ART FOR EVERYONE

Ten years ago the folks in Lawrenceville put their heads together to create an event that would celebrate their neighborhood and showcase the arts.

They came up with Art All Night, a free and free-spirited art marathon, and, a decade later, it's looking like a good idea. Last year, more than 10,000 people stopped by to view work by 883 artists and would-be artists.

	Los Straitjackets featuring Big Sandy play the Rex Theatre Friday night. Click photo for larger image.

Art All Night marks its 10-year anniversary Saturday at The Catalyst Building, a former schoolhouse at 141 41st St. in Lawrenceville. Professional and amateur artists of all ages are invited to display and sell their work. They can bring one piece of art to the registration table between 1 and 4 p.m. It will be on display, uncensored, from 5 p.m. Saturday through 2 p.m. Sunday.

On Saturday night at 8, there will be music by the SPUDS, Cathasaigh, Tribe Taksim, Stationwagon, Joy Ike, Seven Day Weekend and Narse. On Sunday, beginning at 10 a.m., the music lineup is Mark Lang, Leslie Addis, The Douglass Brothers, John Barnes, Nadina's Cube and John Michael David Robinson.

Looking back on the origin of Art All Night, organizer Chris Hollingshead notes in his statement: "We got a space and we built it out to show art. We invited people to come. We figured if no one came, at least we were going to have a great party. Something amazing happened. People came. Lots of people. Not only did they come, but they brought expressions of themselves to show and share. We all saw it. There was something very special. The inner spirit that lives in us all, came out from behind its walls, dropped its pretensions, and quietly exposed itself, for all to see."

For more on the event, go to www.artallnight.com.

ALL WEEKEND

Attack Theatre concludes its U.S. Tour with an encore performance of the award-winning dance/rock opera "Games of Steel" at Kelly-Strayhorn Theater. PG critic Jane Vranish has described it as "Think athletics in dance. Think metal-edged music. Think steel rings and beams and things. Think Mad Max meets urban 'Survivor.' " Performances are 8 p.m. Friday; 8 and 10:30 p.m. Saturday; and 8 p.m. Monday.

The Opera Theater of Pittsburgh sets up at the Andy Warhol Museum for the Pittsburgh premiere of Philip Glass' opera "The Sound of a Voice," a work that explores the dreams and fantasies of a Japanese writer, an aging warrior and a geisha. The two-act opera, sung in English, finds Glass adding Asian and Western instrumentation to Japanese stories adapted by award-winning playwright David Henry Hwang. The Boston Globe said "The Sound of a Voice" is "melodically engrossing ... haunts one's dreams." Part of Pittsburgh Glass 2007, the opera takes place within a new scenic glass art installation created by Kathleen Mulcahy and Ron Desmett, founders of the Pittsburgh Glass Center. Times are 8 tonight, Friday and Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $25 to $35. Call 412-394-3353 or go to www.proartstickets.org.

You're allowed to make fun of Christian boy bands? Who knew? Apparently, the creators of "Altar Boyz," an Off-Broadway musical comedy currently at the Byham Theater. The New York Times said of "Altar Boyz, "Finally, an Off Broadway musical that actually works." It's also suitable for all ages. Performances are 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays-Thursdays; 8 p.m. Fridays; 2 and 8 p.m. Saturdays; and 1 and 6:30 p.m. Sundays through May 6. Tickets are $19.50 to $54.50. Go to www.pgharts.org or call 412-456-6666.

Chewbaca, aka Peter Mayhew, is clearly the biggest star at the Pittsburgh Comicon, standing 7-foot-3. He's joined by artists and illustrators, more characters from "Star Wars" and the "Dead" series and droves of comic geeks this weekend at the Pittsburgh ExpoMart.

The David L. Lawrence Convention Center, all patched together now, will turn into the biggest car showroom in town for the 2007 Pittsburgh International Auto Show. More than 500 of the latest cars, trucks, minivans and sport/utility vehicles will pull in to be seen but not sold. The show will have a focus on the "green" movement, including hybrids and alternative fuel vehicles, while also showing concept cars, crossover vehicles, sports cars and more. Hours are 5 to 10 p.m. today; 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 10 a.m. -- 6 p.m. Sunday; and 10 a.m. -- 9 p.m. Monday. Admission is $9; children 12 and under free. Go to www.pittautoshow.com or call 1-866-575-3040.

