My trip to The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust's Gallery Crawl on Friday, July 11th started with a panic. In my hurry to get out of my apartment, I left my cell phone sitting on my coffee table. This creates a traveling problem when you're supposed to meet up with friends. The sad thing is, because I use the speed dial buttons on my phone, I don't have my boyfriend's phone number memorized. I ended up having to call my mother two and a half hours away, get my boyfriend's number, and then call him from a pay phone.
So by the time I met up with Travel Boyfriend, I was ready to relax at Crazy Mocha, a coffee shop on Liberty Avenue. They had artist, David Connelly, painting a mural. He was getting a lot done considering that all the spectators had lots of questions about how big the mural would be, what would it look like when he was done, and did he have a business card. I bet he'll get a lot of emails after his work on Friday.
There were 22 venues featuring art, music, and interactive events at the Gallery Crawl, and one of them included the Pennsylvania Culinary Institute. The chefs-in-training volunteered their time to make sugar sculptures and serve food for a dollar to the appreciative crowds. All money earned went to charity. And as you can see above, the young chefs were enthusiastic about their part in making the Gallery Crawl a success.
One of my favorite exhibits was at the August Wilson Center Gallery, entitled Black Clay in PA: A Dialogue in Flux. The space was elegant, The photography was bold and lively and the sculptures were full of color and pleasing creativity. The piece featured above is Dead Starz Cups by artist, Justin Coleman. I was struck by how much time it must have taken to make pyramids out of delicate china. And then the pictures on each cup caught my attention. I enjoyed this piece immensely.
There was a craft show for people who wanted to purchase earrings, knick-knacks or hand sewn purses and wallets. Artist, Dawn Ellis, was shy about having her picture taken, but her handmade bags and accessories, made from vintage ties, curtains, and other lovely fabric, speak volumes about the talent and beauty this woman possesses.
Of course, there were some "art pieces" I didn't understand at the Gallery Crawl. Some of the art that appeared odd to me were the strobe lights accompanied by high pitched feedback, a string of photos of a woman wearing a mustache, and a stuffed animal in the shape of a buffalo covered in dirt and sprouting green shoots. People crowded into these spaces and took their time inspecting every inch of the work while I left scratching my head.
Luckily, at a Gallery Crawl, there is something for everyone to look at and enjoy. This blue and white replication of what an ocean full of plastic might look like was produced by artists, Carley (posing above) and Ed Parrish. Their installation is part of the Space and Place exhibit sponsored by the Manchester Craftsmen's Guild, founded by Bill Strickland who I admire and have written about on other occasions. What I loved best about talking with Carley Parrish was the way her eyes lit up with excitement as she guided me through her fanciful room and explained how children would make plastic sea creatures and how I should get a picture from all angles because each view would reveal a new perspective of her creation. Carley, I truly could have stayed in your underwater wonderland all evening. Thank you for your work.
Oh, there was so much to do and see at the Gallery Crawl. There was a salsa band, a garage sale, a large enthusiastic crowd to watch ambling from building to building. The event brought out Pittsburgh's young adults, livened up the Downtown scene, and gave me a night I won't soon forget. I feel so lucky that people, like the ones who work at The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, spend their time to create events that lift the spirit and bring the community together.
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