If the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts' annual exhibition award to an Artist of the Year is about affirmation, the more recently established award to an Emerging Artist of the Year is about discovery. The 2006 awardees, Jane Haskell and Kim Beck, respectively, fulfill those expectations admirably.

Darrell Sapp, Post-Gazette Charcoal drawing "Thing, #5" is among the works in Kim Beck's Emerging Artist of the Year show at the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts. Click photo for larger image. Emerging Artist of the Year show Where: Pittsburgh Center for the Arts When: Through Nov. 5. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays and noon to 5 p.m. Sundays. Kim Beck and Jane Haskell will give Artist's Talks at 6 p.m. Oct. 19; $5 suggested donation Information: 412-361-0873 or www.pittsburgharts.org. Related review Art Review: Artist of the Year brings light to introspective exhibit

Beck addresses the inhabited landscape, ignoring classical and picturesque elements to concentrate on the banal scenery one navigates while going about daily living.

Sometimes her observations are reductive and stark, as with the graphic series titled "Thing," in which meticulous, large charcoal drawings use as points of departure such items as road signs and power lines. Rather than representationally presenting them, though, Beck provides sufficient information for recognition but alters it, coaxing the effort required to connect the dots between what's visually provided and what's mentally stored.

Other works are almost manic, such as "Holymoley Land," a cacophony of signs, street lamps and architecture, cut from bright pink insulation foam and brown cardboard, that occupies three walls. The objects appear frenzied -- stacked and competitive for space -- the urban equivalent of a rain forest.

Throughout, this exhibition is about drawing and line. Inherent in the cutouts, line also appears among them as marks on the walls. While essential to the works on paper in a supporting role, line is the featured character in an animation, "Ideal City," its alacrity a confirmation of the energy one suspects Beck applies while working.

The lack of figures in Beck's work, which so blatantly references congestion and populated areas, conveys an apocalyptic tone.

Within the positive/negative gas station of "Thing," is there commentary about energy and oil and war? Within the multiples of the "Self Storage" series, is there commentary about the conspicuous consumption or the ever-mobile society that spawned them? Does the amalgam of signage that engulfs the occasional tree reflect environmental concerns?

Whatever her intent, Beck provides fodder for a lively consideration of a world one frequently moves through only unconsciously.

A color-illustrated catalog of the exhibitions contains insightful essays. Independent curator Vicky A. Clark writes about Haskell, and Beck is discussed by Heather Pesanti, Carnegie Museum of Art assistant curator of contemporary art ($10).

Posters and party

"Seeing Red," a political posters project organized by a Honolulu gallery, is among the artwork that will be displayed during Artists Image Resource's Big Birthday Bash from noon to midnight Saturday.

It's one of the events marking the 10th anniversary of the North Side artist-run organization and includes all-ages daytime activities ($10) and evening music by Vale and Year and by Death Vessel ($10).

Local artists/designers who contributed to "Seeing Red" are Lindsay Clark, Kristin Hughes, Larkin Werner, Brett Yasko and former Pittsburgher Bernard Uy. Subjects range from war to road kill (www.seeing-red.net).

For tickets and information, 412-321-8664 or www.artistsimageresource.org.

Web site corrections

In articles last week, I left a letter out of each of these now corrected Web addresses: spiritunfoldingnow.googlepages.com and 5151Penn.com.