Meet Baxter, the Trainable Manufacturing Robot Today @ CMU: He Works Cheap

Great news is that rising manufacturing wages in China and cheap natural gas energy are helping push more plants back to the states. The bad news that manufacturing employment is not going up, partly due to robots like Baxter. He doesn't need health insurance.

From the time the first "Ludite" smashed a loom competing for his job, workers have feared job losses from automation.




Check out Baxter today @ CMU

When: Wednesday, July 31. Media preview is at 11 a.m.; laboratory open house is from noon to 2 p.m.

Where: The Veloso Lab is in room 3201 of the Gates and Hillman centers on the Carnegie Mellon campus. From the Gates and Hillman elevators, make a U-turn to the left and follow the hallway to its end. Parking is available in the Gates Center parking garage. Because of construction, the Gates garage can no longer be accessed via Roberts Drive. Access now is via South Neville Street; call Byron Spice, 412-268-9068 for detailed directions.

Rocky River, Ohio's 97 Year Old, Legally Blind Artist Goes Viral as The Pixel Painter

Pretty amazing how immortal the creative spirit is in some people. Video is well worth watching.

Images of the unique Baby Doll Dance on Rust Wire

For over 100 years the Italian Catholic community in Lowellville, Ohio near Youngstown has celebrated a unique tradition. 

A person casts out the demons and bad mojo from the past year and celebrates life by spinning around in a large paper mache figure loaded with burning fireworks. Dangerous? It's a little toned down now, and they no longer blow the figure's head off. Zambelli Fireworks even helps with the design.

Check out the post on Rust Wire.
A longer article in The Youngstown Vindicator

Ben Oddi at ModernFormations

I walked into ModernFormations for the opening on July's First Friday and was just stunned by Ben Oddi's work. It was not what I was anticipating, not at all. In this case, my expectations were exceeded.

It's interesting to see how an artist's vision can evolve. While there are consistencies in the underlying themes from this current body of work to what Mr. Oddi has shown in the past, the visual interpretion is a magnitude away. Another significant change is his move into encaustics from oils. I love looking at encaustic works; the media has always fascinated me. The layers of pigment and wax seem to float and there is a sense of fluidity to the surface. The works created with encaustics seem luminous.

The works created by Mr. Oddi in this exhibit explore the layering potential of the encaustic media. What I really found fascinating in his exploration was the pentimenti that could be glimpsed through the layers. The works are firm and bold, with a very expressive quality. The pentimenti visible through the layers seem at once deliberate and exploratory, like a recording of a journey encased in one holographic image.

The works are narrative, steeped in storytelling. But since this is a visual medium, the narrative is not linear and doesn't progress from piece to piece. Instead, each individual panel explores a moment in all of its fullness, implying all of the connections to a larger narrative in their layers.

The exhibit is in place through August 16 at ModernFormations. I have included a few images in the gallery. Enjoy!

Dear Universe: New Encaustic works by Benedict Oddi
Exhibit runs to August 16th 2013
Modernformations
4919 Penn Avenue. Pittsburgh PA 15224
412.362.0274
Gallery hours: 1-4pm Sat, 7-9pm Thurs, or by appt.

Artica + Mostly Mod

Christine Bethea and Bernie Schilling - Mostly Mod and Artica

Last month, I was in absolute despair: Artica was closing its doors! I've been an occasional patron since Christine Bethea opened Artica several years ago, and it was always a favorite stop on First Fridays. I purchased a beautiful kilim runner there just this past December (well, I did say occasional patron). Full disclosure: I've known Christine FOREVER. We have collaborated on projects, and we've shared studio space. Christine is also the power machine behind the GA/GI festival.

I was pleasantly surprised to see Artica preparing for July's Unblurred event. It seems that Christine has partnered with Bernie Schilling of Mostly Mod to continue in the Penn Avenue space.

With this new partnership, the space has taken on an entirely new color - literally. The walls are decorated with broad strips in soft colors. Classic furniture, representing a span of several decades, is shown alongside DIY works, handicrafts and fine art. There was a beautiful rosewood chest-on-chest that was absolutely gorgeous. Nearby was an equally stunning set of chests from Herman Miller. Good, clean lines and stunning in an entirely different way.