FRIDAY

Those masked men with the surf guitar riffs return to the Rex for another night of wavy tunes. Los Straitjackets will play old favorites as well as songs from "Rock En Espanol," a new album on Yep Roc that pays tribute to the '60s Mexican rock bands. Big Sandy is along for the ride handling the vocals in Spanish. The show begins at 7 p.m. Tickets are $22 to $24. Call 412-323-1919.

According to The Samburu Project, "The biggest issue for people in Samburu, Kenya, is not HIV/AIDS, poverty or female genital mutilation. It's the lack of clean drinking water. This affects every aspect of their daily lives including health, education, finances and family dynamic." Founder Kristen Kosinski conceived The Samburu Project in 2005 while traveling through Kenya. The goal is to drill 25 wells, each benefiting 1,000 people. Samburu presents its 2nd Annual Party and Fund-raising Event at the Mattress Factory, 500 Sampsonia Way, North Side, from 7 to 10 p.m. The event will feature a silent auction, a short documentary about Samburu Project, stories from Alice Lenalayokie, music by Colter Harper, food by Papa J's and drinks. Go to www.thesamburuproject. com.

"Let Them Eat Cake!" So said Marie Antoinette (supposedly). And so says The Midwife Center, which presents the fund-raising cake decorating and tasting contest at the Society for Contemporary Craft from 7 to 9 p.m. Professional and amateur bakers will submit nearly 40 cakes with names like Giant Squid Cake and Happy Earth Day Cake to be sampled by attendees and rated by a panel of expert judges. Festivities will include wine tasting with Barefoot Cellars, a silent auction, live cake auction and a music performance by Sugar Daddy and the Big Boned Girls. Tickets are $25. Call 412-321-6884.

Fiddles and banjos will ring out for the ninth annual Bluegrass Benefit for Catholic Charities' St. Joseph House of Hospitality in Synod Hall in Oakland. The concert will feature the Allegheny Drifters, Blue Shades, Mac Martin and the Dixie Travelers, M & M Express, and Nine Mile Run. It marks 70 years of service for St. Joseph's House, which has been providing housing and supportive services for homeless men 50 years of age and older since 1937. It begins at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $20; children 12 and under free; discounts for seniors and students. Call 412-471-0666, extension 227.

Pittsburgh stylists will draw inspiration from Sophia Coppola's "Marie Antoinette," Warhol's "Factory Girl" and sci-fi for TEASE, French-inspired lingerie fashion show at Privilege Ultra-Lounge (formerly Prive) in the Strip. It's a benefit for the American Liver Foundation presented by Diana Rua Media. Doors open at 6 p.m. for cocktails, hors d'oeuvres & ambiance; the lingerie show begins at 9 p.m. Tickets are $10 advance/$15 at the door. Call 1-866-434-7044 or go to www.liverfoundation.org.

"Cultivating Alleyways," a new installation by Swoon, Leslie Stem and Chris Stain, combines figurative drawings, prints and stencils, some depicting the history of the labor struggle in the United States. It opens at Dorothy 6 in Braddock with a reception from 7 to 11 p.m. with DJs Mary Mack and baglady and live music in the church with The Working Poor, My Niece Denise and Smells Like Gina. It is free. Call 412-951-0622.

SATURDAY

With Paul Simon tied up with fatherhood, Edie Brickell and a solo record, Art Garfunkel ventured off into a daring collaboration with veteran speed-metal band Slayer ... Not really. That would be interesting, though, wouldn't it? Actually, Garfunkel is applying that lovely tenor to a set of standards with a '60s lounge feel on "Some Enchanted Evening." He brings the tour to The Palace Theatre in Greensburg at 8 p.m.

