5 day forecast
Arts Festival goes more interactive in its 51st year
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Amanda Wolf's porcelain "Recurring Changes" is in the juried visual art exhibition,
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You could find something different to do on each of the 10 days of this year's Three Rivers Arts Festival, starting with Friday's opener and continuing into the final day, June 13. And that's on top of the more than 50 concerts scheduled on six stages spread throughout Downtown.
Even better news is that this 51st annual festival remains free, placing it among the largest and longest-running free arts events in the country.
It begins with the special opening activities being held between 4 and 8 p.m. Friday, including "Spin Cycle," music of the '60s to '80s (5 p.m. at the Beer Garden in Katz Plaza), and the premiere of Attack Theatre's "R.A.M. (Random Accumulated Memories)" (6 p.m. at the Trust Arts Education Center, 805-807 Liberty Ave.).
FRIDAY
Noon: Spin Cycle, Katz Plaza
Noon: Chet Vincent & the Big Bend, Dollar Bank Stage, Point State Park
5 p.m.: Spin Cycle, Katz Plaza
5 p.m.: DJ Zombo, Dollar Bank Stage
5 p.m.: Erin Burkett and the Mean Reds, Backstage Bar at Theater Square
6:30 p.m.: Bill Deasy Band, Dollar Bank Stage
8 p.m.: Alejandro Escovedo, Dollar Bank Stage: The Texas roots-rocker, a regular at the festival, turns up in advance of the June 29 release of "Street Songs of Love," a new album produced by Tony Visconti (T. Rex, David Bowie, U2, Morrissey) that features collaborations with Chuck Prophet, Ian Hunter and Bruce Springsteen. According to Mr. Escovedo, "It ended up being an album about love, the pursuit of a feeling that is forever elusive, mysterious, and addictive."
SATURDAY
1 p.m.: AcoustiCafe, Gateway Center Plaza
2 p.m.: The Peace Project, Dollar Bank Stage
3 p.m.: DJ Swank Cat, Dollar Bank Stage
3:30 p.m.: Emily Rodgers Band, Dollar Bank Stage
5 p.m.: Lovebettie, Dollar Bank Stage
5 p.m.: Gene Ludwig, Backstage Bar at Theater Square
6:30 p.m.: Good Brother Earl, Dollar Bank Stage
7:45 p.m.: Guster, Dollar Bank Stage
SUNDAY
12:15 p.m.: Caribbean Vibes Steelpan Workshop, WQED Tent
1 p.m.: Jill West and the Blues Attack, Dollar Bank Stage
1 p.m.: AcoustiCafe, Gateway Center Plaza
3:15 p.m.: Caribbean Vibes Steelpan Workshop, WQED Tent
4:30 p.m.: Nathaniel Rateliff, Dollar Bank Stage
6 p.m.: Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Dollar Bank Stage: The veteran New Orleans jazz ensemble, which has performed with everyone from Dr. John to Dizzy Gillespie to Elvis Costello, has been celebrating the 25th anniversary re-release of its 1984 debut, "My Feet Can't Fail Me Now."
Receptions will be held at 709 Penn Gallery, for "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland: Photographs by Abelardo Morell," and at "The Art of Technology" exhibition, 805/7 Liberty. There, "The Bureau of Non-Standards" holds forth from 7-8 p.m. followed by "Mike Tamburo: Vibrational Medicine" until 9 p.m. "Bureau" opens with Kevin Smith's circuit-bent toys and keyboards, and continues with Marrice Richard's live processing ranging from tense sonic alienation to light comedy. Mr. Tamburo joins hammered dulcimer, gongs, tuning forks and strings to create an inner journey of sound.
Artists will be present at many of the exhibitions.
The Dollar Bank Stage at Point State Park presents the Bill Deasy Band at 6:30 p.m., Alejandro Escovedo at 8 p.m., and DJ Zombo, between acts from 5-8 p.m., while Erin Burkett and the Mean Reds are at the Backstage Bar at Theater Square from 5-7:30 p.m.
Free rides with Green Gears Pedicabs will be available during the evening.
And that's just the first day.
Nine galleries exhibit works by more than 100 local artists, public art returns in the Allegheny River, and the juried visual arts exhibition has been brought back by popular demand. A "Creativity Zone" in Point State Park has a diversity of offerings for all ages, from yoga in the morning to an interactive robot who's been a YouTube star.
