful of acquaintances. And laughing at all that fake blood, repetitive screaming, and earnest, clumsy overacting.
Oh, just break my heart
Brent Burkett is extremely excited about his first foray into curating. Really, his enthusiasm is infectious, even through the electronic stream. Mr. Burkett, who is the voice of Heart as Arena, is a supporter of the arts. He reviews exhibits in New York as well as here in Pittsburgh. It breaks my heart that I can't make it up to NYC to see this exhibit. But maybe you can.
From his Press Release --
There are several posts on Heart as Arena, previewing each of the artist's work. More are planned during the run-up to the show, so check back in. It promises to be most awesome.Of the artists that have so far been previewed, I find myself particularly drawn to Beth Gilfilen's work.
pluto
Unbreak My Heart
730 Classon Ave, Brooklyn, NY, 646-894-7777
November 1, 2008 - January 18, 2009
Opening: Saturday, November 1, 6 - 9PM
From his Press Release --
Bad shit happens, like, constantly. Quite frankly, I'm surprised we all aren't in cardiac arrest by the time we're 8. I'm not tipping you to anything new by pointing out that most of us make it past childhood, grow up, and drag our "long black bag" of heartbreak along for the ride. There are plenty of ways to lighten the burden though, and one of them is to look at art. (Therapy also helps. LOTS of therapy.) Every once in awhile I'll come across art that reverses the damage done, at least a little bit. I knew when I was offered this show that I wanted to include artists who have provided me with those moments of "unbreaking". You know how it works. The world slows down and you can almost feel the shards coming back together (Blondie style), the sinewy shreds of tissue reconnecting (David Lynch style). We just have to keep our eyes open and our hearts on the block. It's gonna be alright. At least for this moment.
There are several posts on Heart as Arena, previewing each of the artist's work. More are planned during the run-up to the show, so check back in. It promises to be most awesome.Of the artists that have so far been previewed, I find myself particularly drawn to Beth Gilfilen's work.
pluto
Unbreak My Heart
730 Classon Ave, Brooklyn, NY, 646-894-7777
November 1, 2008 - January 18, 2009
Opening: Saturday, November 1, 6 - 9PM
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.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Orange Balloons - open studio this Sunday!
Susan Constanse, Christine Bethea and guests
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
Monday, October 20, 2008
Brooklyn Fundraiser For Braddock Project
This was the week, I finally got around to taking a tour of the "Points of Interest" tour of collaborative murals and other projects done by local and international artists and the kids in the Braddock and North Braddock area. I will try to post on that later since me and my freind saw almost all the remaining works by great artists like Swoon, Lady Pink, Maya Hayuk and Mary Tremont.
The whole thing, brought me around to thinking about Braddock again. As you might know, Swoon and a group of other artists have been involved in forming something called Braddock Active arts which I think will be centered around a church in North Braddock. I still am not sure where this place is yet, which reflects both the free form, open collaborative nature of the project, it's early stage of life, and just how out of the loop I am. Coursing through this little known and neglected area are little groups of artists, working on the Braddock Farm, rehabbing a small number of homes and involving themselves in a range of floating creative projects.
So anyway, one of them seems to be called -- The Transformazium, and they are held a series of events to support the project last week in Brooklyn, one of which was an auction of art by a long list of internationally known artists like Swoon, Barry McGee, Paper Rad, Lady Pink and Kiki Smith as well as a long list of locally known folks like Mary Tremont, Josh Tonies and Thad Kellstadt. Larger Poster -- Here
Friday, October 17, 2008
Eggs, Rocks, Pearls @Boxheart
October 14 – November 8, 2008
Eggs, Rocks, Pearls
Ink Drawings, Mixed Media, and Assemblage Sculpture by Brenda Stumpf
Saturday, October 18th, 5 pm – 8 pm
Public reception: Free and open to the public.
The works that Brenda Stumpf has created in this new series are lovely. (Click on the above image for a slightly larger version) The works that I found most striking were the ink drawings. Several of her sculptures are on display in this exhibit. But the drawings are what I found resonated for me. They are very meticulous but still have a sense of intuition about them.
Works from an earlier series are on display also. These works are substantially different from the current drawings, although there is a more apparent connection to the sculptures.
The exhibit is already in place, with the artist's reception on Saturday. Stop in; well worth the trip.
BoxHeart
4523 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15224
P. 412.687.8858
F. 412.687.6338
www.boxheart.org
www.boxheart.etsy.com
www.moxboxconsulting.com
Gallery Hours:
Tuesday – Saturday: 10 am – 6 pm
Sunday: 1 pm – 5 pm
Thursday, October 16, 2008
And when you sleep, may you dream of large women ... (Samson & Dalila)
Caught the final dress rehearsal of Camille Saint-Saens' opera, Samson & Delila tonight at the Benedum. Oh the rear-screen projected shifting moon, oh the glorious thick tresses of our bewigged Samson, oh the stage violence.
I wondered at what our dangerous seductress would look like. I winced at the lithe fat-free dancers who proclaimed her eventual entrance. Please no.
When Delila drifted on to stage and began to sing, my jaw dropped. This woman who pulled down the leader of the Israelites, this honey-voiced beauty with the most delicate control of each gesture, who moves with quiet dignity ...
Stephanie Blythe is gorgeous and strong and stunning and as I listened to her sing her first piece, a seduction, I cried. I cried because this Delilah is fat. She is gorgeous. I cried for all my own small insecurities.
How few and far between are these role models, these powerful women with dimpled elbows and heated looks, women who know the difficulties of the world, women who are strong and centered and carry themselves so artfully each gesture is sublime.
Nowhere in recent memory have I seen a heavy woman carrying herself with such inner dignity and grace as I have Ms. Blythe. Too often I have seen the wear and tear of years of cattiness, of the skinny girl getting all the attention, of fat girl jokes. Too often I have listened to my friends release their sore vulnerability of having always been the "big girl with the pretty face".
What bullshit. Stephanie proved to me what I've known for years. First, those vaguely anorexic cookie cutters - the notion of a single paradigm of beauty - strip all women of access to their unique beauty. Second, the daily refusal to submit to the small slights of everyday reduction of to appearance will cultivate in onesself the beauty our mass culture blinds itself to.
