A Short Look At The Cincinnati Museum of Art: 1

The Cincinnati Museum, stood out less for the quality (great as it is) of its collection, as the overall viewing experience with each gallery laid out with precision and craftsmanship. My Images don't do justice to the experience.

Modern galleries generally had a no photography policy. Also, several important areas like the Asian Art Galleries seemed to be undergoing renovation.

Classy Art Deco Staircase 

Entrance with inevitable Chihuly

Grant Wood 

European Gallery 

Diego Velazquez

Folk Art Sign: American Gallery 

Elizabeth Catlett 

Modernist Pittsburgh @ Concept Gallery Highlights Local Art & Design in the 1940's & 50's

Pittsburgh in 1941 was more on the cutting edge of industry than art till a young woman named Elizabeth Rockwell changed that by opening, Outlines Gallery exposing the city to Alexander Calder, John Cage, Merce Cunningham, Paul Klee, Charles Eames and others.

Carnegie Tech professor, Samuel Rosenburg moved towards abstraction, helping to mentor other local artists.

Concept's exhibit seems to center on Rosenburg's 1950's abstractions, but includes contemporaries and students like Louise Pershing, Glen Davis & Marie Tuicillo Kelly..Images also show a lot of amazing modernist furniture.

Modernist Pittsburgh

July 17- September 20th 

Tuesday – Saturday: 10 AM – 5:30 PM
Thursday: 10 AM – 8PM

Concept Art Gallery

1031 South Braddock Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15218

Read Kurt Shaw's review: 

A documentary about Elizabeth Rockwell, Outlines Gallery & modernism in Pittsburgh will be screened
Thursday, August 21, 7PM  @ The Regent Square Theater  

Cincinnati's Beautiful Taft Museum

Francisco Goya 

J.M.W. Turner 

Rembrandt Van Rijn

Joshua Reynolds 

Taft House Entrance 

Pieter de Hooch

Cincinnati's Taft is one of the best private collection museums in America. Beyond the list of amazing works, The Taft offers a calm, intimate viewing experience giving one insight into the political family that built the collection.

They also host in depth special exhibitions.

Camille Corot 

James Whistler

The Taft Museum is at the edge of Cincinnati's downtown and is free on Sundays. It also has a a very above average cafe

Museum website 

FAKE: New Psyence by Gabe Felice

Gabe Felice at ModernFormations

I love Gabe Felice's work. He has a nice sense of color and the paintings are simply charming. The exhibit at ModernFormation's is filled with his paintings, a feast for the eyes.

But beyond the immediate eye appeal is a sense of journey, with paths and odd markers embedded into the bodies of his figures. These interpretive maps seem to dance between reality and perception and purpose.

While the body of the show has been created on canvas, there are several pieces that use other substrates. It's an interesting challenge, since the novelty of the substrate can at times become to central in the theme. Mr. Felice, however, overcomes this with his exuberance. I get the impression that he would consider any unmoving surface the perfect target for his brush!

With ModernFormation's extended scheduling, you'll have another opportunity to view the work on Friday, August 1. There is an Unblurred for first Friday this month, but you may have to sift through Penn Avenue Art Initiative's Facebook page for a glimpse of what is happening on the avenue. Garfield Night Market, Most Wanted Fine Art, and of course, ModernFormations all have events planned.

ModernFormations
Open First Friday, August 1
Through August 15

Contemporary Figurative Drawing at Spinning Plate

The exhibit of figurative drawing at Spinning Plate is pretty intense. The artists are well matched, in theme and in medium. The works are consistently produced in dense blacks on white surfaces. Just by dint of the media, the works are imbued with intense impact.

Richard Clraraval

When I stopped in to see the exhibit, I was really taken with these small drawings of Richard Claraval's. These drawings represent his planning process for an upcoming exhibit.

Tim Fabian

I would have liked to get a better image of the above drawing by Tim Fabian. I've been following his posts of his figure drawing for awhile, and it has been interesting watching the permutations of his figurative drawings evolve. I've seen them included in other exhibits, but this is the first time I've seen several assembled in the same place. They have a dynamic action, and a freely expressed gesture, that is open to interpretation.

Marc Snyder

Marc Snyder's drawings for this exhibit are strong, and violent. Decapitated torsos are threatened by elaborate shadows; limbs and skin have been separated from the body. In all, a disquieting presentation that will take some time to read.

