Thursday, December 31, 2009

stories @ 925 Liberty Ave Downtown Pittsburgh

stories

info from: www.emphasisinteriors.com

December 31, 2009 to February 1, 2010

925 Penn Ave Downtown Pittsburgh

Everyone has a story. It’s how we describe ourselves in our minds and to each
other. An image can evoke thousands of words from one instant. What is it about
a look or gesture that speaks volumes? How do we interpret these fractions of
moments? A space can tell a story, too. By entering a room, you are invited to
know the inhabitants. You are invited to see, hear and feel their story.
stories is an exhibit of art-filled interiors inspired by the narratives of our
lives and the meaning we assign to the places we call home. Whether one is
a thrilling mystery, an epic saga or an esoteric poem, a customized home reflects
the lives unfolding there. What’s your story?

stories is also the grand-opening exhibit of Emphasis Interiors, a
new interior design firm specializing in visual art and the creative process.
Stories are meant to be shared. Join us for the events of our first themed
ARTShow or call for a design appointment. Then stay in touch—our next exhibit
will tell a new tale in a different locale!

Thursday, December 31 stories Opening Reception, First Night
6 pm (free and open to the public)

Saturday, January 9 “AHA” Artist Talk
2-4 pm Artists tell their own stories and share their inspirations
(free and open to the public)

Saturday, January 16 Designstorm Seminar: “Your STORY, Your STYLE”
1-5 pm Participants bring a story of their own to inspire a group
designstorm. Limited enrollment, $50 fee
(registration required)

Saturday & Sunday, Start with the ART STUDIO Workshop:
January 23 & 24 “An Open Book”
1-5 pm Participants create a handmade book using collage and
special book-binding techniques. Limited enrollment,
$150 fee (registration required)

Monday, February 1 stories Closing Reception
5-9 pm (free and open to the public)

info from:

www.emphasisinteriors.com

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

I Thought I Could Fly, Photographs by Charlee Brodsky, American Jewish Museum, Pittsburgh PA


Showing at the American Jewish Museum


Photographs by Charlee Brodsky
January 11-March 31, 2010

Charlee Brodsky's photographs are paired with narratives by individuals conveying personal experiences with mental illness. A short film with interviews of people whose narratives are in the exhibit brings to life their experiences regarding coping mechanisms, acceptance and recovery. The exhibit is traveling to southwestern Pennsylvania venues throughout 2010.

Opening reception
Thursday, January 14 * 7-9 PM
5738 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh PA 15217

7:30 pm: Discussion with Charlee Brodsky, photographer; Joni Schwager, Staunton Farm Foundation Executive Director; Carol Anderson, Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh; and contributors to the book I Thought I Could Fly: Portraits of Anger, Compulsion and Despair

Fine, Perlow and Weis Gallery * Events are free and open to the public.

This exhibition is made possible by the Staunton Farm Foundation. Additional support is provided by the Fine Foundation and Western Psychiatric Institute & Clinic. Major funding for the American Jewish Museum is provided by the Anna L. and Irene V. Caplan Fund of the United Jewish Federation. Additional funding is provided by the Allegheny Regional Asset District and the Pennsylvania Partners in the Arts, a Program of the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts. Media sponsorship is provided by WDUQ 90.5 FM.

For more information about the exhibit, visit www.jccpgh.org <http://www.jccpgh.org/> , or contact Melissa Hiller, AJM Director, at (412) 521-8011, ext. 105, or via email at mhiller@jccpgh.org.


more info here

Artist Andy Kehoe Makes The Juxtapoz Top 100!

Artist Andy Kehoe's work is among my favorite. Pittsburgh born and bred he now lives in Portland,Oregon. Making the top 100 of Juxtapoz is a big deal and it's well deserved.

Check out the link here.

Kehoe’s allegorical oil and acrylic on wood panel paintings utilize muted color combinations, which allow his meticulous brush strokes to speak loudly. Many of the characters of the part-man-part-beast variety are consistently portrayed with a strong sense of alienation, finding peace and beauty in solitude to overcome feeling alone.

Good blog post of images here too.