Artica & Mostly Mod have regular hours, and will be open for the next First Friday with extended hours. So, if you haven't had a chance to acquaint yourself with Artica, or if you were having separation pangs like I was, you still have ample opportunity to get yourself there. Here's a gallery to pique your interest. Enjoy!

Pittsburgh's Fire Arts Festival, Pyrotopia returns in October with paid admission charge.

I had lots of hopes for this event, which is the brain child of CMU robotics geek, performance artist and musician Eric Singer. Eric himself told me, his goal was to create the largest east coast festival of all things fire and light related- ala- "Burning-Man."

The reality, I saw a few years ago at the Pump House grounds in Homestead was pretty amazing, but far short of that goal. Most contributors, Phat Man Dee, local fire dancers and CMU artists like Singer were local. The logistics of the free festival were daunting with traffic backed up and people walking a mile or more to the site. While the site was inspiring, large crowds, small spaces and fire breathing robots don't always mix well.

This time they are trying a different site and a fairly steep $25 admission charge. ($35 at the gate)

 The second annual PYROTOPIA Festival of Fire Arts will be held on Saturday, October 12 at Westfield Park in Munhall Borough. The one-day event includes children’s activities and artist demonstrations in the afternoon, and fire performances, art installations and other fire and light acts after dark.

 PYROTOPIA showcases the majesty of fire, light and electricity in the arts, bringing together such diverse practices as fire dancing, blacksmithing, glass art, and LED installations.

Over 4000 people attended the first festival in April 2012. This year, the event moves to a larger venue with bleacher seating near the Waterfront. “Westfield Park is a great space that will offer festival patrons an amazing experience,” said PYROTOPIA founder Eric Singer. “The large field offers plenty of room for a variety of acts and spectacles which attendees will be able to experience up close.”

 Festival installations will include Flaming Simon, a fire-driven version of the electronic game "Simon" created by Singer that was the hit of last year’s festival. Stage performers include local talents Apex (fire hooping) and Steel Town Fire (fire dancing). Phoenix Fire Productions from Indianapolis will also return.

The evening will be co-hosted by jazz chanteuse Phat Man Dee and performance artist Andrew the Impaled. DJ Zombo will play special sets of fire-themed music throughout the night.

On Saturday afternoon, free make-and-take activities for children will be led by Assemble, a community space for arts and technology based in Garfield’s Penn Avenue arts district.

I am very glad they are trying to continue with this difficult, ambitious festival.

Unblurred - July on the Avenue

Small Press Pop Up, Karen Lillis and Laura Zurowski

So, so much fun at this month's Unblurred.

I love this time of year on Penn. On top of the regular gallery venues, the are tons of street things happening. There were a couple buskers, and several artists had tables set up, or were just sitting on stoops, selling zines and sketches. There was a terrific one-man percussion performer near the corner of Penn and Winebiddle. A half block away was a guy with a ukelele. Hmm. Funny stuff, there.

I stopped by the Irma Freeman Center and saw the series of copper foil portraits by Irma Freeman (1950's - 70's). This was a really nice exhibit. I'm sorry to say that I got there late to the party; Friday was the closing reception. But the portraits were really wonderful. There's a great shot at the link, and also a good one in the below gallery.

JR Holtz had a table of his retro paintings on glass set up near Most Wanted Fine Art. Mr. Holtz has shown his work at several of the Penn Avenue venues, as well as points across the city. He can also be found most Saturdays in the Strip District. Window on Penn Ave

Small Press Pittsburgh had a pop-up near the Clay Penn.This is a new venture, I believe. The next one will be during the Cultural District Gallery Crawl, on Friday, July 12 at the Toonseum. It's a great opportunity to pick up some cool local lit and zines. I picked up a copy of Weave, which I am thoroughly enjoying. Karen Lillis was on hand, along with Laura Zurowski and Sarah LaPonte. So, these kinds of pop up events are also a good time to meet some of the artists involved in the Pittsburgh Lit scene.

Most Wanted Fine Art played host to Graham Shearing and Associated Artists of Pittsburgh for the exhibit Conversations: 5:10. It was a nice little show. I think this is the first time that AAP has had a venture on Penn Ave. One really fun piece was taking place in the back corner: Jo-Ann Bates' American - Straight, Wave and Weave. A hybrid of installation, performance and formal representational art, it struck me as witty and conversational.

