Rob Pruitt's, Andy Warhol Statue Unveiled In New York's Union Square

Video by artist& art vlogger, James Kalm, as always a fountain of New York art history.

A few thoughts from Critic Jerry Satlz

"I don’t actually love the statue itself. It doesn’t look that much like Warhol; the face is squished and smallish. But I love the passion behind it and the idea of putting this sculpture in this place at this time. It beautifully evokes the pathos, perversity, and runaway genius of this great swish-hero-artist. Pruitt is right when he says, “Every day, a thousand more kids come to New York propelled by Andy’s legacy … [making] this pilgrimage, coming here to make it big, to be an artist. Like Oscar Wilde’s grave at Père Lachaise, there should be a destination in New York to mark that journey. I think something needs to be in the streets of New York, something you could visit at four-thirty in the morning.” Pruitt’s monument will be on view only through October 2. It should be left here forever."

I think I love the super shiny look and it's obvious reference to Jeff Koons.

Pittsburgh Weekend Art Events: 4/1-2/11.

c. David Grim (taken 3/19/11)

I almost can't believe that we've made it to another First Friday this fast. Naturally Unblurred is the focus of art-related activity this weekend, but as always during this time of the month- there is a lot to see and do.

Friday

The Geek Art/Green Innovators Festival will be held for the second time ever. One destination among many is the Union Project in Highland Park, and the open house they are holding all weekend to highlight the potential of its physical facilities. Check out their site for a full schedule of events.

The aforementioned festival is apparently a big part of Unblurred this go round. Visit the various venues up-and-down Penn to see all kinds of works and events. As far as Unblurrred is concerned, Steve Ehret has "Buried by Daisies" at Modern Formations (4919 Penn), and he is joined by assemblage artist Ron Copeland. Unfortunately I couldn't find any listings for the rest of the venues.

Meanwhile, if you find yourself downtown, stop by to see the Shaw Galleries' "Beauty-Strength-Reflection" (805 Liberty Ave.). The show features "five perspectives on the female form", and its reception runs from 5:30-9PM. And Jim Shearer is presenting his Pirates-themed work with "Opening Day: Yinz Luv 'Da Buccos", and a reception at Wildcard (4209 Butler St) from 8-10PM.

Saturday

Shervin Iranshahr, an iranian-born artist born in Pittsburgh, will have a reception for his gothic realist paintings at Gallery 4 in Shadyside (206 South Highland Ave). "Demons and Deities" will start at 7PM.

Catholicism, the Body, and the Art of Paul Thek: A Conversation @ Carnegie Museum

I am still trying to wrap my head around the Carnegie's Paul Thek show. His work is much more beautiful and visceral than I expected and left me asking all kinds of questions.

Tonight at 6:30 there will be a free panel talk about the show.

Start:March 31, 2011 6:30 pm
End:March 31, 2011 8:00 pm
Cost:Free

"The human body, both in representation and symbol, is ever-present in Paul Thek’s art, which could be simultaneously intensely spiritual and insistently profane, lyrical and base. Join Dr. Paula Kane of the Department of Religious Studies, University of Pittsburgh, and Dr. Katharina Winnekes of Kolumba, Art Museum of the Archdiocese of Cologne, Germany, in examining paradoxes embedded in Thek’s spirituality and artistic practice."

FYI, this talk is literally free since there is no charge for admission after 3:30 PM on Thursdays during the month of March, thanks to a grant by The Buncher Family Foundation.

GA/GI Festival Anchors Huge Pittsburgh Arts Weekend

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

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



Dance Alloy Improv Jam @GA/GI


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

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

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



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

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

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

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

See more about the Union Project below.

Union Project Documentary from Alex Lake on Vimeo.

Day Two GA/GI Events

Saturday April 2
GA/GI Day
Two Locations!

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

@ Penn Ave Arts District (Negley to Mathilda)

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

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

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

GA/GI Festival Website and Blog

See The POP City Feature

City Of Asylum Working To build North Side Literary Center

Story about City Of Asylum on NewsHour

Been meaning to post something about the efforts to expand on the City Of Asylum project which is near the Mattress Factory.

The total cost of the project is estimated at $3.3 million. The Heinz Endowments, the Richard King Mellon Foundation and The Hillman Foundation have committed $1.5 million in grant money toward the expansion, Mr. Reese said.

