Wednesday, September 09, 2009

Brew House troubled waters



Before I moved to my current spacious, if somewhat marginal, studio, I was creating my work at the Brew House on Pittsburgh's Southside. I was a member for five years. Hmm. Maybe six years. It was a small studio, but it was the first time that I had ever had a studio outside of a spare bedroom. I met some wonderful people there and I still keep in touch with my Barely Brunch partners.

Over the past two weeks, there have been a lot of rumors about the imminent demise of the organization and the disbandment of the artists that reside and work there.

The Brew House organization has been quiet, at least until just now --
On September 4, 2009, The Brew House Association, Inc. (BHA) received a letter from the City of Pittsburgh Bureau of Building Inspection (BBI) citing various code violations that force BHA to vacate its building effective September 19, 2009.

The BHA hopes that this is a temporary setback in what has been a long-term rehabilitation project of a home for artists and arts organizations. “The Board of Directors of the Brew House fully intends to comply with the City and current building codes to create a safe and livable building that can continue serving the City of Pittsburgh for years to come,” states Tim Kaulen, President of the BHA's Board of Directors. From the Brew House site.

To be frank, the building is in horrendous shape. The organization's statement declares that $50k is needed to address the remaining code violations. Maybe. It needs a lot more to make it habitable instead of just a squat. But listen, the artists currently in residence will be completely unhomed without some intervention. I think it's going to take a concerted effort to save this behemoth. Not just what can be raised through individual donations, although that would definitely help. I don't know what the solution will be for this organization or for the property that they are trying to maintain. But if somebody out there has some ideas, maybe you can pass them on to the Executive Director, Andie Sharp. You can reach her at asharp@brew-house.org.

Mr Buckethead : Pittsburgh Produced Kid Show Pilot Seeks Actor

I don't vouch for this stuff! I found this on the Pittsburgh Film Office website. No deadline was given and the info is still on their website.

Dream Catchers Films, Inc. is seeking actors for their upcoming project,
The Fabulous Adventures of Mr. Buckethead.

We are looking for actors who are 5'8” to 6'4” atheletic model build.
Don't need to be overly muscular, but looking for someone who has experience in dance/fight choreography,
martial arts, mime and possibly sign language.
Someone who enjoys things that are retro can be a plus.
The actor has NO LINES. The ability to communicate through gesture and movement is very important.

Dream Catchers LLC is a film production company located in Pittsburgh, PA
that has been in operation since 1981.

The Fabulous Adventures of Mr. Buckethead is a broadly humorous TV series for kids based on the adventures
of a live action super hero named Mr. Buckethead.

Principal Filming for Mr. Buckethead would take place in Pittsburgh.
This also includes the majority of the costume building, animation, miniature and model designing.

The pilot film will integrate 3 separate 30 minute episode. A 13-part television series will follow.

If interested, please send head shots and bios BY MAIL ONLY to the following address:

Dream Catchers Films, Inc.
3041 West Liberty Ave.
Pittsburgh, PA 15216

If you have any questions please email: dreamcatchers2@verizon.net.
NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE!

Info here

Call For Art Students In Northeast Ohio

The following opportunity is not open to Pittsburgh artists, but may be useful to some blog readers. Wouldn't it be great and more logical if most opportunities didn't stop at the state line?

Both Ohio and western PA suffer from this childish provincialism.

CALL FOR ARTISTS:

The CWRU Graduate Art History Association invites art students from Northeast Ohio colleges and universities to submit work for presentation at STUDENT SLIDESHOW @ MOCA, Wednesday, October 28th, 2009, at the Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland, 8501 Carnegie Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio.

Monetary awards will be given to the top three artists selected by jurors Ann Albano of the Sculpture Center, Pam Jaffe of the Cleveland Foundation and Seema Rao of the Cleveland Museum of Art. For detailed submission guidelines, please see http://www.facebook.com/slideshowatmoca.

Submissions must be emailed to slideshowatmoca@gmail.com by September 25th, 2009. All selected participants must present the submitted work unless specific arrangements are made otherwise. Selected participants must provide a print out of their current schedule as proof of enrollment. Last years participants must submit a different body of work in order to reenter this year.

This event is made possible by the generosity of the CWRU Department of Art History and Art, the CWRU Friends of Art and MOCA Cleveland.

I found this on The Cleveland Art Project.

Pension Page

Since politicians, like Luke, Tom Murphy and others are falling over themselves to take credit for the very tenuous progress the city has made in recent years, perhaps one or two will admit to their role in it's pension mess.

Chris Briem, of Null Space put up one page with a snapshot of a lot of the available and historical data.

Total Pension Liability

1995 $622,955,188
1997 $667,753,390
1999 $685,248,322
2001 $712,978,251
2003 $765,763,493
2005 $843,382,550
2007 $899,248,578
2009 ?

Unfunded Liability

1995 $515,338,148
1997 $510,778,634
1999 $248,634,632
2001 $289,919,819
2003 $453,292,528
2005 $469,774,143
2007 $523,879,854
2009 ?

Funding Ratio by Year

1995 17.28%
1997 23.51%
1999 63.72%
2001 59.34%
2003 40.81%
2005 44.30%
2007 41.70%
2009 ?

It's not like any of this stuff was as secret. To the extent we didn't know it's cause we didn't want to know. The page links to a post article from 1978 which calls it Pittsburgh's wasting disease.

A root cause of all this was the city's shrinkage from a city of close to 750,000 residents in 1960 to not much over 300,000 today. This brings on two other issues, the first of which is why did the city lose so many residents while retaining so much of the regions job base? The cities shrinkage far outpaces that of the region.

The second, is why didn't the city shrink it's employee base and even more importantly make more realistic deals with it's municipal unions? The pension mess is visible effect of a culture of deception and procrastination which permiates all levels of government. Employees were promised these plush pension and health benefits because these obligations didn't have to be disclosed honestly to the taxpayers.

This isn't just a Pittsburgh thing. Yesterday, the dollar index dropped near an all time low.

Tuesday, September 08, 2009

Pittsburgh Parking Day 2009 Is September 18th

CommunityWalk Map - PARK(ing) Day 2009 Map

Ever look at a building or place and wonder what else might have been done with it? Usually, you can't go back but some folks in San Fransisco in 2006 lauched a plan to get people to turn sterile parking spaces into mini parks or art projects for one day. One day to see other possibilities for scarce urban land.



Since then, it's taken off and is in 124 cities accross the world. Pittsburgh's first parking day was last year.

More Info here.

Call For Artists : Irma Freeman Center For Imagination Grand Opening Exhibit



No doubt, you may have noticed the mirror mosaic covered storefront in Garfield. It's a new art and community center! And it opens with an open call show of Salvage art.

This is sort of a heads up since if you live in the Pittsburgh area, you will be able to drop off your work on October 3rd 11-3pm.