Lots more happening, and I'll be putting up a couple more posts over the next few days. In the meantime, enjoy the slideshow!

Zoetic Walls Project Invites Global Street Artists To Cleveland

Just came across this urban mural project on walls all over the Waterloo Arts district in East Cleveland's Collinwood neighborhood. Hopefully, I can there to see them sometime.

From the ArtsCollinwood website.

"The finest street artists from around the world are bringing the walls of the Waterloo District to life.

Zoetic Walls Cleveland is the first organized street art project to hit the walls of Cleveland. This public art mural project, co-curated by Waterloo Arts (Cleveland) and Pawn Works (Chicago), embraces the street art movement, which has been minimally represented in Cleveland.  This art form is sweeping like wild fire across other parts of the world and transforming cities into outdoor museums. Nick Marzullo and Seth Mooney (Pawn Works), both Cleveland natives, took notice of our emerging neighborhood and approached us to do a street art project, we welcomed them home and got to work. This wall project includes up to six murals and is a testament to the vibrant art scene of the Waterloo Arts and Entertainment District neighborhood that will be an ongoing display for many to enjoy. Imagine the walls, the alleyways, and all the nooks and crannies of the district as a canvas for the finest street artists around the world to create on. Giving artists the freedom to create work without the constraints of design committees, result in dynamic, inspired paintings that beautify the neighborhood and engage the community in thought and discussion."

The project seems to have been put together by two ex Clevelander's,  Nick Marzullo and Seth Mooney, who run a Chicago gallery called Pawn Works.

"Often, we fly in highly regarded artists from the international street-art scene to paint on Chicago’s buildings. We consider ourselves independent curators of public art in the true sense of the word."

Check out the Zoetic Walls Facebook page.

A post about GAIA's Cleveland Mural on BSA

The project got some grant sponsorship, but I can't help noticing the relative lack of local coverage from power players like The Cleveland Plain Dealer or even Freshwater Cleveland. My guess is that "street art" is still something the establishment doesn't like. 

Doug Aitken's Art Train Tour to stop in Pittsburgh

Yet another grand spectacle put together by a famous "art star".
Still, the concept of a train of artists, musicians putting together a traveling multi media spectacular is also filled with too much promise to ignore. The project is also billed as a moving workspace.

Interestingly, some of the 10 nationwide stops are obscure stations.

September 6, 2013      New York, New York                                                                      
September 8, 2013      Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania           
September 12, 2013    Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota                               
September 14, 2013    Chicago, Illinois                                                       
September 16, 2013    Kansas City, Missouri                                              
September 20, 2013    Lamy/Santa Fe, New Mexico
September 22, 2013    Winslow, Arizona                                                             
September 24, 2013    Barstow, California                                                              
September 26, 2013    Los Angeles, California                                
September 28, 2013    Oakland/San Francisco, California

Pittsburgh Magazine's post

Somebody, Anybody… Everybody: the last hurrah

I went to the closing reception for Somebody, Anybody… Everybody last Friday at ModernFormations. Both of the artists, David Grim and Mark Panza, were there. What a lovely evening! I'm so glad I had a chance to go, since I wasn't able to attend the opening reception.

The atmosphere was very relaxed, with a manageable group sitting around talking about the things artists talk about: art they've seen, art they're making, art business, and technique. There was room to really see the work. Everybody took advantage of the artists to ask for detailed answers about specific works, something that can be difficult during opening receptions.

Thanks, ModernFormations, for hosting these awesome events.

Joshua Hogan at BoxHeart

Joshua Hogan Innocence and Arrogance

Do you think that verbalizing about visual arts is applicable in every instance and for every artist? I don't, and I think Joshua Hogan's work is a good example of when speculating on philosophical content falls short.

These are paintings about life, in an experiential interaction that inserts itself sideways into your mind. Do you know what I mean? His paintings reflect the fullness of life, without a narrative and with a diversity of points of view. Mr. Hogan's work leaves narrative in favor of a fullness of exploration.

With all of that said, I reacted strongly to Innocence and Arrogance (above). It's quite striking, for all that the palette has been limited. At first sight, from a distance where your vision encompasses the entire work, there is a sense of pattern and rhythm. Close inspection brings a different reward, with a rich surface texture. While the saturated dashes of color play across the canvases rhythms in a sweet counterpoint from a distance, they become a main player at closer scrutiny with subtle marks and detailed line.