"We're combining all of these buildings into one building," he said. "We're hoping to break ground over the summer."

Plans call for building a bookstore, a performance space, rooms for writing workshops, two apartments for writers and a cafe. The new facility will allow the organization to host more events and offer additional programs to the community. Currently, the organization holds one reading each month.

Read more about it

Follow the progress and other news with Sampsonia Way Magazine.

Fleeting Pages Pop Up Indie Bookstore To Have Run In Borders Space

Image from Karen The Small Press Librarian

Our sadness about losing a large Borders bookstore in Pittsburgh may for a time be taken over by the opportunity to creatively fill such a key central location.

By April 30th, Borders will be gone and the space filled for at least a month by a Pop up small press project called--Fleeting Pages. Could they show art; host craft workshops; poetry readings and musical events? Yes! At this point it seems very much up in the air how long this might last, what might be sold and when, where and if this might later live on in another location. (Since this space is almost certainly going to attract viable retail.)

The idea is a result of a few things; the toll taken on local booksellers by big box bookstores, a concern for the cultural effects of big box stores in both their existence and their failure, a general frustration with the model of the publishing industry, and a great appreciation for independent and self-published works of all kinds, as well as for those who create them.

We felt compelled to do something. Fleeting Pages is what we came up with. It will test the theory that what is happening with “books” – creation, consumption, access – matters to many. And if given the opportunity to take over, or take back, one of these empty spaces they will. And in the most brilliant of ways.

The end result, what Fleeting Pages will ultimately become, is a beautiful unknown as it is dependent upon what others are willing to add. The framework is there – the space, the concept, and a few people willing to work their hardest in support of the project.

Fleeting Pages is in need of, and open to, work of all kinds to fill the shelves, ideas and people to create and run workshops, ideas for how to re-imagine the space, 30-days of events, people willing to come out and help at the space, partnerships, collaborations,….a community.

As of today, we have 5 weeks until the proposed opening day….. Let’s test what’s possible.

An open call is out there to anyone and everyone--for Volunteers; For Ideas, For Artists and Designers and most of all for content.

We need books! We need inventory of all kinds to stock the shelves with as much work as possible. Here’s a list of some of the types of work we are looking for to get you started. Don’t let the list limit any ideas you may have for things that could be added to our shelves that are not on this list.

Books

Journals

Zines

Graphic novels / Comics

Magazines

e-Books

Book art….??…

Calling--Ohio, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York....Alabama and Alaska if you are a publisher or have content follow up and submit.

Some of the website is still being added to

Fleeting Pages Website

Fleeting Pages Facebook

Fleeting Pages on Twitter

Heads up to Occassional Diggingpitt contributor, Karen Lillis, AKA Karen the Small Press Librarian

Architecture Tour Takes In Frank Lloyd Wright And Other Great Buildings Around Cleveland: April 9

Peter B. Lewis Building, Case Western Reserve University: Frank Gehry



Frank Lloyd Wright: Staley House



Frank Lloyd Wright: Penfield House



The Weltzheimer/Johnson House: Frank Lloyd Wright

The Weltzheimer/Johnson House holds public open house hours on the First and Third Sundays of each month

OK--straight up, registration for this tour is over so this post is just to make one more aware of these buildings and this event. Also, many of these buildings, including a Wright house are open for tours.

Wright made an impact in Ohio later in his career than in Illinois, Wisconsin and Western PA, but still left a significant legacy of six houses in Northeast, Ohio.

"On Saturday, April 9, Out and About Wright participants will have the opportunity to visit not one, not even three, but five Wright-designed private residences in Northeast Ohio. Once home to a thriving manufacturing industry, Cleveland is re-emerging along the banks of Lake Erie as a Midwest center for art and architecture. Before the region saw the landmark construction of the new I. M. Pei-designed Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, it already had a varied and interesting architectural heritage, including six mid-century works by Wright:"

Heads Up For Massive: Handmade Arcade @ David L Lawrence Convention Center, April 16

You likely already know this, but Pittsburgh's largest Indie Craft Fair has been super sized to fill the downtown convention center--allowing for more space and 120 Vendors from Chicago, Ohio, Upstate NY, Baltimore, New Jersey, Seattle, Pennsylvania and of course many, many from the Burgh itself.

