Pittsburgh, PA

Just wanted to let everybody know that the Wee Beasties exhibit at Zombo is closing this Saturday. Nathan Mazur’s exhibit features over three dozen miniature paintings of various insects, worms and creepy (I say cute), bugs. What makes this event even more fun is the discounted pricing of the remaining beasties after 8pm. There’s also going to be music by the Jim Dandies so definitely check this out!

The closing reception begins at 6pm, with music at 8pm. The Wee Beasties exhibit is located in Lawrenceville at the Zombo Gallery, 4900 Hatfield Street.

If you’re not able to make the event, make sure you check out Mazur’s website to view the bugs anyways.

To read the press release on this exhibit, visit my previous post here.

I also wanted to let everyone know who didn’t, that the Brillobox has Drink and Draw drawing sessions every other Tuesday, with one occurring tomorrow.

Drink and Draw is a live model drawing session, which meets on the second floor of Brillobox at 6pm and runs until 9pm. There is a $10 session fee, but it’s worth it with the various themes the models dress in for the session. According to their Myspace, Drink and Draw is a relaxed, inspiring atmosphere and I’m pretty sure you don’t have to be an expert artist to attend.

And for those of you who may get hungry during the session, downstairs has their Starving Artist Tuesdays with grilled cheese and tomato soup for only $2. Yum. If I didn’t work, I’d go just for that!

Future sessions land on April 1, 15, and the 29th. For more information, visit their Myspace or email Susan at brilloboxdrinkanddraw@yahoo.com.

Elizabeth Jane Cochran was born in 1864 forty miles northeast of Pittsburgh, but eventually moved to the city in 1880, where shortly after she took on the pen name, Nellie Bly. Bly is considered to be one of the most famous female journalists of her time and an excellent role model for women all over the world.

Nellie Bly got her start in journalism, by anonymously responding to a sexist columnist in the Pittsburgh Dispatch and being offered a job due to her impressive letter writing skills. While at the Pittsburgh Dispatch, Bly focused on the blights of women, specifically ones working in local factories, but soon grew impatient with the stories the newspaper wanted her to write about, namely fashion, gardening, etc. She decided to take some initiative and become a foreign correspondent, which involved traveling to Mexico to study the lives of the local people.

After she published her work on her travels, she moved to New York City to pursue more newsworthy topics than the subjects the Pittsburgh Dispatch wanted her to write about. Despite being completely broke, Bly talked her way into the offices of the New York World, where she agreed to go undercover to write an article about the neglect happening at the Women’s Lunatic Asylum on Blackwell’s Island. Bly had to fake mental insanity and endure the horrible conditions at the asylum for ten days. Her report, Ten Days in a Mad-House, won her instant attention as a journalist.

Nellie Bly is also famous for traveling the world in 72 days, just like in the Jules Vernes novel. She left New York in 1889 for her 24,899 mile long journey. Although this was unusual at the time, Bly traveled alone and became a role model for independent women all over the world.

Bly died of pneumonia in 1922 in New York City.

For more information on Nellie Bly, please check out the following websites:

PBS Film Article: Around the World in 72 Days

The Story of Nellie Bly

National Women’s Hall of Fame

The Best Reporter in America

Today is the last day of Women’s History Month, but don’t let that stop anyone from the further research of famous females, from Pittsburgh or not. To read any of the other Women’s History Month bios, start at the Rachel Carson post and work your way up to the present time. Thanks!

Pittsburgh, Nellie Bly, journalism, Women’s History Month

“A little work, a little sleep, a little love and it’s all over.” -Mary Roberts Rinehart

Mary Roberts Rinehart was born in Pittsburgh in 1876 and became one of the most famous female mystery writers, second only to Agatha Christie.

Her writing career began as early as high school, where she sold writings to help her financially strapped family. She didn’t really take her talent seriously until after she graduated from the Pittsburgh Training School for Nurses, where she also met her future husband, Stanley.

She did not become well known until the release of her book, The Circular Staircase, which launched her career and led to other well known publications, such as The Bat, which was turned into a movie, The Red Lamp, When There’s a Will, The Great Mistake and many others. She also started the saying “the butler did it” despite the phrase never appearing in her novels, but which was taken from her book, The Door. She is also responsible for starting the “Had I But Known” school of writing, which usually featured the main character accidentally prolonging the story by doing less than sensible acts.