I know I've focused a lot on this one work. The entire show is of the same quality,and is well worth giving yourself some time to really see the exhibit in its entirety. You can view installation images, or Mr. Hogan's portfolio, for a full scope of the exhibit.

The Way and The Wayfarers: Paintings by: Joshua Hogan
June 25th - July 20th, 2013
Public Reception: Saturday, June 29th: 5 - 8pm
BoxHeart
4523 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15224

Indie Lit Book Table at Polish Hill Arts Fest

Larchmere PorchFest in Cleveland this Saturday Transforms Porches into Stages

The best events in Cleveland share the same kind of unpretentious neighborhood feel of many of Pittsburgh's best.

Larchmont is a neighborhood in Cleveland, close to Shaker Heights and University Circle. For five years they have invited people to turn their porches and front yards into into low key music venues. Walk around, breath the summer air and move from concert to concert. Even if all the bands suck, chances are this is gonna be fun. Did I mention that many of Cleveland's awesome food trucks will be out there too?

More Info on Larchmere

Event website: Larchmere PorchFest, with schedule, map and all other details

Somebody, Anybody… Everybody

Grim and Panza at Modernformations

I am so glad that Modernformations has a closing reception for Somebody, Anybody… Everybody. I was unable to attend the opening, and have been pretty occupied this month. The work is documented on Modernformation's site, so I am anticipating a really smashing exhibit.

David Grim

Both of the artists in the exhibit attend drop-in model sessions in the Pittsburgh area. David Grim is continuing with his work on telephone book pages, but has moved into full color, a real change from his previous works of black marker in his Book of Life series.

Mark Panza

Mark Panza's work for the exhibit is manipulated digital prints and light sculptures. The examples on Modernformation's site look pretty fantastic. Mr. Panza's work is also figure based. Presented together, the exhibit explores the contemporary paths that are pursued by artists that continue the formal aesthetics of figure based work.

So, with much anticipation, I am looking forward to attending the closing reception.

Closing reception
Friday June 21: 6-8PM

Somebody, Anybody… Everybody
New work by David Grim and Mark Panza
Modern Formations
Runs to June 26th
Thursdays 7pm - 9pm
Saturdays 1pm - 4pm
Private appointments are available by request
4919 Penn Avenue. Pittsburgh PA 15224. 412.362.0274

George Nama: Fleeting Images: A Survey @ Shepherd W&K Galleries in NY

I know, this is a Pittsburgh art blog mostly but as usual on my last NY trip I came across several shows of local artists or people with strong ties to the city.

George Nama was my favorite teacher at Pratt Institute; I knew he was from Pittsburgh and attended Carnegie Tech. As great as he was as a teacher, the truth is he rarely showed us much of his own personal work, preferring that we find our own paths.

I had to pop in when I saw his name on an uptown, NY gallery not far from The Met. The show turned out to be a mini retrospective tilted towards very early works from his Homestead youth in the 1950's. Even the smallest and earliest works shown seen to have a quiet poetic power and often strangeness. He is very sensitive to nuance, texture and line.

Check out the catalog and if you are in NYC, check out the show which includes several large drawings and watercolors picturing Homestead in the late 1950's.

George Nama: Fleeting Images: A Survey
June 4th
through July 26th, 2013

Shepherd  W & K  Galleries
58 East 79th Street
New York, New York 10075 USA
Tel: (212) 861-4050

Tuesday through Saturday 10 am until 6 pm or by appointment.

Knit the Bridge: just keep on stitching

Yarn bombing began to surface several years ago, as a form of urban grafitti. The examples that I have seen on the internet range in scale from intimate coverings on park benches and trees up to large-scale works that cover the steps of a cathedral.

Locally, there haven't been too many in-the-wild yarn bombings. You'll see the occasional bike rack or street pole with a touch of colorful yarn, but nothing more ambitious. I could be wrong; if you know about larger projects I'd love to hear about them! Purely as an appreciator; I love looking sometimes, it's the voyeur in me.

