Pittsburgh, PA

It’s already the final weekend of the Arts Festival, so I thought I’d highlight some of the events being held today and tomorrow.

Saturday, June 21
-Pittsburgh Playworks: Professionally staged readings of plays by Pittsburgh playwrights; 1pm at 937 Liberty Avenue
-panPittsburgh: Steel drums @ the Community Stage, 2-4pm
-Opek, Good Brother Earl and the Avett Brothers will be performing at 6, 6:30, 7:30 respectively

Sunday, June 22
-Pittsburgh Rocks! Battle of the Bands @ the Market Square stage from 2-5pm
-Dreams of Hope: a gay/straight performing arts group @ the Community Stage, 5:15
-Mystic Knights and Alejandro Escovedo closing out the night at the Main Stage, 5pm and 6pm

Come check out all of the amazing artwork and goods for sale in the artists market, as well as the exhibits located around downtown. I recommend visiting the Contained exhibit on Forbes Avenue by Market Square, especially the Zen Room, which was a peaceful way to spend my day volunteering at the Festival.

For more informations, visit their website here.

I also wanted to mention the Barack Obama bake sale at Zombo Gallery in Lawrenceville that’s taking place tomorrow from noon-4pm. Zombo will be djing and the proceeds will go to moveon.org’s Obama presidential fund.

While you’re there, you can also check out their Attack of the Pittsburgh Tattoo Artists exhibit, where Pittsburgh’s finest tattoo artists have displayed their wildest works of art. Objects include skateboards, paintings, sculptures and more. The show closes on June 29th, so hurry this is the perfect opportunity to see it while it lasts!

Zombo Gallery is located at 4900 Hatfield Street in Lawrenceville.

Check out my previous post for other going-ons at the Arts Festival I left out in this post.

Pittsburgh, art, Arts Festival, music, Zombo Gallery, Lawrenceville, Obama

The latest Zombo Gallery show opened this past Friday, so I’m sorry I didn’t mention it earlier. It involves the artistic talent of Ian Green, a Pittsburgh native.

Who is Ian Green and why you have to see his art.

Ian Green was born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA. As a kid, he played mostly in the woods that edged Carrick. This was the 70’s and no one talked about green space, so the woods back when were basically considered a dumping ground for many and most roads that ended there were punctuated by many a lazy slob’s garbage. For a parent, this was surely a safety concern, but for little Ian, it was awesome! A seemingly endless supply of discarded and fading plastics, gems of broken glass, rusted metal and peeling painted wood mixed with lush vegetation and weeds offered forms and colors and textures that no clean playground could. Ian was into it.

Every so often, his family would go up to Mars, PA. to visit John and Louise Fox. John was a painter and antique dealer. Their warehouse was dark and ominous and filled to the rafters with John’s work and antique items ranging from nearly worthless to rare and exquisite – all
accompanied with a layer of dust the thickness of which bespoke either their newness or neglect. Wandering through this strange interior garden excited Ian the same way the junk did back home in the woods. He was hooked.

Skip ahead past the BFA from CCAD, the MFA in Painting from IU in Bloomington, and hit play in Pittsburgh 2000. Ian gets a studio in Homestead (where he is still working) but the world is very different now. He looks at people talking into their cell phones and they seem like plain-clothes extras rehearsing for a Star Trek episode, so he paints a broken branch in a dirty window with the light filtering through the dying leaves. Skip a little pass 911 to the ever-present terror we’re supposed to be feeling thanks to Fox News. No thanks – so Ian joins the Zany Umbrella Circus as an antidote to helplessness.

Now people talk to their invisible friends via little Borg attachments. Loud one-sided arguments from pissed off strangers drift up from the bus stop below his studio. Ian sees the billboards getting bigger and brighter and the people getting smaller and smaller and he’s seeing a lot more security cameras everywhere and yet people seem more afraid than ever. Pieces like “MacSanto’s Pizzarena”, and “Dave –n – Strikebusters” and “BINKY FON” stem from a growing suspicion—that our present humanity is sliding uneasily into a trap set for the future. This is what Ian calls “The Time of PIL”. Where good credit equals no worries and the billboards read you.