Even before she opened her mouth she had the spotlight (and not because the lighting designer lit her). Such diginity, such power, such grace. She had no match on that stage, all those around her stood in her shadow, funny cardboard cutouts with long robes on.
Ah, opera, the place where all the violence and heated passions of human affairs meet. We should all go to the opera more regularly. It reminds us to watch the drama happen around us, in everyday life, let that unfold with its own necessity, and simply love our need for those stories to happen.
Go see the divine Stephanie Blythe as Delilah. She's considered the world's best mezzo-soprano for a reason. She'll use Samson's passion against him, and it is an absolute time-stopping joy to watch (and listen) to her do it.
I wondered at what our dangerous seductress would look like. I winced at the lithe fat-free dancers who proclaimed her eventual entrance. Please no.
When Delila drifted on to stage and began to sing, my jaw dropped. This woman who pulled down the leader of the Israelites, this honey-voiced beauty with the most delicate control of each gesture, who moves with quiet dignity ...
Stephanie Blythe is gorgeous and strong and stunning and as I listened to her sing her first piece, a seduction, I cried. I cried because this Delilah is fat. She is gorgeous. I cried for all my own small insecurities.
How few and far between are these role models, these powerful women with dimpled elbows and heated looks, women who know the difficulties of the world, women who are strong and centered and carry themselves so artfully each gesture is sublime.
Nowhere in recent memory have I seen a heavy woman carrying herself with such inner dignity and grace as I have Ms. Blythe. Too often I have seen the wear and tear of years of cattiness, of the skinny girl getting all the attention, of fat girl jokes. Too often I have listened to my friends release their sore vulnerability of having always been the "big girl with the pretty face".
What bullshit. Stephanie proved to me what I've known for years. First, those vaguely anorexic cookie cutters - the notion of a single paradigm of beauty - strip all women of access to their unique beauty. Second, the daily refusal to submit to the small slights of everyday reduction of to appearance will cultivate in onesself the beauty our mass culture blinds itself to.
Even before she opened her mouth she had the spotlight (and not because the lighting designer lit her). Such diginity, such power, such grace. She had no match on that stage, all those around her stood in her shadow, funny cardboard cutouts with long robes on.
Ah, opera, the place where all the violence and heated passions of human affairs meet. We should all go to the opera more regularly. It reminds us to watch the drama happen around us, in everyday life, let that unfold with its own necessity, and simply love our need for those stories to happen.
Go see the divine Stephanie Blythe as Delilah. She's considered the world's best mezzo-soprano for a reason. She'll use Samson's passion against him, and it is an absolute time-stopping joy to watch (and listen) to her do it.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Lesson for who, now?
Got this in my email today. I've seen other hussles like this, yanno. I certainly don't need this lesson. How 'bout you?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I have a new email address!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
LESSON FOR MY SON
I have a new email address!
You can now email me at: proudprecious1@yahoo.com
FROM: Precious Garcia
- Hello,I am Precious Garcia,My son is coming for an holiday in your area,His name is Andre,14 years.I want him to be busy in the day. I have decided to let him attend your lesson for 1 hours in a day in the morning or time that you will be chance. i want you to calculate the cost of 1 hours each day for Mon, Wed & Fri for the whole 1 Month and send me the total cost,i will be paying you with Certified check ,so get back to me with your cost.I have someone that will always drive him down to your house or lesson venue.Kindly get back to me with.1.YOUR CHARGE FOR 1 HOUR. 2.TOTAL CHARGES FOR 1 MONTH THAT HE WILL BE TAUGHT 3 TIMES PER WEEK.3. FULL NAME AND ADDRESS WITH ZIP CODE.4.YOUR PHONE NUMBER.Don't hesitate to e-mail with your total charges.Thanks and looking to hearing from you soon. With Best Regards.Precious Garcia
Monday, October 13, 2008
Sunday, October 12, 2008
In the Making; 250 Years/250 Artists @Fe Gallery
This is a pretty enormous exhibit. The exhibit, as the title suggests, encompasses the work of 250 regional artists. While I have always considered the Fe Gallery to be a nice-sized space, it is certainly not large enough to comfortably hold this exhibit. Immediately below is an image of the back left of the gallery.
The thumbnails below are, from left, the front-left, back-right and middle-right images. Clik on the thumbnails for a larger view.
This was a pretty ambitious undertaking. Conducting the jurying process and installation were probably harrowing. I find these salon shows difficult to view as I get older. My eyes are not as sharp as they used to be and a lot of the show was hung outside of my visual range.
With that said, it was still very representative of Pittsburgh arts. Not every artist in Pittsburgh is in the exhibit, but no matter what type of art you produce, I can absolutely guarantee that you will find a familiar face in the crowd. As a survey show, it makes a good overview of the breadth of the local art scene.
As with any show of this nature, you come away with a few favorites, pieces that will make it worthwhile to go back and view the work again. Following are images of some of the works that I found had that draw for me. Given the length of the exhibit, there is still plenty of time to get back to Fe Gallery and visit with old and new friends.
Crystala Aragost
I just really liked the layering in the above work.
Michelle Browne
There were a few fiber works in the exhibit. Although this is mixed,I really liked its simplicity and the combining of the materials.
Ruth Levine
I've been a fan of Ruth Levine's work for a few years now. There is always this austere beauty to her work. Also a nice touch with materials.
Debra Tomson
Another mixed material fiber piece. This one is a little spooky-creepy, mainly because of the staples. Maybe I would feel differently if the piee were larger. The staples, in proportion to the substrate, are just a little threatening.
Danielle Brannigan
The textures in this work are just wonderful. If it was a little lower on the wall, I probably would have been tempted to explore those textures. Good thing it was hung high!
Terri Bradley
There is a terrible hot glare on the middle right of this work. Please, take the time to go to the exhibit to see some of these works. This one is well worth going in to see. It is eerie but beautiful.
Akiko Kotani
I almost didn't catch this work. It was installed fairly low on the wall. I didn't catch it until I was on my way out of the door. Really nice small work.
David Grim
I thought that this digital print was very striking. There is a certain controlled violence to the work.
Well, that's it. Try to make it in to the exhibit; you won't be disappointed. There is a special Catalog Launch Party coming up pretty quickly. The exhibit has a long run and will be in place until mid-January 2009
In the Making 250 Years/250 Artists
Exhibition Dates: September 12, 2008 – January 10, 2009
Catalog Launch Party
Saturday October 18, 2008
from 5-7:30 pm.
