• Friday, July 29, 2011, 7pm-Midnight – DJ Zombo
• Saturday, July 30, 2011, 7pm-11pm – Velveeta (how can you not like a band whose url is http://www.80scheese.com/)

Here is a fun fact about the place from the Penn Brewery Wikipedia page – the brew pub opened in 1989 and Sophie Masloff tapped the first keg.

I have had the honor of working for Georgia Berner, who serves as a great leadership resource to anyone who works with her. Georgia is always willing to work with her company, groups and local non profit organizations to bring together different ideas to find a better solution everyone can live with. Georgia runs a pretty interesting company, Berner International, which is headquarted in New Castle, PA. Berner International makes air curtians – you know when you walk into the grocery store and you walk through a blast of air – that is an air curtain. By blowing air across the opening – the heat stay in and the cold/bugs/birds stay out. Check out her blog – Berner Buzz.

Khari Mosley is responsible for my involvement in the League of Young Voters. Khari is one impressive person when it comes to bringing groups together to work on important issues. One of the things I think of often is a presentation Khari gave at the National League of Young Voters conference on building unlikely coalitions to achive results. I have traveled with Khari to the Hip Hop Political Convention and the League of Young Voters national retreat – both of which were opportunities to connect with other impressive organizers from around the country.

While I have not had the opportunity to work with Mark DeSantis – I have heard rave reviews of some of his ideas around supporting and growing small businesses. I have recently learned that Mark hosts a weekly radio show – Pittsburgh Business Radio – and has some of other Pittsburgh bloggers join as guest – last week was Chad Herman and Julie Gong.

Cartoon Factory 2008: Scaring Up the Vote
November 1- 2, 10am-5pm
brought to you by: Warhol Musuem and the ToonSeum

• Create your own political cartoons, buttons and t-shirts
• Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and nationally Syndicated cartoonist Rob Rogers will be there too
• Completed cartoons will be displayed at the museum until Nov. 9.

h/t to PopCityMedia
More on Political Cartoons:

• Stars of Political Cartooning – Clifford “CK” Berryman
• Stars of Political Cartooning – Carl Giles
• Is this supposed to be funny?

Warhol on MTV

Image via Wikipedia

Last year I learned that just before he died Andy Warhol had his own series on MTV – Andy Warhol’s Fifteen Minutes. When I wrote the post back in February of 2007 – I couldn’t find any clips of his show.

Lucky for me – The Warhol Museum will be showing the pilot and the first episode of the series on Saturday @ 3pm. Sadly the Warhol Museum website provide no other info about the film. Click here for the IMDB page – which doesn’t have much info either.

Here are some other blogs that wrote about Warhol’s 80th Birthday – it is really interesting to see how other people reflect on Andy Warhol:

• Born August 6: Andy Warhol @ Band of Thebes
• An artist is somebody who produces things that people don’t need to have. @ 2008 Artist Quote of the Day
• What to bring to Warhol’s Birthday Party @ slowlearning
  • Playthink Learning Studio in Dayton, Oh is having a birthday party for Andy Warhol and they have listed 80 reasons to celebrate.
• Happy Birthday, Andy @ Lip Smacking Wit
  • This blogger reflects on her visit to the warhol museum and asks if a blog is art. Coincidentally she is also reading Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Pittsburgh author Annie Dillard.
• Happy Birthday Andy Warhol @ Dog Art Today
  • has a nice picture of Andy and his dog and some links to more Andy warhol animals
• Andy Warhol’s 80th Birthday @ Just a Modern Guy
  • nice reflection on Andy Warhol and pop art.
• Happy Birthday, Andy! @ Atomic Librarian
  • This blogger is based in AZ and has a nice mention of the book Andy’s nephew wrote A Visit With Uncle Andy
• Happy 80th Birthday Andy Warhol @ GuestofaGuest

Reasons to Celebrate in the Park:

• For the Kids – The Children’s Museum has put together a treasure hunt called “Where is Allegheny City”. Until 1907 what is now the North Side was a separate city named Allegheny City – check out more on the history here.
• Classic Car Cruise sponsored by the Rodfathers of Butler.
• Furry Finalists for Comcast’s Canine Idol Contest
• More Crafty Vendors from Handmade Arcade

To celebrate the Children’s Museum is having a big party on Saturday and admission is only$.25, which is a great deal because it is usually $8 for kids and $9 for adults.

Some of my favorite things about the Children’s Museum:

• Suffy – the large stange looking guy whose stomach unzips so you can see his stuff organs
• Screen Printing – while you usually only get to print on paper, screen printing has become one of my favorites and had a big part in my path to t-shirts.
• Braille Typewriters – I loved typing my name in braille and attempting to read it later

I have no idea if these exhibits are still there.  I would love to hear what you like/remember about the Children’s Museum.

Photo: Rmcgervey 

For starters, the Mattress Factory has an amazing garden, so that is worth going to see. The exhibts are also worth your visit.