Call for Salvation Artists:


Invitation for All Media: 2-D, 3-D, Audio, Visual, Installation & Performance Art


for the Grand Gala Opening of


the Irma Freeman Center for Imagination


on Friday October 9th, 2009 from 6 – 10 pm


We will have food, music and merry making! We want to celebrate this grand show inviting Pittsburgh and National Artists who use or reuse, recycle or save things from the gutter. This theme will be loosely interpreted, and may be conceptual. All work should be first time exhibited in the Pittsburgh area, and accompanied with a short statement about the work and the artist. Best in show will be awarded.

Please submit your work to the front or back alley of the Irma Freeman Center for Imagination, 5006 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15224. Mail-ins should have a deadline postmark of September 21st. Drop off date is October 3rd from 11 am – 3 pm. All work must be ready to hang or be free standing. Every type of media will be considered. For more information call 412-418-6208. You may download an entry form for at www.irmafreeman.org under “exhibition”. There is a maximum of 3 pieces per artist, and an entry fee of $10 dollars per piece.

This show is not just for Pittsburgh artists. If you can get your work there and follow the rules you can be in the show, no matter where you live.

Application forms and more info here.

The Road Opens October 16th



Finally, The Road, a big budget film shot in a post apocalyptic world of the future, shot in places like Braddock, Erie and other Pittsburgh regional locations opens. The mayor may not like it but the post apocalyptic business is huge.

They were shooting this way back in 2007 and release has been delayed by about a year. A lot of the film crew started hanging out at Barbs Country Kitchen where I met a few.

The Road joins Night Of the Living Dead, Dawn Of The Dead, Silence Of The Lambs and The Deer Hunter in the list of movies which exploit the regional landscape.

Yinz Links For Sept 7-8

On Outside Erie

Manufacturing falls as percentage of Erie area workforce.

In Wall Street Journal

John Murtha's airport for no one

In Pittsburgh Post Gazette

Former Mayor Tom Murphy also claiming credit for Pittsburgh's rebound. (Taking any credit for it's debts, corruption, pension fund shortfall and poor schools?)

Penn State asks parents of Merit Scholar to consider donating money back

Traditional Jewish Weddings can be madhouses of joy, dancing and sometimes Unicycles.

Marvel purchase an attempt by Disney to win back boys.

Pittsburgh has important place in the specialty coffee business

In The New Republic

Murthaville: The City That Pork Built Looks at the sad prospects for a town dependent on political "bacon".

In Pittsburgh Tribune Review

Bitterness and rage over Terrible Towel desecration remains.



On Slate

Beware The Cupcake Bubble

On Culture Grrl

Photos of and thoughts about the High Line

Monday, September 07, 2009

The Pleasures of Pittsburgh: : Radio Stations

We have so many. SO so many. And lots of other large cities do not. Hokey as it sounds we are really lucky.

WRCT 88.3 (my personal favorite)

You never know what you will hear. CMU's student radio station shows what can happen when you turn loose a bunch of cerebral, adventurous students and let them play music on the radio. From the ridiculous (put on intentionally, ofcourse) and the sublime, it's all here.

By the way, it seems that their signal is stronger in the past couple of years? All I know is I can now hear it in the North Hills while driving home from work as well as at home in Shadyside.

http://wrct.org/

WPTS 91.2
Again, take a bunch of students...who probably have more time than they have ever had, or likely ever will have , to search out great,new, obscure and/or downright odd music, and you get a great listening opportunity.
http://www.wpts.pitt.edu/

WQED 89.3

We have a classical radio station! So many cities do not, or have lost their stations. Always a pleasure to hear what is on WQED.

http://www.wqed.org/fm/

WDUQ 90.5

As they say in their ads, "news, jazz and NPR", a great combo. While Tony Mowad's show doesn't wow me, the rest of the jazz programming is great. And there is always Music from India. This the longest running Indian music program in the country having debuted in 1972 . Generally half of the program is devoted to Indian popular music, and the other half showcases Indian classical music.

http://www.wduq.org/

WYEP 91.3
A great source for new, if often mainstream (ie less risk taking than the university stations) contemporary music. Always something you can listen to. Tremendous community involvement, and instrumental in getting artists to perform here.

Started 35 years ago in a basement in the Oakland area of Pittsburgh by a group of volunteers.
I had a hard time finding names, but I know Tony Navarro was one!

http://www.wyep.org/

So in closing, do you really need that Sirius radio subscription?

G-20 Video 1



Here and there, I may be dropping a video or post related to the G-20. The weird thing to anyone aware of the facts and trends shown in the video is how long it has taken to open up a serious dialog with the nations which are shaping the future.

Prior to a year or two ago, the G8, which included only one Asian nation, Japan was considered the most important forum.

Saturday, September 05, 2009

Social Media Revolution



I saw this posted on Brewed Fresh Daily and elsewhere. Of course it's heavy on the hype and has an agenda, but the underlying force of facts is pretty undeniable and transcends any one hot fad or single company.

Perhaps the average age of most twitter users is the best indicator that Social Media as a concept has buried deep roots in society.

My perception is that the real cultural potential of these technologies has yet to be felt.

We Need Bloggers

It's kind official- Pittsburgh now has way too much stuff going on be covered by one or two unpaid people-- or even paid full time people. It was always my hope that we could have a large number of people- at least 10 posting on all the diverse events, opportunities and issues in the Pittsburgh regional art scene.This would then allow us time to redesign the blog into a possible magazine format and perhaps figure out ways to get a little compensation for our efforts through advertising.

I am trying very hard to keep the energy going through the G20. As thousands of reporters, bloggers and others turn their googly eyes and web browsers in our direction, it's important they get a good look at all the great things going on here.

We really need posters! See the side for details and if you think you can do one post a month on here about Pittsburgh's broad cultural scene- send an email.

Friday, September 04, 2009

Looking For Extras, Standins, Photo Doubles And Silent Bit Parts for THE NEXT THREE DAYS, Staring Russell Crowe

Another major film to be shot in Pittsburgh and another very slim chance of stardom for Yinz. Haddad trucks everywhere.

Plot

"A married couple's life is turned upside down when the wife is accused of a murder." |

The production company for "The Next Three Days" has hired Nancy Mosser Casting to head up the extras casting department. The film starring Russell Crowe and directed by Paul Haggis will start shooting on October 2nd with all locations in the Pittsburgh area.

To participate you must have a profile on www.mossercasting.com. Go to the homepage and click on "Talent" or "Talent Login" and enter all of your information, then upload two photo jpegs of yourself. Preferably a medium shot (waist up) or closeup and full-length shot.

Or mail a photo to: Nancy Mosser Casting, 3583 Butler Street, Pgh. PA 15201.
Please include: Height, Weight, Hair Color, Eye Color, phone numbers, and email address to reach you.

We will be working out of the production office for this job, so we will post phone numbers to reach us as soon as we start prep on Monday, Sept. 14th.

More info here.

The Pittsburgh Beautification Project Wants You!

The Pittsburgh Beautification Project is on a mission to beautify abandoned/neglected buildings
throughout the city - by painting artwork on chipboard, and then installing the artwork on boarded
up windows and doors on empty buildings. (There is an attachment to this email for reference,
an empty building that was "beautified" at the foot of the Birmingham Bridge in Uptown.

