GA/GI Details: Modernformations, Modern Furniture, Mirrors and Scribbles

@ Unblurred on Friday, April 6,  Modernformations Gallery, 4919 Penn, has “Eyes Right: New Mixed Media Work.” Tate Hudson displays collage composed of salvaged wood, discarded images, paper, and paint. This exhibit will be on display through May 18th.


Modern, a store  located at 5450 Penn, is a new kid on the Penn arts district block! They'll feature mid century furniture for sale 6-10pm.



Mr. Roboto Project , 5106 Penn Avenue exhibits
Mirrors and Scribbles, new canvas and paper by Jim Storch.

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GA/GI Details: Tattooed Water Color Couple and Science On Wheels

Art by Cara Cable

Drop by Artisan, 5001 Penn Ave, a coffee, tattoo
and art emporium who has water color paintings
by husband and wife tattooists Jason Lambert and
Cara Cable. More of  their work here.




Also coming to GA/GI... a return engagement by the Pitt Mobile Science Lab. 80 feet of laboratory space that many kids have seen, but parents haven't. Go, learn, grow and you'll be splitting atoms in no time! You can't miss it parked at the corner of Penn and S. Pacific Avenue Great family project from 6 to 9 pm.

Kelly-Strayhorn's performance Alloy, Catapult-ing Art to a New Level!

Kelly Strayhorn Theater’s Alloy Studios @ 5530 Penn has a “living exhibit” called Inside Steelpan, a dynamic exploration into the art of steelpan construction, history, and playing techniques with Phil Solomon and Mat Doktor.
Catapult (a new Penn Avenue venue!) located at 5139 Penn will feature new mixed media collages and drawings by Laurie Trok. The space usually acts as a drink, interact and work spot. See here.

A Trok collage in progress from FB

HOT JAMS, DESIGN DIVAS AND GASP FLIES GERTIE

The Pittsburgh Glass Center's tech apprentice program has brought nearly 25 young artists to live and work in Pittsburgh over the last seven years. This exhibition, Aspire: A Retrospective of Young Talent will showcase their artwork and tell the story of where they are now. Artists include: Jess Amarnek, Jason Bauer, Jon Capps, Zach Compton, Brian Engel, Daneal Ferraro Hansel, Kaley Finegan, Jason Forck, Elizabeth Fortunato, Jarrod Futscher, Billy Guilford, William Haynes, Everett Hirche, Chris Hofmann, Laura Konopinski, Janice Larko, Ashley McFarland, Scott Percival, Liz Potenza, Suzie Ririe, Travis Rohrbaugh and Becky Smith.  Exhibit open from 10am-9 pm.

Also...Hot Jam! Glass demos with music and artists at work in PGC's studios from 6pm-9pm.

And PGC's special guests: FASHIONATION: March of the Fashionistas. All those great designers and eco divas you've clamored for on the runway the last two years (seen in the first two videos above) will be available in an informal gathering for you to chat with, purchase their clothing, or enjoy their live mannequins as they mix and mingle face to face with the festival crowd. Directed by GA/GI Stylist, Kristin Barker and her fashion assistant, Eric Abraham. 6pm-9pm.

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The Group Against Smog & Pollution (GASP), who just moved to  5135 Penn Avenue, will be projecting recently-discovered cartoons and a short film that their nonprofit made 40 years ago. GASP has a long history of fighting for cleaner air in the region. Meet the staff at their new Penn Ave. digs. 6-10 pm.

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Details: Optimus Eco Fuelus-Robotus, Workman Swaggers w/ Zwigel

Optimus Technologies @ 4820 Penn Avenue designs and manufactures fuel system retrofits that enable and optimize the performance of cleaner burning fuels in traditional engines. Their Vector system is a bolt-on, modular diesel-to-biofuel conversion system built for commercial and industrial users. The Vector is capable of operating with a variety of biofuels including vegetable oils and all blends of biodiesel. Their system for renewable fuels also has many advantages over traditional petroleum diesel.  The fuels are produced locally and are renewable and sustainable. Other benefits include: Offering significant operating cost reductions; satisfying impending federal and sate requirements and reducing emissions to meet increasingly stringent air quality requirements.