There were two pieces there the last time I attended that remain some of my favorites – one was the leftovers from a dinner party and the other one I think was called “stairway to heaven” and it was an organ that was played by stepping on an old stairmaster.

To top it all off they will have music and art, including silk screening – it was a visit to the Warhol museum that got me started screen printing – the first shirt I made was an IheartPGH t-shirt, which eventually led to this little website. And the community garden party is all free.

Also – I just discovered that they have a great blog – http://artyoucangetinto.blogspot.com.

June 15, 2008

Sunday, June 15, 2008
12:00 PM – 5:00 PM
FREE

Enjoy outdoor entertainment, activities and art you can get into! Experience a variety of exciting programs! Performances include Steel-pan drummers, Puppet Express with artist Tom Sarver, African dancers and more! Come try hands-on activities such as flower potting, silk screening, scavenger hunting and other fun art activities! FREE and open to the public.

Photos:
Garden at Mattress Factory, catcubed

Mark your calendars for this Pittsburgh art event! You don’t want to miss Pittsburgh 150-250: See how it was, See how it is. An art exhibit at Fein Gallery, April 25 through June 6, 2008. Never before seen images of Pittsburgh in 1908 as well as current artwork to celebrate Pittsburgh 250!

See How It Was, See How It Is

Featuring an exhibit of never before seen Images of Pittsburgh’s “Sesquicentennial”, the 150th Anniversary, in 1908 as well as contemporary paintings, sculptures, and photography to celebrate the 250th birthday of Pittsburgh!

Opening Reception Friday, April 25th, 2008 (5pm – 9pm) Fein Art Gallery 519 East Ohio St. Pittsburgh, PA 15212 on the North Side, 412 321-6816. Gallery hours are Monday thru Friday 9am-5pm.

Contributing Artists:Ron Donoughe, Carol Bewgley, Steven Boksenbaum, Robert Bowden, Alan Byrne, Rick Byerly, Cynthia Cooley, Bill DeBernardi, John Fobes, Gloria Hersch, Lila Hirsch Brody, Fumino Hora, Connie Merriman, Helen Naimark, Lilli Neiland, Anna Marie Sninsky, Susan Sparks, David Sparks, David Watts, Mary Lois Verrilla, Frank Flynn, Ron Thurston, Frank Webb, Bill Vrscak and Sherrie Plonski

Curators: Kathleen Zimbicki & Bruce Klein

If you’ve never been to Fein Gallery check out their website for a photograph of the gallery’s great space! http://www.feinartgallery.com/

Fein Gallery 519 East Ohio St. Pittsburgh, PA 15212 412 321-6816 on the North Side. Located next to Bernie’s Photo and Digital. Regular gallery hours are Monday thru Friday 9am-5pm.

Lots more info about this event is located here.

A quick list of reasons I think you should attend this event:

• Guerrilla Girls – Liz Perry was raving about this group – it is my understanding they do all of their presentations in guerrilla suits.
• Heather Arnet – she runs the Women and Girls Foundation and she is a great person to get to know
• LUPEC - Ladies United for the Preservation of Endangered Cocktails – they have been improving drink knowledge around Pittsburgh for years now

Art, Activism & Equity Symposium

Co-presented by the New Hazlett Theater, Greater Pgh Arts Council & Women and Girls Foundation
April 18, 2008–April 19, 2008

The New Hazlett Theater, Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council and the Women and Girls Foundation present a dynamic symposium, Art, Activism & Equity, as part of the “Women in the Arts” Festival on April 18 and 19, 2008. The festival celebrates the accomplishments of women in the arts in Pittsburgh and connects the local arts community with national resources, trends, and philosophies.

The symposium in April will explore solutions regarding Southwest Pennsylvania’s embarrassing record of women’s compensation rates, build networks among Pittsburgh’s emerging and established arts leaders while celebrating our region’s unique strengths as a center for individual accomplishment. The program will also explore politics and feminism and will encourage local action, connection to resources and coalition building.

FRIDAY, APRIL 18, 2008
2:00 to 9:00 PM

Registration and Welcome Reception – 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM

Opening Remarks – 2:00 PM to 2:15 PM
Jane Werner, Executive Director, Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh

Opening Presentation – 2:15 PM to 3:45 PM
Guerrilla Girls, featuring Frida Kahlo, on the history and work of the Guerrilla Girls in exposing sexism, racism and corruption in the art world, politics, film and pop culture.

Workshops – 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM

Workshop A
Crafting Your Life: Craftivism & Creating Community
Crafting Your Life will be a visually led discussion about alternative ways to structure your life, create community and use your creative skills towards personal exploration or direct action. Faythe will share examples and lead an interactive discussion about craft, activism and community and they ways they can overlap from the home to the gallery and the street, to the hands of corporate CEO’s. New media artist Elizabeth Perry will lead a discussion called Web Hacks for Artists, sharing online strategies and exploring ways artists use new web-based tools for communication, collaboration, and community-building, Elizabeth will draw on her own experience and share easy ways to use blogs, wikis, syndication and more – for creative expression and conversation with other artists and new audiences. Her sketchbook journal may be found at www.elizabethperry.com/woolgathering, where she has been blogging since 2002.