She was also well known for an interview she did with Ladies Home Journal, titled “I Had Cancer.” At this time in 1947, women did not openly discuss breast cancer and Rinehart was a radical for her frank discussion on her condition and for advocating breast exams for women.

According to her obituary, Rinehart wrote over 50 books, hundreds of short stories, 8 plays, poems, travel pieces and other various articles during her lifetime. She died in 1958 at the age of 82 in her New York City home, where she moved to in 1935.

For more information on Mary Roberts Rinehart, please visit the following websites:

Carnegie Library’s article

The Literature Network

Arlington Cemetery Listing

There is also a Mary Roberts Rinehart Chapter of Sisters in Crime based in Pittsburgh. For more information on the organization, visit their website here.

If you’re interested in other famous local women, you may also want to check out my previous post on Willa Cather and Gertrude Stein here.

Pittsburgh, Women’s History Month, Mary Roberts Rinehart, mystery, crime

Before I forget, there are a couple of announcements and reminders I wanted to make before I continued posting bios for Women’s History Month.

First off, the Mueck exhibit at the Andy Warhol Museum is closing this Sunday and I’ve heard it’s something you don’t want to miss.

Ron Mueck is most known for his gigantic sculptures, which feature realistic looking people doing various things, but in enormous proportions. The exhibit at the Warhol includes, In Bed, Spooning Couple, A Girl, Wild Man, Man in a Boat, Mask II and Mask II. You can visit the Warhol’s website to see more detailed descriptions.

The Warhol’s hours are as follows:

Saturday & Sunday, Tuesday-Thursday: 10am-5pm
Friday: 10am-10pm
Closed Mondays

Admission:

Adults: $15
Senior Citizens: $9
Students & Children (3-18): $8
Good Fridays: Half price bet. 5-10pm

The Warhol Museum is located at 117 Sandusky Street on the North Shore.
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Also, I wanted to remind everyone that the City Salon deadline is tomorrow. I posted information on the project in the beginning the month here. For more information on the City Salon, visit the Academy of the South Side’s website.

There is also an arts and crafts expo going on this weekend at the Expo Mart in Monroeville featuring over 180 booths. Visit their website for more information on vendors, hours and more.

And last, but not least I wanted to let everyone know of a poetry reading that is taking place Friday at 7:30 at the ARTspace and Coffeehouse in Point Breeze. I learned of the poet Anita Gevauden Byerly on WYEP the other night and really enjoyed her poetry so I thought I’d pass the information along. Admission is free and there will be signings of her latest chapbook, October Light. I wish I could go!

Pittsburgh, Ron Mueck, Warhol Museum, City Salon, Academy of the South Side, Expo Mart, arts, crafts, October Light, Anita G. Byerly, poetry

The Pittsburgh women showcased today are not in a traditional sense from Pittsburgh; Willa Cather moved here from Nebraska in 1895 and Gertrude Stein left the city shortly after birth, but that does not make either of them less of a local as far as history is concerned.

“The fact that I was a girl never damaged my ambitions to be a pope or an emperor.” -Willa Cather

Willa Cather moved to Pittsburgh in 1895 where she felt she could enjoy our music and intellectual culture. In Pittsburgh she supported herself by becoming a high school teacher and journalist. In 1922 she won the Pulitizer prize for One of Ours, and is also notable for her novels and short stories, which include My Antonia, O Pioneers, Death Comes for the Archbishop and The Professors House. Cather considered Pittsburgh to be the “birthplace” of her writing career and if you research the amount of literature written during her lifetime you can see that this is true.

For more information on Willa Cather, refer to the websites I used for this bio at the Carnegie Library’s website and the Outlaw Women website.

“But the problem is that when I go around and speak on campuses, I still don’t get young men standing up and saying, ‘How can I combine career and family?’” -Gertrude Stein

Gertrude Stein was born in 1874 in her Pittsburgh home in the North Side. She was to leave the city shortly after her birth, but we still celebrate her hometown with a plaque on her former home at 850 Beech Avenue.