ACCESSORIES
TOYS
CLOTHING
CHILDREN
PRINT & POSTERS
JEWELRY
HOUSEWARES
BATH & BODY
STATIONERY
Other (often the best)

The Arcade website has been posting images and previews as well as full links to all the crafters home pages. Check it out

Also, I can't add to the great preview Steeltown Anthem has posted. Follow her blog, she will likely post more.

SATURDAY, APRIL 16, 2011
11-5 (I think)
Admission: Free
200 Earlie Birdie passes for sale at $15 each allow an early hour of shopping before the crowd hits.


View Larger Map

Andrey Avinoff: In Pursuit of Beauty: Watercolors and Collections @Carnegie Museum

Iridescence, 1925/1947, graphite, pen and ink, and watercolor on paper mounted on artist’s board; Carnegie Museum of Art,

I have actually not seen this yet but it looks interesting on lots of levels. (BTW, The Paul Thek show at The Carnegie IMHO, will blow your head clean off. I haven't blogged about it partly because it's very hard to put into words.)

What I think I will like about this show is that it attempts to to create shows both artist's paintings and collections in a way that gives insight into an amazing life story involving global travel,serious science and artistic exploration. From 1926 -1945 Arinoff was director of the Carnegie Museum of Natural History.

"Born in 1884 in Tulchin, Ukraine, Mr. Avinoff earned a law degree from Moscow University and in 1913 joined the protocol staff of Nicholas II. His interest in butterflies developed early, and in 1908 and 1912 he used inheritance money to fund collecting expeditions.

Mr. Avinoff first traveled to the United States in 1915 to purchase war supplies for the Russian Army. By 1918, as the Russian Civil War raged, he, his mother and his sister's family had immigrated to New York. When their dairy farm failed, he turned to commercial illustration to earn a living while his sister, Elizabeth Shoumatoff, developed a career as a portrait painter. (Her formal portrait of Mr. Avinoff is in the exhibition.)"

And then it goes on from there.

As you can see, he had mad technical skills as a painter too. Check out the Slide Show.

More articles and reviews.

Recollecting Andrey Avinoff Carnegie Magazine

Carnegie Museum of Art Unveils the Visionary and Rarely Seen Art by Andrey Avinoff Art Daily

Andrey Avinoff: In Pursuit of Beauty
February 26–July 24, 2011
Works on Paper Gallery

Agnes Gund: "Small is Beautiful" Defends Local Community Arts

I don't have time to dig it up, but earlier this year the new NEA head made comments that implied a need to concentrate support to a smaller number of large institutions--many of whom --MOMA, The Met, The Philadelphia Museum, Getty etc.. could likely very well fund themselves. He later clarified this view as seen in the link.

I just came across this defence of the small by the famous philanthropist, Agnes Gund.

"Big national museums have the idea that museums should help generate strong communities; it is something they work at. But museums like the Demuth relate to their communities in ways that precede policy and require less systematic effort. They practice community building by being a part of the community -- by inhabiting the soil and customs and histories of their regions. Their natural mission is to help define their communities, to help them grow and change. What I have come to appreciate is the presence in all America's places, large and small, east to west, of cultural institutions at home."

Hat tip to Brent Burket, who tweeted this link.

Cleveland International Film Festival March 24 -April 3 : Interview with Artistic Director on Freshwater

I was somewhat insulting when said Cleveland had such a short list of must see places/events. No way do I know it well enough to say that--plus I skipped a few cause I was just lazy.

High on any list is The Cleveland International film festival, the only truly -large festival of it's kind in wider region.

Check out this years list here.

Freshwater Cleveland has a good Q & A with the artistic director, who talks about balancing the mix of films to be both creatively important and accessible to a wide local audience.

Comments from people who attended would be great.

Innovation Erie Product Design Competion Submissions Open From April 1 --May 11

So many exiting creative events in our region this April from the TED X talks to the huge Handmade Arcade, GAGI Festival and The Cleveland International Film Festival. I try to point out a a few you may not know about.

For three years now, Erie has hosted a design competition, open to anyone anywhere with a product idea that can be manufactured in the Erie area.

The ideas are displayed in an exhibit at The Erie Art Museum this fall and judged by a panel of experts.Individuals, teams and small businesses may enter.