A bot by Jones

For GA/GI night on April 6th, they'll be hosting artist Donald Jones, whose builds robots and "bit" bots out of salvage materials. for more on Jones, click here.



 Darrell Sarka Workman. (Betcha can't say it fast 3x in a row.) He's the guy whose art brings a whole new meaning to the word "collage." Starting from the canvas bases he embellishes with hundreds of hand cut pieces from very specific newspapers and magazines, Workman's work is inspiring. He goes on to outline and layer the surfaces in bold primary color and black paints creating post modern portraiture, or what he calls "organic/synthetic" collages. He's also showcasing art by friend Autumn Zwigel during his GA/GI Fest exhibition and building an installation out of TV's turned into oscilloscopes. See this amazing display at 5116 Penn Avenue on Friday, April 6th.  DONT MISS THE NEXT GAGI "DETAIL"...SUBSCRIBE!
 

Confusion by Workman

GA/GI Details: Puppets, Pottery, Paper and Mini P Shake Monster UP

With giant cartoon squid tentacles unfolding over the newly renovated Union Project building, the flyer for the UP's Monster Open House event (or flier for some of you), is as eye-catching as the eye lashed eye balls that peer out from the illustration. The "monster" event begins at 9:30 am on Saturday, April 7 @ 801 N. Negley Avenue with coffee, breakfast and a community clean-up. From Noon until 6 pm the day is filled with family activities that shake, rattle and roll. For instance: Kids play giant puppet dress-up with artist/performer Cheryl Capezutti ; enjoy a multi-generational ceramics showcase; treat the whole family to zumba and yoga samplers and there's a Monster fashion show with Into the Mirror Productions. Also on the scene are friends from GA/GI Festival: Paper maker Katy DeMent, a resident artist on loan from the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts, will help you create your own handmade paper bookmark using natural materials, recyclables, and embellishments inspired by the tech world. Plus visit David Edwards, his mini Power Flower and his way cool techno bugs from Art Energy Design.


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GA/GI Details:Artists Swiech and Kirkwood have the EDGE, Professor Lysak is Most Wanted

Kirlian 3 by Gordon Kirkwood

Anne Chen, one of the principals at EDGE Studio, 5411 Penn Avenue, was immediately enthusiastic about working with both L.J. Swiech and Gordon Kirkwood to exhibit in their space "They're a wonderful, artistic fit for being hosted by our architectural firm."

Kirkwood's work is a series of photographs taken of high voltage lightning bolts interacting with water, and high voltage Kirlian photographs of everyday objects.




L. J. Swiech paints with "robots." He creates high-impact, digital prints that practically smack you in the face, often with stunningly, brilliant color. Also noted for sculptures, Swiech keeps it real, working with a variety of salvaged 2D and 3D objects.



Breaking Ties by Swiech















John Lysak, is an international known master print maker. Since 1995, he has been an Associate Professor and head of the Art Department Graduate Program at Edinboro University. He primarily does work on paper, creating narrative iconography, abstract imagery, using many symbols to suggest a layering of content. Much of his work is created over time with unique impressions, and with his own brand of print making techniques. He and his art collaborators will be hosted by Jason Sauer, owner of  Most Wanted Fine Art, 5015 Penn Avenue.

A relief by Lysak

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GA/GI Details: Spring Swings @ Tee Rex; Assemble Goes Post-Digital; Irma Freeman Takes a Ryder and Trenney

With digital looking flowers as their event logo, Tee Rex located @ 5440 Penn Avenue is already off to a great GA/GI start with Spring Swing. Their evening line-up includes recycled glass artist, Elizabeth Klevens, E-2 and Franktuary serving up tasking bites, and sales proceeds for the evening going to our old tech buddies, Hack Pittsburgh (who along with Tree Pittsburgh), inspired us to begin this illuminating eco/tech/art event in the first place.

