Urban Construct

I recently ran across Stephanie Armbruster's work. I particularly love the Urban Construct series she did, but everything on her site is good. My only gripe is that there are only five pieces in the series - I want to see more!! Stephanie takes part in the Brewhouse Association and is a resident artist of Unsmoke Artspace. Great stuff all around!

Here's a short description she wrote describing the Urban Construct series:

Urban Construct, a new series of mixed-medium works, is a whimsical reflection on the post-industrial urban landscape, as informed by the interplay between urban culture and architecture. Buildings collide and join at odd angles, bridges lead to nowhere, and heaps of rubble mix with jumbled type in a struggle to accumulate new meaning. Produced in part at Artist Image Resource in Pittsburgh, these multi-layered works utilize printmaking, painting, drawing, and collage on translucent paper.

Link

Drue Heinz Lectures 2009/2010

The Drue Heinz Lecture series is bringing in some great speakers later this year! There will be a total of ten speakers, nine of those are listed in the image above. Apparently the tenth speaker is either a surprise or hasn't be signed off yet but will be announced at a later time. Beginning in September, the lecture series takes place Mondays at 7:30pm at the Carnegie Music Hall in Oakland. This is almost like TED, only you don't have to go to Pasadena for it!

Link

Piraro with Wayno

Dan Piraro, cartoonist of the nationally syndicated Bizarro, came to Pittsburgh last summer and joined in that month's Dr Sketchy. Him and Wayno must of hit it off great because he recently used a couple of Wayno's gag ideas in Bizarro! Here's the first one. And above is the second Piraro used. And this probably won't be the last.

Link to Wayno's blog post.
Link to Dan Piraro's blog.

EDIT: Link to Dan Piraro's blog post about it!

Sampsonia Way Warriors

Click for a larger view

A lot of you might already know about this, but I just found out about it a couple months ago and needed to share for the people that don't know about it.

As an artistic means supported by the Sprout Fund, when the Google Maps team came through Pittsburgh and drove down Sampsonia Way on the north shore, several scenes were acted out as the camera snapped away for the Street View feature currently on Google Maps. This was my favorite scene at the corner of Sampsonia Way and Federal.

Take a stroll down the street on the project's website and see if you can pick out all the oddities.

Legion of Dudes

You know these guys have got to have no life, but even as dorky (does anyone still say dork or is that 90's?) as they are, they are into some pretty rad toys, comics, and other extremely nerdy things! They do a podcast that discusses mostly comics and movies, so if you're into that sort of thing like I am, than you'll get past the geekiness!

You may be thinking this is stretching it as far as relating to the art scene, but hear me out. Movies play a big part in today's artistic society by inspiring and influencing new ideas, what we eat, what we wear, what we think is "in" or "cool", and so on and so forth, and therefore may inspire what artists create. Comics are an artistic means, and so the Legion of Dudes discussing these topics relates to the arts community. Have fun listening to them rant about that junk!

Link

Wayno!

Ahh, the art of Wayno. If you're not already familiar with this local artist's work, well then shame on you! What is there not to love about his work? And his name, I mean, he even trademarked the name Wayno. Am I even allowed to type it? You can tell he just loves to draw, it shows right through, and that is the sort of thing that makes his art so much fun. Pure, genuine fun.

He had a couple art shows at the Zombo Gallery over the last year or two, and I can't wait for another! Soak in all that cartoony goodness!





Link

Pittsburgh Visionary Arts Festival

This may or may not be for you, but it sounds like an interesting idea. The basic premise for the Pittsburgh Visionary Arts Festival is not quite clear, but at least there's a long list of artists involved. Although I couldn't find just one sentence on the entire site that describes the festival, I will try to sum it up. There is a long description that seems to ramble on, but from my understanding, the goal of the Visionary Arts Fest is to think outside the box of what visionary art really means and push the boundaries of what can be considered visionary. It's pretty deep. Seriously, I don't really know what it means, but I really like the art examples on the site!

Directly from the Pittsburgh Visionary Arts Festival website:

Warning!
If you are looking to decorate the inside of your house, do not come to this event. If, by contrast, you are hoping to decorate the inside of your Self, do not miss The Pittsburgh Visionary Arts Festival. The work here presented is not eye candy. It does not have a hook to grab you. As a viewer you are encouraged instead to open your mind and actively engage in pursuing the deeper creative intent of the work.

As far as I'm concerned, the work is eye candy which helps open your mind. Here are some of the artist's examples to prove my point:






For the life of me I couldn't find where this takes place It will take place along the main lawn of Schenley Plaza in Oakland on August 7-9th. If anyone has more information, please contact me or post in the comments.

Link!

The Chariot's "Daggers" Music Video

The Chariot - Daggers

This is the latest music video by the amazing dudes that are Endeavor Media. Fresh.

Watch a higher quality QuickTime version on Endeavor Media's site. Strongly recommended.

Colors of Carson Street

From the South Side Pittsburgh website:

Colors of Carson Street was commissioned by South Side Local Development Company to coincide with the Pittsburgh 250 celebrations and the American Eagle Outfitters Tour of Pennsylvania cycling race presented by Highmark Healthy High 5. The piece is a vivid interpretation of cyclists through the East Carson Street historic district with the cityscape rising in the background. All proceeds from the sale of Colors of Carson Street will benefit the programs of South Side Local Development Company.

Buy a print to support the SouthSide!

CMU Robot Sheep Mows as it Goes

This is a little old so I apologize, but if you haven't seen it, it's definitely interesting enough to share! I know you might be thinking "this is technical garbage, not art", but hey, who says robots aren't art?

