Pittsburgh, PA

The artist Wayno is having a neat exhibit at the Gypsy Cafe featuring the Chinese Zodiac and I thought I’d spread the word. I’ve been meaning to go the Gypsy Cafe for awhile, so I definitely think this is my excuse to go. I may even write a review of the cafe; I really need to start doing those!

Press Release:
Following Squaresville, last summer’s sold-out art show at Zombo Gallery in Lawrenceville, local artist Wayno returns with his latest exhibit, Animalia Astrologica: The Chinese Zodiac, opening February 5, 2008 at the Gypsy Café on the South Side.

Animalia Astrologica is a series of twelve paintings, representing the animal signs of the traditional Chinese zodiac.

Late last year, Gypsy Café owner Melanie Evankovich invited Wayno to show some of his work in her funky, Mediterranean-inspired restaurant, and the two collaborated to develop a theme appropriate to the space. “When we settled on an early February date for the opening, I immediately thought of Chinese New Year,” said the artist. “It seemed to fit with the Café’s irreverent mystical vibe.” Evankovich agreed, saying, “We have a Tarot card reader here twice a week, and the Year of the Rat begins on February 7, so when Wayno suggested a set of astrological pictures, I knew we had the perfect motif.”

The paintings, in Wayno’s distinctive cartoon pop style, use a limited palate consisting mainly of the traditional red and gold colors of the Chinese New Year. The animals depicted are anything but traditional – they’re shown behaving like Westerners at New Year’s time. We see a snake drinking champagne, pigs kissing at midnight, a dragon with a hangover, and an ox making a list of resolutions.

Wayno is a cartoonist, illustrator, and writer based in Pittsburgh. His clients include The New Yorker, Nickelodeon Magazine, Rhino Records, McGraw-Hill Books, Entertainment Weekly, The Guardian, Pittsburgh City Paper, Table, and The New York Times. He is a member of the National Cartoonists Society and the Pittsburgh Society of Illustrators, and is a founding board member of the ToonSeum, Pittsburgh’s museum of the cartoon arts.

Animalia Astrologica runs from February 5 through March 30, 2008 at the Gypsy Café, located at 1330 Bingham Street on the South Side. The café is open for lunch Tuesday through Friday, and for dinner Tuesday through Sunday. Complete restaurant hours are posted at www.gypsycafe.net

For additional information, call the Gypsy Café at 412-381-4977.

To get a sneak preview of Wayno’s work, visit his website here.

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Just thought I’d remind everyone that there is going to be a lunar eclipse tomorrow night!

For more information on the eclipse and where you can view it around the world, visit NASA’s website here.

Speaking of all around the world, check out the World Traveler blog here. I’m going to be creating a similar website soon, so keep an eye out!

Pittsburgh, Wayno, Chinese Zodiac, Gypsy Cafe, art, lunar eclipse, nasa, travel