During the first phase, up to the G-20 summit, a homage to hometown art hero
Andy Warhol will be enacted by placing renderings of his Flower paintings around town.
The paintings will be done by community volunteers, like you, at publicly held Painting Parties.
At the parties, templates of the paintings will be filled in, much like a coloring book - easy enough
for kids and non-artists to have fun and participate.

The Painting Parties will be held at 4810 Penn Avenue (the old Red Star Iron Works garage),
on the following dates:

First Friday, Sept. 4th, 7 pm - midnight
Sat. & Sun., Sept. 5 - 6, noon - 6 pm.
Sat. & Sun., Sept. 12 -13, noon - 6 pm.

Hope to see you there!

Thanks,
Bob Ziller

The preceding was cut and pasted from an email Bob Ziller sent.

As YOU CAN SEE THE FIRST ONE IS TONIGHT DURING AND AFTER UNBLURRED

Pittsburgh On A Pogo Stick



The following little music video can either be taken as a fun awesome, exiting tour of Pittsburgh; the best available argument against nationalized health care or perhaps the best one for mandatory mental health care.

I caught the end part of Pogopalooza 6 @ Schenley Plaza as they were doing the high jump contest.

I think the creator's name is Cody Bluett

Yinz Links For September 4th & 5th

More I found trolling around. Some are G20 related; some urban and bike related; some art, comics, media and some weirdness. September is imperial dictator month- all month.

In NY Times

Many green buildings not living up to the label

Small British bookstore blames giant charity, Oxfam for it's demise.

Roberta Smith looks at the health and mood of NY galleries as they face the recession

India & China square off on Tibetan border region

In The Times Online

Gordon Brown's triumphant $trillion dollar rescue falling flat.

On Pittsblog

South Side Ghost Tours

On Urban Places And Spaces

Portland, Oregon puts in real "European Style" separated bike lane downtown.

On City Walkabout

Lawrenceville Accordion Pool Party!!???

On Libertarian Republican

PA Democrat switches to Libertarian Party to run for open state senate seat.

In Pittsburgh Post Gazette

City's pension fantasies might work-- when pigs fly.

Stan Lee still wielding power in the comic book world.

National Unemployment rate now @ 9.7% (don't ask about U6)

In Pittsburgh Tribune Review

Craig Street,Oakland merchants lobby city for help.

Theater project 'Yinzerspielen' merges two schools of acting

Biden to Pittsburgh one week before Obama. Holy crap!!! Motorcade allert. (My guess-- photo-Op @ Primanti's)

On Null Space

Pension fund procrastination and denial.

On Brewed Fresh Daily

Social Media Revolution

Thursday, September 03, 2009

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

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

Friday

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Saturday

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

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

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

This Blog In New York Magazine And Buzz All Around

OK, Pittsburgh is finally having a few moments in the sun- or at least the camera glare. As much as Luke and others might want to take credit for this, the biggest factor is that the city, itself, it's hills, it's vistas, it's colleges, cultural institutions and diverse and often quirky art scene have been worthy of press for sometime. Um the Steelers don't hurt.

But why now? Are there factors at work that make us more interesting now than before? IMHO- Yes.

Here's my little theory.

Factor One: Costs Matter

As awake from the Dot Com bubble and then the bigger housing/consumer debt bubble that replaced it, individuals and small and large businesses are seeing that a new bubble is not coming to fill our wallets. "The New Normal" is about finding prudent rational ways to make the most of what you have. Of course, I've known this was coming for some time-- which is why I invested in an Indian mutual fund riding the outsourcing trend in 1998 and also why I decided to move to Pittsburgh to start a gallery. The world needs places like Pittsburgh and it's looking for them.

This cost push factor, I think also inspired Karen Lillis and many other creative folks to move here or stay after college. Many, sincere hardcore artists like Swoon's crew see that low costs and cheap buildings can offer a freedom they can't have otherwise. Cheap is the secret behind the startups in Youngstown and the major variable that puts the region high on lists of livable places.Even Detroit is finding a price range ($100 for a house) at which it looks good.

Factor Two: Connections Matter

If costs are such a big deal, why has it taken so long for things to catch on?(and they are barely starting)

Great cities are about trade, in skills, in goods and in ideas and that means they can be measured best by the ease at which they are connected internaly and to the world. When I opened my gallery, I quickly realised something big was missing. It was just too hard to make connections here-to link to new people to get news out and especially to get make any links to the outside world. Of course, geography pleyed it's part but something weird and toxic was going on. The Internet wasn't new and Pittsburgh was where a chunk of it's technology was born, so why did so few galleries and institutions like the cultural trust have good websites? Why didn't the tourism bureau or someone- anyone try to at least provide small bare links to the tiny broke galleries and institutions. Why was there no comprehensive online culture guides? Why was there no printed gallery and Museum Guide? A lot of money was being spent, so that wasn't the reason. It had to be something cultural.

Since then, a rapid and significant bursting of blogs, guides, wiki-pages and web magazines has taken place that has helped Pittsburgh artists, writers and filmmakers tell their story to the wider world and link better to each other.

So now things are starting to pay off. Thanks to Blogs like I Heart Pittsburgh, This blog and Bittersweet Harvest as well as great online newsletters like POP City, it's now much easier to find out what's going on where which is helping generate more out of town press coverage that goes beyond a few major events and attractions.

May's New York Magazine arts travel story, mentioned both POP City, this blog and The Original (which I hadn't heard of!) as sources of info.

Factor Three: Diaspora's can help

I won't go into it but the fact that Yinzer nation is so huge and spread across the globe hasn't hurt too much. A lot of people- are secretly pulling for or at least curious about their old hometown. Not all will move back but that dosn't mean that are not usefull. Any inventory of Pittsburgh's assets has to account for them.

Will get back with more thoughts and stuff about recent Burgh Buzz.

Yinz Weekly Links For September 3rd

I't's been less than a week but the stack too full for the gumband. Here's some stuff I found on the the art and Yinzosphere. Also thrown in is a random selection of economic news/opinion from around the web.

This is planned as a weekly thing but as usual-- things will be random and chaotic. Many of these posts are not from today but just freshly discovered.

In The New Yorker

The Hills Are Alive- Catches the buzz of Pittsburgh's small press scene

On Tube City Almanac

Eyesore Hotel Was Work of Celebrated Architect

On Pittsblog

Cities are not computer brands

On Bike Pittsburgh

Planning Commission passes bike parking ordinance

New bike commuting guide

In Post Gazette

Rivers Casino revenues well below projections.

Sales tax drop likely means less RAD money for the arts.

Pirates will have a record 17th straight losing season

Two women artists look @ Braddock

Swine Flue cases piling up at local Universities

Pittsburgh Tribune Review

Farmers markets are hot.