Stephen Tuomala

I've seen several of Stephen Tuomala's drawings in previous exhibits. But I loved the way that they are suspended in front of the windows that wall the gallery. The book pages looked like they were on fire, even on the cloudy day that I visited. It brought an entirely different dimension to the large scale drawings. Especially with the pentimenti of the construction casting shadows through the work.

There's a special music and dance performance on Saturday, July 26. It would be the perfect time to catch some good music and cool art. details

Contemporary Figurative Drawing
Spinning Plate Gallery
5821 Baum Blvd, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15206
Tues, Wed, Thurs, 7 to 10 PM. Fri and Sat 4 to 7 PM.

Visit to Cincinnati, The Under-appreciated River Gem

We Just Got back from a 5 day trip to Cincinnati. Several posts on the way.

I know I promised several posts after my trip to Atlanta, and I still might get them up- over a year late. Cincinnati, obviously seems closer and more relevant to this blog.

Was Pittsburgh's Downtown "Ciclovia", Worthy of the Name?

Following over 100 cities worldwide, Pittsburgh had an "Open Streets", Ciclovia downtown. A few streets were closed to cars and made open to pedestrians, cyclists- even Yoga & Zumba classes. I didn't attend or actually know it happened until days later.

Of course almost any event of this type is positive. NYC now closes 7 miles of streets, including Park Avenue from the Brooklyn Bridge to Central Park on 3 summer Saturdays.

Bogota, the originator of the "Ciclovia" closes over 120 kilometers of  to cars once a week, in events that bring more than 2 million people onto the streets! (Medellin & Cali also have large events)

Mexico City closes over 60 kilometers of streets.

Los Angeles closes miles of streets including a big chunk of  Wilshire Boulevard, 3 times a year.

"Atlanta opens several miles of streets throughout the year for Atlanta Streets Alive. On April 20 the festival will close a 2.7-mile loop in the West End, and in May the city's Peachtree Street will be closed from Downtown to Midtown."

Paris's streets along "the Seine are not only banned to cars, they are also transformed into "plages" or beaches, which include sand, umbrellas, beach chairs, and actual temporary pools. The plages are installed for July and August."

Nothing against what Pittsburgh did but hopefully the future events will be more worthy of the name. An event next year may close 3-4 miles of Pittsburgh streets to cars.

A few links about Open Streets, Ciclovia movement.

The Rise of Open Streets

Ditch Your Car And Grab a Bike For These 9 Open Streets Festivals

Open Streets Coming To Pittsburgh

Online Project Matches Pittsburgh Street & Landmark Names To Headstones

Somebody roamed through Allegheny Cemetery and matched Pittsburgh landmarks to the headstones- adding historical background.

Aiken
Wood
Gross
Winebiddle
Negley
Hays
Baum
Ellsworth
Bidwell
McCandless

Learn about the family and personal histories behind the names. Possibly the project will extend to other cemeteries- although Allegheny seems to be the central fountain of names.

P.S. Names not directly linked to old Pittsburghers are often named after Civil War Generals- Butler, Thomas, Meade, Grant etc

Check out the project here

Abandoned Turnpike Stretch Near Johnstown Becomes a Bike Path

I assume, most people reading this blog know about the 335 mile long, "Great Allegheny Passage", which almost fully links Pittsburgh and Washington DC.

Much less known is an abandoned 13 mile section of the PA turnpike 

The Abandoned Pennsylvania Turnpike hasn’t seen car traffic since 1968 – but it’s experiencing new life as a pike-to-bike trail. The 13-mile stretch of road runs parallel to the modern turnpike, from Breezewood stretching east, and has a fascinating history as “America’s Only Abandoned Superhighway.”

Officially the road isn’t open, and ATVs, dirt bikes, and other motorized vehicles are prohibited. But unofficially, hundreds of cyclists have discovered it. The four-lane road is mostly level, so beginners and experts alike can use it at their own risk. Helmets and flashlights are strongly encouraged – the abandoned turnpike features two unlighted tunnels, Ray’s Hill Tunnel (2/3-mile) and Sidling Hill Tunnel (1.2 miles).

