Category Archives: Arts & Culture

“Fifth Wall: Transit Tales” Shares Perspectives on Transit

Bricolage’s Fifth Wall series seeks to break down the barriers between scripted storytelling and current events in the world at large.

The 2014 Fifth Wall Series continues, as part of the Transit Tales project, with a panel discussion on public transit in Allegheny County. Specifically, how (or if) public input should be included in planning for public transit. Panelists include:

Lucy Spruill – Committee for Accessible Transportation
Bonnie Young-Laing – Hill District Consensus Group
Ben Samson – Architectural Designer
Tom Conroy – Amalgamated Transit Union
Grant Ervin – City of Pittsburgh
Moderated by Chris Potter – Pittsburgh City Paper

Fifth Wall: Transit Tales
Thursday, April 17, 2014
7:00 p.m.
Blakey Program Center Multipurpose Room*
(1908 Wylie Avenue, 2nd Floor, Pittsburgh, PA 15219)

This event is FREE and open to the public. RSVP on Facebook.

*Please note the new venue. It’s just around the corner from the prior space. (See this map for walking directions.) The accessible entrance is in the back, off of Green Street.

Transit Tales, a collaboration between GoBurgh, Bricolage, and Pittsburghers for Public Transit is a multimedia program of community engagement, experience documentation, and creative storytelling that aims to raise public awareness and positive perception of public transit while attracting involvement from a diversity of audiences that may not engage in traditional conversations.

See Pittsburgh Batman at the Kelly-Strayhorn Theater – March 20-22, 2014

Not going to see Pittsburgh Batman is one of my biggest regrets of 2013. Pittsburgh Batman is a play that was performed last year at Bricolage Theater.

Back by popular demand, Pittsburgh Batman will be at the Kelly Strayhorn Theater this weekend. There are only 3 performances and I’m sure this will be a sell out again.

Pittsburgh Hearts (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Pittsburgh Batman is the brain child of Lord Grunge and Jackson who hail from Pittsburgh, but are often traveling as the dou Grand Buffet. I have the good fortune of getting to know some of the other cast members, who are incredible performers and some of the most creative people in Pittsburgh).

Here is some press on last years performance:

Tickets are $25.00 and available online here. Follow @PittsburghBTMN on Twitter for updates.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MgkFSStiZE[/youtube]

International Premiere of ‘Madame Presidenta: Why Not U.S.?’

I know the tickets for the premier are expensive but I wanted to share this because this film was made by a Pittsburgh resident and I know there will be more screenings of the film to come.

Check out the trailer and be sure to follow @wgfpa for updates.

‘Madame Presidenta: Why Not U.S.?’, a documentary exploring the role of women in global politics, was inspired by Arnet’s grandmother, the late Vivian Goldstein, whose own mother marched as a suffragette advocating for women to achieve the right to vote. As the film shows, Goldstein had hoped to live long enough to see a woman elected president of the United States. Sadly, she was not able to see her dream come true.

Inspired by Vivian’s resolve, Heather traveled to Brazil to ask women from different regions and socio-economic backgrounds to share their perspective on the dynamic shifts that have occurred in Brazilian politics over the course of just one generation.

Why Brazil? Presidenta Dilma Rousseff leads one of the most rapidly developing nations on earth, having surpassed the United Kingdom to become the world’s sixth-largest economy. The film debuts as Brazil prepares to host the World Cup in June of this year, as Rousseff faces re-election in October, and as the nation prepares to host the Summer Olympics in 2016.

Through the production of this film, Heather uncovered powerful new findings connecting female economic security, political participation, and new democracies in fostering the advancement of women.

The Women and Girls Foundation of Southwestern Pennsylvania invites you to join us for the premiere, leading the way for women in shaping the world through advocacy and civic involvement.

International Premiere of ‘Madame Presidenta: Why Not U.S.?’
March 8, 2014
8:00pm
Carnegie Museum of Art Theater
Dessert reception and Q&A with director Heather Arnet to follow
Tickets are $50.TICKETS AVAILABLE AT: www.madamepresidenta.com

Yinztern Catherine is applying for the Millennial Trains Project!

You might remember last July when Lindsay applied for the Millennial Trains Project with her idea The United States of Pittsburgh. She received a tremendous amount of support and I’m hoping you’ll be able to donate to my campaign too!

I’m going to explore local independent bookstores and public libraries at each of the stops along the trip. Libraries and bookstores are such cornerstones of communities and I want to discover what places in other cities are doing to engage their neighborhoods. I also want to tie it all in with the digital age by seeing the extent that libraries and bookstores use modern technology and social media to get people involved.

My ultimate goal is to share lots of stories, ideas, and photos with everyone and bring some amazing possibilities back to Pittsburgh. I really believe the level of community engagement in Pittsburgh is one of the things that makes it special and such a great city.

This year the train stops in Los Angeles, Albuquerque, Kansas City, Louisville, Chattanooga, Atlanta, and Miami, and takes place March 16-26.

I’m almost halfway to my goal and am really excited about possibly going on this trip! Any donation amount would be helpful and I would be incredibly grateful. Sharing my campaign with as many outlets as possible is also super important to it succeeding. All funds must be raised by February 15th, but if I reach my goal by February 1st, they will pay for my plane tickets!

You can read more about my project, donate, or share via the following link: http://crowdhitch.millennialtrain.co/campaign/detail/2550

They are also still looking for applicants so if you have an idea, you should apply too!

Thank you, wonderful I heart PGH readers!

Pitt-starter – Meet Pittsburgh Artist Robert Qualters

Pitt-starter is our occasional series of posts about Kickstarer and other crowdfunding projects that are of interest to the Pittsburgh community. You can check out previous Pitt-starter posts here.

I am very excited to share this Kickstarter project with you. First, because I think this is a great chance to learn about a Pittsburgh artist who has been painting this city for decades. And second, because I had the opportunity to meet Robert Qualters earlier this year and I think he is one of the many Pittsburghers that should be on your radar.

Robert Qualters - Penn Station Rotunda, 2006, acrylic and collage on canvas, 42x48"

Robert Qualters – Penn Station Rotunda, 2006, acrylic and collage on canvas, 42×48″

Robert Qualters is one of those artists where you have probably seen his work around town but you might not have known much about the artist. His paintings are hanging in some of the offices and restaurants and he has painted several murals for Mercy Hospital and Pittsburgh public schools.

I hope you will take a moment to visit the Kickstarter page for “Robert Qualters: A Life in Film” to check out the video and some of the paintings of Pittsburgh. The Kickstarter trailer gives you a glimpse into his studio which is located in Homestead. I’ve had the chance to visit another artist in this building and you would have never guessed this old school was home to a wealth of Pittsburgh talent.

Another fun fact about this project is that one of the filmmakers, Elizabeth Seamans, was Mrs. McFeely on Mr. Rogers Neighborhood.

This Kickstarter project is to fund a film about his work which will debut in 2014. A retrospective of his paintings will be on display at Pittsburgh center for the arts starting February 7, 2014.

The Qualter’s Kickstarter project also offers some unique rewards and the chance to pick up a signed and numbered print from the artist or an original painting from Qualters.

Follow Robert Qualters on Facebook – facebook.com/qualtersart and Twitter @qualtersart