Presenters:
Faythe Levine, Director and Author of “Handmade Nation: Documenting the rise of DIY Art, Craft & Design” and Elizabeth Perry, writer, new media artist and fellow at the STUDIO for Creative Inquiry at Carnegie Mellon University.

Workshop B
Guerrilla Girls
Getting active and initiating change. Limited to 30 people.

Reception – 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM
Hosted by Women and Girls Foundation

Panel Discussion – 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM
The quest for equality is still critical. Conversation will explore today’s feminist movement in the arts, in politics, in business and across generations.

Moderator: Sylvia Rhor

Panelists:
Heather Arnet, Women and Girls Foundation
Vanessa German, Slam poet and visual artist
Chelsa Wagner, Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Nancy Washington, Vice Chairperson, August Wilson Center for African American Culture

Performance – 8:30 PM
Selected works by Vanessa German

SATURDAY, APRIL 19, 2008, 10:30 AM to 9:00 PM

Registration, Welcome Reception and Resource Expo Exhibit – 10:30 AM to 12:15 PM

Opening Remarks – 12:15 PM to 12:30 PM
Sara Radelet, Executive Director, New Hazlett Theater
Focus of the day will be on identity and equity both locally and globally.

Opening Presentation – 12:30 PM to 1:00 PM
Melissa Swauger, Assistant Professor of Sociology, Carlow University, will present the Implicit Association Test, demonstrating that we all have subconscious discriminations whether we know it or not.

Panel Discussion – 1:15 PM to 2:30 PM
Women Making Change! Today women in PA make 70 cents for every buck a man earns. This panel will talk about how we can work together to CHANGE this!

Moderator: Heather Arnet, Women and Girls Foundation

Panelists:
Selena Schmidt, Chief of Staff for City Council President Doug Shields
M.J. Tocci, Fulcrum Advisors
Audrey Murrell, University of Pittsburgh, Katz School of Business

Mini Catapult Workshop – 2:30 PM to 4:30 PM

Presenter: Heather Arnet, Women and Girls Foundation
Catapult is a new project of the Women & Girls Foundation that matches trained, volunteer coaches with women who want to become more skilled and confident in their use of negotiation to improve their professional situations. The program grew out of a desire to support women seeking to negotiate salary increases, but good negotiation skills can support you in improving many other meaningful job-related issues, including benefits, promotion, title change, and/or work responsibilities.

Reception – 4:30 PM to 5:30 PM
Featuring drinks created by the Ladies United for the Preservation of Endangered Cocktails (LUPEC).

Performances
Autumn Ayers – 5:30 PM to 6:30 PM
Nicole Reynolds – 6:45 PM to 7:45 PM
Soma Mestizo – 8:00 PM to 9:00 PM

Resource Expo
The main lobby will feature “resource” booths with information for artists and audience members to secure funding, get involved locally and globally, and spur their own projects.

Resource Expo Presenters
E-Magnify women’s business center at Seton Hill University,
Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council,
Handmade Arcade,
The Idea Foundry,
Ladies United for the Preservation of Endangered Cocktails (LUPEC),
The Pennsylvania Center for Women, Politics, and Public Policy at Chatham University,
Women and Girls Foundation

The Tom Museum is puppet maker Tom Sarver’s museum on the North Side. On Friday April 11, 2008 the Tom Museum opens a new exhibition MIXTAPE which is all about – the mix tape. Which is just a totally great idea. Mix tapes are such an interesting look at musical tastes and points in time. In the movie High Fidelity – John Cusack’s character spends quite a bit of time talking about how to put together the perfect mix tape.

I love the idea of a museum exhibit of these little tiny tapes of personal art. I found this event on Pop City Media’s weekly events round up – Pop Filter and they provide a link to this website – www.artofthemix.org – which is dedicated to mix tapes.

MIXTAPE
April 11 to
The Tom Museum, 410 Sampsonia Way on the North Side
The Tom Museum is open Saturdays from noon until 5:00 p.m. and Sundays from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m
www.Tom Museum.com

My Salute to the Audio Tape- I heart Tapes
I recently got a new used car and this is the first time I am with out a tape player. I know we are in the age of ipods and CDS (yes the car has a cd player) but I have a pile of these amazing mix tapes and tapes that I have collected over the years that I love. One of my favorites is the soundtrack to the movie The Big Easy. My dad bought this tape when we were in grade school. I have grown to love it because it is filled with zydeco and other interesting music. I just realized that I have never seen the movie but I did find out that you can buy a used VHS copy from Amazon for a penny. I may just need to find my walkman to listen to these old gems.