“While you ride there are no signs of modern civilization. Grass and weeds grow through the cracks of the pavement and trees grow in the median. What you see is very familiar and very wrong,” says Murray Schrotenboer, chairman of Pike 2 Bike, a group that promotes the trail. “You are on a four lane superhighway, but the pavement is broken and the forest crushes in on both sides, then you get to the tunnels. Dark for 46 years, they are a wonder. This is unlike any other ride you will ever do.”

Image from Pike2Bike website

Only two lanes wide in each direction and obsolete almost from its birth - it's been attracting bike riders and hikers for years. It also was used in the post apocalyptic move, "The Road".

Plans are now moving along to turn the stretch into a legal bike path and tourist attraction.

Red the full post here- which includes more links.

Unblurred in June

As always, Unblurred was an excellent night. And it's becoming such an active, community event. I love the addition of the Garfield Night Market. It's a great combination of artisan and street foods, and a perfect way to wind down after visiting the galleries.

Image Box
Eastern Standard: A Time Exhibition
14 local artists displaying clocks and other time-based mediums. Curated by Joe Mruk
Great show, with some really fun clocks! There are images in the gallery at the end of this post, but this one was totally my favorite. I could have taken pictures of all of them, really. Such a nice idea for an exhibit, too.

Maggie Negrete Elemental Flame

MOST WANTED FINE ART
Pittsburgh Society of Artists presents SMALL WORKS Jason Sauer, Juror

With a plethora of works, it was really hard to stay focused. Nice show, HUGE variety of works, considering that all of them were small format. There were a few encaustic works in the exhibit, a process that I find fascinating. There were a few familiar names, but the gallery was so packed, I'm sure there were some nice works that I missed. I particularly like the work by Martha Hopkins Skarlinski (pictured below), an encaustic and mixed media piece.

PSA, founded in 1965, is one of several artist-centric guilds that operate in Pittsburgh and the surrounding region. Coming up in July, another guild takes over the walls at Most Wanted. Associated Artists will be mounting a group exhibit at the Waterfront location, opening this coming Saturday.

Martha Hopkins Skarlinski Prelude

IN THE MWFA BASEMENT
Stuff N Such Society
DS Kinsel Know News is Good News
From the show description:

A shrine dedicated to the dying newspaper industry built by D.S Kinsel. The audience is invited to enter the sanctum of information and immerse themselves in a fading mode of information exchange through consumption of print.

So, with that in mind; I don't really know what to say. I have been blogging about the local art scene for several years now. I've continued to blog, even if somewhat sporadically, because there is so little support from local publications for emerging visual arts venues. There is at least one paper in town that only reviews exhibits in the non profit galleries. This policy really undermines the vibrant local scene, imho.

As a blogger, I am a little on the fence on this issue. Professional writers do have a certain cache because they have a value that is accepted associated with their work. They have the time to dedicate to running down facts and editing their work. On the other hand, I don't have anybody looking over my shoulder. I think that there is value in both, but I think that the physical press is entirely to dependent on commerce to be as objective as they could be.

July's Unblurred is scheduled to take place over two days, and those lovely people at the Penn Ave Arts Initiative have released a schedule. I am planning to make it up to Penn Ave, how about you?

Incredible Old Master Print Show @ Carnegie Museum Mines Into Collection

Wow! I seriously doubt one can see this number of amazing old master prints in one place.

The show stands out for 3 special reasons.

1) Rare prints of this type are very rarely shown in such brightly lit rooms (The Carnegie can't do this very often)

2) The Carnegie has one of the world's best collections of master prints- with many works in the best possible condition.

3) The show is a masterpiece of display - offering loads of supportive information without undercutting the art.

Highlights of this show include - a half room of Martin Schongauer engravings & woodcuts

A full room of Albrecht Durer prints including Adam & Eve, Melancholia, Knight, Death & the Devil; St. Jerome in his study

A great selection of Lucas Cranach the Elder's prints

A large display of prints published by Heironymous Cock - many based on Pieter Bruegel's drawings.

A large room of Rembrandt etchings & drypoints including The three Crosses

A large selection of Piranesi etchings 

Small Prints, Big Artists: Masterpieces from the Renaissance to Baroque

MAY 31, 2014 – SEPTEMBER 15, 2014

Carnegie Museum of Art.