Arts and Crafts Colonial Festival

More reasons we are most livable city

On Rust Wire

Mural In Cleveland

100 days of pain for David Bing, new mayor of Detroit

On Pittsburgh Comet

G20 musings

I Will Shout Youngstown

Polish Day In Youngstown

In Kansas City Star

Mahoning Valley produces football coaches.

On Defend Youngstown

Youngstown State University enrollment of 14,500 is highest in 16 years.

On Outside Erie

Thoughts on the Rehab of Erie's Union Station

On I Heart Pittsburgh

On CNN Money

Workers know times are tough and accept or ask for pay cuts

On Calculated Risk

Personal Bankruptcy filings up 24% since last August

On Cleveland.Com

Small theater company in Cleveland and Akron defaults on loan and closes down

Pay cuts @ Cleveland Orchestra (old news- from March)

In New York Times

Publisher of Orange County Register files for Chapter 11

In NYC, the government runs a money losing bookie operation

On Streetsblog NY

NYC Principles Union sues to protect free parking perks

In Forbes

Steelers ranked #16 in NFL for estimated team value

In Site Selection Magazine

Pittsburgh cover story. Interesting- but looks like an advertorial

On Culture Grrl

More on the Cleveland Museum donor intent mess

Concerns about Obama and the arts as a "tool of the state."

In Buffalo News

Reaction and thoughts about the Cleveland Museum's move and The Albright Knox Gallery

On Two Coats Of Paint

Latest Art Star contest

On The James Kalm Chanel

James checks out the latest fring hood for galleries in NYC-- Sunset Park

Wednesday, September 02, 2009

Gluespace Photo Essay Contest : Impact Of Artists

Ok, I didn't know that GLUE is hosting photo Essay contests every two weeks for no cash of course.

"Every other Tuesday, GLUE announces a photo contest based around a simple theme. Photo entries should be of scenes in a GLUE city, and you’re free to interpret the theme broadly. Each contest will be open for two weeks, and the winner will get to choose a local business or non-profit that GLUE will feature in a short write-up the following week. It’s a great way to win some attention to your favorite local organization!

What does your community do to support artists? How does it harness their energy and creativity for the greater good of the community? How do artists themselves get involved in their neighborhoods, and share what they have to offer?

For this photo contest, send your photo of “Artists at Work” to emily@gluespace.org, or add your photo to the Flickr Group and tag it #glueartists."


Read more about the contest idea here.

The contest is open to residents of these Great Lakes Regional Cities.

Akron, OH
Buffalo, NY *
Chicago, IL *
Cincinnati, OH
Cleveland, OH *
Columbus, OH *
Dayton, OH
Detroit, MI *
Des Moines, IA
Duluth, MN *
Erie, PA
Flint, MI *
Fort Wayne, IN
Grand Rapids, MI
Indianapolis, IN *
Lansing, MI *
Louisville, KY
Milwaukee, WI *
Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN *
Pittsburgh, PA *
Rochester, NY *
St. Louis, MO *
Toledo, OH *
Youngstown, OH

Yinz Weekly Links

I think I'll try to have a weekly roundup of posts, links and articles I found that might be of interest. Most will relate to the broader Pittsburgh region and art and culture in general.

Will likely be putting up seperate links posts on G-20 buzz.

On Pop City

How Did Net Roots folks like Pittsburgh?

What to do with the Mellon Arena (I'll try to get back to that subject)


On Rust Wire

Rust Belt Road Trip

Carrie Furnace Photo Essay

On Null Space

On The Loss Of Bloomfield Hardware

On A Shiny New Life In The Rustbelt.

On Building A Support System.

On the Rust Belt attitude problem.

In Post Gazette

G20 Cleanup Volunteers

Hill Commissions for California artist

The Toonseum Grows Up

Obama Comming To AFL-CIO Convention in Septempber

In The Tribune Review

City And County fighting about G-20 funding

Pittsburgh Regional Unemployment rate hits 7.7%

More doubts about Pittsburgh's pension hole fix.

Free Admission Day @ some museums

On Pittsburgh Quarterly

Great Allegheny Passage photo essay

Song Of Shadyside

In Pittsburgh City Paper

Food Review of Tamari in Lawrenceville

Review Of Julie & Julia

Bill O'Driscoll interviews(famous) local cartoonist, Ed Piskor

On Edward Winkleman

Tips on DYI Art Shows

On CultureGrrl

Cleveland Museum Violates Donor Intent-----BIG Time!

Tuesday, September 01, 2009

New Regional Arts Links : Ohio And West Virginia

I'm now in the gradual process of adding links to Arts organizations, galleries and museums in the broader Pittsburgh region. It's pretty much a random process as usual with the initial focus on major "must see" institutions and those closest to Pittsburgh.

At this point these links are being dumped in the Blog category but a redesign of the blog may be comming which would allow more rational listings. See the Pittsburgh Arts links list for stuff closer into Pittsburgh.

Cinncinati Stadium Debt Problems And Buyers Remorse

Our current financial problems are making most of us regret a lot of the purchases and debts we took on, as well as those politicians roped us into.

Null Space, points out The Bond Buyer's story on troubles brewing in Cincinnati.

Hamilton County has a $13.2 million dollar deficit in the fund for it's NFL and MLB stadiums. The problem is the low growth in sales tax revenue. This deficit could rise to 92 million in 2014.

Of course we have the casino to pay for our new Hockey arena (and everything else our hearts desire) right? Well, Null Space also pointed out a PG article about the very underwhelming casino receipts.

I really don't know much about the Casino's financing and debt obligations but the shortfall is very ominous.

"For the week of August 17-23, the casino generated $4.6 million in gross terminal revenue, placing it fifth among the nine casinos in Pennsylvania. Multiplied over the year, the $4.6 million would produce $242 million in gross terminal revenue, far less the $427.8 million the casino itself estimated for its first year. It's also lower than the $362.4 million projected by the gaming board." Geee that's not much more than half of stated projections and you have to guess that the opening weeks would be stronger than average.

Then there's that minor little BILLION DOLLAR BLACK HOLE IN THE CITY'S PENSION FUND!

I know, it's impolite to shout but people better wake up soon.

Youngstown Summer Movie Nights

I know, I give a lot of press on here to Youngstown , Ohio- perhaps much more than it currently deserves. Youngstown is like the formerly D student from the broken home, who is homeless and doing Their homework on the subway. They ain't getting A's or even B's yet except in effort.



The last movie night of the Summer was last night but that's not the point. The story is about the very small ways in which things can be done to bring people together and create the kind of social experiences that make people want to live in a city.

Sunday, August 30, 2009

New Improved Blog Links

I'm finally getting around to sorting through the mess of blog links and creating a more comprehensive and rational list of Pittsburgh arts venues, exhibition spaces and other stuff of interest here.

It's a work in progress with many links still not up or in the wrong place.

At this point, with the current blog design, I haven't figured out a way to break things down by category well which will likely mean that Pittsburgh regional arts venues will be listed as such while Ohio, West Virginia and other non regional attractions and links will be dropped in the "Blogs Category".

This fits well with the overall theme of Chaos around here. Still not sure how to sort the Pittsburgh blogs and media links.