First prize is 10,000 for use in rent, services and support to develop the idea at a local business incubator.

Application Prospectus

Check out the details

Pittsburgh Weekend Art Events: 3/25-26/11.

c. David Grim (taken 3/19/11)

Sure. You could be forgiven for hibernating at home for one more weekend. After all, it is going to be unseasonably cold. But that's just the thing- it's "unseasonable" because it is indeed officially Spring! So get into the spirit and see what the local arts scene has to offer...

Friday

The Mattress Factory has had Gestures shows for years now. The North Side museum gives over space to mostly local artists and their installations. The 15th exhibition in this series (7-10PM) includes work by Will Giannotti, Wendy Osher, Garry Pyles, and others. It does cost $10 to get in, but likely includes access to a free beer or two.

Meanwhile, Melwood Filmmakers (4700 Melwood Avenue, Oakland) is showing the photography of Annie O'Neill from 6-8PM. Her series of 30 images documents folks who have worked in their profession for at least 50 years, and presents them in uniform. This reception is free (and recommended).

If you have a strong taste for photography, you can check out Silver Eye's very first Juried Member Exhibition (6:30-8PM). Curator Darren Ching looked at 1000 images from 100 artists working all over the world and chose work from six of them- Susan A. Barnett (New York, NY); Hope Guzzo (Laurel, MD); Nic Lyons (San Francisco, CA); Leigh Merrill (Dallas, TX); Monika Merva (Brooklyn, NY); and Stephen Strom (Sonoita, AZ). The gallery is located at 1015 East Carson Street.

And stop by Modern Formations (4919 Penn Ave.) on either Friday (7-10PM) or Saturday (8-11PM) to see the creative work of artisans from Specter Studios (located in Sharpsburg) . They were given raw latex masks and invited to come up with original designs.


Saturday

"Ladies' Choice" is opening at Artform Gallery & Tattoo (2603 Leechburg Rd., Lower Burrell). The show is meant to celebrate "Support Women Artist Now Day", and features female creators from all over Western PA, including Terri Perpich, Vanessa German, Lauren Toohey, Steph Scullio, Laura Petrilla, Lauren Musulin, Sam Thorp, Tamra Jutting, Tiffany Babinsack, Mia Donna Maneer, Christiane D, Jen Spisak, Mahala McWilliams, Anne Michelle Lyons, Masha Fikhman, Katie Moran. Stop in between 7 and 11PM.

Cleveland Makes Progress by Removing Waterfront Highway--Um Sort Of?

NPR recently did a story on how mainstream taking down urban highways has become.

"Cities as diverse as New Haven, New Orleans and Seattle are either doing it or talking about it. The chief motivation seems to be money.

Milwaukee removed a freeway spur for $30 million. Officials estimated it would have cost between $50 million and $80 million to fix that roadway. That inspired Akron, Ohio, officials to study what to do with an aging six-lane freeway that few motorists use.

"Perhaps we can remove sections of it and have it fit in better with the Akron grid system and offer an economic benefit by making land available," says Jim Weber, Akron's construction manager."

Shockingly, even Cleveland is well along the way towards removing the lakefront, West Shoreway freeway, and replacing it with a boulevard.

Except, in spite of the hype and good press, this has gotten, things are not exactly what they seem. Angie Schmitt,from Rust Wire notes that the resulting ground road will be very much a freeway.

"Several years ago, city planners and neighborhood activists on the west side hatched a plan to reconnect city residents to Lake Erie by converting the West Shoreway into a pedestrian-friendly boulevard. Planners recommended reducing the speed limit from 50 to 35, adding stoplights with crosswalks and installing a bike path.

Despite almost universal recognition of the importance of lake access, advancing the plan was not the slam dunk you might expect. In order to lower the speed limit, the state legislature would have to formally act in favor of the proposal. Although local planners estimated the reduction would cost the average commuter a mere 70 extra seconds of travel time, the legislation stalled in the statehouse. Even city council members from the farther-west wards of Cleveland came out against the plan, joining a powerful opposition group of suburban commuters.

