Mean Stream excerpt

I have been working, um, diligently, on my poetry project. Following is an excerpt from Second Marriage, one of the poems in the third cycle. The rest of the poem is not yet complete. This sonnet, which is part of the longer poem, is a first in constructing a traditional sonnet for me.

This was a real challenge. The poem had to integrate with the narrative of the longer poem and follow the traditional rhyme and stanza construction.

I chose to do this as part of the longer poem because I wanted to imply a couple of things. The very formal quality of the sonnet brings to mind traditional concepts of love. The poem is about a woman marrying for the wrong reasons. I am hoping to undermine the concept of this poem with the revelations in the remainder of the poem.

Interlude:

Miller’s is packed this warm October night
But Cathy hasn’t seen anybody interesting so far
Then a short, wiry man walks into the bar
Though the room is dim, it seems as if a light
Has pierced the miasma to focus her sight
A moment she knows that nothing will mar
Even the strained voice of some wannabe rock star
Won’t tarnish the memory of love’s first sight

Tommy and Cathy spend November immersed
In the lucent waters of faultless passion
To emerge in December, banked fires, quenched thirst
Limp, ecstatic in their mutual obsession

Two notes sound a partial chord, begin a score
A synchronized harmony of rapport

AAP's 96th Annual update

Okay, just when you think that you're shouting in the wind and you can put anything out in the air without thinking about it, someone calls you on one of your more glaring oversights.

The following was posted in my comments from Tey Stiteler of the CMOA:

Hi Susan,
Thanks for your blog about the AAP show. Media as we know it is
getting smaller and smaller because of budgetary constraints, so spreading the
word through alternative methods, like your blog, is a very good thing.

The AAP has been working hard in getting coverage for the show.
There are articles about the Associated Artist exhibition in both Pittsburgh
Magazine and Carnegie Magazine this month.

It has been shown on KDKA TV,
WPXI TV, and via the links below. In addition, Mary Thomas from the Post-Gazette
and Kurt Shaw from the Tribune Review will be reviewing the exhibition for the
papers this week.

On Q will do a feature about the show on WQED TV, but
I don't know the date.

Post-Gazette hot
tickets listing

Post Gazetted
listing

http://kdka.com/kdcountry

on the Associated Artist
web site
www.aapgh.org

and on my museum's web site www.cmoa.org

Hope this helps.

Tey Stiteler
Communications Manager
Carnegie Museum of Art

Thank you for the grace of your response. I appreciate that and the time you took to reply to my post. Especially since I am but a light breeze in the roar of the wind. I did follow the links that were provided. Two of them are for listings, as noted. The one two KDKA, I don't see a reference to the exhibit. I have been known to miss things, though.

Okay, but here's the thing: why isn't the local scene behind this exhibit? This is an opportunity for local artists to have their work presented at a major museum. It is also an opportunity to participate in an objective review process that isn't so dependent on the entrenched system of Pittsburgh's art scene. The juror is almost always from out of town and doesn't know who holds key positions in the regional art scene. This is a real opportunity.

And if we really want to make Pittsburgh culturally attractive, artists need to feel that they can step up here. Artists come, they love the city, the people and the scene. But it is extremely difficult to advance a career as a producing artist from here. It's not like there aren't major collections here. And there is an amazing scene. All you have to do is show up on Penn Avenue the first Friday of each month or wander around in Lawrenceville a little. It's not like we're hiding or anything.

An examination of unreal spaces.

Drink and Draw 'n at

I went to Drink and Draw at brillobox last night. Renee Ickes played a great selection of music, setting a casual, fun atmosphere for us sketchers. If you want to join us, we are...

Moving to Tuesday evenings, from 6-9PM
November 7: Niki - Burlesque
November 28
December 12
December 26

brillobox Drink & Draw
4104 Penn Ave,
Pittsburgh, 15224
Cost: $10 , $3 drink specials

For updates on models and themes, you can check in at the Drink and Draw site or get on the email list

In just two short weeks, the brillobox has seen a transformation. The upstairs has been dressed up with flocked wall paper and a new chandelier. Renee brought in columns and vases and festooned the space with cobwebs. Look! the new model stand!