The Hunt Armory in Shadyside is the unlikely location for Children of the World, an international festival for families from 5 to 10 p.m. Presented by Sacred Heart School and the World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh, it will feature educational displays on 28 different countries, traditional music and dancing, children's activities and food from Buffalo Blues, Noodle Hut, The Red Room, Mendoza Express and more. Admission is $7; $5 for elementary school children (younger are free). Visit www.shes-pgh.org/festival or call 412-441-1582.

A Civil War skirmish will break out between 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Andrew Carnegie Free Library & Music Hall in Carnegie. The 9th Pennsylvania Reserves, a Pittsburgh-based living history and re-enactment group, will be on guard for that, and there will also be talks on the Grand Army of the Republic Post and Soldiers Homes. The public is also invited to the actual, legal wedding of Joanne Shelby and Michael Klein conducted in historic 1862 military style at 4:30 p.m. The day culminates in a concert by period music groups Home Front and Acoustic Shadows of the Blue and Grey in the Music Hall at 8 p.m. Daytime programming is free. Concert tickets are $10; $7.50 for seniors and children.

Bill and Kaye Cowher picked up roots and left for Raleigh, N.C., leaving a few things behind, including the Steelers and a house full of furniture. The mix of traditional and contemporary objects (the furniture, not the team) will be auctioned at Dargate Auction Galleries Saturday at noon, right around the time the Oakland Raiders will be selecting its first draft pick. The public will be allowed to preview items today from 10 to 4 p.m. at 214 N. Lexington St., Point Breeze. They include a crystal ice bucket with Steelers logo, a Steelers logo desk clock, with crystal movement and Coach Cowher's Chippendale-style mahogany desk, with leather top and leather chair. There might even be a little spittle left over on some of it. For details, call 412-362-3558 or visit www.dargate.com/catalog.html.

Singer-songwriter Jonatha Brooke rocks a little more than usual on her latest record, "Careful What You Wish For." "The vibe of the album," she says in her press notes, "is all about busting out, being on the edge, playing with great abandon to see what we could come up with." The tour brings her to the Rex Theatre on the South Side at 8 p.m. Tickets are $20. Call 412-323-1919.

Andy Cooney -- dubbed "Irish America's Favorite Son" by The New York Times -- sings standards like "Galway Bay" and "Danny Boy" at Central Catholic High School in Oakland at 7:30 p.m. The concert, also featuring comedian George Casey and the Niall O'Leary Dancers, will benefit elderly poor residents at the Little Sisters of the Poor Home on the North Side. Tickets are $40; $30 seniors. Call 412-307-1100.

Old Economy Village in Ambridge pulls out all the stops for the opening of All Aboard for Economy: A Model Railroad Setup, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Along with checking out the trains, families can "work" at a Harmonist winery, grist and textile mill, sing along to railroad tunes, enjoy 19th century Harmonist music and learn techniques for building your own model layout. The railroad model & exhibit is on display through Dec. 30. Call 724- 266-4500 or go to www.oldeconomyvillage.org.

Chuck Austin will lead his quintet into the First Presbyterian Church of Edgewood as part of the second Annual Mulberry Jazz Concert, a benefit for Mulberry Ministeries Inc., It will also feature a student jazz ensemble from CAPA. Joining Austin will be vocalist Sandy Dowe, pianists George "Duke" Spaulding and Tim Jenkins, saxophonist Kenny Powell, drummer Cecil Brooks II and bassist Bob Insko. Prior to the concert, Bob Studebaker of WDUQ will lead an informal discussion about the history of jazz. It begins at 8 p.m. Tickets are $15; $8 seniors and students. The church is at 120 E. Swissvale Ave.

SUNDAY

Calliope Songwriters' Circle presents a concert that will include performances by artists featured on the 2006 Pittsburgh Songwriters CD at 7 p.m. at St. Mary's Church, 2510 Middle Road, Indiana Township. The event, featuring George Salamacha & Nancy Deckant with Red Moon Run, Dave Wells, Sue Gartland, George Kantor, Cathasaigh, Dennis McCurdy and many more supports The Appalachia Project that carries out repairs and upgrades to properties of aged and infirm residents of Kingwood, W.Va., and the surrounding area. Tickets: $5 at the door; www.calliopehouse.org.