(via bbgadgets)

Silk Screen Film Festival

From May 8th through the 17th, the Silk Screen Film Festival will hit Pittsburgh! Harish Saluja, founder of Silk Screen explains:

The purpose is to have 'normal people' know about these cultures. Our aim was, 'Hey, there's a whole world out there, two thirds of the world's population, doing remarkable things. Here's beautiful, entertaining stuff, as a way to get to know these cultures.
(from TribLIVE website)

Link

Mr Rogers Neighborhoods at Carnegie Lecture Hall

On May 14th and 15th, Mr Roger's friends will put on a live show for you to indulge in the many fine creative elements that made Mr Roger's Neighborhood popular around the world. Who wouldn't want to go see live puppets and people that interacted with Mr Rogers himself? Tickets are a mere $8!





From the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust site:

Mister Rogers' Neighborhood is filled with some of the Neighbors and puppets that children (and grown-ups) have come to know and love. Delight in a special performance, featuring several of Mister Rogers' Neighbors, including speedy deliveries from Mr. McFeely, music from Handyman Negri and surprise visits from other favorite Neighborhood friends.

Link

The Art of CZM!

CZM is a cool local artist that has a very whimsical feel to her pieces. It's all good, but I particularly like her characters - reminds me a lot of Amanda Visell's work. It is apparent the designs are inspired by 1950's/60's advertisements which were likely created by Mary Blair, Jim Flora and the like.

CZM's website could use a little better navigation for presentation of the nice works with some higher res images, but it's a start. Keep the work coming!

Link

Joseph Ryznar

I recently discovered Joseph Ryznar's work and really liking the variation of styles he has played with over the years.



Go get inspired.

Nina Paley is Coming to Town!

That's right! The amazing, extroardinary woman! The one and only! Wait...what? You never heard of her??! Well, Nina Paley is the director of the award-winning independent feature film "Sita Sings the Blues" which has had many copyright claims against it unfortunately because of some issues with music she used that is very old.
Which is why you can now download the movie in any format for free. Free? Yep, free.

It's totally respectable that she put several years of work into this feature, won all these awards, and then just offers the film for free digital download. I urge everyone reading this that if you like the movie after watching it to at least purchase the packaging that she is offering on her site. She's coming in from NYC on May 9 and will be here for the weekend for a lunch at the Toonseum and then a screening that night!

From Joe Wos at the Toonseum:

Join the ToonSeum for a special luncheon featuring Nina Paley.
Nina, is the creator of the award winning animated film "Sita Sings the Blues." ninapaley.com
Nina, will join us to discuss her life in comics and her journey that led to the creation of her amazing animated work.
The special luncheon with Nina will take place Saturday May 9th, 12 Noon at Gypsy Cafe. Admission is 20 dollars and includes lunch. Email joe@toonseum.com for more information or to reserve seating is limited.

The ToonSeum is proud to present Nina Paley as part of the Silkscreen Film Festival, Sita Sings the Blues will be presented Saturday May 9th at 7pm.

Contact the Toonseum for more info!

Dr Sketchy - Puppet Love

Coming up is the monthly event, drumroll please...Dr. Sketchy!!! On May 18 the sketchers are at it again! Dr Sketchy is a city-wide event that started in NYC not many years ago and has grown into such a widespread group. It's great that Pittsburgh has picked this up and running with it. So much fun, so many drinks, and so much to draw! This month the models dress up in puppet form. If you love to draw, don't miss it!

Link

Brian McCall's Roadmaster

I ran across Brian McCall's work recently and really dug his rendition of a 1951 Buick Roadmaster. Pretty cool, no?

Checkout his sketchiness on his flickr site here!

Scott Ward at Sirani Gallery

Scott Ward is an artist/illustrator who hails from Seattle. His work is so simplistic yet appealing - perfect for a children's book! Simple shapes matched with balanced compositions and bright colors. So I was totally excited to hear about his art opening in town on May 9 at the Sirani Gallery (5875 Forbes Avenue)! Be there or be square!

From Scott's website describing his art:

Seattle artist Scott Ward creates paintings that are vibrant, yet subtle; vital and contemplative, and full of the light-hearted spirit that bridges the gap between the surreal and sublime, with images that speak not only to the eyes, but to the heart, mind and spirit as well.

Link to Scott's site

APARTMENT

Although I regretfully haven't been able to stop by here yet, I think this is a little known place for local artists to step inside the living room ...err... store, of Brian Holderman. I've been a fan of his work for a while now and can't wait to stop in!


From Brian Holderman's website:

APARTMENT
STORE HOURS 1-7PM TUES-SAT.

Welcome to APARTMENT, a fresh retail concept showcasing art, clothing, and culture in an intimate setting. Located in the South Side home of fashion designer Nami Ogawa and artist Brian Holderman, the couple's living room plays host to this unconventional boutique. Carrying an eclectic stock of rare and limited run goods, APARTMENT offers everything from hand-painted t-shirts and pillows to art magazines, handmade books, and prints. The space also hosts art openings, fashion shows, and special events. With similar shops bubbling up in cities like Tokyo, Milan, and London, APARTMENT promises a next-level experience for its culture-savvy shoppers.

1113 E. Carson Street, FL 2, Pittsburgh, PA 15203

In case you're not familiar with Brian's work, he is involved with one of my favorite galleries that I loved to visit when I lived in Los Angeles, Gallery Nucleus. His variation of colors per piece, yet keeping the same look with his old-school animated characters and great sense of design, keeps his work unified and unique.



He also created the mural on Liberty and 7th:


If you are in the southside of town, make sure to stop by APARTMENT and tell us about it in the comments section!

Link (to Brian Holderman's site)

Mural photo from PPA site

Murals of Pittsburgh!

Whether you're coming to visit Pittsburgh or you reside here, this is the best guide to treating yourself to the murals (legal, anyway) in Pittsburgh!