Stein is most famous for her experimental literature and her private art gallery/salon located in Paris, where she moved to in 1903. She had a wide circle of friends, including Ernest Hemingway, Pablo Picasso, Matisse and Thornton Wilder. Her most famous works include Tender Buttons, The Making of Americans and the Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas.

Please visit the Carnegie Library’s website for more information on Stein’s life in Pittsburgh.

For more information on this series, visit my previous post here.

Pittsburgh, Willa Cather, Gertrude Stein, Women’s History Month

“The more clearly we can focus our attention on the wonders and realities of the universe about us, the less taste we shall have for destruction.” -Rachel Carson

As a quick reminder, instead of highlighting the events going on around the city for Women’s History month, I’ve decided to feature the bios of local women I admire all this week. First up on the list is Rachel Carson, a woman I have admired since I learned of her in elementary school. She was born in Springdale, which is a town very close to where I grew up, so she’s sort of a local celebrity despite a lot of people misunderstanding her work or not knowing who she is, which is sad.

Rachel Carson was born May 27, 1907 in Springdale, PA in a simple farmhouse. As a child, she was very curious about nature and was even published in a children’s magazine at age 10. She went on to pursue her studies in writing and later, biology at the Pennsylvania College for Women, which would later turn into Chatham College and eventually Chatham University. During a summer fellowship she was to visit the ocean for the first time, which would result in many things, namely her decision to become a marine biologist. At the end of her undegraduate studies, she was awarded a scholarship by John Hopkins University to finish her education, which was a major achievement for a woman during this era.

After completing her education, Carson began her career working for the U.S. Bureau of Fisheries in Maryland, where she wrote radio segments and articles to local newspapers urging them to regulate “the forces of destruction” and other problems she encountered working for the Bureau. After 15 years of working for them, she became chief editor of all publications published by the Bureau.

She continued to write poetry and articles on her own; her most famous piece of work being Silent Spring, a book which is thought to be the catalyst for the environmental movement. In her book she outlined the dangers of chemical pesticides and other environmental issues. Her work encouraged the passing of certain legislation, which is still being used today.

Rachel Carson died April 14, 1964 in her home in Silver Spring, MD. She posthumously received the Presidential Medal Freedom, the highest civilian award a person can receive from the nation. You can learn how to visit the Rachel Carson Homestead by going to their website here.

For more information on Rachel Carson check out the following books and websites:

The Life and Legacy of Rachel Carson

Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge

Women in History: Rachel Carson

Silent Spring by Rachel Carson

The Edge of the Sea by Rachel Carson

Lost Woods: The Discovered Writing of Rachel Carson by Rachel Carson and Linda Lear

Above picture courtesy of Lear/Carson Collection, Connecticut College, found here. All biography information was taken from the above mentioned websites.

Please read yesterday’s post for more information on this series. If anyone would like to recommend any famous Pittsburgh women, please let me know!

Pittsburgh, Women’s History Month, Rachel Carson, environmentalism

Yes we can, even if Pittsburgh doesn’t celebrate this month as thoroughly as I would have liked. I scoured the web for events happening in Pittsburgh and although there were some lectures at local colleges, there really wasn’t much to speak of in terms of celebrating the achievements of women, especially those local to our region. So instead of listing the maybe two events still going on in the area, I’ve decided that this week I’m going to post the histories of local women I admire in honor of Women’s History Month.

In the meantime I found a list of films the Carnegie Library has recommended renting for this month and here they are:

Secrets of the Dead: Amazon Warrior Women
Around the World in 72 Days
The Execution of Wanda Jean
Fly Girls
Home of the Brave
Jane Goodall: Reason for Hope
Missing Peace: Women of Faith and the Failure of War
Our Times
The Secret Life of Geisha
Sisters of Selma: Bearing Witness for Change

These films are a great idea, but if you’re a woman, becoming the sort of woman you’d respect is an even better idea. The women who are going to be spoken of in this blog went forward with their plans regardless of their sex and this is something we can all admire.

I should also say that being the editor of a magazine, I am constantly flooded with literary submissions and have noticed the overwhelming majority tend to be males. Now I know this is not due to some gene that makes men better writers or artists or essayists, but could be due to the fact that some women are afraid to put themselves out there. I try to encourage women the best I can by promoting my magazine to them in the hopes they’ll submit work and some actually do so that’s nice. Here’s my post on what I do with the magazine and if you wish to visit the site go here.