(In spite of the title- many of these prints are quite large- by standards of the time)

Part Time Pittsburgh Artist, Swoon @ The Brooklyn Museum

Swoon's Brooklyn show returns to the familiar ground (and water)- idealized life size prints, & intricate cutouts creating an ethereal magical environment while attempting to build human links and political awareness.

Centered around a huge cosmic "tree of life" reaching into the infinity of the museum's domed roof she docks segments of her swimming cities raft projects.

The show does lack some of the gritty, earthy, street qualities that kept it from feeling trite. I also wish she included more videos explaining her projects.

Swoon: Submerged Motherlands

Brooklyn Museum of Art

April 11–August 24, 2014

Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Gallery, 5th Floor

Some previous posts about Swoon.

http://diggingpitt.blogspot.com/2010/04/famous-part-time-braddock-resident.html

http://diggingpitt.blogspot.com/2009/07/swoon-opening-of-new-carnegie-library.html

http://diggingpitt.blogspot.com/2009/06/swoon-junk-boat-city-floating-into.html

http://diggingpitt.blogspot.com/2011/03/callie-curry-aka-swoon-ted-talk.html

Black Fives Exhibit @ NY Historical Society shines light on Pittsburgh Basketball History

Who knew there was a Homestead Grays- basketball team?

A small but tightly packed show I saw at the NY Historical Society shows off an era few people know about.

From The New Pittsburgh Courier

"Due to segregation in the early 1900s, Black athletes formed their own professional leagues. Because teams have five starting players, they were called “fives.” Some of the most famous Black Five teams were the New York Renaissance, or the Rens, the Washington Bears, and the most famous remnant of that era, the Harlem Globetrotters.

But Pittsburgh, and Duquesne University feature prominently in the exhibit because Cumberland Posey also starred for Duquesne during the Black Fives Era."

Also prominent was the Monticello Athletic Association which played in the Hill District- defeating Howard University for the 2011-2012 World Colored basketball championship.

From The Black Fives history website

"The Monticello lineup featured Walter Clark, Sell Hall, Israel Lee, Jim Dorsey, Cum’s brother Seward, and Cum Posey himself.

Cum Posey and Sell Hall also played baseball for the professional Homestead Grays, a Negro Leagues team that Posey eventually owned. (Posey was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown in 2006.)"

Cumberland Posey, son of the Pittsburgh Courier owner- starred on Duquesne University's team under an assumed name- not because he was black but because he also played "pro ball" on the side. (Some players made $100 dollars a week!!)

The show is crammed with enough photos, clippings, ticket stubs and memorabilia to support several books.



The Black Fives Exhibit ends July 20th

New York Historical Society
170 Central Park West, 
New York City, NY

Tuesday – Thursday	10 am – 6 pm
Friday	10 am – 8 pm
Saturday	10 am – 6 pm
Sunday	11 am – 5 pm

Stephen Tuomala, Death Masked: ModernFormations Gallery

Stephen Tuomala, Death Masked

Stephen Tuomala's exhibit of a new body of work, Death Masked, opened during May's Unblurred. I've seen Mr Tuomala's work in several exhibits, and this is a real departure, from his use of color to his substrate.

It is a discordant exhibit, with it's light and pretty colors and violent subtext. Continuity remains in Tuomala's interest in the body, but with a twist. All of the images pay homage to Lucha libre, the masked wrestlers so popular in Mexican culture. The pastel watercolors tones remind me a bit of Dia de Los Muertas, with the spooky confections of flower-embellished skulls.

Mr Tuomala has assembled a gallery of just masks across one wall of the back room, fascinating the visitors during the opening reception. The individual works had enough narrative cues to present an interpretative path. But the majority of the exhibit is centered around targets, with human silhouettes wearing masks and colorful bullseyes covering their torsos. The bullseyes themselves are filled with small figures in a myriad of poses and gestures.

Yes, the Death Masked exhibit is still ongoing. You can see Mr. Tuomala's exhibit through June 20 at ModernFormations. Stop by for this coming Unblurred.

May Unblurred

Garfield Night Market

It was a really great Unblurred this month, even with the evening on the chill side. Lots of really good work up in the galleries, and the return of the Garfield Night Market. Personal recommendation for nibbles at the Night Market: Tacos from Chicken Latino. It's the splash of lime that gives it extra deliciousness.