Catalogs can be purchased for $40 each.
Fe Gallery
4102 Butler Street, Lawrenceville
Pittsburgh PA 15201
412-860-6028
Gallery Hours: Wed-Sat 12 - 4
The thumbnails below are, from left, the front-left, back-right and middle-right images. Clik on the thumbnails for a larger view.
This was a pretty ambitious undertaking. Conducting the jurying process and installation were probably harrowing. I find these salon shows difficult to view as I get older. My eyes are not as sharp as they used to be and a lot of the show was hung outside of my visual range.
With that said, it was still very representative of Pittsburgh arts. Not every artist in Pittsburgh is in the exhibit, but no matter what type of art you produce, I can absolutely guarantee that you will find a familiar face in the crowd. As a survey show, it makes a good overview of the breadth of the local art scene.
As with any show of this nature, you come away with a few favorites, pieces that will make it worthwhile to go back and view the work again. Following are images of some of the works that I found had that draw for me. Given the length of the exhibit, there is still plenty of time to get back to Fe Gallery and visit with old and new friends.
Crystala Aragost
I just really liked the layering in the above work.
Michelle Browne
There were a few fiber works in the exhibit. Although this is mixed,I really liked its simplicity and the combining of the materials.
Ruth Levine
I've been a fan of Ruth Levine's work for a few years now. There is always this austere beauty to her work. Also a nice touch with materials.
Debra Tomson
Another mixed material fiber piece. This one is a little spooky-creepy, mainly because of the staples. Maybe I would feel differently if the piee were larger. The staples, in proportion to the substrate, are just a little threatening.
Danielle Brannigan
The textures in this work are just wonderful. If it was a little lower on the wall, I probably would have been tempted to explore those textures. Good thing it was hung high!
Terri Bradley
There is a terrible hot glare on the middle right of this work. Please, take the time to go to the exhibit to see some of these works. This one is well worth going in to see. It is eerie but beautiful.
Akiko Kotani
I almost didn't catch this work. It was installed fairly low on the wall. I didn't catch it until I was on my way out of the door. Really nice small work.
David Grim
I thought that this digital print was very striking. There is a certain controlled violence to the work.
Well, that's it. Try to make it in to the exhibit; you won't be disappointed. There is a special Catalog Launch Party coming up pretty quickly. The exhibit has a long run and will be in place until mid-January 2009
In the Making 250 Years/250 Artists
Exhibition Dates: September 12, 2008 – January 10, 2009
Catalog Launch Party
Saturday October 18, 2008
from 5-7:30 pm.
Catalogs can be purchased for $40 each.
Fe Gallery
4102 Butler Street, Lawrenceville
Pittsburgh PA 15201
412-860-6028
Gallery Hours: Wed-Sat 12 - 4
Thursday, October 09, 2008
Seductive Suggestions @ Wizard of Oddities
I was wandering around on Butler Street yesterday with my good friend Laurenty. It wasn't exactly aimless; we had coffee and then peeked in at a couple galleries along the street. One ofmy regular stops, Wizard of Oddities, was in the process of installing a new show. Mia Donna Maneer is the artist whose solo Seductive Suggestions opens this Friday.
The works are very fun and of course extremely reasonably priced. They are quite a kicky little collection of photographs. The opening promises to be a multi-sensory affair, with body painting and music.
So on Friday October 10, 7-11PM, hie you to:
Wizard of Oddities
4314 Butler Street
Pittsburgh PA 15201
412-325-4144
The works are very fun and of course extremely reasonably priced. They are quite a kicky little collection of photographs. The opening promises to be a multi-sensory affair, with body painting and music.
So on Friday October 10, 7-11PM, hie you to:
Wizard of Oddities
4314 Butler Street
Pittsburgh PA 15201
412-325-4144
Wednesday, October 08, 2008
New curator position at CMoA
From the Carnegie Museum of Art Press Release --
Carnegie Museum of Art announced today the creation of a new curatorial department of photography and has appointed its first head, Linda Benedict-Jones. Benedict-Jones has been the executive director of Silver Eye Center for Photography on Pittsburgh’s south side since 1999 and will assume her position at Carnegie Museum of Art on December 15, 2008. ...
... Carnegie Museum of Art’s connection with photography dates to the early 20th century, when its annual exhibitions of the Pittsburgh Photographic Salon included the works of local and international photographers. At the heart of its collection are works by Pittsburgh and Southwestern Pennsylvania photographers from the 1860s to the present, bolstered by acquisitions of classic photography. Recent acquisitions include a gift of more than 150 vintage and contemporary photographs from the George H. Ebbs collection; the archive of the complete works of renowned photographer Duane Michals (a native of McKeesport, Pennsylvania); and the Pine Flat Portrait Studio collection of artist Sharon Lockhart, whose work is included in the 2008 Carnegie International.
Linda Benedict-Jones has been the Executive Director at Silver Eye Center for Photography since 1999. Silver Eye, located on E Carson St in Southside, is a wonderful, small venue. It packs quite punch for its size. The shows are consistently good. It is difficult to manage a venue whose exhibits have national appeal and yet still promotes local and regional artists. Ms. Benedict-Jones fills the post admirably. She is also very approachable. The CMoA has brought a real gem into their stff. I am looking forward to what the new curatorial efforts will bring to the museum.
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
New Transport Center Links Us to the Outside World
Saturday afternoon, Alina and I met at the new Grant Street Transportation Center (on Liberty and 12th) to check it out from both a city dweller’s and a tourist’s POV. Perhaps I mean a combination of both: as an armchair urban planner, I wanted to see what the facility (particularly the Greyhound Station) was offering the travelers, passers-through, potential tourists, and even potential future residents. Remember, this is not merely one more random downtown building or 1000 new parking spaces. This is the small, daily chance for Pittsburgh to meet and greet outsiders and either reinforce, or overhaul, its stereotype of being a has-been, isolated, post-industrial town.