However, Pittsburgh has an extremely large and exceptionally ambitious project that will completely cover the Andy Warhol Bridge. If memory serves, the project was launched the better part of a year ago by the Fiber Arts Guild of Pittsburgh. I made a point of stopping by the Knit the Bridge booth at Three Rivers Arts Festival this week. Kitty Spangler, who has been working with the group from the start, was at the booth with a couple volunteers. She tells me that most of the blanket sections are complete but that they are still looking to make the black framing sections that will serve as a unifying element in this crazy quilt of a project.

The project is very complex, with multiple neighborhood coordinators enlisting the help of residents in making the panels and representatives from the project on hand at most community gatherings and street fairs. The project's statement about knitting a bridge between Pittsburgh communities is very apt.

There are several ways that you can help support this project. Knit the Bridge recently launched an IndiGoGo campaign to support the project. The funds raised will go to support installation costs, which is no small feat. If you want to get involved in making the panels, there are several drop-in sessions every week where you can go. They'll even show you how to knit or crochet and the company is wonderful. Or you can make a panel while you watch The Newsroom, and drop them off.

TRAF - Juried Visual Art Exhibit

The three Rivers Arts Festival certainly warrants more time this year than I have been able to give it. I spent Friday afternoon at the Artists Market, and Tuesday I stopped in at the Cultural Trust's Education Center to see the Juried Visual Art Exhibit.

This is, by far, the best edition of this series that I've seen. Comprised of only fifty works in a generous space gives each piece breathing room, allowing contemplation without distraction. The installation really did justice to the work. There are more than several good works in the exhibit. For personal reasons, a handful really stood out for me.

Matty Davis

I would be very interested in seeing the above work by Matty Davis in strong and changing light. Not a rapidly changing light, but the natural light over the course of the day and the season. The potential for depth and the interplay of shadow is intriguing; I could see myself living with this piece, shifting it throughout my home and contemplating the changes of light that are possible from a deceptively static work. The layers of fingerprints are complex, with the vagaries of coverage from opaque to slightly faded, couple with expanses of completely clear glass. In the diffuse light of the gallery, the main interest of the work was in its subtle shifts of depth.

Seth Clark

Seth Clark creates his collages from found papers, as well as other media. The works are rich in surface texture and intricate in their observation of decay. The contrast between the floating constructions of dilapidated structures and the very clean expanse of the ground creates a dreamlike floating quality. The effect is disorienting, with uncertainty underpinning the perspective because there is no sure horizon or point of physical orientation.

Stephanie Armbruster

From the artist's site:

Stephanie Armbruster works primarily as an encaustic painter, creating luminous, translucent surfaces by suspending pigment, drawings and ephemera between layers of molten wax.

Ms. Armbruster's work is simply beautiful. The layers hold light just below the surface and color blooms across the substrate in gentle shadings, contrasting with stronger concentrations of pigment that provide a map across the surface. Definitely a work that would grow and transcend through multiple viewings.

Thomas Bigatel

There is a lot of controlled energy in Thomas Bigatel's work. Three of Mr. Bigatel's works are included in the exhibit on canvases that run from medium to large. The expansive gestures of the artist absolutely require the space. I got the feeling that the gestures extended way beyond the confines of the substrate, and that what I was viewing was a fraction of the full spectrum of the piece. The work is a balance blend of impulse and consideration.

The exhibit will be gone in a flash, in place only for the duration of the festival. Fortunately, the venue is open until 8PM for the festival. Please note that the above images are courtesy of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust.

EDIT: Replaced a couple images. 

Juried Visual Art Exhibit
Through June 16, 2013
Trust Arts Education Center
805 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222

Opening day – TRAF 2013

A friend of mine was in town over the last week and wanted to go to the Three Rivers Arts Festival during her stay. So on Friday, we met Downtown and spent the afternoon leisurely strolling through the Artists Market.

As any Pittsburgher knows, the festival not only brings art in its various forms to downtown, it also heralds a week of rain. It didn't matter one little bit to me that the weather forecast said the chance of rain was a paltry 30%. I have experience with this festival and it always rains. So, with a sense of smugness, I packed up my umbrella, made sure my camera was sufficiently protected, and off I went.

It didn't rain, at all. And my companion and I thoroughly enjoyed the day.