Oure model last night was Niki. She really got into the costume thing, with lace and satin embellishments. She brought this great hat and Cricket, her poodle.
This is Steve, showing us one of the draings he did last night. Steve won the door prize! Lucky Steve. It was a box of assorted pencils and a pocket sketch pad.
This was a great pose. I wish I had a better memory for names; he was a lot of fun. Did I mention the candles on the table?
Renee's drawing for the evening. Beautiful, huh? Looks like Mae West.

96th Annual at the Carnegie Museum of Art

In the lexicon of survey shows, this has to be one of the most important exhibits of regional art in Southwestern Pennsylvania. It's like prom night for Pittsburgh artists.

The parking lot had a line that went around the block. Inside, there was a sea of black-clad artists and art aficionados. It is museum policy that no photographs are permitted in the galleries so I didn't take my camera last night. A friend of mine, who is out of town and couldn't make the gala festivities, will be going with me to view the exhibit at a more leisurely pace. Last night, however, was for fun and the opportunity to talk with some friends and colleagues.

Andrew Carnegie founded the museum in the hopes of supporting contemporary arts, including the work of regional artists. This exhibit is the 96th Annual, most of which have been at the Carnegie Museum. Over the last few years, this annual has been hosted by the Andy Warhol Museum and the Frick Gallery of the University of Pittsburgh and the Regina Miller Gallery on the Carnegie-Mellon University campus.

There were a number of very fine works exhibited. I will be posting about them after my next, more leisurely, visit. Last night? It was a lot of fun. My family was there to cheer me on. Their support has been invaluable over the last several years. And my good friend, Christiane d., came to show her support. We were going to stop at brillobox for dinner after the reception, but they were so packed, there weren't any open tables. Instead, we ended up at Hambones, a neighborhood tavern. They make great burgers.

You know what gets me about this? I just ran a Google search and there is absolutely nothing in either the blogosphere or the local press about the exhibit. Get with it, Pittsburgh! You can't build a thriving art scene if you don't support your local artists. We have great museums, we have incredible artists, we have a city that is livable and charming. And yet the press completely overlooks this regional showcase.

The other thing that I want to say? Thanks to the local resident who decided to that they wanted to live with my work. The Word: Genesis was purchased last night, within an hour of the reception's start. That's how you start a thriving, local scene; by supporting your local artists.

Drink and Draw @brillobox

Hey, it looks like this will be happening every other Saturday. We had such a great time with this. Merge Divide posted about it on Serendipity. Images from the first Drink & Draw are posted here. And Renee has posted a MySpace page. Check it out. It has a great slide show.

If you missed the first one, drop in for the next one on...

October, 28 2006 at
Drink & Draw presents brilloburlesque
4104 Penn Ave,
Pittsburgh, 15224
Cost: $10

brillobox is hosting open figure drawing sessions... drink and draw... dont miss this exciting addition to the Pittsburgh arts scene. All materials except oils are welcome, chairs and some tables provided. If you have a portable easel bring it if you'd like. $3 drink specials

It's Here!!!!!

One of my daily stops in the blogosphere is at Lisa Hunter's Intrepid Art Collector. She consistently has thought-provoking posts, written with great clarity and ease. She generously runs a monthly bulletin board in her blog for artists and gallerists. Here is a small sampling...

A Collector's Responsibility
J'accuse...
The anxiety of influence

Well, this is it! Her book has been released. The Intrepid Art Collector: The Beginner's Guide to Finding, Buying, and Appreciating Art on a Budget is the full title and can be ordered on line. The publisher has a few options listed on their site for ordering. My copy came in the mail yesterday and i have already started thumbing through it.


If you're in the neighborhood, you might want to swing by for one of the book signings:

10/26/2006
92nd Street Y
1395 Lexington Avenue
New York, NY 10128
212-415-5652 - Sidney
Noon

10/26/2006
Barnes & Noble
396 Ave Of Americas
New York, NY 10011
212-674-8780
7:30 pm

Frank Benson

I had to go to the Oregonian to see if there were more details about the story behind this donated artwork. This piece went for $165,002.00 at auction. It was donated to Goodwill industries by an anonymous donor. From the Oregonian article...