Let me put that another way. In Pittsburgh, we hear a lot of boosterism about the city. We hear a lot about winning The Most Liveable City Poll. But what do people outside the city hear, and what do they absorb? When I still lived in New York and I told my boss that I would be quitting in a few months to move to Pittsburgh, he looked at me in utter disbelief and genuine disgust and said, “PITTSburgh?” He could not believe it. This is only to point out that many, many people outside Allegheny County have heard nothing about the reinvention of Pittsburgh, and if they’ve heard it, they don’t believe it. If they believe it, they don’t yet understand it. (I don’t want to get all Philosophy of Branding on us here, but I do have a headline from the Pitt News hanging on my office wall that says, “City Lacks a Reputation.”)
The first time I ever came to Pittsburgh was, in fact, as a long layover on a Greyhound bus trip in 2000; the old bus station stood where the new bus station now stands again. Looking out at the canyons of Downtown, and later, when we drove up to Mt Washington or Mt Oliver and I could look down at the fabulous view of the bridges, skyline, and rivers, I was fascinated with Pittsburgh—my imagination was piqued. But there was nothing, nothing, to connect me from the Greyhound station to the city. The only place I wandered to was the Amtrak station, which still lived in its original, grand building—since privatized for condos and offices. It was one of the most beautiful train stations I’d ever seen.
So, the point I want to make here is that it’s a shame to waste the chance to welcome and re-educate a newcomer or a passer-through: Let the transit stations be a gateway to a Pittsburgh of the imagination, at the very least; and at best, a smooth gateway into the physical city itself. That long layover I had between Chicago and New York back in 2000 lasted something like five hours. I could have gone to The Warhol, I could have wandered the Strip District, I could have gone to the downtown library branch. (This is a luxury, for example, that airplane riders don’t usually get—the airports being located so inconveniently on the outskirts of their cities.) But there was nothing to inform me, nothing inviting me in. And doesn’t that seem more like the Old Pittsburgh than the New Pittsburgh? In this age of revitalized downtowns and networked everything, don’t we, Pittsburgh, care about being physically networked as well? Under Mayor Tom Murphy, for example, this Transportation Center was to be a true hub, with a T station, the Amtrak Station, and city bus stops all under one roof.
So:
What’s right with the Pittsburgh Greyhound Station?
*It's right next to the Amtrak station, again after 3 years.
*Alina was the first to point out that they had installed bilingual signage, in Spanish and English. Impressive indeed.
*The signage is fairly well placed, though it’s slightly more visible walking through from the 11th street entrance than the 12th street side.
*Though it took us a long time, we finally found them: The last three pay phones in America. They were even installed at a low height, presumably to accommodate the wheelchair-bound. On the opposing wall, there’s a vending machine for phone cards.
*There's a Recharging Station for your laptops, cell phones, digital cameras, etc.
*There’s a modest snack shop that sells some hot food and some cold.
*There’s an office inside the station called Travelers Aid, or, Ayuda De los Viajeros.
*The interior is a pleasant blue and white tile, with a serpentine shape.
But:
What would we like David Onorato and friends to know, in terms of changes or improvements to the Grant Street Transportation Center?
*Change the name? As a BikePgh blogger posted (December 25), the station is surrounded by 4 streets, none of them Grant Street.
*Add bike racks. Alina had to cross two streets to tie up.
*Fix the broken crosswalk light (!!) at Liberty Avenue, the only “connection” to the Amtrak station. This was a dangerous guessing game, getting across this busy street. Imagine if you didn’t already know that Pittsburgh drivers like to gamble with your life.
*Add signage that announces Amtrak’s location and proximity. You wouldn’t know it was there if you didn’t know. Even the “You Are Here” map on the wall inside Greyhound doesn’t mark the train station.
*Ditto for some of the closest bus stops. I still have no idea where to pick up the East Busway, though I know it's very near.
*Hopefully, in the not too distant future the links between transportation modes will be even smoother—a skywalk to Amtrak? A T station inside the Transportation Center? A stop for city busses, including the 28X?
*Stock city bus schedules on an indoor rack. (To be fair, a brochure rack is there, it’s just blatantly empty.)
*Install signs with cab companies’ names and phone numbers above the pay phones.
*Stock more newspapers than just USA Today at the gift shop. At least the Post-Gazette, the Pittsburgh Tribune, and what about the City Paper and the Trib PM? Pittsburgh Quarterly?
Thursday, October 02, 2008
So Much Better Than eBay
I just found this website that can help everyone out. If you made a bad purchase, just list your stuff on this site at the price you would like to recieve for it and wammo, your saved. No questions will ever be asked about why you bought this shit who sold this shit or WHO PROTECTED THEM. That's what government is there for, kind of like a really huge rug to sweep messes under.
Wednesday, October 01, 2008
Christine @drink & draw
Christine was last night's model at drink & draw. It was a great session, naturally. Christine trained as an actor and she really develops great characters for these sessions. I liked the poses she did with the cleaver; very effective!
Everbody seemed to get good stuff from last night's session --
We'll be back on the last Tuesday in October with a gesture intensive, something that we haven't done for a while.
>>>>>>>>>>>FLASH<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
drink & draw is moving to once a month! We will be meeting on the last Tuesday of each month. Sessions will start at 6:30pm.
Drink and Draw
is an open studio live model drawing session that meets every other Tuesday on the second floor of brillobox, located at 4104 penn ave, pittsburgh, pa. This session is relaxed, surprising, and inspiring. amazing models dressed in various themes, old timey music, great company, and decor. All mediums, except oils, welcome.
Drink & Draw
Upstairs @ 6:30PM | $10
MySpace
brillobox
get on our mailing list. email us at brilloboxdrinkanddraw@yahoo.com
4104 penn ave
412.621.4900
Everbody seemed to get good stuff from last night's session --
We'll be back on the last Tuesday in October with a gesture intensive, something that we haven't done for a while.
>>>>>>>>>>>FLASH<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
drink & draw is moving to once a month! We will be meeting on the last Tuesday of each month. Sessions will start at 6:30pm.
Drink and Draw
is an open studio live model drawing session that meets every other Tuesday on the second floor of brillobox, located at 4104 penn ave, pittsburgh, pa. This session is relaxed, surprising, and inspiring. amazing models dressed in various themes, old timey music, great company, and decor. All mediums, except oils, welcome.