Pittsburgh, Women’s History Month, Carnegie Library, Debris Magazine

Future Tenant is holding it’s annual fundraiser, Pay it Forward at Your Inner Vagabond this Friday, March 21st, which is a great way to support local artists!

There will be a wide variety of entertainment, including belly dancing and music provided by Otantik, HerBow, and Pandemic, who will be mixing world dance music. There will also be prize drawings for artwork and items from local businesses. Food and drink will be provided by Your Inner Vagabond and other local restaurants.

Tickets are $40 for regular admission and $25 for students and those aged 21-25. Tickets can be purchased in advance at Your Inner Vagabond and at ProArtsTickets.org. All tickets purchased at the door will be $40, so it’s a good idea to buy them in advance if you’re a student.

Ticket proceeds go towards a good cause and will benefit artists, performers and curators who are showcased at Future Tenant. Future Tenant is located in the Cultural District and is operated by CMU grad students in the Arts Management program.

Your Inner Vagabond is located at 4130 Butler Street in Lawrenceville and for more information on this great coffeehouse and lounge, visit their website here.

Also going on this weekend is the Steel City Derby Demons season opener this Saturday! The event will feature the Hot Metal Hellions and the Wrecking Dolls. If you have never been to a roller derby outing, this is a great time to start.

Doors open at 5:30 pm, events starting at 6:30. Tickets can be purchased in advance here for $10 and are $15 at the door. The event is being held at Bladerunners in Harmarville, which is north on Rt. 28. For more information on the Derby Demons and their upcoming events, visit their website here.

Have a great weekend everyone and don’t forget to check out the NCECA exhibits going on as well!

Pittsburgh, roller derby, Steel City Derby Demons, Bladerunners, Future Tenant, Inner Vagabond, art, Lawrenceville

So by some strange sort of coincidence, it was St. Patrick’s Day Monday, it’s going to be the first day of Spring tomorrow and of course Easter is Sunday. Wow, what a festive week this time of year!

I especially like that it’s going to be Spring soon and with all the rain, it sure feels like it. So to celebrate this time of year, I suggest going to see the Spring Flower Show at Phipps Conservatory!

Here’s all the info you’ll need, straight from Phipp’s:

Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens is proud to announce the return of its glorious flower shows! The Spring Flower Show opens Saturday, March 15, 2008, featuring the bright, vibrant blooms and creative design that make Phipps a leader in horticultural display, and a great place to escape the lingering Pittsburgh winter.

This year’s show is traditional and elegant, and visitors will see the Conservatory transformed into a showcase of color and containers. Featuring garden adornments such as pedestals, urns, fountains and statuary, the Spring Flower Show promises to be an eye-catching event. Visitors can stroll through Phipps’ lush rooms and experience the majesty of the Spring Flower Show as the flowers make a triumphant comeback.

Visitors will delight in spring flower favorites, such as lily-flowering tulips, snapdragons, cineraria, hydrangea, cyclamen, delphinium and more. Other special features include a fountain in the Palm Court, cascading waterfalls, a chess board of snappy color combinations, stunning Greek-inspired columns and planters, as well as visitor favorites, like large hanging baskets full of color and the interactive fountain in the Victoria Room.

The Spring Flower Show opens Saturday, March 15 and runs through Sunday, April 13, 2008. Timed-ticketing is no longer required, but visitors may purchase advance passes on Phipps’ website here.

Phipp’s is located at 1 Schenley Park and is open daily from 9:30am-5pm M-F and until 10pm on Fridays. Tickets are $10 for adults, $9 for students/senior citizens and $7 for children ages 2-18.

Don’t forget to visit the Wee Beasties exhibit at Zombo Gallery as well!

Pittsburgh, Oakland, Phipp’s Conservatory, spring flowers, spring

The above statement was definitely true this weekend, as everyone seems to like an excuse to drink too much and get rowdy. Although the Irish have this reputation, there are a lot of other things to consider about them on St. Patrick’s Day.

First off, St. Patrick may not have even been from Ireland, but Scotland and second, he was responsible for bringing Christianity to the pagans, which is the main reason we celebrate him on this fine Monday. Most people don’t consider our take on this holiday to be a bit hypocritical or the fulfillment of stupid stereotypes, but anyways…since I’m Irish, I’m going to share some of my favorite Irish recipes with you instead, since they also have great food!