I do travel on my stomach. But it really is worth mentioning. On to the art!

I've never seen a full exhibit mounted at Fieldwork before. Sometimes it has art displayed in the windows. But for the May Unblurred there was an exhibit from CSA PGH. The show was really amazing. Small, because the space wouldn't really allow for large works. But tightly curated and well-produced. If I'm reading correctly, the show extends through June, so I may be able to get additional information at the next Unblurred. There are several images from the exhibit in the gallery.

CSA PGH is a unique take on support for artists. It's modeled after the community supported agriculture programs that deliver locally grown produce to its members, but they're delivering culture. It has a strong core membership of local makers, all practicing professionals. It's like black-box art, you don't know what you're going to get when you purchase a share. Whatever is in season!

DS Kinsel, Topographic 5

Great exhibit at MWFA this past month. Very good pairing of DS Kinsel's topographical explorations and Richard Jackley's pigment and surface experiments. The colors were beautiful, and the works had an intriguing surface inticracy.

Tilley Hawk, Motile Trinity

I really enjoyed Tilley Hawk's exhibit at Mr. Roboto, too. Given the presence of animal bones and distressed wood, I was surprised that the work didn't feel ominous, but instead felt peaceful. I can't pinpoint what gave me that interpretation of the work. Even the lighting should have played up a sense of danger.

This is so late out of the box, with June's Unblurred less than a week away. I've been a little distracted this month, and could just kick myself. It was such an awesome Unblurred. I'm sure Hune's edition will be pretty fantastic, too.

Documentary of Recovery/ Discovery of Andy Warhol Amiga Art screened @ CMU

Warhol nuts, Art lovers and tech history geeks may be interested in this film that takes us back to the early dawn of computer graphics programs.

From The Computer History Museum

"Less than a year later, Commodore launched the Amiga 1000 personal computer. The launch was held in the Vivian Beaumont Theater, a part of New York’s Lincoln Center. It attracted not only the typical technology crowd, but also those interested in music, film, and art. The Amiga 1000 was being positioned as a ‘multi-media’ computer, usable in many fields of creative endeavor. Apple’s Macintosh had launched a year earlier and was already starting to gain a following among the arts and design communities. Launching a computer at a major cultural venue was still somewhat new, but the scope of the introduction was on-par with the Macintosh introduction the previous year. One of the highlights of the event was the creation of a piece of art live, on stage.

Andy Warhol was the creator.

The subject of his work? Debbie Harry, best known for her work as the lead singer in the seminal New Wave band Blondie.

The creation began with Warhol capturing an image of Harry and then manipulating it, using ProPaint, a paint system that was still in the early stages of testing. A photograph of Harry was digitized and Warhol manipulated the colors of the image using ProPaint. The resulting image was quite similar to the silk-screened images Warhol created of stars such as Monroe, Elvis, and Liza Minelli during his heyday."

Contemporary, technology artist, Cory Arcangel discovered a then obscure, YouTube Video online of  Warhol creating an image of Debbie Harry and pushed to find the floppy disks.

As you might guess, CMU students helped recover the images.



From CMU's Studio For Creative Inquiry 

"The team’s efforts are documented in the Hillman Photography Initiative’s new short film, “Trapped: Andy Warhol’s Amiga Experiments.” Trapped will premiere at 7 p.m., Saturday, May 10, at Carnegie Library Lecture Hall in Pittsburgh. The screening will be followed by a conversation with some of the team’s key players, including artists Arcangel and Levin; Michael Dille, who just completed his Ph.D. in robotics at CMU, and Keith A. Bare of the CMU Computer Club; and outside guest Jon Ippolito, a professor of digital media curation at the University of Maine. The Trappeddocumentary will be available online at http://nowseethis.org on May 12."

April Downtown Gallery Crawl

Baron Batch (left) and Kurt Shaw (right)Live painting and finished painting at Shaw Galleries

I'm sure it wasn't intentional, but there were three venues during the Gallery Crawl that featured live art production during the Gallery Crawl. "interiorActive" had an assembly of artists at Wood Street Galleries, and there was a special CD release party at 937 Liberty Ave that featured a team of artists collaborating on a piece.