So take advantage of the sale on Cotton Factory's 2011, hand-printed Tees by local designers "irrationally affordable" at only $10. Or or just $5, choose from selected transfers and watch 'em get pressed on T-shirts "right before your eyes." You can let Tee Rex know your coming on FB. Click here


Assemble, located @ 5125 Penn Avenue has one hell of a moniker for their incredible GA/GI exhibit: Post-Digital Explorations: Material Inconsistency--but no worries they go on to explain:

"As both pre-digital modes of architectural thought and the interest in purely form driven digital novelty wane, architecture is moving into a post-digital condition in which it is forced to reconsider aspects of itself that have typically been regarded as constants. One such characteristic is the seemingly indispensable condition of permanence that permeates the discipline from initial concept through to historical preservation. This series of design experiments explores the possibility of an architecture that lacks permanence and stability - constructs that attempt to move beyond typical notions of kineticism and flux, and into a realm that is fleeting and provisional."

Whew! Meet the man, Benjamin Rice, visiting professor from Virginia Tech and see his work during GA/GI on April 6...check out the FB event page by clicking here.

Always willing to go way, way outside the box, The Irma Freeman Center located @ 5006 Penn Avenue boldly goes GA/GI with artist Ryder Henry, model spaceship builder extraordinaire. Not only does he make spaceships you wish you could ride in, but Ryder's even built a city out of cardboard packaging material, elmers glue, sawdust, a little paint, some twigs and the fake greenery. The worlds this guy can create out of almost nothing are amzaing. And, let's not forget "Bionic Beings" wonder woman Suzanne Trenney. Now, top that all off with projections and performances by Rusty Nail and Universal Beat Union. Catch Friday night on April 6th at GA/GI Fest!

Gut Garden, by Trenney

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Penn Ave. Area Organizations Going Gangbusters for GA/GI

POW<BANG>BOOM...Hear that? That's the sound of every inch of Penn Avenue working to get in gear for GA/GI Festival. It starts with a Toonseum kick-off in Garfield on Thursday night, 113 N Pacific Ave. (see schedule of events) Friday, April 6. Kelly Strayhorn/Dance Alloy Studios (5530 
Penn)  has a“Living Exhibit"
Steelpan, a dynamic exploration into the art
of steelpan construction, history, and playing
techniques with Phil Solomon and Mat Doktor as Penn Avenue hosts its monthly Unblurred art crawl with an eco/tech flavor! Some examples:
Assemble: Post Digital Exploration: Material Inconsistency  with Benjamin Rice
Edge Studios: Technology Artists L.J. Sweich and Gordon Kirkwood
BFG Gyros: Gather 'Round the Fire's Green" story-telling circle, Speak life
TEE Rex: Spring Swing: hand-printed T's, Franktuary hot dogs, music and more
Irma Freeman Center: Spaceships by Ryder Henry--Weep your heart our NASA!
Most Wanted Fine Art: : Salvage Art at its best from Edinboro University's  J.Lysak and friends
Pittsburgh Glass Center: Hot Jam demos and "Fashionation: March of the Fashionistas"
Watch for more!

LOOK Who's Back! SEE Who's INTO GA/GI FESTIVAL!

We're fairly bursting at the seams to tell you who's who and whose new to GA/GI! Founding sponsors Jonano eco chic fashion (scroll down for video), and David Edwards' Art Energy Design Power Flower...Pitt's Mobile Science Lab, The Pittsburgh Glass Center and of course some your fav galleries along avenue. But you'll be thrilled to see newer restaurants like Verde and Salt, a artfully revamped Quiet Storm, an Eco Spoken Word Story Circle "Gather round the Fire's Green" hosted by SpeakLife, and digital marvels and Marvel-like comic book exhibits and animated vending at the BGC Community Center courtesy of Toonseum! (Here, the 411 from the Bulletin newspaper/ pg. 16) Our Fashionista pose-down on the avenue will have everyone cheering ...but we don't want to give away ALL our secrets...at least not yet. Follow this blog  int he next few weeks as there is much, much more to come!