His website is
www.andykehoe.net and exhibits across the U.S., including the renowned Jonathan Levine Gallery.


fast fwd gallery January 22 2010 Art Market Party

On Friday January 22, 2010, 9pm, fast>>fwd Gallery will be hosting an Art
Market party. This will be open to anyone who would like to hang their
2D works up and make a sale. All mediums and medias will be accepted
as long as they can be hung on a wall and do not weight too much.
This will be a one night only event starting at 9pm and lasting into
the night. We will be providing alcohol and refreshments but we are
asking all artists to make a small contribution ($10-20) to help with
the drinks and operation costs, however you will get to keep %100 of
your sales. There will be a $5 all you can drink cover charge for all
other guests. We are encouraging everyone to bring smaller pieces that
are priced lower to sale. We are planning on filling the entire space
with artwork so there is no limit to the number of pieces, but all
pieces may not get hung. All pieces must be ready to hang with frames
and wire with your own labels with your name, title, and price. Pieces
are to be dropped off between January 10th and 21st. This event will
be 21 and over only, no exceptions, and will feature a music
performance by Coyotes, By the Way. To schedule a drop off time please
contact us in advance to set up a time.

fast>>fwd Gallery
3700 Penn Ave
Lawrenceville
Pittsburgh PA 15201

More info can be found here
http://www.facebook.com/#/pages/Pittsburgh-PA/fastfwd-gallery/114380202270?ref=ts
http://www.flickr.com/photos/fastfwdgallery/

Randyland Randy Gilson on Today, Pittsburgh PA North Side


This is a good piece on Randy Gilson of Randyland on the North Side of Pittsburgh, PA, link here. It could have had more video on Randyland itself though.

Now if we can just get foundations and deep pockets to pay more attention they might learn a thing or two from Randy and help him move forward with his plans.

Randy is an amazing person and his vision is vibrant.

On January 15, 2004 The Pittsburgh City Paper covered a story here, The Pittsburgh Tribune Review did a August 18, 2007 article on him here and Pop City did a piece on him Feb 6, 2008 here.

A July 2007 Chicago Tribune article can be found here as well. The video here.

His contact info:
Randy Gilson
1507 Arch Street
Pittsburgh PA 15212
(412) 321-7776
randygilson(AT)visualvitamin.com
website:
www.visualvitamin.com



Rick Byerly
Pittsburgh Galleries Blog

Saturday, December 26, 2009

Pittsburgh Gallery Crawl in the Cultural District Thursday, December 31, 2009 6:00 PM Pgh New Year's Eve

Gallery Crawl in the Cultural District
Presented by: Trust Education and Community Engagement Department
The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust
Venue: Throughout the Cultural District
Next performance: Thursday, December 31, 2009 6:00 PM
Tickets: FREE!

Art. Music. Dance. Networking. Fun. FREE!

The Gallery Crawl is a free quarterly showcase of art and entertainment in the heart of the Cultural District. All events take place at a variety of galleries and spaces and are FREE and open to the public. The event is ongoing between 5:30 and 9:00 pm, and patrons may start at any location.

Note: As of the this blog post they don't have the schedule but you can still get venue info here.

Sunday, December 20, 2009

Volcanic Fine Art Photography from Hawaii: Rick Byerly

rick byerly, the unusual in nature photography

on top:

starting over:

the source:

on a roll:

lavascape:

burning earth:

hey lavaman:

trailz:

mainstage:

'shroom'n:

lavagator:




Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Justseeds Artists Cooperative Mary Tremonte Art Sale: Thursday Dec 17 2009

Come deck your halls with radical art! Justseeds Artists Cooperative is having a special one-evening only show and sale of handmade prints at Encyclopedia Destructica Studios, where Justseeds member Mary Tremonte is their current Flying Destructicate. See work from over 20 artists from the US and Canada working in silkscreen, woodcut, linoleum block printing, offset, and letterpress, on themes of social and environmental justice and transformative politics. Celebrate People's History posters and postcard sets will be available as well as it's Getting Hot in Here, Deeper Than Mechanics Dare, and more. All work is $35 and under, much of it $10-20.


Enjoy hot cider and cookies, sweet jamz and browse the Encyclopedia Destructica catalog, as well as Mary's zine collection (collected 1993-present), open for browsing in a cozy reading nook through January.

About Justseeds: Justseeds Artists' Cooperative is a decentralized community of artists who have banded together to both sell their work online in a central location and to collaborate with and support each other and social movements. Our website is a destination to find out about current events in radical art and culture. Our blog covers political printmaking, socially engaged street art, and culture related to social movements. We believe in the power of personal expression in concert with collective action to transform society.