Goodwill Industries of the Columbia Willamette hit the jackpot Thursday when
what was originally thought to be cheap yard-sale art turned out to be the work
of an American master.

You can view the whole article here.

I doubt that the donor will ever come forward and I'll bet they're kicking themsleves on passing up the opportunity to make a quick buck. But doesn't this seem just a little ridiculous? I mean, the work is described as being "cheap yard sale art" and it ended up being the work of an artist whose paintings are in major musem collections.

Drink and Draw @ brillobox

Hey, it looks like this will be happening every other Saturday. We had such a great time with this. Merge Divide posted about it on Serendipity. Images from the first Drink & Draw are posted here.

If you missed the first one, drop in for the next one on...

October, 28 2006 at
Drink & Draw presents brilloburlesque
4104 Penn Ave,
Pittsburgh, 15224
Cost: $15
brillobox is hosting open figure drawing sessions... drink and draw... dont miss this exciting addition to the Pittsburgh arts scene. All materials except oils are welcome, chairs and some tables provided. If you have a portable easel bring it if you'd like. $3 drink specials

Stupid computer games

There was a really annoying spam post on my blog this morning. I'm sure you don't care about the details anymore than I did.

Here's the thing.

In the process of deleting the stupid thing, I realized that I had a five day gap between posts. And it was for a really stupid reason.

Yes, I've been busy (not that busy)

There was an art party I had to attend on Tuesday evening (what were you doing Tuesday morning?)

Thursday night I spent at the studio, helping my brother with a photo shoot. (and on Wednesday you were...)

Time to confess. You know those games that are pre-loaded onto your computer? Stop it, yes you do. I spent way too much time playing one of them this week. I mean, waaaayyyy too much time.

I VOW NEVER TO PLAY MINESWEEPER AGAIN

Well, at least for a month. Do you think I might have some sort of compulsive disorder?

Colbert Breaks Down Santorums Lord of the Rings Analogy

As I was unpacking boxes in my studio, I ran across a box of small paintings that I had done a few years ago. Though I had documented the piece, I never showed it anywhere. I just never felt like it was strong enough. Also, my motives for doing the piece was to utilize a lot of scrap canvas that I had lying around the studio. Each of the canvases that make up this piece measure 9" square.

Two of the canvases have found homes with friends who stopped by to see the new space. The remaining thirteen canvases have become fodder for play. I wanted to try some stuff with underpaiting and applying gold leaf. I didn't sand the paintings down: none of them had been varnished. I just started painting over them.

This panel was the last painting in the top row. You can still see the feather vanes from the original painting.
This panel was the middle of the second row
This panel was the first in the second row

Drink and draw

It's 9:30 on Sunday morning. I have a hangover. Not a bad one, just a little fuzzy around the edges. Mostly very happy. Man, you all missed a great party last night.

But do not despair! Renee has already scheduled another Drink and Draw for October 28, from 5:30 - 8:30. I'll post details later in the week, so stay tuned.

Drink and Draw at the brillobox had its first session last night. Our host at the brillobox, Renee Ruth Ickes.

The models costmed themselves as burlesque queens for the evening. David Grim and Niki during a break.

Olga takes a dinner break.


Christiane d. joined us last night. She told us that it has been several years since she has drawn from a model. She got these wonderful depths in several small drawings. This drawing is from the last pose of the evening.

One of Renee's drawings. There is something so tongue-in-cheek about the drawings she did last night.

David Grim had shown some older telephone book drawings at Digging Pitt. He has recently started doing this again. He attends several open model sessions every month and always shows up with these telephone books.

Okay, so here's mine. Not bad for someone who was three sheets to the wind, huh? I think i'm gonna drink more when I draw.

Upcoming exhibit

The Word - Genesis

It is my pleasure to be included in this year's Annual exhibit at the Carnegie Museum of Art. The show is previewed in the Carnegie Online magazine. The juror for the exhibit was Douglas Fogle and you can view his juror's statement on the Associated Artists of Pittsburgh site.