Following are the details; for more information, visit www.artsfestival.net.
POINT STATE PARK & GATEWAY CENTER PLAZA"Artists Market"
There were more applicants than ever for this year's market, 525, and about two-thirds of the 300 exhibitors will be new to the festival. Artisans will sell at Gateway Center Plaza throughout the festival, newly arriving June 2 and 9. Their numbers increase each Friday as additional booths expand into Point State Park on the weekends with new arrivals. (Noon-8 p.m. daily.)
IN POINT STATE PARK: "Power Flowers"
David Edwards' 14-foot-tall wind-driven sunflower sculptures gather and store energy through wind turbines and solar panels. (Noon-8 p.m. daily.)
"Creativity Zone"
Demonstrations and interactive displays from noon-8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, noon-6 p.m. Sundays, unless noted.
June 4-6: Woodturners Anonymous will demonstrate lathe work; Pittsburgh Center for the Arts, claywork and flipbook animation and will offer hands-on puppet-making.
June 11-13: The Calligraphy Guild of Pittsburgh will demonstrate elaborate writing; Union Project, pottery (June 11-12) and stained-glass making (June 13); the Pittsburgh Glass Center, flameworked glass beads.
June 4-6 and 11-13: "Life Below the Waterline," fish and water from the three rivers in a 2,000 gallon mobile aquarium. "Eco Arcade," by the Pennsylvania Resources Council, puts a twist on classic games such as a "Recycling Rally" pinball machine or a "People-Powered Picture Show" that you propel (2-8 p.m. Fridays). "I Made It! Market," Pittsburgh's nomadic indie crafts marketplace, presents crafts projects and wares for sale.
June 5-6 and 12-13: Begin the day with yoga on the Great Lawn at 10 a.m. by Yoga is My Health Insurance. Create a Community Mandala of recycled materials with artist Paula Purnell and scientist Margaret Zak, designed by the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh and including Native American Circle Dancing and Drumming Circles. Record your story with the "Saturday Light Brigade" radio show (noon-5 p.m. all four days).
June 5, 6 and 12: "Keepon," a small "cute, socially interactive robot" that has starred in YouTube music videos and appeared on NBC's "Today Show," the History Channel and at Wired NextFest, will greet festival visitors with co-developer Marek Michelowski (noon-7 p.m. Saturdays).
June 4-13: Artist Ashley Hodder's "Catch of the Day," an interactive game that combines the fun of fishing (from a dock and for fish made of reclaimed materials) with a lesson on how well fish are doing in Pittsburgh's three rivers. Creative Reuse Pittsburgh provides discarded materials from local businesses to use in making your own artwork (both plus noon-4 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays).
"Let It Grow Tour"
One of the more entertaining commercial ventures to come to the festival in recent years is a 30-foot mobile barbershop by WAHL, a manufacturer of men's grooming products. Professional staff will offer free trims of, and tips on maintaining, facial hair from noon-8 p.m. June 4-6. Discussion of sports, vintage cars and other barber shop topics gratis; significant others welcome to observe.
FIFTH AVENUE PLACE: "The Art and Artists of Pittsburgh Filmmakers, Pittsburgh Center for the Arts, and Pittsburgh Glass Center"
Exhibitions and free workshops by instructors, students, alumni and practicing artists of Pittsburgh Filmmakers, Pittsburgh Center for the Arts and Pittsburgh Glass Center. Artists include local stars Tina Brewer, Cynthia Cooley, Ron Donoughe and Kathleen Zimbicki. Workshops include mosaic making with Daviea Davis (noon-2 p.m. June 7); Bob Greer will demonstrate flameworking (noon-3 p.m. June 12) and Heather Joy Puskarich, placing imagery on glass (noon-2 p.m. June 10). A book signing with Mr. Donoughe and the PG's Brian O'Neill will be held 5:30-7 p.m. June 11. (11 a.m.-8 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays; 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays.)
"Water Matters!"
Botanic Garden of Western Pennsylvania photo contest winners, in Fifth Avenue Place windows (noon-8 p.m. daily).