Shaw Galleries also had a painting demonstration. In the above images, Baron Batch is at his easel (left) and posing with Kurt Shaw and the finished painting (right). This is an intimate space, but Baron Batch transported a mini-studio to the gallery. He invited questions from the spectators, flinging responses over his shoulder. He has a very vigorous working style; you could hear his implements on the canvas as he worked.

TK Mundokat
937 Liberty, 2nd fl

I stopped by 937 Liberty Ave. for Bricolage's "immersive experience", but the sign up sheet was already filled! Ah well, my loss. Next time, I'll get there early enough. Upstairs was the The Orange Experience. The exhibit was a collaborative between Sound Elevator and a group of local artists; Tk Mundok (left) was among them. Lovely work! I enjoyed the exhibit quite a bit. There was a nice variety of work, and orange is my favorite color. This gallery has several images from the exhibit.

A couple other events were fun to check out. The Trust Education Center played host to a city-wide show of student work. It's always nice to see the efforts of young artists. The Night Market was back after a winter hiatus. Always good to see, I love the downtown and Garfield versions of this event. There are images from both of these events in this gallery.

There were a couple of other shows that I'll come back with sometime in the next week or so. For those of you that are keeping track, Unblurred is coming up this Friday. Rain or shine, I'll be there!

Art All Night 2014

Art All Night has been in the same place for the last few years; two blocks from my house. So, there's no excuse for me to not rouse myself and head over to soak up some ART.

The building is practically under the George Washington Crossing bridge, about 100' away from the shore of the Allegheny River. Sounds perfect until yo.u realize there's no immediate parking. Our little block was packed with cars all night! We had a steady stream of traffic all day during drop-off and all night as people came and went to see the show or listen to music. Or both. The building is part of what used to be a steel mill. It's huge, which is great because the crowds the event draws is pretty spectacular.

Since this is an open-hang, the work spans the range from amateur to practiced artist. It's also hung very quickly, with intake ending at 2pm and the event beginning at 5pm. The only delineations made are between adult content and everything else. So, the show is mounted by filling the boards as it arrives. You're apt to see a drawing by a middle-school student sharing space with a veteran artist.

It's fun to wander around, looking for familiar work, finding some work that is pretty spectacular, or something that was submitted by one of your neighbors. Which is exactly what happened last night. What was also surprising was that the quality of the work was actually pretty good, and so many local, practicing artists participate.

There were lots of opportunities for hands-on activities for everyone. One that I liked was a series of windows mounted on stands. You were invited to write all over them, and when they got to covered up, a volunteer came through and cleared the window. There were a couple of pop-tents and canopies that the kids were wandering through. I'm sure they had fun, but it was obviously too small for me!

The volunteers did an amazing job, putting this event together. All of the work was clearly labeled, which is a monumental task in itself! Getting the show installed must have been pretty wild. I know that the screens go up over a couple of days, and will take as long to come down. All of those that helped out are just the best art brigade! Congratulations to all of you on yet another successful edition of Art All Night.

The below gallery contains descriptions, in case you want to hear more!

Structure at ModernFormations

Structure at ModernFormations

Where have the last two weeks gone? I had said I would continue with posts about April's Unblurred and here it is, days before Structures closes! It's such a terrific show, too.

I spoke to Ron Copeland at the opening, and he told me that this particular group of artists have shown together several times. Maybe that's why the show is so tight. In this edition, all of the members seem to be working with habitats in some form or other. So, with a diverse base of mediums, the artists have brought their own concepts to the exploration of abodes.

Megan Herwig | Uninhabited Lands

I really liked these assemblages from Megan Herwig (pictures above). Very clean, but with a nice amount of detail. They're sort of a DIY plan for some theoretical space. Also, Megan Shalonis has a piece in this exhibit too, along with her show at Mr. Roboto, just up the street.

It is short notice, but ModernFormations has regular gallery hours on Thursday. The gallery opens at 7pm, and this will be your last chance to see the exhibit.

Structure
ModernFormations

Irina Koukhanova: Panoptic Landscape

Irina Koukhanova | The Lookout

Irina Kouhanova's Panoptic Landscape presents as a boldly graphic exhibit at first blush. The prints are stark in black, red and grey, the cast tiles are starkly simple, and the sculptures are strong punctuations.

The imagery pays tribute to solitary, wild hybrid man-bird figures. In some, the indication of man-made structures dominates. But there is a dystopian theme that runs through the landscapes and figures that populate it.