Irish Potato Pie

6-8 potatoes, peeled
6 bacon strips
3-4 leeks
salt and pepper to taste
one cup grated Cheddar cheese

Makes 6 servings

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Cook the potatoes in boiling water until tender. Drain.

In a skillet, fry bacon until crisp and drain well on paper towels.

Trim leeks so that you have the white part and a small amount of green. Wash well, and slice thinly. Add leeks to skillet and sauté over medium heat until soft.

Slice the boiled potatoes, and arrange half in the bottom of a pie plate. Season with salt and pepper. Layer with bacon, leeks and one half of the cheese. Cover with remaining with remaining potatoes and season again. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake for 30 minutes or until top is browned and cheese is melted.

Dublin Coddle

Apple Mash

Steak and Guinness Pie

And for those of you who like to drink, here’s my favorite toast:

“May your glass be ever full.
May the roof over your head be always strong.
And may you be in heaven half an hour before the devil knows you’re dead.”

A great way to work off all of these meals is to head on over to the Harp and Fiddle bar/restaurant on Tuesday nights for their Ceili Dancing, which begins at 7pm. You can also enroll yourself in the School of Irish Dance here.

And of course, don’t forget to check out the NCECA events going on this week!

Whether you celebrate today for religious reasons, to celebrate your love of alcohol or because you’re proud of your Irish heritage, Happy St. Patrick’s Day everyone!

Pittsburgh, St. Patrick’s Day, recipes, Harp and Fiddle, Strip District, food, dancing, Bell School

The National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts is holding it’s 42nd annual conference here in Pittsburgh, starting March 19th and ending March 22nd. The conference is titled “CONFLUENCE: Innovation, Community, Environment” and will feature demonstrations, exhibits, lectures and more at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center downtown.

For more information on the exhibitions and presentations, visit the NCECa’s website here.

In addition to the events going on at the Convention Center, there are many other exhibits going on in the city of Pittsburgh that also celebrate the art of ceramics.

Here are just a few courtesy of the Pittsburgh Galleries blog:

McGuinn Gallery, Heinz History Center, 1212 Smallman Street, 412-454-6352.
Out of Madness – Seven Potters Follow Ohr, Georgette Ore, Bart Fetz, Megan Quinn, John Britt, Tony Merino, Lisa Orr, Susan Filley. Features the work of seven potters whose work has been directly influenced by a condition of Mad-Pottery started by Ohr. Organized by Bart Fetz. Mar 19-May 18. Wed 9:00a.m.-6:00p.m., all other days 10:00a.m.-5:00p.m. Reception Mar 19, 4:30-6:00p.m.

Main gallery of the Carnegie Library, 4400 Forbes Avenue, 412-622-8830.
Hanging by a Thread, Alison Carter, Joshua Green, John Hasegawa, Philip Haralam, Eric Kao, Jean Keil, Lily Liu, Susan Ting, Yoko Sekino-Bove, May Wong. This invitational group exhibition is to increase the public awareness of the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA) conference in Pittsburgh during March of 2008 and to invite the people of Pittsburgh to experience the current trends and diversity in contemporary ceramic arts. All the ceramic work will be displayed on the wall. Organized by Yoko Sekino-Bové. Mar 1-31. Wed-Thu 10:00a.m.-8:00p.m., Fri-Sat 10:00a.m.-5:30p.m. Reception Mar 21, 6:00-8:00p.m.

Fe Gallery, 4102 Butler Street, 412-860-6028.
From the Ground Up, Debbie Quick, HyunKyung Yoon, Akiko Jackson and others. Curated by Jill Larson. Several artists who take a progressive approach to a traditional medium- clay. Feb 22-Apr 18. Daily 12:00-4:00p.m.

Modern Formations Gallery and Performance Space, 4919 Penn Avenue, 412-362-0274.
Americana Refigured, Pavel Amromin, Renee Audette, Thaddeus Erdahl, Magdalene Gluszek, Tammy Marinuzzi, Beau Raymond, Matt Shaffer, Michael Schmidt. Ceramic figurative show focusing on contemporary ideals and what it means to live in todays American society. Organized by Beau Raymond. Mar 7-28. Wed-Sat 9:00a.m.-7:00p.m. and by appointment. Reception Mar 20, 7:00-9:00p.m.

