Pittsburgh Art Events: 4/30-5/1/10.

c. David Grim (taken 4/12/09)

Tons of stuff to do around town this weekend at disparate locations. Have fun negotiating the area...

Friday

Melwood Filmmakers (477 Melwood Ave) still has the occasional opening, although I haven't made one in awhile. This weekend could be the exception, with "R.E. LEVINE: Patterns: echo shift and rescript" (6-8PM). As someone who works on newsprint, I may just have to check out a kindred soul. Look at her stuff on her home page.

Meanwhile, an organization called ArtDimensions is throwing the work of 25 different artists up on the wall of a backstreet bar in Lawrenceville. Cattivo (146 44th St.) will host the opening from 6:30-9PM.

And the Miller Gallery at CMU is unveiling "If Found Please Return To:____________", featuring the work of Bachelor of Fine Arts seniors. The promotional materials mention that the work reflects "the pornographic realities, hermaphroditic fantasies, psychological obsessions and mystical journeys that are part of our human condition." Tim and Eric would respond with a hearty "Great Job!".

Saturday

Wake up early and head over to Millvale, where I currently rest my head. There you can gaze on the glory of Maxo Vanka's astonishing murals on the walls of St. Nicholas Croatian Church (24 Maryland Avenue- you can see the yellow structure up on the hill when driving south on Rte. 28). Now folks, this is truly a unique spot in the world... and criminally neglected in the 'Burgh. So when I say stop by sometime between 10AM and 4PM, you should really do it. You can take advantage of the free coffee and pastries, but I bet you'll be too slack-jawed to eat.


My colleague Jason Shorr is hosting a long-awaited reception for a new batch of work at Boxheart. "Myth" will no doubt expand Shorr's exploration of the human body into hitherto uncharted realms. Show up at 4523 Liberty Avenue (in Bloomfield) at 5PM.

If you get a hankering to meander further afield, drive out to ArtSpace 105, the venue operated by the Steel Valley Arts Council, located at 105 E. Eighth Avenue in Homestead. Buffalo artist Seth Graham is in town to "induce thought and prompt questions", starting at 6PM sharp. And then you can drive further up the Mon to UnSmoke Systems' "Gold in Braddock" (1137 Braddock Avenue). They're talking about alchemy, not mining. Along with pieces by 17 artists, there will be "artisan cocktails", music by The Shanks, and free brick-oven fired pizza! That runs from 5-10PM.

And finally... Zombo Gallery (4900 Hatfield Street, Lawrenceville) has "Cute and Creepy", opening at 6PM. This show contains the work of Nathan Mazur and Jessica La Vecchia. Their artist statement tells us to expect "Monsters, bunnies, zombified fisher-price style little people, anthropomorphic food and heart based flatulence."

Argh!

c. David Grim (taken 8/19/08)

How do you deal with frustrations when it comes to interacting with people? It's awfully easy to project your own flaws onto others. I try to be aware of the reasons why I react in certain ways to certain individuals. It's difficult to step back and do this when emotions are riding high, but I have found it to be a useful process.

My biggest problems in relationships usually stem from thwarted expectations. I've known this to be true of myself for awhile, and so I generally set the bar low when it comes to friends and loved ones. I try to work under the operating assumption that I never quite know what I'm going to get. While this approach can sometimes leave me feeling lonely and depressed, I have found that it minimizes heartbreak.

Still, I find on occasion that I want more than I can reasonably expect (based on previous experience) from someone, and then I get upset. I guess I should take issue with myself for continuing to act against my best judgments and believing in people who let me down repeatedly. Maybe I'm too sentimental, but I must admit that I still find myself engaging in wishful thinking. To what extent do individuals change over time? It seems that it's almost always an arduously slow process, even with the best of intentions.

Pursuit

c. David Grim (taken 8/29/09)

I hear
The high heels
Clicking down the hall

And I think
They might
Be for me,

But I know
That they are for
Every man

And
Any man

That might hear them.

These foot steps
Are not coming
For me

Yet their
Resonance
Still suggests
Pursuit,

Calls for it
Like a siren.