Furthermore, in order to convert a limited-access highway into a boulevard with stoplights that would allow for pedestrian crossing, the plan would have to be approved by the Ohio Department of Transportation. After reviewing the proposal, ODOT nixed the stoplights, saying they would increase congestion. The city was forced to scale back plans"

Yes, you read right, In Ohio, speed limits and traffic light placement on major roads are not up to the local community, but the state DOT. So, now exactly how will local residents and visitors cross this road--through new improved tunnels (you really think many people will actually use these?) built at a city expense of $2.5 million. Sure seems like a freeway.

Not that it's exactly that simple since plans to reduce speed limits spurred not just suburban but city opposition in a town so oriented around the car. Those opponents can point to the relative lack of pedestrian life in the downtown and areas near the lake and say there is just no demand for pedestrian access--just like there wasn't in NYC or San Francisco before their waterfront highways came down. Even so, Detroit Shoreway and Gordon Square near the lake are fairly popular places.

One added note is that once again, a major factor here was the very unwise placement of a huge football stadium, requiring massive parking and highway access on the central city waterfront.

Important Oakland Community Planning Meetings Kick Off Tomorrow Night

"The kickoff event this Thursday will introduce a series of five dialogue sessions that will take place between March 24 and the first week in May. Each session will include eight to ten community members discussing the issues they're passionate about in Oakland, and the changes they would like to see over the next fifteen years. These events, lead by a facilitator, will build upon each other in order to identify the most pressing concerns about the neighborhood, likely covering future development strategies, green initiatives, new multi-modal transportation opportunities, and public education enhancement."

As I recall, Lawrenceville went through this process-resulting in very few significant changes.

I have a pretty significant gripe here. We all know that Oakland, as the core area holding the bulk of the city's major educational and medical institutions, is critical to the city's future. We also, know that the major players already have major ideas which they likely will ram down our throats anyway-through eminent domain.

The problem here is that the major issues and thinking has to be done on a larger level--and at a minimum involve the major surrounding areas--South Oakland, Shadyside, Squirrel Hill, East Liberty and the Hill District. In the absence of this, no significant progress is likely and the self destructive trend towards traffic, sprawl and poor quality urban design will continue.

For a good example of how a broad planning process that might help shape major infrastructure in the city one has to go no further than Youngstown, Ohio.

Funerals, New Works by Pittsburgh Artist, Mike Egan @Anno Domini Gallery In San Jose, Through April 16Th

Since there is slightly better coverage of local shows around now, I feel more free to turn the blog more towards discussion and creating more awareness of out of town happenings.

If you have been around the scene here, particularly at Modern Formations, you likely know local artist Mike Egan. He's having what looks like a big show in San Jose right now at a gallery called Anno Domini.

"In his newest body of work, Pittsburgh, PA artist Mike Egan looks back on his time spent working in funeral homes. Surrounded by death and mourning, Mike started painting not only the stories of those who have passed, but the stories of those left behind after one's passing; the mourners, the lovers, the hurt and the relieved.

Funerals shows death in a tongue-in-cheek perspective of the one's who have passed, the ones who survived, and the people who deal with death on a day to day, the clergy. Devils and crosses, Clergymen spitting blood, and skeletons smoking pipes; Funerals shows satire in death and the rituals of saying goodbye."

Check ot all the images and instalation shots here.

More gallery info here
Show ends April 16th

Tuesday-Friday Noon-7 p.m.,
Saturdays Noon-5 p.m.
additional hours by appointment

Anno Domini

366 South First Street
(btwn San Carlos & San Salvador) map
San Jose, CA 95113
t: 408.271.5155

Fresh Baked Goods: CMU’s Master of Fine Arts Exhibition Opens at Bakery Square on March 26

FRESH BAKED GOODS: New site-specific works at Bakery Square
by 1st & 2nd year MFA students at Carnegie Mellon University

Curated by Adam Welch

Bakery Square gallery hours:
Wednesday-Friday, 5-8pm, Saturday 1-4pm

Nina Sarnelle
Agnes Bolt
Oscar Peters
Jonathan Armistead
Sung Rok Choi
Jesse England
Riley Harmon
Erin Womack
Felipe Castelblanco
Steve Gurysh
Craig Fahner
Scott Andrew
Dan Wilcox
Luke Loeffler

more info

Cleveland Admires Pittsburgh's Growing Bike Culture

Given the childish rivalry, it might be bad to say Cleveland's new version of POP City has a story looking enviously at Pittsburgh's increasingly pro cycling culture.