I strongly suggest you check out the rest of the events going on around the city these next couple of weeks. For a good listing of events, make sure you visit the Pittsburgh Galleries blog here where events are categorized by neighborhood.

In the meantime, don’t forget about the two calls for artists/photographers that were posted here earlier this week.

Pittsburgh, NCECA, David L. Lawrence Convention Center, downtown, Oakland, East End, Lawrenceville, art, ceramics, clay, Pittsburgh Galleries

Zombo Gallery is presenting another great exhibit; this time by local artist Nathan Mazur, who has created neat, little pieces of art. Check out the release below for more information:

“Wee Beasties: Miniature Paintings of Nature’s Tiniest Denizens”

Zombo Gallery, Pittsburgh’s home for hip lowbrow art, announces the first solo exhibit by local artist Nathan Mazur; Wee Beasties: Miniature Paintings of Nature’s Tiniest Denizens, opening March 14th, 2008.

Wee Beasties is an exhibit of over 3-dozen miniature paintings (2” by 2.75”) of insects, worms, and other creepy crawlies. They depict everything from the common cockroach, to the cryptic water bear, all in the artist’s seemingly innocent, saccharine-colored, cartoon style.

While browsing through an art supply store, local cartoonist and animator, Nathan Mazur, came upon some tiny canvases about the size of a Zippo lighter. Though meant as a novelty item, he purchased a few and used them to paint cartoony, life-sized pictures of bugs. After casually mentioning the pint-sized portraits to local artist, Wayno, Nathan Mazur was introduced to Michael Devine, owner of the Zombo Gallery in Lawrenceville. Since opening the previous summer, the Zombo Gallery has built a reputation for exhibiting the cool, kitschy and the strange… the perfect fit for the artist’s skewed invertebrate subjects.

Nathan Mazur is a cartoonist and animator from western PA. His work has been described as everything from cute and funny, to somewhat unnerving. His clients include American Greetings, Carnegie Mellon University, Disney Television as well as other smaller companies, independent filmmakers, and private commissions. He is a member of the Pittsburgh Society of Illustrators and serves on the advisory board for The Toonseum, Pittsburgh’s museum of cartoon art. To find out more about Nathan Mazur’s work, please visit www.scaredofbees.com.

Wee Beasties runs from March 14th through April 5th, 2008 at the Zombo Gallery, located at 4900 Hatfield St. in Lawrenceville. The gallery hours are Fridays, 5pm-7:30pm. Additional hours by appointment. For more information on Zombo Gallery, please call 412-904-3703.

Oh and make sure you check out yesterday’s post if you’re an artist or photographer who would like to get their name out in Pittsburgh!

And of course, the easiest way to do that is to submit work to my magazine here.

Pittsburgh, Zombo Gallery, Nathan Mazur, Wee Beasties, Lawrenceville, art

The Academy of the South Side is putting out a call for artists and there is a call for photographers that I’d like to mention too.

The Academy of the South Side is doing a “Citywide Salon” as part of the Pittsburgh 250 celebrations. The Citywide Salon will be a month long showcase of local art, with up to 20 artists’ work being displayed in bus kiosks around the city. Sounds like a neat idea! The deadline for submissions is March 28th, so without delay, straight from their website is more information:

The mission of The Academy is to be a resource for painting and drawing, and for CITYWIDE SALON we are seeking artists to submit up to 5 works to be selected by a panel of judges for this highly visible month-long showcase. While there is no specific theme that will unify the selections, preference will be given to representational work. CITYWIDE SALON will be a celebration of artists from all over the Pittsburgh region, and we specifically encourage artists representing the neighborhoods of South Side, Oakland, Shadyside, Bloomfield, Lawrenceville, the Strip District, and Downtown to submit, as those are the neighborhoods we will target for the locations of the bus panels.