ON LIBERTY AVENUE: "New Juried Visual Art Exhibition"
After a several-year absence, the juried show returns featuring work by regional artists in the Trust Arts Education Center, 805-807 Liberty Ave. The festival received 600 entries in a diversity of media from which 110 works by 76 artists were chosen. The jurors were Sarah Hall, curator, Frick Art & Historical Center; Adam Welch, curator, Pittsburgh Center for the Arts/Pittsburgh Filmmakers Galleries; and Murray Horne, curator, The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust Wood Street Galleries and SPACE Gallery. Most works are for sale. (Noon-8 p.m. Thursdays-Sundays; 4-8 p.m. Mondays-Wednesdays.)
"The Art of Technology"
Art and technology converge in this Pittsburgh Technology Council exhibition that includes interactive installations, artwork and performance by more than 20 artists, at 805/7 Liberty Ave. Among projects exhibited are Lori Hepner's "Status Symbols," Balam Soto's "The Cube," CMU's ETC's "Toybox Futuristi," Sandy Kessler-Kaminisky's "Voices of Youth Project," Joe Cooper-Silvis' "The Living Buddha," Solomon Bisker's "Recursive Photo Booth," and Burton Morris' "Poptics." (Noon-8 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays, noon-6 p.m. Sundays and 4-8 p.m. June 7-9.)
"Mo Knows Pittsburgh: The Photojournalism of Morris Berman"
Morris Berman (1909-2002) captured the city as a Sun-Telegraph and Pittsburgh Post-Gazette photographer between 1937-79. Shaw Galleries, 805 Liberty Ave., shows 16 vintage images printed by Mr. Berman, including of sports legends Terry Bradshaw, Y.A. Tittle and Johnny Unitas. (11 a.m.-8 p.m. daily, except 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sundays and 4-8 p.m. June 7.)
"Michael Jackson Workshop"
Meet at 10:30 a.m. June 12 at 805/7 Liberty Ave. for a high energy class with movements influenced by the late King of Pop, jazz and hip-hop. Conducted by Dance Alloy Teaching Artist Rodra Burress.
"Congo Women"
Photographs that depict inequities faced by women in the Democratic Republic of Congo at SPACE gallery, 812 Liberty Ave. (11 a.m.-8 p.m. daily except 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sundays and 4-8 p.m. June 7-8.)
"Claudia Hart: Empire"
Thomas Cole meets feminism in Ms. Hart's videos at Wood Street Galleries, 601 Wood St. at Liberty, 2nd and 3rd floors (11 a.m.-8 p.m. daily except 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sundays and 4-8 p.m. June 7-8).
"Urban Tree Forge"
Peter Johnson's window installation at 929 Liberty Ave. will honor Urban Tree Forge founder John Metzler, who died May 13 (noon-8 p.m. daily).
"75th Anniversary Open Exhibition"
The Pittsburgh Society of Sculptors celebrates its 75th year with an open members exhibition at 937 Liberty Ave. (2nd floor, accessible by stair or elevator). Media represented include wood, stone, metal, concrete, ceramic, fiber, installation and mixed media. A living tree in the exhibition dedicated to the late artist John Metzler will be planted in the city after the festival (noon-8 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays, noon-6 p.m. Sundays, 4-8 p.m. June 7-10).
"Classic Animated Shorts"
At the ToonSeum, 945 Liberty Ave., 10:30-11:30 p.m. June 4.
ON PENN AVENUE: "dark & shiny night"
Large photographs by Robert Raczka of the man-made world at night, at 707 Penn Gallery (11 a.m.-8 p.m. daily except 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sundays and 4-8 p.m. June 7-8.)
"Alice's Adventures in Wonderland: Photographs by Abelardo Morell"
Inventive re-imaginings of Alice, in collaboration with Silver Eye Center for Photography, at 709 Penn Gallery. (11 a.m.-8 p.m. daily except 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sundays and 4-8 p.m. June 7-8.)
"President's Choice: 100@100"
As a part of its centennial year, the Associated Artists of Pittsburgh are showing 100 new artworks by 100 member artists at 907 Penn Avenue gallery. Curated by president Kathleen Zimbicki, the works reflect the wide range of media and styles embraced by the organization's established and emerging artists (noon-8 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays, noon-6 p.m. Sundays, 4-8 p.m. Mondays-Wednesdays).
First Published June 3, 2010 12:00 am