I like this singular approach to the discipline of printing. Ms. Kouhanova produced prints that were a combination of a couple of blocks, with variations in color and sequence.

Several sculptural works are included in the exhibit, many of which are fully integrated and free-standing. These incorporated multiple materials, with painted wood supporting smal cast bronzes. The imagery was consistent with the graphic themes in the prints.

Irina Kouhanova | Pomegranate I

There is one piece in the exhibit that really resonated with me. Pomegranate I is small, at about 16" in height (with the base, it's 22"). It has delicate patinas in green and red with bronze softly shimmering through. The light play along its twined and curved surfaces is restless and liquid, catching in the seeds of the pomegranate halves. It got in behind my eyes and pulled my stomach though my throat. It brought to mind all those things that I had conquered and the rest that remain.

Panoptic Landscape is a very strong show, and I would highly recommend taking a trip to BoxHeart to see it. The exhibit is open through May 16.

2014 Artist of the Year: Irina Kouhanova
Panoptic Landscape (Exhibit images)
On exhibit from March 18th through May 16th, 2014
BoxHeart Gallery

Tony Feher @ The Akron Art Museum

I'm excited to see this show in Akron after missing his talked about retrospective at The Bronx Museum.

Tony was represented by the same gallery as me for a while.

An artist who stacks milk crates, hangs plastic bottles or places pennies on the floor creates a lot of eye rolls.
But spending time with the work often makes me see poetry and potential meaning in the most overlooked things.

My guess is this one is worth the trip.

Tony Feher

April 12, 2014 - August 17, 2014

Akron Art Museum

One South High, Akron, Ohio 44308

330.376.9185
mail@AkronArtMuseum.org

Gallery Hours
Wednesday - Sunday: 11 am - 5 pm
Thursday: 11 am - 9 pm
Closed Monday & Tuesday

Closed on most major holidays

A Spring Unblurred

OMG! What a great night on Penn Ave (Brian Kane installation on the MWFA facade)

I knew it was going to be great night when I got off the bus on Friendship and spotted that double rainbow. Sure, it was spattering a little, but it wasn't even bad enough to put up an umbrella.

My first stop was Garfield Artworks and the Pittsburgh Artists Against Fracking fundraiser. The gallery looked great, as did ALL of the donated art work. The final count was 78 donating artists, many of whom contributed multiple pieces. Kudos and roses for Bob Ziller, who coordinated the event, making sure that the gallery was in top shape for the opening. There are several pieces from the show included in the gallery at the end of this post. If you weren't able to make it to the opening, there will be a CLOSING PARTY on Monday, April 28th from 6 to 9 pm.

Matt Gatto VIII

 Meanwhile, next door at ImageBox, there was a wonderful little show of Matt Gatto's work: Diametric Forces. I was really struck by the wall pieces in this show. They were compact bursts of light and metal, very interesting to the eye. The exhibit is open through the month by appointment.

If you're planning on going to the Mr. Roboto Project over the next month, you'll have a chance to see Megan Shalonis' Mansion Apartment Shack House. These brightly painted assemblages are sweetly charming. Now, I am seriously old; I had never heard of the game that is referred to in the show title. I did look it up, though. It seems pretty popular, you should see the umpteen number of returns I got on search.

Anonymous Street Art

One of the the many things I like about traveling along Penn are the random acts of art, like the piece at the right. It was just such a bright bit of color in that grey night.

I stopped in at Edge Studio, but I must have missed the Pyrotopia promo. The doors were up, and the two artists that were there had a nice collection. Louis Boston the "Pi Guy" who does art from mathematical equations and anomalies, had a table of prints based on pi. The robot sculptures of Donald Jones were simply fun.

Stay tuned for part 2 of the first Springtime Unblurred. In the meantime, get ye to the Waterfront for the opening of Most Wanted Fine Art's new digs! The grand opening is this Saturday. More images from Unblurred are available in the slideshow. Image credit: Jason Sauer (for the OMG! image)

Laura McLaughlin + Kevin Snipes | Flow: Recent Iterations in Clay

Laura McLaughlin + Kevin Snipes | Flow: Recent Iterations in Clay

Laura Jean McLauglin is a prolific artist, consistently producing quality ceramic works. Her works, while giving a passing nod to the humble platter and bowl, express a personal narrative through her graphic imagery and sense of color.

