Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Cork Factory Drawings by Zarah Blair, Shaw Galleries

PITTSBURGH, PA, 10/14/10 – Shaw Galleries is pleased to announce the opening on Tuesday, November 2, 2010 of "Cork Factory Drawings by Zarah Blair," an exhibit featuring nine documentary drawings that capture the 2005-06 renovation of Pittsburgh's historic Armstrong Cork Factory building in the Strip District, and six drawings of homeless children Blair envisioned as living there when the building was a cold, graffiti covered shell.

Zarah Blair of Sarver, PA, is an artist who became a nursing home administrator along the way. She has been drawing since childhood and has been in nursing/administration for over 30 years. Blair attended classes in drawing, design, and printmaking at Chatham College in Pittsburgh and was invited to teach an Art Endeavor Program through a grant from the Society for Contemporary Craft on Pittsburgh’s North Shore. There, she created, developed, and led the unique program in eldercare environments. To date, she has taught singular printmaking (monotype) combined with collage to seventh graders, college students, and senior adults of all levels and abilities. She is a member of the National Collage Society and the Pittsburgh Watercolor Society and is a board member of the Mental Health Association of Butler County. Also an author, Blair wrote and illustrated "FINE LINES – A Story of Art and Aging," published by Word Association Publishers, Tarentum. Dr. Bernie Segal, author of "Peace, Love and Healing" said, “Reading FINE LINES is like reading a poem about life written by a courageous poet.”

Blair says this series celebrates new life in old buildings whilst hearkening to the past. "Is there a building in your hometown that you and your children see as a keeper?," she asks. "It doesn't have to be big. It could be the small frame house of an amazing playwright, or a meeting place that stands for hope in your neighborhood; a place ripe for reinvention with a strong foothold in all that came before."

The exhibition runs through Saturday, November 27. Regular gallery hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays.

Shaw Galleries

805 Liberty Avenue

Pittsburgh, PA 15222

Telephone: 412-281-4884

Web site: www.shawgalleries.com

...

The Pittsburgh Art Blog

The Pittsburgh Art Blog features selected pittsburgh artists and upcoming exhibits with photos from the artists and galleries. since the major press outlets do not go beyond a directory listing of exhibits, blogs are needed to promote pittsburgh artists and their work. the blog also calls attention to the inferiority complex of pittsburgh art and how it's perpetuated by the major players in town. Started on August 20,2007. pittsburgh area galleries and art venues are listed at the sister site www.PghGalleries.com.

the blog and website are volunteer projects from fine art photographer and pittsburgh artist advocate rick byerly.

No comments:

Post a Comment