4/27/10

Oops!

c. David Grim (taken 4/13/08)

I'll say this without reservations- this year's Art All Night was fun. Even dropping my piece off was entertaining, due to the alleyway between industrial ruins that we had to proceed down in order to get our work there. I turned up Munly and the Lee Lewis Harlots, and listened to it bouncing off the walls. It was both gritty and sublime, if you know what I mean.

However, I did do something I have never done before in all the years I've been displaying at this annual event. I forgot to go back on Sunday and pick up my piece. According to the Art All Night website, stuff that gets left there becomes their property. But I don't even know who "they" are exactly. I tried to e-mail them, but I haven't heard back yet. There are absolutely no contact names listed.

If I don't ever get the piece back, I'll be bummed mainly because my image was in a very expensive frame. I can print out another shot, and I wouldn't mind if someone likes it enough to hang on their wall. By the way, if the person that ends up with the photo ever reads this- I'd like to request that they hang it sideways as indicated above. I think it looks better that way.

The Man in Search of a Perpetual Spring.

c. David Grim (taken 6/23/09

Pittsburgh Art Events: 4/23-24/10.

c. David Grim (taken 8/19/08)

Friday

The seasonal Downtown arts crawl is upon us. I already mentioned Responding at Future Tenant, so if you need the details on that show, just scroll down to last week's posts. Other highlights include photos by Robert Raczka at the 707 Penn Gallery, Thad Mosley's sculptures at the August Wilson Center, Joan Milsom at Shaw Galleries, and Wood Street Galleries offers a mix of music and art created by Claudia Hart and Ella Buckley. Events get underway around 5:30PM and last 'til 9PM. Get there are close to six o'clock as possible if you want a parking space near the festivities. If you are into DVDs, comics, and/or CDs, stop by Eide's Entertainment (1121 Penn Avenue) for their annual anniversary sale.


Saturday

Three words- Art All Night!! Yes indeed, hundreds of artists (of all levels of skill and experience) will hang up their work for one night only at the ol' Iron City plant in Lawrenceville. What makes it especially interesting is that there is no jurying whatsoever. Anyone can get anything up on those walls. Most of the stuff is for sale too, and there are often some pretty great bargains to be had. This is the 13th straight year they've done this, and it is worth a visit. There's no excuse for missing it either, as it runs from 6PM on Saturday evening until 2PM on Sunday. Come at an especially odd hour, and you'll avoid the throngs that attend. All the details (including a schedule of free entertainment) can be found right here.

Whoah, kids... Neil Hamburger is in town at the Smiling Moose (1306 East Carson, 7PM). This truly post-modern comic presents the vision of awkward Catskill-style comedy, heavily-laden with tasteless humor, and inane pop cultural references. Good stuff, indeed. Come and snicker.

Once again, I don't have money for Attack Theater's "Dirty Ball". It's at Lydia's in the Strip, if you are considering ponying up for a ticket.

Slouching Toward Somewhere.

c. David Grim (taken 4/25/08)

When I was 18, my brother started a tradition for my birthday that carried on for many years afterward. He was about 16 months older than me, and liked to underscore that advantage. He would always wish me a happy day, and then inform me that I would finally be a "real adult" in a year. It was a moving goal-line, and as we got older we laughed more about it. Now that he is forty however, most of the humor of the gag is lost.

I guess there comes a point in everyone's life when they realize that they are no longer a kid. Truthfully, I feel like a "real adult" now, with whatever that entails. It's strange to think how the transformation sprung upon me when I wasn't paying attention anymore.

Anyway, I've been thinking a lot about aging lately, so it's no surprise that I was attracted to William Vollmann's book about train-hopping ("Riding Toward Everywhere"-2008), even though it is a bit of a disorganized and rambling mess. When I was in my early 20's, I'd sometimes daydream about jumping on a moving freighter. I even got close to planning it out, but I probably would have done so spontaneously, had I done it at all.

Especially after reading about what that experience is like nowadays, I realize I'm never going to do it. The chance for grievous injury, and all the other accompanying discomforts make it less and less palatable. Vollmann still did it at age 50, but somehow it strikes me as a bit inauthentic after reading about his interactions with modern-day hobos. Maybe I'll ride AMTRAK again instead.