One other note. Yes, there are venues and small galleries which I think just don't make the cut in terms of basic quality.

I also want to say to those people from out of town checking out these links, that a good number galleries here are better and more interesting than their schlocky websites suggest. Gallerie Chiz shows some nice work! Thankfully, the bulk of interesting Pittsburgh venues at least finally have a website,(Thank You Fe Gallery!!)When I started my gallery, I was shocked at how hard it was to tell people out of town what was going on here. The improvements in websites, blogs and other online guides is impressive and indicates a significant cultural shift towards openness.

Saturday, August 29, 2009

the mobile high craft vending machines have arrived

Glad I walked to work a little early this morning. Shadyside hosts the sea of small tents this weekend. People were setting up just before 8. I walked to the end of Walnut street and back to get a peek.

Many overheard vendo-craftspeople discussed the down economy. A man screwing in table legs talking about what sales were like in Texas. A small fleet of birds carved from posts. Deep white canvas closets filled with paintings each styled closely to the next, some a bit oversaturated, some with the straight-from-the-tube pigments, each booth filled with multiples of the same painting.

Whenever someone refers to something like this as an arts festival, I throw up in my mouth a little. Strong words, I know. But. This is high craft.

Please remember: high craft objects should be celebrated for the skill and labor with which they are produced.

I do not have the will to replicate items so similar to each other as to create my "brand" and market it in this particular way. I am an artist. Meaning is sewn into the decisions used to make manifest the concepts underlying the art object.

I am so going there, I am already there. Artists trade in meaning. They make useless objects (if they make objects at all), things or not-things or experiences that serve primarily to inspire thought.

If an object fits into that label "decorative art", it is high craft. "Decorative art" has, by definition, a function other than being a repository for meaning. It is adornment for your house, jewelry for your interiors. It is like buying books to display because they make you look smart. "Decorative art high craft" makes you look tasteful.

The best art you can't buy, because it exists in the gift economy. The gift economy: the work of art provides an experience that at best cannot be priced, for it transforms (or offers the perceiver the entry point to transforming) the mind of the perceiver. This change or experience cannot be priced.

While artists do concern themselves with finances, and market issues, we do so not in the "art fair" way. The high craft painter shows fifteen paintings of poppies. They are tastefully sized, each slightly oversaturated, each with the same line quality, hung inside the hut. When a booth visitor asks the high craft painter to make one 'custom' that will fit into the window-niche on the second floor, this artisan makes the painting. The high craft painter is a craftsman.

Hey, there's a place for both of us. But would you please keep your high craft hands off my job title please? For the sake of clarity? The decorative arts are incredibly important in our culture. But to spackle the same label ~ artist ~ on the guy cutting and assembling metal into beautiful flowers ~ as Sol Lewitt, whose art exists in the ephemera of directions ~ ~ ~

Comparing automobiles and french doors. Two totally different classes of activities for two totally different areas of life. No, these activities are not in a hierarchical relationship. Why call a bottle of Champagne Pinot Noir?

If you are headed into Shadyside this weekend, forget about parking anywhere close. Also bring an umbrella. It's been raining all day.

Hollywood Is Burning Screenplay Competition

In the interest of promoting Pittsburgh's small but thriving little film industry, I present this Screenplay contest which I found out about from Open Thread.

HOLLYWOOD IS BURNING SCREENPLAY COMPETITION

This is a tough business. It's nearly impossible to break in, and once you do, it's nearly impossible to do anything of quality. Welcome to the entertainment industry!

One of the toughest things to do is to get anyone in any position of power to read your screenplay. Producers usually have stacks of screenplays sitting on their desks at any given time and usually they only read the first few pages (if they're actually reading the things themselves) before making up their minds whether they'll keep reading or move onto the next one on the stack.

HOWEVER, producers will generally pay more attention to scripts that have won some sort of award. This industry loves winners, and they don't usually differentiate between small and large competitions, as long as the words "Winner of the [insert name here] Competition" appear somewhere in the cover letter.

That's where Hollywood is Burning would like to help you.

Founded by Happy Cloud Pictures producers Mike Watt, Charlie Fleming and Amy Lynn Best, Hollywood is Burning likes to champion the indie filmmaker and the struggling screenwriter. The purpose of this competition is to find the best unproduced scripts out there and give out a couple of awards that might help get your foot in the door later on. Do we guarantee it will help? Of course not, but again, the word "Winner" never hurt anyone.

The Hollywood is Burning Horror Screenplay Competition will award:

* A Grand Prize of $250 plus a "Winner" certificate to the author of the best horror screenplay.

* A Second Prize of $50 plus a "2nd Place" certificate to the author of the first runner up.

* AND to give your entry fee a little extra value you can choose to receive a one-page critique of your film written up by screenwriter and producer Mike Watt (writer of the Sci-Fi Channel film "Dead Men Walking", the Happy Cloud Pictures productions "The Resurrection Game", "Splatter Movie: The Director's Cut", "A Feast of Flesh", editor of Sirens of Cinema Magazine and contributor to numerous publications including Fangoria, Rue Morgue, Cinefantastique and Film Threat Magazine)

Again, Hollywood is Burning offers no guarantees - few things in life are sure things - but by entering our competition, you'll be taking your work to the next level and perhaps taking that next step in your career.

FEES AND DEADLINES:

Deadline and Fees:

$25 until October 1

$35 until November 30 - this is the super-late procrastinator's deadline. NO SCREENPLAYS WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER November 30.


More info here

Associated Artists Of Pittsburgh Ninety-Ninth Annual : First Thoughts

I got to the opening of The big AAP show at the Carnegie, and thought I'd put down a few impressions. Although the Carnegie gave me a yearly press pass, I took no notes yet and don't intend to try to get permission to penetrate the museum's no photography policy.

Hanging, as usual was well done and the show occupied a major chunk of first class gallery space.

The curator, Doryun Chung had no prior experience with Pittsburgh at all and put together a show with a decent number of true lows (really bad work) as well as many extreme highs. Dry conceptual work was rarer than ever. Color, humor and very accessible personal expression were the common theme.

Wonderful to see Deanna Mance get her moment in the sun with two stunning big drawings and a major purchase award! Vanessa German's moving, mysterious doll totem also got an award.

More thoughts to come.

Friday, August 28, 2009

Another "Visionary Artist" Film Star



There's a little mini fad of films about visionary or non main stream artist's out now.

This one is an inside look made by the artist's son at what it's like to live with Isaiah Zagar, who has made his life an art project in Philly.

From The NY Times

“In a Dream,” which pieces together everything from home movies to animation derived from Mr. Zagar’s sketches, is anything but hagiography. Though Jeremiah, 28, clearly adores his mother, Julia, the light he shines on his father can be harsh and unflattering. “My dad has a well of insanity that’s usually expressed in his work,” Jeremiah said recently over a plate of potato pancakes at a South Philadelphia delicatessen.

“There are people who see ‘In a Dream’ and think he’s a monster,” he added. “As much as I love him, it’s very easy to see him that way.”

