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 Weekend Art Events: 9/24-25/10.

I certainly could be forgiven for eschewing my semi-regular posting of weekend events this go 'round. It's the end of the month, and truthfully... I'm not overly excited about anything in the listings. These posts take time anyway, and sometimes I wonder if anyone even considers checking them out when they are making plans. Sometimes this feels like screaming into a vaccuum. But I guess anyone who has ever kept a blog for more than a week has similar stories, so I'll quit whining before I expose myself as a 'net cliché.

Friday

I'll make an admission right off the bat- I've never attended an art crawl in Sewickley. I've considered it, but I've never made it an actual priority. Most of the time this swell little community schedules its events to coincide with "first friday", so it loses out to Unblurred. Now it's seasonal so I have no excuse besides the time it takes to get there from my house. I'm not going to provide a detailed rundown (that would make no sense because I don't know any details from personal experience), but Pittsburgh Art Blog has posted the schedule HERE.

Saturday

The Andy Warhol Museum is sponsoring a field trip to Braddock! "Library Pop!" runs from 1-4PM, and offers a celebration of the Braddock Carnegie Libary (419 Library Street) that includes printmaking projects, an unveiling of some special Warhol wallpaper, and free food. Plus you'll finally have the opportunity to explore this wonderful historical building. The last time I saw the palce was at one of the very last Flux events several years ago. I don't know what condition the place is in nowadays... but I'm curious to find out how this local treasure is faring.

The second annual Pittsburgh Small Press Festival and Two-Day Expo will happen Saturday and Sunday (from 12-5PM) at Artists Image Resource (518 Foreland Street on the North Side). There will be vendors (books and food), literary word games, workshops, and free stuff for th efirst 500 attendees. Check it out. Who knows what else you'll find?

What I can tell you for certain is that opening receptions at the Michael Berger Gallery (30th South Sixth Street, South Side) are always worth the visit. The work is often stuff that wouldn't look out of place in a major international art museum. Recently the gallery seems to have a direct line to some of the best contemporary art from Asia I've ever seen. Check out Naijun Zhang: The Examiner and Heidi Taillefer from 4-6Pm. I hardly think you'll be disappointed.

Pittsburgh Art Events 2/26-27/10

c. David Grim (talen 8/4/09)
Image and text not related.

While there are a few things worth mentioning that are actually new this weekend, there are also a number of events that are being pushed as replacements for openings that were poorly attended during the first night of the big storm (wow... it's strange to think that it was almost a month ago).

Those include:

FRI: 6-11PM Lauren Toohey/Sam Thorpe @ Most Wanted Fine Art
FRI: 6PM-ish Closing for West Virginia University's MFA program @ the Fast Forward Gallery
SAT: 7-11PM Jason Woolslare and Aaron Shafer @ Zombo Gallery
SAT: 6-9PM Nancy Haworth @ Panza Gallery

I'd be willing to throw down a lot of cash in a bet that I am the ONLY person alive who has seen all four of these shows. Like a fool, I made a point to get out and see all that art- even when the forecast called for several feet of snow. I made it, and I have to say that I can recommend visits to all of these venues.

Also, you can stop by at The Grey Box Theater in Lawrenceville on Saturday from 7-11PM for Future Tenant's "Party Like a Rock Star", its annual fund-raising event. It's $35, and includes an open bar, art auction, DJ, and dancing.

And finally, I'm planning to make a visit on Saturday (2-5PM) to the Michael Berger Gallery on the South Side for an opening reception for work by Scott Draves and Cheonae Kim. If you haven't yet visited the new venue for this gallery, you should make a point of it this weekend. It's upscale, yet strangely welcoming, and the stuff I've seen there has been consistently excellent.