Drink & Draw
Upstairs @ 6:30PM | $10
MySpace
brillobox
get on our mailing list. email us at brilloboxdrinkanddraw@yahoo.com
4104 penn ave
412.621.4900
Sunday, September 28, 2008
NYC Art On The Streets and In The Galleries
Art everywhere...the election campaign has been going on long enough that this Obama poster has become part of a street art collage.
While shooting photos for a project in the oldest part of Manhattan's Chinatown, I happened to come upon one of The New York City Waterfalls by Olafur Eliasson. This is one of 4 in the city, the works are monumental in scale, and stunning. For more images see http://www.nycwaterfalls.org/#/about_the_waterfalls/Waterfall_Images
While shooting photos for a project in the oldest part of Manhattan's Chinatown, I happened to come upon one of The New York City Waterfalls by Olafur Eliasson. This is one of 4 in the city, the works are monumental in scale, and stunning. For more images see http://www.nycwaterfalls.org/#/about_the_waterfalls/Waterfall_ImagesAnd of course this experience sums up what is so great about NYC...you never know what interesting thing you will find. It's one gigantic visual treasure hunt.
While the bloated and extravagant feel of the Chelsea Galleries can sometimes remind one of the excesses of Wall Street.......there are plenty of interesting exhibits there. My personal favorites (of those I saw...missed many) starting with those closing soonest.
Mark Wagner "My Portfolio" http://www.pavelzoubok.com/node/mark-wagner-my-portfolio
Collages made out of money. Sounds trite. Isn't. Unfortunately, the photos don't really give a sense of the 3 dimensional quality of the work.
Amy Ellingson "Recursions" http://www.cowlesgallery.com/artists/ellingson/092008/092008.html
Again, I'm afraid, the 3 dimensional aspect of the work doesn't come through. These pieces were really breathtaking....most of them are quite large. They have an all encompassing you are there in the work quality.....like "The Falls" pieces above, or the wonderful JMW Turner paintings that were on view until recently at the Met.
Jay Kelly: Sculptures & Drawings Sep 13 - Oct 25, 2008
Beautiful, small and intense works.
Cecily Brown at Gagosian: 9/28/08
Abstract expressionism, this time mixed with images from lanscapes.
Jean McClung
(occasional contributor)
Pittsburgh Neighborhood Narratives ...
You missed the opening screening, but had you gone, you'd have been SOL. The Regent was packed last Thursday for the first viewing of Pittsburgh Neighborhood Narratives film festival.
Showing again tonight at the Brillobox, and in other venues throughout the city through early November, the 90-minute film is a composite of short narrative films created by filmmakers for distinct neighborhoods within the city. Its well worth the measly $5 door at each show, if you can get in.
Project coordinators Andrew Halasz and Kristen Lauth Shaeffer solicited filmmakers from all over Pittsburgh to make the film shorts they stitched into one piece. "Inspired by the way the neighborhoods of Paris were celebrated in the film Paris Je T'Aime, we thought it would be really cool to see the diverse neighborhoods of Pittsburgh celebrated in the same way."
Nine films quilted together. My favorite was the short produced for The Hill District by Timothy Hall & Marc Neison. Breaking away from the narrative storytelling style of most of the other films, Mr. Hall's photographs were presented photo-roman style. His narrative, an intimate story told like he was sitting on my porch telling me himself, puts the viewer squarely into the protagonists experience growing up in the Hill, departing for greener suburbs, and being called back to the home he grew up in later in life.
Themes of departure, return, reunion, and reconciliation spread across many of the pieces. Justin Crimone's piece for Downtown, Bus Stop, weaves together narratives of 'never left' with 'coming back to care for family'. Downtown becomes the seductive backdrop inviting change into the storyline.
Means of production even echoed the neighborhood identities. The hippest of genres (the zombie flick) was applied to our hip Lawrenceville, wisely poking fun at the fear of a future mommy-hood with Mombie.
Catch it if you can, screening in the neighborhoods they were made in through mid-November. But get there early. Judging from the packed house's enthusiastic response, this show should be standing room every night it screens.
http://www.pghneighborhoodnarratives.com for a nicely-dressed flash website with screening schedule.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Voyeuristic Intentions by Sam Thorp at the Wizard of Oddities
Works from Sam Thorp'sVoyeuristic Intentions series are on exhibit at Wixard of Oddities. The gallery does short shows, so try to get there soon!
Several of the pieces are framed with reclaimed windows, playing up the sense of watching a private moment. The palette that Ms. Thorp uses is sweet and pale. The subject matter addresses starkly intimate moments, which creates enough tension to intrigue.
Wizard of Oddities
4314 Butler Street
Pittsburgh PA 15201
412-325-4144
Monday, September 15, 2008
Celebrate Zombie Media Awareness Week
I think I'm a week late but today might be a good day to celebrate our Zombie Media.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
"Tikkun" means "to mend" : Suzanne Slavic at the PCA
Star lilies often decorate viewings of bodies before funerals, as their heavy sweet scent covers that of the body. I didn't notice the bouquet of star lilies gracing Suzanne Slavic (PCA's Artist of the Year) opening Friday night until I was making my second tour of the work.
It is a mixed symbol, a gorgeous flower that hides the smell of death. How appropriate to artwork in which Slavic applies a screen of beauty to photographs of human-wrought destruction.
I may be able to describe the physicality of the work with that single sentence, but the complexity and depth of experience provided by viewing it shows the artist's genius in her exploration of that single decision's possibility.
She has appropriated the visual language of disaster photography (the illusion of a represented reality) and applied another language, that of Islamic painting techniques to both the physical and illusive surface of the image.
Each still image contains competing narratives, the photographed 'reality' of destruction underneath the painted image. At times the photograph was printed in a way that points to it having been manipulated in some way, a manipulation that further indicates the illusion-atop-illusion parameters set up by Slavic.
Her painting technique echoes Islamic miniaturist tradition, and speaks to a vocabulary of inner reality referenced in Sufi poetry. I walked room to room recognizing scenes and passages from a variety of Arabic story-sources and comparing them to the contents in the photography. I considered the tension between 'real' and 'imagined' - photo referencing our belief in 'reality', and painting speaking to our 'imagined' re-creation of reality ...