Closing Reception Friday May 23rd at 6pm
Gallery Hours.. Fridays from 5:00-7:30 and Saturdays Noon - 4pm
other times ..call 412-904-3703 appointments.

Zombo Gallery is located at 4900 Hatfield Street in Lawrenceville. Besides being an art gallery, Zombo sells custom t-shirts, dvds and cds, as well as recorded air checks of Zombo’s Record Show, heard on 88.3 FM. Definitely a neat place to check out!

If you can’t make it out to the gallery this weekend, you might want to practice your photography skills so you can submit work to the Good vs. Evil photography show that is going to be held May 17th at the Creative Treehouse in Bellevue. For more information, visit my previous post on the event here.

Pittsburgh, Zombo Gallery, Ian Green, art, Lawrenceville

Hideous Kinky Part Deux: A Speak Easy Cabaret is happening this Saturday at the Grey Box Theater in Lawrenceville. The event will feature music and dancing of course!

Hideous Kinky is hosted by the Zafira Dance Company, a combined belly dancing, contemporary and ethnic style dance troupe, which won the coveted Troupe of the Year 2007 award given by Zaghareet Magazine. The troupe will be performing, as well as Mira Betz of Barbary Coast Shakedown, West African Dance Sensations Balafon, Midge Cricket, as well as the combined musical talents of Buddy Nutt and Ukulady as Ukulucky.

According to their website, Zafira is donating a portion of the proceeds to V-Day, an organization that brings the issue of violence against women and girls front and center in the culture and the community. On April 12th, V-day is hosting in New Orleans,- V TO THE TENTH - featuring international performances of The Vagina Monologues, musical guests, V-Day activists from across the globe including Kenya, Afghanistan, Iraq, The Philippines, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eastern Europe , men standing up for women and much more.

The show begins at 8pm with doors opening at 7:30pm. Tickets cost $10 in advance and $15 at the door. Tickets can be purchased via the Zafira Dance Company’s website here. The Grey Box Theater is located at 3595 Butler Street in Lawrenceville and can be reached at 412-586-7744.

In addition to this event, Zafira Dance Company offers belly dancing classes around the Pittsburgh area at Breathe Yoga Studio in the South Side, Body Empowered in Bellevue and Bodiography Dance Studio in Squirrel Hill. I suggest checking out the schedule on their website to see available classes, times, locations, etc.

Also going on this night is 412 Tag and the “Hips, Rum and Rock and Roll” exhibit. Check out my previous posts for more information.

Have a nice weekend everybody!

Pittsburgh, Zafira Dance Company, Hideous Kinky, Grey Box Theater, Lawrenceville, bellydancing

The “Hips, Rum and Rock and Roll” exhibit will debut this Saturday at Zombo Gallery, featuring the artwork of Eric Luden.

Luden is a Johnstown native and Pittsburgh based artist who specializes in digital illustrations and paintings and who seems like a very interesting guy. According to the press release, Luden’s work is inspired by retro design, pin-up art and Southern California beach culture.

His work very rarely features thin women and he has often been asked why, to which he has replied that he finds “it more enjoyable to draw a curve than a straight line.” That’s a good enough reason for me. He also says that he received his art education through studying issues of MAD magazine as a child.

After school in Johnstown, Eric moved to Chicago and worked as a staff illustrator at Cahners Publishing Company, where he was primarily responsible for technical illustrations. At the same time, Eric began drawing cartoons for Chicago underground publications. After nearly a decade in Chicago, he moved back to his home state and continued cartooning by designing show posters for local bands and events. He currently lives in the Pittsburgh area with his wife and two children. He still works with several Chicago based magazines and also does commissioned pieces and portraits.

Luden’s freelance work has been seen in various national magazine publications and around the region in promotional posters for local bands and events.