For all his talk about the revelatory nature of existence, Isaiah is at bottom a solipsist for whom everyone else matters only as they affect him. During one pivotal scene of the film, as Jeremiah’s older brother, Ezekiel, struggles with a painkiller addiction, Isaiah says serenely, “No matter what happens to Zeke, he’s part of my art world.”

The only person able to distract Isaiah from himself is Julia, his muse, provider and wife of four decades. “He’s kind of a rare flower,” she says of him early in the movie. “A thistle maybe.”

Casting Call @ Ross Park Mall For Love And Other Drugs

One area starting to see some green shoots is Pittsburgh's film and TV business with at least 4 and perhaps five major pictures scheduled to be shot here in the next few months.

EXTRAS NEEDED FOR “LOVE AND OTHER DRUGS”
A FEATURE FILM STARRING
JAKE GYLLENHAAL AND ANNE HATHAWAY!!


“Love and Other Drugs”, directed by Edward Zwick will be filming in the Pittsburgh area starting in mid-September until early December of this year.

We will be looking for people between the ages of 15 and 75 to work as extras, stand-ins, photo-doubles, and silent bits. The pay rate will vary depending upon what you are cast as.

A stand-in is a full-time position, and to be considered you must be available everyday for 12 hours and have reliable transportation. Everyone else should be prepared to work at least one full day or several days in a row.

An open casting call will be from 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday, August 29th at Ross Park Mall in Ross.

Or you can do your profile online or send a package to Mosser Casting. All details here.

So What's this awesome film about?

"A salesman competes in the cutthroat world of pharmaceuticals to hawk a male performance enhancement drug. Based on Jamie Reidy's memoir "Hard Sell: The Evolution of a Viagra Salesman."

This is great, I must see this movie!!!!

Thursday, August 27, 2009

September Regional Arts Round-Up

A few of the shows coming up in September in the region. A distinct Sixties theme comes accross. Looks like a good time to see important works by Chuck Close, Dan Flavin, Robert Smithson and Jasper Johns in Ohio.The Astronomy related show @ Oberlin and the Graphite drawing show @ The Palmer also look very worthwhile.



Cleveland

Museum Of Contemporary Art Cleveland (MOCA)

Hugging and Wrestling : Contemporary Israeli Photography and Video
On view September 12th, 2009 through January 10th, 2010


"In Hugging and Wrestling, a vivid portrait of Israel emerges through the perspectives of nine artists who respond to the complex shifting realities of the country today. The images are both beautiful and powerful, some deeply personal, others more philosophical, some political. With distinct points of view, the artists portray a land rich in history, and the convergence of multiple cultures, beliefs, and ways of life. But while the artists embrace Israel, they wrestle with political discord, religious divisions, and social inequities. They search for personal and collective identity in a vibrant, evolving, contemporary culture, while wrestling with the vulnerabilities of a country with contested territories where conflict is imminent and ever present."

The Sculpture Center

The Sculpture of David E. Davis: Celebrating the 20 Year Legacy

MAIN AND EUCLID AVENUE GALLERIES

"In celebration of its 20th anniversary, The Sculpture Center is honoring its founder, the Cleveland artist David E. Davis, with a comprehensive exhibition of his smaller sculpture."

Cleveland Institute Of Art

The 2009 Faculty Exhibition will run from September 3 – October 10 in the Reinberger Galleries located in The Cleveland Institute of Art. The Galleries are open Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. The Galleries are closed Sundays and Mondays.

"A tradition that spans over eight decades, the Faculty Exhibition is a celebration
of art and its makers and an opportunity for the public to view new, original and innovative works by world-class artists and designers in Northeast Ohio. The faculty at The Cleveland Institute of Art is renowned for their influential work in the studio arts, digital arts, design and film."

Spaces Gallery

Jiří Surůvka

"Hailing from Ostrava in the Czech Republic, Jiří Surůvka joins SPACES for eight weeks as the 27th artist-in-residence to create new work in Northeast Ohio. Working amidst a post-industrial and post-socialist landscape, the artist creates sculpture, painting, and performance that offer irony, humor and an aggressive look at issues facing his community and the world at large."

Cleveland State University

Toplu: Landscapes of New Turkish Suburbia
August 28 – October 10, 2009
Opening Reception: August 28 for 5:00 – 7:00 pm
Gallery Talk with artists: August 28 at 4:00 pm


This is an exhibition of CSU Assistant Professor Mark Slankard's photographs of new residential developments on the outskirts of the Turkish cities of Ankara and Istanbul.

Oberlin

Allen Memorial Art Museum (Oberlin College)



Starry Dome: Astronomy in Art and the Imagination

Four hundred years after Galileo Galilei became the first astronomer to look through a telescope, this exhibition uses early lunar maps, star charts, and groundbreaking treatises by scientists such as Galileo, Johannes Kepler, and Sir Isaac Newton to examine the necessity of close observation and illustration in the development of astronomy. The works on view, drawn entirely from the Allen Memorial Art Museum
and the Oberlin College Library, equally explore the allure of the sky across diverse times and cultures, from the omnipresent full moon in Japanese prints to the imaginative, personalized cosmologies of modern and contemporary artists such as Joseph Cornell, Ansel Adams, James Rosenquist, and Vija Celmins.

Akron

Akron Art Museum



Rethinking Art:
Objects and Ideas from the 1960s and 70s
June 6, 2009 - October 4, 2009


"Rethinking Art presents such radical actions as Robert Smithson’s burial of an abandoned woodshed on the Kent State University campus and Christo’s wrapping of walkways in a Kansas City park. Dan Flavin’s store-bought fluorescent light tubes and Joseph Kosuth’s photostats of dictionary definitions of the words “black” and “white” urge us to reconsider familiar objects and meanings. The artists in Rethinking Art offer a new perspective on our environment, changing the way we look at our every day surroundings"



Also @ The Akron

Familiar Faces: Chuck Close in Ohio Collections
September 5, 2009 - January 3, 2010


"This is the first time the artist’s works in Ohio public collections can be seen together. They have been sent from all corners of the state—from the Cleveland Museum of Art, Allen Memorial Art Museum, Butler Institute of American Art and Akron Art Museum in Northeast Ohio to the Toledo Museum of Art in the west and Wexner Center for the Arts, Wright State University Galleries and Cincinnati Art Museum in the south. These public holdings will be joined by rarely seen pieces from private collections around the state."

Youngstown

The Butler Institute Of American Art



Jasper Johns: Works on Paper 1994-2007

Presented in conjunction with Matthew Marks Gallery, New York City, this exhibition offers recent works on paper by America's master of the avant garde. An exhibition catalogue accompanies this show.