And in the images wherein she overlays imagined repairs to a 'reality' destroyed by war or natural disaster? While in this room, the phrase "tikkun" means "to mend" insistantly ran through my mind. It made sense to me, looking at images of the middle east reconstructed with a Western hand in an Islamic gesture, that I would think of a phrase that comes from Kabbalah (another Middle-Eastern practice, although Jewish) - that the highest calling of a spiritual practitioner is to work to repair reality and the connections we have to, in, and with reality.
Slavic's work may not pull at those strings of those viewers who are not interested in those ideas, but instead it will challenge those who have a hard time looking at the consequences of human misbehavior. Its one of our oldest problems: Humans destroy things, nature destroys things, how do we look at the brokenness we make? How do we respond? Do we numb ourselves in order to tend to life's mundane necesseties? How can we maintain awareness of our ruined world?
My favorite response from a viewer was, "I feel guilty liking this work, because it gives me that silly childlike hope that we can deal with things." Perhaps it invokes the child's wish to bandage the world's wounds so the sounds of those wounds festering do not intrude on the child's experience of the world.
Suzanne Slavic has provided us with complex art for a complex time, the best food for thought. Check out the second floor of the PCA until the show comes down.
It is a mixed symbol, a gorgeous flower that hides the smell of death. How appropriate to artwork in which Slavic applies a screen of beauty to photographs of human-wrought destruction.
I may be able to describe the physicality of the work with that single sentence, but the complexity and depth of experience provided by viewing it shows the artist's genius in her exploration of that single decision's possibility.
She has appropriated the visual language of disaster photography (the illusion of a represented reality) and applied another language, that of Islamic painting techniques to both the physical and illusive surface of the image.
Each still image contains competing narratives, the photographed 'reality' of destruction underneath the painted image. At times the photograph was printed in a way that points to it having been manipulated in some way, a manipulation that further indicates the illusion-atop-illusion parameters set up by Slavic.
Her painting technique echoes Islamic miniaturist tradition, and speaks to a vocabulary of inner reality referenced in Sufi poetry. I walked room to room recognizing scenes and passages from a variety of Arabic story-sources and comparing them to the contents in the photography. I considered the tension between 'real' and 'imagined' - photo referencing our belief in 'reality', and painting speaking to our 'imagined' re-creation of reality ...
And in the images wherein she overlays imagined repairs to a 'reality' destroyed by war or natural disaster? While in this room, the phrase "tikkun" means "to mend" insistantly ran through my mind. It made sense to me, looking at images of the middle east reconstructed with a Western hand in an Islamic gesture, that I would think of a phrase that comes from Kabbalah (another Middle-Eastern practice, although Jewish) - that the highest calling of a spiritual practitioner is to work to repair reality and the connections we have to, in, and with reality.
Slavic's work may not pull at those strings of those viewers who are not interested in those ideas, but instead it will challenge those who have a hard time looking at the consequences of human misbehavior. Its one of our oldest problems: Humans destroy things, nature destroys things, how do we look at the brokenness we make? How do we respond? Do we numb ourselves in order to tend to life's mundane necesseties? How can we maintain awareness of our ruined world?
My favorite response from a viewer was, "I feel guilty liking this work, because it gives me that silly childlike hope that we can deal with things." Perhaps it invokes the child's wish to bandage the world's wounds so the sounds of those wounds festering do not intrude on the child's experience of the world.
Suzanne Slavic has provided us with complex art for a complex time, the best food for thought. Check out the second floor of the PCA until the show comes down.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Sacred Art @BoxHeart
Sherry Rusinack - Keeper of Sacred Things
This is the thirteenth edition of the Sacred Art exhibit at BoxHeart Gallery. As in shows in the past, it represents a range of expressions not only in medium but also in interpretation. The gallery's statement for the exhibit is admirable --
The Sacred Art Exhibition is an Annual Event in the Bloomfield Community. The arts enable contact with The Sacred on an intimate level. By creating, The Sacred is manifested by the hands and a new life is brought into existence. Selection for this exhibition requires that artists submit pieces that explore their personal interpretation of The Sacred. All interpretations, both traditional and nontraditional, are considered. This exhibition does not recognize any difference of authority between the traditions of the God-knowing and the artistic cultures that surround them.
This year, I was particularly struck by the starkness of several of the works. It is almost a reflection on how spirituality has ceased to be a comfort in this day and age. Not all of the works, really. But enough of them that I was left with a sense of mourning. It is, I think, a fitting statement for the times in which we find ourselves. Definitely a show the offers more questions than answers.
Diane Fleisch Hughes - Incubus
The exhibit continues through September 12. Please make an effort to get there.
Box Heart Gallery
Exhibition Dates: August 18 - September 12, 2009
4523 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15224
P. 412 687 8858
Tuesday, September 09, 2008
It's (still) the economy, stupid*
Oh man.
Recently, the Pittsburgh art scene lost yet another gallery. LaVie was in operation for about two years. Their emphasis was on young and emerging artists. LaVie built a lot of credibility on its exhibits but it was also a lifestyle shop that offered arty products and graphic as well as event design services. Even with the wide range of endeavors that they were covering they still weren't able to keep the boat floating. It hasn't been that long, less than nine months, since Digging Pitt closed its doors; another monumental effort that fell by the wayside. But there are always others to take up the gauntlet, as was pointed out by Kurt Shaw in the Pittsburgh Tribune Review --
In addition to the opening of Luke and Eloy Gallery, Zombo Gallery opened fairly recently in Larryville. So, for every closure, another gallery crops up to take its place. There is also the revolving venues along Penn Avenue, but with only one night each month to view the exhibits, it is difficult to build a meaningful presence. It's no wonder that so many of the visual arts venues in Pittsburgh resort to non-profit status, even though that isn't a guarantee of keeping the doors open.
Oh man, it just gets worse. It was announced today that the Carnegie Museum is taking over the day to day operations of the Three Rivers Arts Festival. The festival budget, even with its shrinking and scattered footprint, is over $1million for the seventeen-day festival. CMoA has already released the festival's executive and associate directors. I am sure that there are other things in the works as they prioritize the budget. From the Pittsburgh Post Gazette --
So, what will happen to the 2009 festival is anyone's guess. There is some question about whether or not the festival will ever regain its home in Point Park or if it will be relegated to scrambling for exhibit space as it has done for the last few years.