Date:
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Time:
7:00pm - 11:00pm
Location:
Encyclopedia Destructica Studios, 156 41st St (L-ville towards the river)

Holiday Art Sale:Clay Penn and Artica Sat Dec 19, Noon to 7pm


Please join the Clay Penn (5111 Penn Ave), Penn Ave Books(4810 Penn Ave) and
ARTica (5110 Penn Ave) for a Holiday Sale Extravaganza.

*One Stop shopping, Find Ceramics, Prints and Mosaics by Laura Jean
McLaughlin and a variety of artists at the Clay Penn,

*Choose from over 8,000 Books from every genre imaginable from Penn Ave
Books

*as well as Fine Art, Antiques and unique gifts from ARTica.


*Please join us from Noon till 7p.m. Saturday, Dec. 19, 2009 for warm apple
cider and Holiday Cheer*
*
*
*Call (412) 951-6133 for more info*

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Bittersweet Harvest Pittsburgh Art Blog


Bittersweet Harvest continues to cover an amazing array of Pittsburgh art and artists like no other Pittsburgh blog does. Check the right hand side of the blog for upcoming art events as well.


Monday, December 14, 2009

Pittsburgh Citiparks and the Power Flower Team Up


In addition to receiving a Sprout Fund Seed Award in 2009, Art Energy Design is pleased to have Pittsburgh Citiparks onboard as a additional sponsor to the Power Flower Tour. With Sprout Fund and Citipark's help AED's Pittsburgh Power Flower will expand the reach of education workshops and sculpture exhibitions throughout the Spring and Summer of 2010. Activities are planned for 8 city park locations. Public demonstrations of the solar, wind and green features of the working sculpture will be given.

We will also have something fun for the kids. The park exhibitions will unleash "Bug Fest". Sculptural metallic insects will perform feats of strength, demonstrate mechanical motion and inspire creative reuse design. Some insects even feature LED lights and spotlight the actions of the other bugs. The bugs interact with the flower sculpture which serves as their home base and recharging area. They can ride up a "bug elevator" and spin back down to the ground with the help of a helically shaped snake named Screwy. There are spiders, ants crickets and even a mouse. Each has a function that inspires creative thinking.

Dave Edwards, founder of Art Energy Design adds, " This is all about fun. Each bug activity demonstrates a basic mechanical or electrical function. The kids really get it. They ask many questions and offer some great ideas. We continuously incorporate ideas offered by the public into new creations. Art is a great way to connect with people at any level of understanding of green technologies. We answer questions from adults about energy storage, control and usage...and have a great time interacting with the kids."


www.ArtEnergyDesign.com

Saturday, December 12, 2009

Artist Erica Cassill, Transcendental Based Art






A friend gave me a heads up on artist Erica Cassil who is a Pittsburgh based artist. Check out her website!


Artist Statement for Erica Cassil:


Putting paint to paper has become more of a meditative process for me over the years, consummating the transcendental experience with a care-free desire to create. The images themselves are often inspired by nature, sacred art from the East, children's book illustrations, punk rock and the Pre-Raphaelites. I indulge in patterns that develop between land, sky, and water. Using a technique that I learned during my travels in South Asia, I form shapes and shadows out of layers of color, hatches and stipling. The images are not meant to glorify a particular faith but to unite the universal themes of honor, compassion , and love.


http://ericacassill.com/

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Sneak Preview of Kilauea, Rick Byerly's Photography , The Unusual In Nature Hawaii


A sneak preview of a magma image from my trek to the big island.

Stay tuned for exhibit announcements 'an at.

Update: more here:

Rick Byerly


(image reduced in size and watermarked but not as far as anything else- no post camera editing)

Artist John Metzler, Urban Tree Forge


I was passing on contact information to a friend about artist John Metzler and realized I didn't have his site listed on the blog links so did that and wanted to post here as well. His amazing wooden tables were purchased by phipps via the G20 dillio ( G20 tables not pictured above fyi).

from the site:

Urban Tree Forge is a creative manufacturer of hardwoods, millwork, furniture, cabinetry and sculpture. We specialize in blending furniture with art to create unique pieces that are inspired by nature.




Wednesday, December 9, 2009

SPACE Gallery "Behind Our Scenes" December 11 2009-Feb 13 2010


SPACE Gallery's Guest Curators Nicole Rosato and Laura Mustio have put together a show of 34 working artists who are also employed by Pittsburgh's museums and galleries. Participating artists represent the Carnegie Museum of Art, Future Tenant, FE Arts Gallery, The Mattress Factory, the Andy Warhol Museum, and Wood Street Galleries.