“Hips, Rum and Rock and Roll” opens Saturday, April 12th from 5:30pm until 11:30pm and runs until April 26th, so make sure you check it out!

Zombo Gallery is located at 4900 Hatfield Street in Lawrenceville.

Don’t forget to check out yesterday’s post for information on calls for artists, photographers and more.

Pittsburgh, Zombo Gallery, Eric Luden, digital design, art, Lawrenceville

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.

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

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

Tonight at Belvedere’s is the fifth annual Galactic AssDragon Classic, a battle of electronic music with the winner coming out with a 7 inch single pressed by the No Room for Talent label. There will be a panel of judges judging a wide variety of electronic sounds, from the screeching to the heart stopping bass coming out of anything from labtops to microphones to anything else the entrants have thought up.

Speaking of which, this year’s performers include Deepwinter, Statas, Mike and Ike Jones, Vasculator, Cockmongler, Doverspike and more! Be prepared for crazy stints by Mike and Ike and dead baby props by Doverspike.

The event starts at 9 and only costs $3 for a whole night’s worth of crazy entertainment. This really is a one of its kind event; trust me I know from last year. One word of advice, you may want to bring ear plugs!

Belvedere’s is located at 4016 Butler Street in Lawrenceville.

Also, this weekend is the South Side’s Mid-Winter Soup Contest presented by Iron and Glass Bank. The event is Saturday from 12-3pm and is a wonderful way to sample local soups and provide food for the needy for months.

A $5 donation and a can of soup will get you a map of the South Side and all of the participating restaurants, where you can sample soups galore.

Participants will need to register at one of these three locations:
The Brashear Association, 2005 Sarah St
SouthSide Works, 2629 E. Carson St
91.3fm WYEP FM, 12th & Bingham Streets

For more information, visit WYEP’s website here.

I should also remind everyone that tonight is the 15th annual Guinness Toast, so all of you Guinness lovers should be excited about this one! There are too many participating bars to possibly list them all, but some of my favorites who will be toasting include, 1311 in the S. Side, Bloomfield Bridge Tavern, Buckhead Saloon in Station Square, Caseys, Fatheads and Smokin’ Joes also in the S. Side and the Do Drop Inn if you’re out in my hometown, Natrona Heights. If you’re interested, I suggest visiting your favorite bar’s website (if they have one) and see if they are participating and if not, drink your Guinness anyways. Who needs an event to do that?!

And last, but not least the Fun A Day show is this Saturday at the Spare Room and will showcase everyone’s hard work this past month. For more information on this event, visit my previous post and/or their website.

Spare Room is located at 3923 1/2 Mintwood Street in Lawrenceville.

It looks like I’ll be in Lawrenceville all weekend, hope everyone has a fun weekend!

Pittsburgh, Galactic AssDragon Classic, Belvedere’s, Lawrenceville, music, Mike and Ike Jones, Doverspike, Fun a Day, Spare Room, art, Guinness Toast

Unity Night @ Church Brew Works

Unity Night: A Celebration & Fundraiser to Fight the Allegheny County Drink Tax, is tonight at the Church Brew Works in Lawrenceville. 100% of all the proceeds will be used to finance activities seeking to repeal the 10% Allegheny County Drink Tax, so if this is something you’d like to support, please do!

The event is from 5:30 to 9:30pm and costs $40 per person. Admission includes craft-brewed beers from Pittsburgh Regional Breweries and food provided by local chefs. There will also be local entertainment and a silent auction.

Tickets can be purchased by phone or in person at the Church Brew Works or at the Priory Hotel in the North Side. They can also be purchased online through Penn Brewery’s website here. Ticket holders must be 21 and over.

Church Brew Works is located at 3525 Liberty Avenue in Lawrenceville and can be contacted by calling 412-688-8200 or through their website here.

Prospectus I: Humongulous @ the Brew House

Although you can’t check out this gallery show tonight, maybe you can later on this week! The first Prospectus of the 2007-2008 gallery season, includes works by Maria Mangano, Jairan Sadeghi, and Charlie Wright and focuses on the subject of identity.