Finally, the trend that has been making itself felt in the rest of the country is making itself felt here. I'm not talking about short pants for men, I'm talking about falling home prices. Do you realize how bad things have to be to impact an already depressed market? Western Pennsylvania home prices have been well below the national median for a long time. Currently prices here aren't falling at the same rate as they are in the rest of the world, but really, if they were any lower you could put them on your credit card.
Of course, if you are coming in from outside of the region, Pittsburgh is a property buyer's wet dream. But the low purchase prices are still out of reach for a lot of the residents. The region is also below the national and state average median income. The following figures are from 2005. What's really scary is the 23% living below the poverty level.
Ah, that explains so much. Purchasing art is something that you do when you have a generous amount of disposable income. In this region, the collectors suffer right alongside the artists.
*Attributed to Bill Clinton
Recently, the Pittsburgh art scene lost yet another gallery. LaVie was in operation for about two years. Their emphasis was on young and emerging artists. LaVie built a lot of credibility on its exhibits but it was also a lifestyle shop that offered arty products and graphic as well as event design services. Even with the wide range of endeavors that they were covering they still weren't able to keep the boat floating. It hasn't been that long, less than nine months, since Digging Pitt closed its doors; another monumental effort that fell by the wayside. But there are always others to take up the gauntlet, as was pointed out by Kurt Shaw in the Pittsburgh Tribune Review --
Still, there seems to be no end to new galleries opening up in Lawrenceville, with the latest, Luke & Eloy Gallery, planning to open Sept. 27 at 5169 Butler St. (Details: www.lukeandeloy.ning.com) ...
For whatever reason, opening an art gallery seems to be an attractive idea for many, regardless of the outcome; even in a place that clearly doesn't have a public that will support it. Such is life, or should I say c'est la vie? Read the article
In addition to the opening of Luke and Eloy Gallery, Zombo Gallery opened fairly recently in Larryville. So, for every closure, another gallery crops up to take its place. There is also the revolving venues along Penn Avenue, but with only one night each month to view the exhibits, it is difficult to build a meaningful presence. It's no wonder that so many of the visual arts venues in Pittsburgh resort to non-profit status, even though that isn't a guarantee of keeping the doors open.
Oh man, it just gets worse. It was announced today that the Carnegie Museum is taking over the day to day operations of the Three Rivers Arts Festival. The festival budget, even with its shrinking and scattered footprint, is over $1million for the seventeen-day festival. CMoA has already released the festival's executive and associate directors. I am sure that there are other things in the works as they prioritize the budget. From the Pittsburgh Post Gazette --
"By taking this step now, we have an opportunity to not only better assess the organization's finances, but also re-evaluate its operations and its mission. An important first step -- and the responsible thing to do -- was to put a halt on most expenses until we complete that assessment," David Hillenbrand, president of Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh, said in a prepared statement yesterday. Read the article
So, what will happen to the 2009 festival is anyone's guess. There is some question about whether or not the festival will ever regain its home in Point Park or if it will be relegated to scrambling for exhibit space as it has done for the last few years.
Finally, the trend that has been making itself felt in the rest of the country is making itself felt here. I'm not talking about short pants for men, I'm talking about falling home prices. Do you realize how bad things have to be to impact an already depressed market? Western Pennsylvania home prices have been well below the national median for a long time. Currently prices here aren't falling at the same rate as they are in the rest of the world, but really, if they were any lower you could put them on your credit card.
Of course, if you are coming in from outside of the region, Pittsburgh is a property buyer's wet dream. But the low purchase prices are still out of reach for a lot of the residents. The region is also below the national and state average median income. The following figures are from 2005. What's really scary is the 23% living below the poverty level.
Estimated median household income in 2005: $30,278 (it was $28,588 in 2000)
Pittsburgh $30,278
Pennsylvania: $44,537
Estimated median house/condo value in 2005: $74,000 (it was $59,700 in 2000)
Pittsburgh $74,000
Pennsylvania: $131,900
Median gross rent in 2005: $648.
Percentage of residents living in poverty in 2005: 23.2%
(16.3% for White Non-Hispanic residents, 38.6% for Black residents)
Ah, that explains so much. Purchasing art is something that you do when you have a generous amount of disposable income. In this region, the collectors suffer right alongside the artists.
*Attributed to Bill Clinton
Saturday, September 06, 2008
September Unblurred
Another Unblurred has come and gone. Penn Avenue was sparsely attend last night. I admit, I had a truncated evening myself, leaving at about 8:30. At any rate, I went to just a couple venues. First up was a new venue, as yet unnamed, at 5110 Penn Ave. It is the brainchild of Passports, those wonderful folks that brought us Artinin just a few months ago. The venue has a lot to offer, combining art and collectibles. Last night was their first official exhibit.
Lots of appealing stuff, here! Passports is in the process of finalizing the name of the venue. They will be establishing hours shortly, too. So stay-tuned! more to follow.
Across the street at the Clay Penn, you can see that Laura Jean McLaughlin has been very busy! Some new works were on display and the space has been re-organized and freshened over the summer months. I didn't get the title of these pieces, I'm afraid. But aren't they wonderful?
Schedules for events and exhibits taking place for Unblurred are available here. Just remember to block First Fridays on your calendar!
Lots of appealing stuff, here! Passports is in the process of finalizing the name of the venue. They will be establishing hours shortly, too. So stay-tuned! more to follow.
Across the street at the Clay Penn, you can see that Laura Jean McLaughlin has been very busy! Some new works were on display and the space has been re-organized and freshened over the summer months. I didn't get the title of these pieces, I'm afraid. But aren't they wonderful?
Schedules for events and exhibits taking place for Unblurred are available here. Just remember to block First Fridays on your calendar!
Thursday, September 04, 2008
Pittsburgh Art Events: 9/5-6/08
We've officially entered into the election season, and people all over the nation are amped up about their favorite candidates. I can definitely be accused of being a bit obsessed myself, but I'm finally starting to run out of steam. So this weeekend should be a good opportunity for me to relax and take in some decent art and conversation with friends. Sorry this is coming a bit late; I just couldn't keep myself from being distracted.
