The Pittsburgh Center for the Arts, as might be expected, has come up with a creative way to contend with the current economic malaise, which has made an endangered species of many arts organizations and has hurt individual artist sales. It's holding a Yart sale from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday on its big grassy lawn at 6300 Fifth Ave., Shadyside (in the tented patio if raining).

Artworks -- including paintings, prints, glass, ceramics, photographs, soaps, candles, fiber art and jewelry, art books and art supplies and equipment -- will be available, as well as more unusual finds.

One artist, who now works in fiber, is selling a small glass kiln, while a glass artist will offer ceramic tools and a wheel.

About 5 percent of what's for sale will be collectibles, which PCA shop manager Jen Carter describes as "a little bit of the kitchen sink," including "hippie clothes from the '60s and records on vinyl." There also will be "orphan art," art and craft works traded between artists -- a practice common on the fair and festival circuit -- "now ready for a new home."

Carter says that for the past year and a half artists have been struggling and many have built up large inventories of work. Sales would open storage space for them, and provide cash for new art materials.

The PCA also has pulled some finds out of its storage, including work by national artists, toys, puzzles and note cards purchased years ago when the shop regularly traveled to large trade shows such as the American Craft Council Show in Baltimore or the New York Gift Show for merchandise that no longer fits their sales profile. "There are some treasures in there," Carter says.

Two organizations represented in the shop will have their own booths: The Union Project will sell pottery, and Squonk Opera will have CDs, DVDs and T-shirts.

Ceramics Access Artists, professional ceramists who use PCA clay facilities, will sell functional ware and donate profits to equip the ceramic studio and for kiln repairs.

A bake sale will benefit School & Community Programs, a somewhat invisible PCA division because its activities are 95 percent off-site. Director Mary Brenholts sees this as an opportunity to make more people aware of the work they do and to appeal for advocacy. Among the goodies PCA teaching artists are baking are carrot cake, cookies and brownies. They'll also serve cold water with lemon and mint, the latter harvested from Brenholts' garden.

"[The school and community] programs are really in trouble with the state budget cuts," Carter says, "and they're trying to remain sustainable in the near future."

For information, call 412-361-0873 or visit www.pittsburgharts.org.