Here is some info on the artists, straight from the Brew House’s site:

Maria Mangano is a native of Syracuse, New York. She earned her BFA from Carnegie Mellon University and lives and works in Pittsburgh. Her work is influenced by the natural world and its manifestations in museums, art, and academia.

Jairan Sadeghi earned her BFA from Carnegie Mellon University. She has exhibited at SPACE Gallery, Space 101 at the Brew House, and Modern Formations Gallery.

Charlie Wright is a freelance illustrator and designer living in Pittsburgh. He is originally from Oakland, California and came to Pennsylvania to attend Carnegie Mellon’s BFA program.

While you’re there, you can also check out an exhibition of works by Julius Houser in the Special Projects Gallery. The exhibition is presented in conjunction with the Independent Living Initiative, a program which assists youths who have gone through the Allegheny County Office of Children, Youth and Families. The program provides services, such as housing, mentoring and post-secondary planning.

Gallery hours:
Wednesday: 6-9pm
Thursday: 6-9pm
Saturday: 12-6pm

The Brew House is located at 2100 Mary Street in the South Side and can be reached at 412-381-7767 or by visiting their website here.

Some of you may have already been to the Brew House when the I Made It! craft show was there. For information on the craft show, visit my previous post here.

Pittsburgh, Brew House, Unity Night, Church Brew Works, ILI, Lawrenceville, Prospectus Homongulous, South Side, Stop the Drink Tax

This Friday the 25th is the Gallery Crawl, taking place as usual in the Cultural District. As always there will be free admission to downtown galleries, as well as complimentary drinks and snacks. The Gallery Crawl is between 5:30 and 9pm, followed by an after party at Olive or Twist and at Verve Wellness.

Some highlights of the evening include:

Urban Living at the Wood Street Galleries
With numerous construction projects underway, Pittsburgh’s new downtown residents look forward to many options for shaping their domestic, professional and social lives. “Urban Living” offers perspectives and propositions spanning technological and environmental issues that impact and energize urban culture.

Artists include: Pascal Glissmann & Martina Hofflin, Informationlab, Sabrina Raaf, Roman Kirschner, France Cadet

820 Liberty
Define: How To Post It!

A juried Neighborhood Gallery Invitational, presented by Articulate. Demonstrations will include hands-on posting of artwork on-line for galleries and artists and how viewers can purchase artwork online. Presented by Art-iculate; Pittsburgh Creative Network.

Three Rivers Arts Festival Gallery
Deliciously Disposable Earth

Deliciously Disposable Earth will be a Salon style international multimedia exhibition that explores the contemporary implications of mining industries across the world. What minerals are being mined? What are we using them for? Who is profiting and who is sweating? How does it fit into our contemporary world of corporate and globalized interests? What new ways of corporate colonialism are being developed by mining industries?

709 Penn Gallery
Celebrations of Life and Death in West Africa

Photo exhibit by musician/photographer, Colter Harper, taken on his journeys through various regions of West Africa

Live West African traditional and popular music.

All descriptions were taken from the Pittsburgh Arts website and for more information, visit their website here or call 412-456-6666 for more information.

Workshop for Working Artists
And then on Saturday the 26th, feel free to attend the Working Artist’s Workshop held at the Fe Gallery in Lawrenceville, which starts a tad early in the morning so don’t drink too much at the Crawl!

Their press release:

Please join us for the first in a series of informal yet informative discussions with prominent members from the art community: Michael Olijnyk, curator of the Mattress Factory; Kurt Shaw, art critic for the Tribune Review; and Renee Piechocki, artist and public art consultant. The workshop is designed to create a forum for discussing the nuts and bolts of exhibiting and gaining exposure as a mature working artist - not to mention the balancing act that we must master in the process.