In Flow, there is a fair sampling of the colorful works that I have always appreciated. There is a bowl, Polka Vase, whose inside glowed with orange-y warmth. But I was really struck by her sculptures at Borelli Edwards. There were a few that I particularly liked, and they are included in the images at the end of this post.

I was particularly struck by Guerney for a Forest. The expression is enigmatic; the eyes aren't the same and you feel an intent regard. One eyebrow is raised, with an exaggerated arch that goes beyond mere doubt. The mouth is soft and belies the age of that wrinkled brow with its innocent youthfulness. It's an uneasy piece, with complex subtexts.

Included in the exhibit are a few collaborative works between McLaughlin and Bob Qualters. I've included an image below (titled Knowledge), and want to mention the there is a retrospective of Mr. Qualters' work at the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts (closing April 20).

Flow continues through April 12 at Borelli Edwards Gallery in Lawrenceville.

5th YEAR FOR GA/GI FESTIVAL: Art, Fashion, Firemen--Fun for All!

    

On Friday, April 4, 2014 GA/GI’s grand 5th Anniversary theme is: "Earth, Wind & Fire." It's a tribute to three of nature's greatest elements. Just weeks before the 43rd international Earth Day it's also to thank Pittsburgh's fire-fighting forces for their tireless, brave work within the community.


     GA/GI 5 (99% free to the public) will be held on April 4 with some events extending into Saturday and Sunday in the Garfield/Friendship business district, primarily between 4800 and 5500 Penn Avenue and it's part of the monthly "Unblurred" First Fridays art crawl. One of primary elements of  focus is “fire.” The festival will host a "Fire Safety/Family Circle" sponsored by Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield which features a fire truck, fire dancers and a raku pottery firing in association with the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts. Another venue will host a fashion show celebrating local firefighters titled: Hotter Than Hell.

City of Pittsburgh now recruiting!

Mary Brennan,  Mrs. PA 2013

     The fashion showcase, held at the Pittsburgh Glass Center, will include designs styled by Crazy Hot Clothes, Katy Dement, J. Chernovet, Jazmeen, Elaine Healy, Sew Addicted, Sweetheart and Casa de Bolas and looks created by CAPA High School Students. One of the top models walking the runway will be former Mrs. Pennsylvania, Mary Brennan.

Brian Kane's iconic balloon sculpture

     The "wind" element will be represented at the Most Wanted Fine Art gallery with internationally known balloon sculptor Brian Kane. For "earth" there will be an educational art/farming experience at Assemble's art and technology space. Other key partners are Kelly Strayhorn presenting "The Secret History of Love," a trailblazing LBGT performance by Sean Dorsey (buy tickets for this one) as well as Artist's Against Fracking (free) exhibiting at Garfield Artworks. And you'll see: amazing posters by Louis Boston the "Pi guy;" Don Jones' robot art ; Gyreworks laser cuts (GBBN/Edge Studio), a fire piano, Pittsburgh firefighters, Jody Choder, an expert on raising chickens in the city, and enjoy a multitude of other artistic and scientific experiences. Also on hand to thrill and amaze: Three fire performances: Sirkus Dayz, Steel Town Fire, and Pyrotopia.

From the mouth of Pyrotopia /GBBN/Edge Studio

      The mission of the Geek Art/Green Innovator's Festival (GA/GI) hasn't changed since its inception as one of the key events of World Environment Day held in 2010 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: To present unique, emerging, and existing technology and environmental projects to the general public in an open, artistic venue. Since that time, no other neighborhood arts event has hosted a more diverse range of scientists, environmentalists, green vendors, fashion designers, video designers, architects, art galleries and artists, local businesses, DIY'ers, universities or students in all levels of education in the city of Pittsburgh.

     The festival's dedication of purpose was recognized and rewarded by the Pittsburgh Technology Council in 2012 with a DATA award. The festival is produced by Passports: The Art Diversity Project in collaboration with The Penn Avenue Arts Initiative, a partnership of Bloomfield Garfield Corporation and Friendship Development. Over 50 businesses and galleries will participate in the GA/GI event! Visit the website for regular updates. Click here.

     Contact: Christine Bethea / gagifest@gmail.com