Erie

Erie Art Museum

Takezasa-Do, The Ancient Art of Woodblock Printing

Annex Gallery
July 10 through September 26, 2009

"The printmaking studio of Kenji Takenaka, in the beautiful ancient city of Kyoto, is known as Takezasa-Do. The fifth generation of a family of master printers, Kenji has been a mentor to a variety of artists, including Bill Mathie, professor of art at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. Mathie met Takenaka in 2005, during a trip to Japan where he explored traditional Japanese printmaking. With the support of the Japan Foundation, Takenaka and four others visited Edinboro in 2006, and presented an intensive workshop in traditional watercolor woodblock printing. Takenaka, his apprentice Yuko Harada, Tuula Moilanen who taught drawing and painting at his shop, and Mathie will present their work in this ancient and beautiful medium as the final show in the Annex Gallery (which will be converted to another education studio as part of the Museum’s expansion project)."

Greensburg

Westmoreland Museum Of American Art

Modern Masters from the Smithsonian American Art Museum
Sunday June 14, 2009 - Sunday September 06, 2009


"This exhibition examines the complex and heterogeneous nature of American art in the mid-twentieth century. Featuring thirty-one of the most celebrated artists who came to maturity in the 1950s, the exhibition traces the history of this epochal period through forty-three key paintings and sculpture selected from the Smithsonian American Art Museum's collection"

Upcoming

Four Perspectives on Fifty Years
Sunday September 27, 2009 - Sunday January 03, 2010


"A collaborative exhibition curated by friends of the museum—an artist, collector, art critic, and patron—all taken from the Museum's permanent collection. This exhibition will offer the unique perspectives of each of the guest curators while bringing together works from the collection that are seldom seen together. The guest curators: Adrienne Heinrich (artist), Marty O'Brien (collector); Graham Shearing (art critic); and Anne Robertshaw (patron)."

Huntingdon

Juniata College Museum Of Art

WPA Graphic Works : From the Amity Art Foundation Collection

"During the eight years of the Federal Art Project’s existence, over 5,000 artists, some of whom are featured in this exhibition, produced thousands of paintings, photographs, sculptures, public murals and prints. WPA Graphic Works: From the Amity Art Foundation Collection is part of the personal collection of John A. Stewart, founder and director of the Amity Art Foundation in Woodbridge, Connecticut."

State College



Palmer Museum Of Art (Penn State)

Leaded: The Materiality and Metamorphosis of Graphite
September 15–November 29, 2009


"Leaded: The Materiality and Metamorphosis of Graphite features more than forty contemporary works of art by sixteen international artists who utilize the physical nature and characteristics of graphite and pencils as content in their two- and three-dimensional work. The pencil is one of the essential tools in foundation drawing classes and is perhaps the most familiar of all tools to students taking their first steps at making art. For many, the pencil and the graphite it holds symbolize the essence of the creative act of drawing"

Literary Pittsburgh: Readings Galore This Weekend


The next few days are packed with great readings: I’m exhausted just thinking about it!

Saturday afternoon, August 29th, 1:30pm: Autumn House at the Pump House. Pittsburgh’s own Autumn House Press will host one novelist and one poet at the historic
Pump House in Homestead: There’s a nice review of John Hoerr’s novel Monogahela Dusk in the City Paper this week; Hoerr is actually a long-time labor journalist, and this is his first work of fiction. I’m a big fan of Robert Gibb’s poetry, especially his Homestead Trilogy. Gibb will read at the Pump House from a new Autumn House volume of his work, What the Heart Can Bear: Selected and Uncollected Poems, 1979-1993.

Saturday night, August 29th: East End avant-garde publisher Six Gallery Press is holding their periodic Showcase (this one is called Hot August Night) with 14 readers from the Pittsburgh poetry underground. Digging Pitt blogger, videographer extraordinaire, talented poet, and charismatic reader Jessica Fenlon (pictured) will read from her new book of poetry, Spiritual Side Effects. Guest author Kevin Finn will read from his new chapbook, Exit Wounds (Ohio: Amsterdam Press), Six Galllery poet Michael S. Begnal is visiting from North Carolina, and all will share the stage with many other local talents: Renee Alberts, Nikki Allen, Jerome Crooks, Davka, Che Elias, Bill Hughes, Jonathan Loucks, Alexi Morrissey, Scott Silsbe, Ed Steck, Billie Steigerwald, Matt Wellins, and Don Wentworth of Lilliput Review fame. Local rock stars Colin Baxter and Julie Sokolow will provide the musical entertainment. ModernFormations at 4919 Penn Avenue, $5 at the door, 8:00pm, BYOB.

Late-night on August 29th (hey, you could make it to all 3 of Saturday's readings if you wanted to): KINETIX! (formerly Poetry…Yes!) is a new late-night poetry series that happens once a month and runs from 11:00pm-1:00am in the theater lobby at The New Hazlett Theater on the Northside. Featured Pittsburgh poets are followed by an Open Mic. $5 door charge; doors open at 10:30pm. (N.b.: the last 54C bus leaves Allegheny Center at 1:12 AM.)

Sunday August 30th at 2:00pm: The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh (Main library in Oakland) holds its weekly Sunday Poetry and Reading Series, featuring Chuck Lanigan’s presentation of fiction and oral history: To Be of Use: Stories of Labor and Identity in Southwestern PA. Free.

Sunday night, August 30th: The fabulous Typewriter Girls Cabaret will feature the fabulous Gist Street hosts as readers: poet Nancy Krygowski and fictionist Sherrie Flick with her new novel, Reconsidering Happiness. Poet Sandra Beasley, musician Steve Pellegrino, burlesque act The Bridge City Bombshells, and much more will round out the show. Howler’s Café in Bloomfield. Doors at 7:00pm, show at 8:00pm, $5.00 cover. See more info here.

Tuesday evening, September 1st: Outrageous blogger Maddox will be in town signing his book of “fratire,” called The Alphabet of Manliness. 6:00pm at Borders Eastside on Centre Avenue near Highland (aka Penn Circle South).

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

High speed, intercity rail

I love to travel by train. Lots of leg room, a place to plug in my laptop, ease of travel. Train stations are always in downtown metropolitan areas. This is absolutely perfect for me since going city-to-city makes up all my travel. Pittsburgh could use some more travel options, though. It wold be nice to be able to get to NYC, Philadelphia and Washington a little more quickly to see exhibits, shows and all that great stuff. Luckily, there are other folks that are thinking the same way --
PennDOT submitted the following as candidate projects for potential formal application later:

* Keystone East Corridor Harrisburg to Philadelphia — funding would include track, signal, power and catenary upgrades, grade crossing removal and station improvements or replacements.
* Scranton to New York Rail Passenger Rail Service Program Phase 1 — funding for part of a proposed restored 133-mile passenger rail corridor between Northeastern Pennsylvania and Hoboken, N.J., with connections to Penn Station in Manhattan.
* Pittsburgh High-Speed Magnetic Levitation Project Phase 1 — funding to design and construct the first segment (Pittsburgh International Airport to Downtown Pittsburgh) of a Maglev, or magnetic levitation, line between the airport and Monroeville/Greensburg.
* Keystone West Harrisburg to Pittsburgh High-Speed Rail Feasibility and Business Plan Study — funding for a feasibility study of enhanced intercity passenger rail service between Harrisburg and Pittsburgh. One Amtrak train a day in each direction now serves this corridor.