Brunch and Q & A Discussion Begins at 11AM
Reserve your seat by emailing: BuyArtToday@MindSpring.com
$5 Donation encouraged
Students Welcome

Fe gallery
4102 Butler Street, Pgh
(Lawrenceville) 15201
412.860.6028

Sounds like a fun-filled weekend to me!

If you’re still in need of entertainment, check out Mosley’s post on Pittsburgh drivers here.

Pittsburgh, Gallery Crawl, Cultural District, art, gallery, Lawrenceville, Fe Gallery, Three Rivers Arts Festival Gallery, Wood Street Galleries, SPACE, Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, Olive or Twist

I declare 2008 the year of creativity, as a personal goal for myself and hopefully for the city as a whole. There have been so many attempts in the past year to publicize and push forward the local arts scene and I really think excellent progress is going to be made this year.

Last year we had Jesse Hambley’s Creative Treehouse kick off, which is a shared creative space, as well as a common meeting place for like-minded individuals and a really nice place to have events, like art shows and art tutorials. Last year there were numerous shows, including two Creative Marathons where participants had twenty-four hours to create a work of art and present it in the show the following day, as well as two Doughnuts and Arts and some other art and photography shows. The Treehouse is located only 5 miles from Downtown Pittsburgh in Bellevue, so it’s a convenient place to commute to as well.

Then there was the launch of the Pittsburgh Galleries website, which is a comprehensive listing of art shows, as well as local artists and photographers.

This year I was alerted to the presence of a new project/collective called the Factory Artists and Factory Photographers, which is gathering local talent in an effort to promote them nationally and to get Pittsburgh on more than a local arts scene. They will be debuting their work and progress in an art show in April of this year at the Rex Theater, which is definitely going to be exciting.

Also, Fun a Day has started in the month of January for Pittsburgh, which in case you’re not aware of, is an attempt to beat the winter blahs by creating something every day in January and then showing everyone’s efforts in an art show in February. The idea originated in Philadelphia and projects have included everything from a photo a day to a poem a day and everything in between. I will definitely post more details about the show when it gets closer. In the meantime, despite it being seven days into the project, you can hurry and catch up and join if you’re interested. A link will be posted below.

And lastly, Zombo Gallery is opening up its gallery to anyone interested in hanging up their own work for a special show that will debut January 12th between 5:30-11pm. Each artist is allowed to bring two pieces of art and must arrive between 5-7:30pm to hang it up, obviously space permitting. For more details, it’s best to call this number 330-806-7813.

Creative Treehouse: http://www.creativetreehousepgh.com/
Doughnuts and Art: http://doughnutsandart.com/
Pittsburgh Galleries: http://www.pghgalleries.com/
Factory Artists: www.myspace.com/factoryartists
Factory Photographers: www.myspace.com/burkephotography
Fun a Day: http://funadaypgh.blogspot.com/
Zombo Gallery: www.myspace.com/rockabilly_circus

Even if you don’t have enough time to do the Fun a Day, I think it would be a really neat idea if everyone tried to incorporate art into their lives a little bit more…whether it’s creating your own or just visiting an art show and supporting the local arts scene. Pittsburgh really needs it and it’s not like we don’t have the talent to back it up!

I would love to see more local talent in my literary/art magazine, Debris…if you’re interested please contact me! Visit my previous post for further details or visit the website here.

Pittsburgh, art, scene, local, Creative Treehouse, Bellevue, Jesse Hambley, Pittsburgh Galleries, Rick Byerly, Factory Artists, Factory Photographers, Fun a Day, Zombo Gallery, Lawrenceville

Mayor Luke Ravenstahl is sponsoring a series of Neighborhood Forums, the first of which will be held in the North Side tonight. There will be information about the initiative, Neighborhoods First Agenda and there will be input from the Mayor on the current conditions and future of the community. There will be a series of ten community conversations throughout Pittsburgh neighborhoods in the coming months.

