Pittsburgh Weekend Art Events: 4/15-16/11.

c. David Grim (taken 3/19/11)

It's surprising just how much stuff there is to do in the arts scene this mid-April.

Friday

Start out by going down to the Society for Contemporary Craft (2100 Smallman Street in the Strip) for Bridge 11, a collection of work by Lia Cook, Mariko Kusumoto, and Anne Drew Potter- three artists who "are creating exceptional works that express progressive and unconventional points of view around social, political and philosophical themes have been selected for the 2011 Bridge Exhibition Series." This gets underway at 5:30PM and lasts until 8PM.

And the Brew House (2100 Mary Street, South Side) has once again opened its doors to the public with the Big Urban Photo Project. This is a display of images put together by the organizers of the website RustWire.com. The reception runs from 6-9PM.

The Michael Berger Gallery is always worth a stop, and this season they are having a show of contemporary Islamic art in America called Dis[Locating] Culture. Check out some of the amazing pieces included on their website. The reception runs from 5-7:30PM.

Meanwhile, if moving pictures is more your style, you must stop by the Warhol (8PM) for the screening of several short films from the collection of local oddball Tentatively a Convenience. I've seen a few things associated with this former acolyte of the Subgenius Church, and if the past is a guide- then you definitely won't be bored.

And finally... despite my general hesitation to ever venture downtown on a Friday night, the work of two artists I have really appreciated over the last several years will be featured at the 707/709 Penn Gallery. Bovey Lee's paper cuts are meticulously detailed and mesmerizing to stare at, and Katherine Young's finely-wrought drawings are always fantastically inspiring. The opening reception runs from 6-9PM, but if you miss it, make sure to visit during the Downtown Gallery Crawl later this month.

Saturday

If you have a hankering to buy some locally-made crafty goods, you have two options. The I Made It! Market will be in the South Side Works at noon, and the David Lawrence Convention Center is hosting the Handmade Arcade.

There's a benefit for the victims of the recent events in Japan at the Mendelson Gallery in Shady Side (5874 Ellsworth Avenue). On exhibit will be a series of "Water Babies" works, inspired by a children's cemetery in Okunoin, and created by Tara Zalewsky. Show up from 4-7PM (one day only).

Artists Image Resource on the North Side (518 Foreland Street) is having a symposium, (with an accompanying exhibition) entitled Rethinking Pittsburgh's Industrial Legacy: Prints as Catalyst for Change (4:30-8PM). What's it all about? Here's their description- "The artists in this exhibit, many with ties to Western Pennsylvania, explore the ways in which industry and deindustrialization inform our sense of place and our sense of possibility."

And as if that were not enough, there is a benefit/fundraiser for the Animal Rescue League of Western PA at Modern Formations (4919 Penn Ave.). The 3rd Annual Art Auction in Memory of Cara Gasper runs from 7-10PM. Apparently cash, credit cards, and checks will be accepted, and they winners of items will be announced at 9:30PM.

Pittsburgh Art Events 4/2/10.

c. David Grim (taken 4/5/08)

This weekend we can put our focus on Friday, due to the overwhelming concentration of art-related events happening. I didn't look too hard for things to do on Saturday, but nonetheless I didn't find any.

Friday

Here's an interesting concept- "Rock, Paper, Scissors"- in which three galleries host opening receptions built around one of those three themes. The Space Gallery downtown (8PM-Midnight) has the first, ostensibly focusing on the music aspect of the word. Artist Image Resource on the North Side (6-8PM) is doing the "paper", and I suppose that makes sense. And the Fe Gallery in Lawrenceville (7-9PM) has the "scissors". Just a few of the artists participating are George Davis, Jill Larson, Alexandra Watrous, Adam Welch, Bovey Lee, Randie Snow, Keny Marshal, and Laura Jean McLaughlin. The hours for each have been staggered, so that (should you wish) you can attend all three. Not only that, but Molly's Trolleys will be on hand to provide free transport between venues.

If you need a pick-me-up between destinations, the Crazy Mocha in Bloomfield (4525 Liberty) awaits with a wide variety of caffeinated pleasures, as well as a couple of walls worth of paintings by Greensburg-based artist Gabe Felice. Always a charmer, Gabe consistently puts out some of the most distinctive and interesting work available in Western PA. And this should be a good opportunity to meet him too, as he won't have any excuse (like three feet of snow) not to show up for this opening.

And yes indeedy.. Unblurred is here. The Geek Art/Green Innovators Festival will make its presence felt along Penn Avenue. Specifically, events will be held at the Sprout Fund headquarters (5423 Penn) and at the BCG Center (113 N. Pacific).

The Irma Freeman Center for Imagination (5006 Penn) has "Antiquated & Future (or Imaginary) Technology" from 7-10PM. Fast>>Fwd Gallery is opening (5-10PM) the somewhat seasonally-ironical "PLENTY OF SLEEP WHEN WE’RE DEAD", featuring work by Mike Egan, Josh Iddings, Ron Copeland and Christian Breitkreutz. Garfield Artworks (4931 Penn) offers yet more adult-themed paintings by the ubiquitous Lauren Toohey. Tech-geek extraordinaire Jason Bannister has lots of robotic designs at the renamed Space:Collective (4823 Penn). Awesome Books (formerly the Clay Penn at 5111 Penn) will have a reading by Christiane Leach for her book release ("Spinning Standing Still") at 7PM. And Edge Studio (5411 Penn) has "Cunning Stunts:Exquisite Corpse"- 11 women addressing the concept of 'alter ego". Whew!

As if all that were not enough, Modern Formations (4919 Penn) rolls out their Annual Spring Salon exhibition, whereby viewers are asked to choose which artist displayed merits their own solo show at the gallery during the next year.

If you aren't totally exhausted with all the other offerings, stop by Remedy Lounge (10PM-Midnight) in Lawrenceville for an unveiling of the nuanced collage work of Rachel Hallas.