Pittsburgh, PA

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

So I’m sure in a couple of hours, men and women everywhere will be rushing around to get last-minute flowers and candy for their significant others and even the most wilted flowers will find a home tonight. However, Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to be about mass consumerism and can be more about love as it was intended. I know I never really cared about expensive gifts or fancy dinners, although they never hurt! But just spending time with someone you love and showing your appreciation for them does wonders for a relationship.

If all else fails, you can always bake cookies! There’s a great sugar cookie recipe over at the Austin, TX blog here.

And just because you’re single, does not mean you can’t celebrate today. I know it’s a hard day for many who feel unloved, but I suggest for those of you in this situation, that you show someone else love today and I promise, it will eventually be shown to you. <3

And who says Valentine’s Day has to spent with your significant other? Why don’t you take your friends out for some drinks or dinner or even your mom for goodness sakes?!

Besides the usual dinner and drinks, here’s some alternatives for the occasion:

Hustlebot @ Modern Formations Gallery in Garfield

Hustlebot is a local improv group that will be performing tonight at Modern Formations and is a humerous way to spend this otherwise sappy holiday. The show starts at 8pm and costs $5.

The Gallery is located at 4919 Penn Avenue in Garfield.

Battle of the Sexes @ Shootz Cafe in the South Side

If you feel like having a competitive Valentine’s Day, why don’t you head to Shootz and compete with the opposite sex in pool, ping pong, trivia, darts and air hockey? Sounds like a good time to me!

Shootz is located at 2305 E. Carson by the Birmingham Bridge.

Lisdoonvarna Irish Matchmaking Festival @ Harp and Fiddle in the Strip

If you don’t have anyone to celebrate with today, you can always check out Harp and Fiddle’s annual Lisdoonvarna Matchmaking Festival. It’ll be held this Saturday starting at 8pm. Singles will receive a free prize pack and festivities for the night will include, karaoke, games, matchmaking (of course) and specialty drinks. According the Harp and Fiddle website, over 70 couples have met at this affair in the past 15 years. Not bad!

And just in case, no one has said this to you yet:

Hope everyone has a fun Valentine’s Day and remember, you don’t have to be in love with someone to celebrate love today!

Pittsburgh, Valentine’s Day, Shootz, Harp and Fiddle, Matchmaking Festival, Strip District, Garfield, Modern Formations, Hustlebot, improv

The Candy Shop is presenting a Sexy Soiree at Modern Formations this Saturday and it sounds like a lot of fun!

There’s going to be music from the Sugar Grinders, Sharron Needles and Dirty Dancing to follow with DJ’s T & A.

There will also be a chocolate tasting booth (yum), an adult only magic show, burlesque performances (enough reason to go), vintage stag videos and more!

Desserts and cocktails are generously being provided by many of our local businesses, including Gooski’s, The French Tart, Dozen, East End Brewing Company, Crazy Mocha and others.

This fun event starts at 9pm and ends at 1am. Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door. They can be purchased at the Chocolate Moose in Squirrel Hill. This is also a 21 + event.

Modern Formations is located at 4919 Penn Avenue and for directions, visit their website.

Pittsburgh, Modern Formations, Sexy Soiree, the Candy Shop, Garfield, chocolate, Sugar Grinders, Sharron Needles, Crazy Mocha, East End Brewing Company, Chocolate Moose

Unblurred is an East End sponsored showcase that features art from a variety of mediums, live music, performances and more on Penn Avenue, between 4800-5500 Penn and also as far down as Highland Park. This showcase of local talent happens on the first Friday of every month and I am glad that I finally made it to one. This month’s event also purposely coincided with Lawrenceville’s Artist’s Studio Tour, but unfortunately I was only able to make it to the Unblurred event this time.

Let me just start out by saying that it was a really hot and humid night to be walking around and for being in un-air conditioned buildings, but it was certainly worth it. The art was amazing and I got to talk to a lot of new people I probably never would have met otherwise.

The first place I checked out was Modern Formations, which featured the art of David Bernabo, who produced some really nice works of art. The majority of his work was mixed media, with sound and light displays as well. So actually I guess his work could be considered multimedia art if I’m using the correct term. Regardless, I’m a huge fan of mixed media, so I really enjoyed his work. His show runs through August 31st, so I suggest you check it out.

The next gallery I went into was Imagebox, which featured the work of Rick Byerly, who is an excellent photographer. The photography he had on display featured ice and water images that he took while on Lake Superior’s North Shore earlier this year. The photos really captured the essence of the moving ice shelves and the frigid temperatures of that region. His exhibit runs through August as well and is viewable by appointment only. You can check out more of his work at Uniquetake.com.

I spent most of my time at Garfield Artworks, which featured the work of Jodi Perigo, Kate Hansen, and Stefanie Maas. The exhibit was called “Skin Tone” and showcased the artist’s skills at portraying the human body in various poses and in displaying many emotions. Most of the work involved paintings, but Stefanie’s work featured a nice display of clay on wood, so there was variety to this show. All of the work was excellent and it’s nice to see an all-female exhibit. Sometimes I think women lack the confidence to do things like this and I really wish they didn’t. The only music of the night that I got to see was Buddy Nutt, who plays various instruments, including a saw, a ukulele, a kazoo and anything else he comes up with. He really puts on a great show and you can check out his music at www.myspace.com/buddynutt.

The exhibit at Garfield Artworks runs until August 30th and you can find out more information on their website here. Stefanie Maas also has a website where you can check out her work at www.stefwithaft.com. I couldn’t find any websites/Myspaces for the other two artists, so if anyone knows them, let me know.

The last place I visited was Metamorphose, a gallery and studio boutique that is right across the street from Garfield Artworks on the corner of Penn and Gross. The gallery was full of handmade clothing and artwork that was really something. It featured art from Marci Ghering, Padma, Adam Cannon, Patrice Lehockey, and Judy Dickson to name a few. The house itself was interesting in its decor, with its brightly painted pink walls that normally would have annoyed me, but really complemented the old Garfield home. Outside of the gallery, Liz Berlin from Rusted Root was playing and it seemed like everyone was having a really good time despite the humidity. You can check out the gallery’s website here.

All in all I would say the event was a success. I think the weather might have stopped a few from coming out, but there was still a great crowd. I definitely plan on coming back out for the next Unblurred since it was such a great time.

I didn’t get a chance to check out c SPACE, the Clay Penn, or the Union Project, but I definitely will next time. I’ve been meaning to make it out to the Union Project ever since I heard of it. You can find out more information about the place here and what they are trying to achieve. I love the efforts the Union Project, as well as the Penn Avenue Arts Initiative and other organizations, are making to improve Pittsburgh neighborhoods and to bolster the arts scene; it is truly something everyone should make an effort to support.

Check out Unblurred/Penn Avenue Art’s website for details on the exhibits talked about and how to visit them throughout the month of August, as well as upcoming events.

art, Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, Garfield, Bloomfield, Friendship, East Liberty, Highland Park, Garfield Artworks, Modern Formations, Imagebox, gallery, David Bernabo, Rick Byerly, Stefanie Maas, Jody Perigo, Kate Hansen, Union Project, Unblurred, c SPACE, Clay Penn, Metamorphose