Now, I just went the first day, so the artists that I saw may not be in their booths when you elect to roam the Artists Market since the booths rotate among a couple artists over the course of the festival. It's one of the nice features of the festival, and a very good reason to plan for several visits. You can preview the exhibitors for any session and plan your visit that way.

Seth Clark

There were so many great booths in the Artists Market this very first day of the festival. All of it was first rate, and spanned the spectrum from personal adornment to fine art and craft. Some were truly fun and appealing, and some were presenting works that spoke to personal vision. Seth Clark is a standout for me. I find his mixed media to be an interesting take on urban landscapes, surprisingly accurate in spirit to many of the less popular Pittsburgh neighborhoods and small municipalities in this region. Mr. Clark's work is also included in the Juried Visual Arts exhibit, a must-see show.

Daniel Baxter's Kreepy Doll Factory

   Highly recommended for FUN! Daniel Baxter's Kreepy Doll Factory is anything but creepy, with it's display of colorful dolls. Each doll is individually named, it's written right on the tag. No two dolls are alike, at all. Really, just tons of variety.

Sherry Rusinack

Sherry Rusinack is one of the festival's emerging artists. This is a "Scholarship program helping regional artists produce their first booth in an outdoor show" bringing artists into the market that might never have considered participating. Ms. Rusinack's work is deceptive, with its bright colors giving it a playful appeal. There is a definite feeling of walking into a world in motion, intensely personal and visionary.

Santiago "Chago" Gutierrez

 I believe I have the correct artist from the Nica Ceramic Art collective in crediting the above work. It was absolutely stunning, and I was intrigued by the process the artist used to create the effects.

Aimee Manion

Look at that sweet piece, isn't it lovely? There were several painters representing in the Art Market, but I found these to be very fresh-looking works. Aimee Manion's work has this dreamlike quality about it. I love her use of color, really bold but still clear and pure. Kind of like the sound of glass ringing, except on your eyes.

Hugh Hayden, American Hero #4

This piece by Hugh Hayden was installed next to the Wyndham Grand Hotel. My first take on this piece was that it was illustrating the demise of Detroit and the car industry. Sort of. This was the first conclusion that I reached since from a distance, the black stripes seemed to be the torn treads of tires. Closer examination, however, revealed that they were braided synthetic hair. The following explanation was provided at the site:

Hugh Hayden, American Hero 4

To be clear, I didn't find the piece compelling even when I was operating under my own interpretation. The explanation just left me cold. It is not just an apparent lack of connection between the presented work and the intention, but the entire dialog that is missing from this work makes it deliberately obtuse. There just isn't a way to map the intention from the presented work. (There are additional images in the gallery.) By contrast I found Chang-Jin Lee's Floating Echo appealing and quite beautiful.

Chang-Jin Lee, Floating Echo

Right? Isn't that just so peaceful? The work is located in Point State Park, beside the pedestrian walkway. I was soothed visually by this work. It was well placed, working well within its site. So, a theme of harmony, but maybe a new harmony implying a path of balance between nature and man-made intrusion.

The installation works remain in place for the duration of the festival. There are several, scattered throughout the downtown area, most of which I didn't get to see. It's a shame, really, that the festival isn't longer, or that some of it couldn't remain in place longer than the Artists Market.

Please, take a look through the gallery for additional pictures, especially of the folks that I haven't mentioned.

Korean Food Bazaar tomorrow in Shadyside

                                      

10:30 to 4:00 at the Korean Central Church of Pittsburgh 

The Korean Central Church of Pittsburgh 
821 S. Aiken Ave.
 Shadyside, Pa 15232 412-687-7775

Some of Pittsburgh's food festivals seem overhyped but I grew up in areas of Queens with huge Korean populations and rarely had food this good! Homemade kimchi, rice cakes, pancakes, dumplings, Korean barbeque and all kinds of other great things. Also, quality packaged foods like jarred kimchi. Get there early, cause they run out of many dishes.

 Also enjoy the beauty of this church and the neighborhood around it.

Art All Night 2013 Highlights

Events included Live painting all night, Drawing from model, Cartooning all Night, Music & Dance Performances



Art All Night Parade




Perhaps more amazing and certainly more packed with work than I have ever seen it. These are just some of the things that caught my eye, that I was able to photograph.

More about Art All Night here:
http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/ae/art-architecture/anything-goes-at-lawrencevilles-art-all-night-684862/