"A critical mass of bicyclists -- activists or not -- is one ingredient that Pittsburgh needs to become the kind of hip place that attracts talented young workers now and in the future," the Post-Gazette posited almost prophetically in 2003, at a time when even many in the cycling community considered the city a dangerous place to ride.

Fast forward to present day and you'll find a vastly different bike culture has taken flight. Pittsburgh recently won the honor of being named a Bronze-level "Bicycle Friendly Community" by the League of American Bicyclists, putting them on par with regional leaders like Columbus and Indianapolis. With support of its mayor, Pittsburgh is aiming even higher, hoping to join cities like Denver, Austin and Minneapolis in the Silver class."

It's kind of funny in a way, because Pittsburgh actually has a pretty challenging geography that while attracting avid cyclists, doesn't make it easy to ride here.

Fight the good fight Cleveland, as the article shows, none of the progress made here has been easy.

Hat Tip to Rust Wire.

Donald Judd Remix Opens Tonight @FE Gallery

Donald Judd Remix @FE Gallery

OPENING RECEPTION

Friday March 18, from 7 - 9 pm
Exhibition Dates: March 18 - April 23


Don't be put off by this show if you find Donald Judd's work boring, it seems pretty clear the curator, Vicky Clark has used this is an excuse to bring to together four artist's with work losely related to boxes.

"It would take time for artists to assimilate and interpret his forms. So it began: any use of boxes referred back to Judd. I doubt that the four artists in Donald Judd Remix based their work directly on Judd, but there is the acknowledgment of a minimalist structure. All point to aspects of the originals: serialization, display, materials, etc. But they include the personal in a variety of ways, leaving the sterile behind. They add what Judd left out, creating a new kind of minimalism, or at least expanding the original definition by emphasizing meaning and the personal and the hand of the artist."

Jeremy Boyle
Bill Radawec
Mark Franchino
Janet Towbin

Janet Towbin has for a number of years lived in Arizona, but was once a significant figure in the scene here. Eager to see her work.

Thursday and Friday from 12-3
and Saturday from 12-4

MFA Season: Carnegie Mellon MFA Thesis Show Opens Tonight @Miller Gallery

As you can see from the links, the region has lots of good colleges, a good number of which, like CMU,Chatham, Kent State, WVU and IUP will be having their thesis shows starting. Sadly, it won't be very easy to see most of this work without an extreme amount of effort. As I have said before this is both a huge loss to both the artists and the public.

CMU MFA Thesis Show

UP DOWN UP DOWN
Carnegie Mellon 2011 MFA Thesis Exhibition
Organized by the School of Art
March 18 - April 17, 2011

March 18, Fri. 6-8pm: Reception

March 22, Tues.
6:30-9:30pm
Critique and discussion with Tina Kukielski
Associate Curator, Carnegie Museum of Art

"I am writing on the threshold of the MFA thesis exhibition, where each year the graduate students extend themselves to produce something extraordinary. This stretching of imagination and ambition creates an adrenaline-fueled run-in for all concerned. Jesha will push the envelope; Sean will produce yet another magical bricolage; Dan will combine the poetic and the profound; Rob will puzzle us with some photographic conundrums; and Courtney will present us with a wry intellectual challenge. This year’s exhibit promises to be bold, ingenious, thought-provoking, and tinged with humor. I have seen them develop their work and grow in confidence over the last three years, through a mutually supportive camaraderie, which has seen them through their Carnegie Mellon journey. All have had to reappraise the notions they arrived with, and have undergone a rigorous period of critical evaluation, in order to recognize their fundamental motivations and to refine their mode of practice. Not only does this exhibit showcase their talent and considerable achievements, but it also represents the philosophy of the MFA program, which is to produce self-defined artists of exceptional ability and initiative, able to create opportunities for themselves and connect meaningfully with the communities and cultures around them."

Artists

Sean Glover
Jesha Chen
Daniel Luchman
Courtney Dow
James Robert Southard

Fitting the somewhat accurate stereotype of the CMU Art Dept, traditional painting and drawing seem light in this show. But I haven't seen it yet.

Miller Gallery
at Carnegie Mellon University
Purnell Center for the Arts
5000 Forbes Ave.
Pittsburgh, PA 15213

Tues.-Sun., 12-6pm
Closed Mondays

Admission:
Free and open to the public