The show will run from December 11 through February 13.

Please help us celebrate at the opening with free beer and wine, food, and live music by Big Hurry and other local bands!

Bring your friends!


Date:
Friday, December 11, 2009
Time:
6:00pm - 10:00pm
Location:
SPACE Gallery: 812 Liberty Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15222

Image above is from art photographer Bryan Conley.

Pittsburgh Fe Arts Gallery Group Exhibit December 10 2009 January 16 2010

SMALL is the new big: 25 Squared

an exhibition of 625 pieces of small art
*****************************************
OPENING RECEPTION:
December 10, Thursday from 7-9pm


25 artists presenting 25 pieces of artwork 5" or smaller, for a total of 625 pieces of art on display.

ADLER A.F.
Alberto J. Almarza
Karen Rich Beall
Kate Bechak
Astrid Behrens
Michelle Browne
Lilly Cannon
Carolyn Clayton
Kat Cole
LEX Covato
Ben Hernstrom
Joey Kennedy
Deanna Mance
Maria Mangano
David Montano
Kathleen Montgomery
Stefanie Moser
Mara Rago
Karen Seapker
Randie Snow
William D. Wade
Shawn Watrous
Carolyn Wenning
Marlee Yamnitsky
Variance: Collaborative Team Krowinski & Zamora
_________________________________________________

EXHIBITION HOURS:
Thurs-Sat 12-3pm
Call for Holiday Hours

DATES:
December 10, 2009 -
January 16, 2010

4102 Butler Street Pgh PA 15201

Monday, December 7, 2009

Jeremy Beightol, Jesse Best ModernFormations Gallery and Fast Fwd Gallery Pittsburgh PA Art


Must see exhibits from the December 2009 Unblurred lineup:


Artists Jeremy Beightol, Jesse Best at ModernFormations Gallery Pittsburgh PA Art

12 x 12 Group Show at Fast Fwd Gallery

The Unblurred schedule can be found here most of the time:




Disclaimer: I didn't make it to all the venues.

Kathleen Lolley Art Update, A Pittsburgh-Born Artist


Info from one of my favorite artists:


I am in a group show at Meltdown Gallery: Aurora of Polar Bears

Opening reception this Saturday, Dec 5th (2009) in Los Angeles CA.
There is an amazing line up of artists. I only wish I
could be there , but I will be there is spirit.

http://www.meltcomics.com/blog


...

More prints, ornaments and goodies are now available at my etsy store.

I’m having a winter sale and expedited shipping, it’s worth a peep.

http://www.lolley.etsy.com
http://complicatedmuse.blogspot.com

...

Also, I lent my art to a friend’s record.
Robin Crutchfield: The Hidden Folk

True underground folk music in a 'miner' key depic
ting the hidden folk in harp and drone.
http://www.myspace.com/robincrutchfield

Sunday, December 6, 2009

Artist Hung Liu, Sundown of the Last Dynasty, at the Michael Berger Art Gallery, Pittsburgh PA South Side




Artist Hung Liu, Sundown of the Last Dynasty
Pittsburgh PA, South Side.

There's an amazing art exhibit there! Lithographs, etchings, ink on paper, tapestries, archival digital prints and more. And yes, digital prints can be archival despite what bizarre assumptions people hold, including the grinch who accosted me during Unblurred last Friday.

It opened December 5th, 2009. I'm not sure how long it runs but I'll check.


30 South Sixth Street, Pittsburgh PA 15203
Phone Number 412-441-4282
http://www.mbergerart.com/

Hours are Wed Sat Noon to Five

From the website:

Michael Berger Gallery is pleased to present its second solo exhibition by internationally known artist Hung Liu. The exhibition features mainly two new bodies of work: Jacquard tapestries and a series of prints, Music of the Great Earth Variations, each created in collaboration with Magnolia Editions, a fine art print studio in Oakland, California.

Hung Liu was born in Changchun, China in 1948. She attended Beijing Teachers College in 1975 and studied mural painting as a graduate student at the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing. Hung Liu immigrated to the United States in 1984 to attend the University of California, San Diego, where she received her MFA.

She has exhibited work at San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the de Young Museum in San Francisco, and the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, Kansas City. Her works are part of the collections of the National Museum of American Art, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art and Los Angeles County Museum of Art.