We ask that artists submit a Jpeg, TIFF, or PDF image of their work no later than March 28th, 2008. The jury process will take place in April, and the selected artists will be announced in the middle of the month. After the announcement, the selected artists will be responsible for submitting a high-resolution image of their work. Exact printing specifications for the panels can be found below. Please keep in mind the vertical orientation of the panels, as well as the final layout proportion of approximately 7.2 inches high by 5 inches wide. We will have 2 templates that will be used for the bus panels: one that places the text and sponsoring organizations’ logos as a header and footer to the ad, and one that incorporates these elements into the composition, allowing for a larger image. Artists are encouraged to submit a very brief description of themselves (3 - 5 words, e.g. “South Side Oil Painter”), as well as a website and/or contact information for inclusion on the panels. It is worth noting that large black areas tend to not retain their proper color due to light shining through the poster.

On Saturday, July 19, we will hold a finale event at the Brew House where artists will have an opportunity to display their original submission. Artists will also be able to keep the poster that is used in the bus kiosk for future promotional efforts. This is a great opportunity for artists to get widespread exposure throughout the city, participate in an exciting show, and to keep a large poster of their work for future promotional efforts and to commemorate their involvement in CITYWIDE SALON and Pittsburgh 250!

For more information, visit the Academy’s website here.

Another neat idea is John Bodnar’s Good vs. Evil photography show that will be held at the Creative Treehouse on May 17th.

All participants for this event will have to choose a side to represent. Photographs can be in any subject matter, whether you choose to work with images in religion, morality, ethics, elements….your representation of the side you pick!

There is a lot of room with this to be highly creative and experimental in your works.

If interested in participating, please email John at jbodnar@gmail.com.

Good luck everybody!

Also please check out my magazine’s new featured content. You will not be disappointed and I think everyone needs to see Jennifer Maria’s photos of Florida after the weather we’ve been having here. Go here to see my previous post.

Pittsburgh, Academy of the South Side, South Side, drawing, art, Citywide Salon, photography, Good vs Evil, Creative Treehouse, Bellevue, Debris Magazine

There’s still room to reserve a seat for Dr. Sketchy’s Pies, Pirates and Piraro event so hurry up and reserve one now! Here’s all the information you’ll need on the event and about Dr. Sketchy’s school in general.

According to Dr. Sketchy’s site:

On March 14th, 8;00 PM, Dr. Sketchy’s Anti-Art School Pittsburgh will celebrate Pi Day (3.14) with nationally acclaimed creator of the comic Bizarro, and Pie aficionado, Dan Piraro.
Dan will be emceeing the lively burlesque life drawing session with his own unique brand of comedy and cartoons. Dr. Sketchy will pay tribute to Dan’s iconic use of pies in his comic by celebrating “Pi Day” with Pies, Pirates and Piraro! This is his first time hosting a Dr. Sketchy event anywhere!

When many artists think “life drawing,” they think of sterile rooms, bad lighting, and bored, silent, models with nary a hint of personality. Dr. Sketchy’s Anti Art School has changed all that. Dr. Sketchy’s models will don pirate garb, as cartoonists, illustrators, painters and artist of all kinds sketch, drink, and play outrageous games befitting Dr. Sketchy’s irreverent atmosphere.

For those of you unfamiliar with Dr. Sketchy’s, it’s a ’school’ with themed sketch nights ranging from Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves to their Valentine’s Day themed night, Love and Hate. Dr. Sketchy’s Anti Art School was started by Molly Crabapple in New York in 2005 and has spread nationwide since then.

For a small donation, you can sketch exotic models, play games and eat vegan snacks and drink (if you’re 21 of course). The money goes towards supporting the ToonSeum Gallery, a show place for cartoon art. Dr. Sketchy’s is one of the many projects supported in part by the Sprout Fund, who are doing wonderful things for Pittsburgh every year.

To attend you must be 18 and you should also bring paper and any other art supplies you may need. The event is being held at the Brew House in the South Side at 2100 Mary Street and starts at 8pm.

For more information, visit Dr. Sketchy in Pittsburgh’s Myspace here, where you can also reserve your seat. Dr. Sketchy’s is a regularly occurring event, so even if you miss this one, make sure you attend another session!

Also, don’t forget to check out the PCA art shows that are closing this weekend. Refer here for more information.

Pittsburgh, Dr. Sketchy’s, Dan Pirarro, pirates, Brew House, art, sketching, South Side