For any readers who live in the city of Pittsburgh, you might want to participate in one of the following forums:

July 19 – North Side
August 1 – Downtown, North Shore & Strip
August 29 – Southside Flats, Slopes, Hilltop, Mt. Washington & Duquesne Heights
September 5 – Upper East End (Lawrenceville, Morningside, Garfield, Friendship, Bloomfield, Highland Park)
September 19 – 31st Ward, Hazelwood, Glen Hazel
September 24 – West Pittsburgh
October 24 – East End (East Liberty, Larimer, Lincoln Lemington, Homewood, Brushton and East Hills)
November 7 – Squirrel Hill, Shadyside, Greenfield, Swisshelm Park, Point Breeze, Regent Square
December 5 - South Hills (Brookline, Beechview, Banksville, Overbrook, Carrick)
December TBD – Oakland, Hill and Uptown

These forums will be listed in the “community events” calendars of the Post-Gazette and Tribune Review ahead of time.

Thursday, July 19th
6:30 -7:30 pm
Pittsburgh’s Grand Hall at The Priory
614 Pressley Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15212

For more information contact:
Jennifer Watson
Neighborhood Initiatives Coordinator
Office of Mayor Luke Ravenstahl
412-255-4765
Jennifer.Watson@city.pittsburgh.pa.us

The following information was taken from the websites of the Post-Gazette and Progress Pittsburgh.

Pittsburgh, neighborhood forum, Luke Ravenstahl, mayor, North Side, downtown, North Shore, South Side, South Hills, Squirrel Hill, Shadyside, Oakland, Point Breeze, Strip District, Mt. Washington, Duquesne, Upper East End, East End, Hill district, Hazelwood

I’m not sure how many of you have heard of Zombo radio, but even if you have not, you need to check out the new art space he’s opening in Lawrenceville featuring one of my favorite local artists, Wayno.

The press release says it all:

Zombo Gallery in Lawrenceville Announces Grand Opening Exhibition
“Squaresville: Recent Paintings by Wayno”

PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh’s Lawrenceville neighborhood is home to a growing community of restaurants, clubs and galleries. The area’s newest art space, Zombo Gallery, at 4900 Hatfield Street, opens on July 13, 2007.

Gallery owner Michael Devine is a musician, disc jockey, and all-around entrepreneur and impresario. Zombo Gallery joins Lawrenceville’s thriving cultural scene as its newest home for visual art exhibits, musical performance, unique printed t-shirts and an unusual assortment of gifts and novelties. As the gallery’s slogan states, patrons can See it, Hear it, Wear it, Own it.

The featured artist for the opening is Wayno, a cartoonist, illustrator, and writer based in Pittsburgh. His clients include The New Yorker, Nickelodeon Magazine, Rhino Records/Warner Music Group, McGraw-Hill Books, Entertainment Weekly, The Guardian, Pittsburgh City Paper, and The New York Times. He is a member of the Pittsburgh Society of Illustrators and the National Cartoonists Society.

Squaresville is a collection of pop art works using the artist’s own illustration archive as source material. The paintings in the exhibit are executed on identical twelve-inch square panels, calling to mind an imaginary collection of LP covers. This is no surprise, as both Michael Devine and Wayno are very active in the music world, and the two first met as participants in a panel discussion during The LP Show at the Andy Warhol Museum in 2002.

The opening party begins at 5:30 PM on Friday, July 13, 2007, and will include fresh beer from the East End Brewing Company, and music provided by Akron’s DJ Tothar.

Squaresville will run from July 13 through August 10, 2007 at Zombo Gallery, 4900 Hatfield Street, Pittsburgh PA 15201. Gallery hours are Wednesday through Friday from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM, Saturday from Noon to 6:00 PM, or by appointment.

There will be a closing party on Friday, August 10, at 5:30 PM.

For additional information, call 412-904-3703, or visit http://www.zomboworld.com
To see a preview of the exhibit, visit http://www.wayno.com/squaresville/

If I can’t make it out this weekend, I definitely plan on it soon and I suggest you do the same!

Zombo, radio, art, gallery, Lawrenceville, squaresville, cartoons, East End Brewing Company, DJ Tothar