Friday:
September Unblurred is here. The leaves on the few trees along Penn Avenue will begin to carpet the sidewalks, and it should be comfortable both inside and out. This month sees the re-opening of the Clay Penn (5111 Penn Avenue) after an extended hiatus. Laura Jean will be presenting Mish Mash A Go Go, with the work of various artists including ceramics by Tom Binger and Louise Radochonski. Modern Formations (4919 Penn Ave.) will also be featuring several creators in a show called Of Beasts. "Jason Rosemeyer, Christian Breitkreutz, Bethany Chiarizio, and Michael Ninehouser collectively convey a sense of warning while maintaining a subtle sense of wit as they visually dictate the daunting pleasures and splendid anxieties of modern day living. " Hey, who doesn't have a penchant for modern beasts?
IMAGEBOX (4933 Penn Ave.) is exhibiting the work of a group of emerging photographers from Pittsburgh Filmmakers (Sally Bozzuto, Matthew Robison, and Vanna Weaver) and Jason Sauer is celebrating the one-year anniversary of his Most Wanted Fine Art Gallery with help from Jon Howe from the United Kingdom. Howe is inspired by Picasso's Cubist period, and Sauer calls his assemblages "Neo Classical appropriation with Rauschenberg assemblage".
Unblurred events generally run from 7-10PM.
Friday and Saturday
If you find the time to break away from Penn Avenue between 6 and 11 PM on Friday, you'll be able to see a performance by Andrew the Impaled at the Zombo Gallery (4900 Hatfield Street) in Lawrenceville. I've known him long before his days in real estate, and I can assure you that he is well worth seeing. Have you ever seen a man sew his own mouth shut? This trick would have been especially appropriate for some of the speakers in Minneapolis last night, but they are much more adept at putting their collective foot in their mouth. We'll just have to leave it for the expert. Andrew's appearing in conjunction with Nat the Signgrrrl's exhibition of paintings. Zombo himself promises "Tikis! HotRods! Pinups! and handpainted car hoods!"
In the event that you can't make it, the show will be up for viewing on Saturday as well (sans Andrew, I'm afraid). Michael Devine (aka Zombo) is filling out his monthly schedule with a series of two-night shows on the first weekend of every month. Apparently there are just that many folks around town who would like to show their "lowbrow" work. That's what I'll be doing in December, as it's a nice oportrunity to try and sell art without any commission. And that means that stuff is priced cheap!
Saturday
Moxie Dada (1416 Arch Street in the North Side) has a reception (6-9PM) for Philadelphia-born painter Maria Napoli. Pieces of the Puzzle draws on the artist's "emotional journey and allows us to see glimpses of her spiritual awakenings and understandings." But I'll probably go anyway. I like the gallery and its curators.
Back in Lawrenceville, The Framery (4735 Butler) offers up There are No Birthdays in Hell (5-8PM), by Satan's Camaro (apparently a collaboration between Justin Strom and Lenore Thomas). The artists themselves claim that their nom de plume represents "the lovechild of eighties rocker Nikki Sixx and teen pop star Tiffany." You can hold them responsible for this at their blog. And while you're at it, drop by the Trinity Gallery (4747 Hatfield St.- right down the block from Zombo) for Anne Lee's paintings of the neighborhood (reception starts at 7PM).
Friday:
September Unblurred is here. The leaves on the few trees along Penn Avenue will begin to carpet the sidewalks, and it should be comfortable both inside and out. This month sees the re-opening of the Clay Penn (5111 Penn Avenue) after an extended hiatus. Laura Jean will be presenting Mish Mash A Go Go, with the work of various artists including ceramics by Tom Binger and Louise Radochonski. Modern Formations (4919 Penn Ave.) will also be featuring several creators in a show called Of Beasts. "Jason Rosemeyer, Christian Breitkreutz, Bethany Chiarizio, and Michael Ninehouser collectively convey a sense of warning while maintaining a subtle sense of wit as they visually dictate the daunting pleasures and splendid anxieties of modern day living. " Hey, who doesn't have a penchant for modern beasts?
IMAGEBOX (4933 Penn Ave.) is exhibiting the work of a group of emerging photographers from Pittsburgh Filmmakers (Sally Bozzuto, Matthew Robison, and Vanna Weaver) and Jason Sauer is celebrating the one-year anniversary of his Most Wanted Fine Art Gallery with help from Jon Howe from the United Kingdom. Howe is inspired by Picasso's Cubist period, and Sauer calls his assemblages "Neo Classical appropriation with Rauschenberg assemblage".
Unblurred events generally run from 7-10PM.
Friday and Saturday
If you find the time to break away from Penn Avenue between 6 and 11 PM on Friday, you'll be able to see a performance by Andrew the Impaled at the Zombo Gallery (4900 Hatfield Street) in Lawrenceville. I've known him long before his days in real estate, and I can assure you that he is well worth seeing. Have you ever seen a man sew his own mouth shut? This trick would have been especially appropriate for some of the speakers in Minneapolis last night, but they are much more adept at putting their collective foot in their mouth. We'll just have to leave it for the expert. Andrew's appearing in conjunction with Nat the Signgrrrl's exhibition of paintings. Zombo himself promises "Tikis! HotRods! Pinups! and handpainted car hoods!"
In the event that you can't make it, the show will be up for viewing on Saturday as well (sans Andrew, I'm afraid). Michael Devine (aka Zombo) is filling out his monthly schedule with a series of two-night shows on the first weekend of every month. Apparently there are just that many folks around town who would like to show their "lowbrow" work. That's what I'll be doing in December, as it's a nice oportrunity to try and sell art without any commission. And that means that stuff is priced cheap!
Saturday
Moxie Dada (1416 Arch Street in the North Side) has a reception (6-9PM) for Philadelphia-born painter Maria Napoli. Pieces of the Puzzle draws on the artist's "emotional journey and allows us to see glimpses of her spiritual awakenings and understandings." But I'll probably go anyway. I like the gallery and its curators.
Back in Lawrenceville, The Framery (4735 Butler) offers up There are No Birthdays in Hell (5-8PM), by Satan's Camaro (apparently a collaboration between Justin Strom and Lenore Thomas). The artists themselves claim that their nom de plume represents "the lovechild of eighties rocker Nikki Sixx and teen pop star Tiffany." You can hold them responsible for this at their blog. And while you're at it, drop by the Trinity Gallery (4747 Hatfield St.- right down the block from Zombo) for Anne Lee's paintings of the neighborhood (reception starts at 7PM).
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