I don't know definitively what was approved for this proposal. However, from the sound of it, input is being sought --
The plan will enable PennDOT to implement a more efficient and effective approach to intercity rail transportation within the Commonwealth. Specifically, consideration will be given to more frequent and timely passenger rail service and increased use of the freight rail system for goods movement. In addition, this plan will also aid in prioritizing rail projects throughout the state by identifying those that will provide the most benefit for the limited funding available. Prioritization will take into account multiple factors. These factors include, but are not limited to; the availability of funding, the ability of the project/improvement to facilitate economic growth, and the minimization of impacts to the environment.

Here's the important part --
A public meeting to review the Draft Intercity Passenger and Freight Rail Plan has been scheduled. The plan will enable PennDOT to implement a more efficient and effective approach to intercity rail transportation within the Commonwealth. Additional information about the plan and meeting can be found in the attached flyer. We hope that you will help us to spread the word of this meeting to the constituents of District 7.

PA Intercity Passenger & Freight Rail Plan
Thursday, September 17, 2009
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Carnegie Borough Building
One Veterans Way
Carnegie, PA 15106

Now, I don't understand why they are having this meeting in Carnegie instead of downtown Pittsburgh. Especially at 6PM. Anybody out there planning on going? I would love to put together a group to get out there!

Saturday, August 22, 2009

AAP: Influx 3 @ Borelli-Edwards Galleries



An interesting show of new Associated Artist's of Pittsburgh members opens tonight @ Borelli Edwards in Lawrenceville.

Hopefully this link will take you to some images.

The exhibition runs till September 5th.

Thursday, August 20, 2009

GRRL Talk

Guest post by Kate Bechak



Emily Laychak wears her heart on her sleeve, sticks paintings on the wall and sculptures on the floor, and creates the distinct impression that she once drew a deep breath and then didn't exhale until a great golden aura filtered out of her pores and crystallized around her. In short, she's an inspirational person to meet. She's currently curating the show GRRLS GRRLS GRRLS! with work by Stephanie Woods and others, previously mentioned in this blog as part of Unblurred. The show will run at Garfield Artworks until August 29th, and her band Rock Rifle will open for Jessica Hopper and Katie Stelmanis this Friday at 6:30. I interviewed her via email:

What is your biggest challenge as an artist?
Money! And this is coming from an artist who works primarily with garbage, literally. Most of my materials are free. If you want to live under a roof and eat, you have to work, but being an artist is a fulltime job in itself. It takes a lot of time and energy to make art and organize shows, but one doesn't necessarily make money. I took off work a lot in the month leading up to the show-- and I have done that before, getting ready for shows, because I have needed the time to work on them -- and the consequence is being poor.
I do have a job in art, at Pittsburgh Children's Museum, but minimum wage requires you to work pretty much fulltime to live, and if you're working full time, you have no time to make your own art. Either you chose to have time for your creative self and barely make rent, or you live financially comfortably and exhaustedly watch television after work until bedtime. But that’s not a challenge specific to artists though, is it? That’s the challenge all people face as people: what are we living for?

Has working at the children’s museum affected what you think about artistic development?

Working at the children's museum is an eye-opening experience because I see firsthand how hard adults have to work to be creative and how often they stifle the natural creativity of their offspring. Children are a big influence in my art because we intuitively create -- we just see things, that’s all, and have ideas. I watch parents tell their kids what colors to pick for a project, for example, or even encourage their kids to copy from another kid's ideas. It’s pretty crazy. Kids do not need help to be creative, it’s really raw.

How well do you think our educational system arms artists with the tools they need to develop their work?

Art and creativity are underappreciated. When budgets are cut, what’s the first to go? My little brother’s elementary school doesn’t have art and music classes anymore! Of course they maintain gym classes and sports teams. This makes sense because what will the working adults watch on TV if we aren't training our children to be football players?

What is it about girls?

Well, girls aren't being trained for the NFL-- but I'm just using football as an example to illustrate a bigger point. Girls are disadvantaged all over the place. The history we learn in school is dangerously misleading, it leaves out many people who have contributed a great deal and keeps a whole lot of people from believing in their potential in every subject.

Do you see an intersection between your work as a fine artist and as a musical performer?

I make art and music because I have ideas. That is really all there is to it. I see things, hear things and then make them new things. I think that everyone could do this in one way or another if they were encouraged to, but they are not, and they lose it. I consider myself monumentally blessed to have this freedom. I want everyone to have this, whatever form their own ideas come in, to have the freedom to make them real and to share with other people. I especially want this for girls because girls are the most oppressed people there are, throughout all places and time.

Anyway, it’s really scary to share ideas because no one is asking for them. Of course, no one even knows about your ideas except for you, so why would they want them? But wouldn't it be great if a girl, instead of needing a diamond or cute shoes, if she needed her very own song, that she personally wrote, to sing?

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Sacred Art @Box Heart

The Sacred Art exhibit at Box Heart is always a good show. This annual juried exhibit has reached it's thirteenth year. The exhibit is up and the opening reception is this Saturday. There were several really fine works up yesterday when I swung by. The show is just recently installed and the Box Heart team has not had a chance to upload documentation on the exhibit yet. This exhibit is national in scope and features work from all over the country as well as some local artists.

boxheart-1.jpg
Jessica Somers Consumption

There is something really appealing about the simplicity of the above work by Ms. Somers. I think the title belies the image somewhat. The wolves seem more comforting, like a mass of warm bodies acting as protection. Well, that's my individual reaction, though.

boxheart-2.jpg boxheart-3.jpg
Liz Rundorff-Smith Reap (left) and Savor (right)

The above works by Ms. Rudorff-Smith are small canvases, well-painted. Both have a lovely soft glow. They seem like a memory of anticipation. The table was in the process of being set. The presentation was seriously considered, with an eye for tablecloth and place setting. The host and guest know each other well enough to share a simple, intimate repast. Since this exhibit is about interpretations of the sacred, it seens to me that the artist feels a very day-to-day relationship with the spiritual.

boxheart-4.jpg
David Nelson God's Appointment Book

Yep. Nice painting. It really drew your eye when you walked into the gallery.

The 13th Annual Sacred Art Exhibition
August 18, - September 12, 2009
Public Reception: Saturday, August 22nd: 5 pm - 8 pm.
Box Heart Gallery
4523 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15224
P. 412 687 8858
boxheartexpress@earthlink.net

Gallery Hours:
Tuesday - Saturday: 10 AM - 6 PM
Sunday: 1 PM - 5 PM

Friday, August 14, 2009

Welcome Students

Off-Campus Oakland Primer from Pitt News Multimedia on Vimeo.



We all know that Pittsburgh is now kind of a college town, with an economy tilted towards "Eds and Meds", and an energy level can be measured by the number of cups and vomit pools on Carson Street.

Welcome Freshmen! I found this video to help orient you to Oakland, assuming you are not from Pittsburgh which may also be helpful to yinz types that never crossed the river to see it.