Save the date!
96th Annual Associated Artists of Pittsburgh Exhibition
October 27, 2006-January 14, 2007
Opening reception: October 26, 6:30 - 9:00pm
Carnegie Museum of Art - Heinz Galleries
4400 Forbes Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15213-4080

Each year the Associated Artists of Pittsburgh invites artists living within 150 miles of the city to submit work for this survey exhibition. Douglas Fogle, Carnegie Museum of Art Curator of Contemporary Art and organizer of the 2008 Carnegie International is the exhibition's juror.

A Game of Tag (Book Survey).

Merge Divide tagged me for this meme. He was tagged by Studio Twenty Three. Now, I'm supposed to tag somebody to participate in this game. Hmmm... I know a couple people that check in here regularly but don't blog. Well, I guess all I can do is put it out there in the air and see what happens. I tag Christiane d.


1. ONE BOOK THAT CHANGED YOUR LIFE?
A Color Notation - Munsell

2. ONE BOOK YOU HAVE READ MORE THAN ONCE?
Way to many of these. I can't pick just one...
To Kill a Mockingbird - Lee (I used to read this book about every eighteen months)
In Cold Blood - Capote

The Wayward Bus - Steinbeck (Love this story - a lot)
Call it Sleep - Roth (I've read this three times. It gets better each time)

3. ONE BOOK YOU WOULD WANT ON A DESERT ISLAND?
Only one?
East of Eden - Steinbeck

4. ONE BOOK THAT MADE YOU LAUGH?
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Adams

5. ONE BOOK THAT MADE YOU CRY?
Pay It Forward

6. ONE BOOK YOU WISH YOU HAD WRITTEN?
Call it Sleep

7. ONE BOOK YOU WISH HAD NEVER BEEN WRITTEN?
The Big Bad Wolf - Patterson

8. ONE BOOK YOU ARE CURRENTLY READING?
Shifting Landscapes - Roth

9. ONE BOOK YOU HAVE BEEN MEANING TO READ?
Our Ecstatic Days - Erickson

10. ONE BOOK YOU'RE GLAD YOU OWN?
Okay, more than one. But these are the ones that I want to buried with...
A limited edition Candide, illustrated by Klee
Call it Sleep - Roth

11. ONE BOOK THAT MUST BE READ ALOUD?
Green Eggs and Ham

Ready set go...

One of the most hotly contested Senate seats in the imminent November election is in Pennsylvania. The contenders? Santorum and Casey. As the election comes closer, stranger stories are surfacing in the press.

I followed this link from the Huffington Post yesterday. I couldn't resist the writer's invitation to further educate myself and ran a search to find out what santorum is. Wikipedia is a wonderful resource, isn't it? (Warning: not for the weak of stomach)

The Post-Gazette and KDKA sponsored a debate between the candidates yesterday. There is considerable coverage on the KDKA site. The Post-Gazette has a story posted, but they don't stay linked for long. If you want to check it out, please note that even with DSL, the P-G site takes a while to load.

Vernacular installation art

... or maybe something else? It is deliberate, care has been taken in attaching these objects to the telephone pole. There were more items, attached all the way around this telephone pole on a back alley in Lawrenceville. Some looked like they had been there for a while.

Is it art if you don't intend something to be art? If this is art, is it too personal for interpretation? The smiley face, though easily found in manufactured form, is a made object. It has a feather stuck behind it. I suppose someone could make the case that this is a statement that revolves around native american issues, but I think you would be way off base.

What if this is a journal of sorts? The owner of the house makes a habit of picking up random bits and pieces during his excusions into the city. The bits and pieces are assigned a spot on the telephone pole that relates to the other items in some fanciful and impulsive way. Maybe when he comes home from work, he stops and roots through his pockets, finds that bit and looks for the right place for it on the telephone pole before he goes in to his wife and children.

That could be it.

Saatchi's Your Gallery

The first time that I heard about Your Gallery was on Broadsheet, when that broad told the world that she had gotten an email invitation to upload images into an online portfolio on a site sponsored by Charles Saatchi. She was ever so excited when she got a reply from "Saatchina" and as far as I know she went ahead and posted. But since that broad does not ever reveal her name i can't verify this.

I had a couple reactions: how come I didn't get an invitation? Is being invited any different than just signing up? Anyway, you get the picture. Well, guess what was in my email this morning? My invitation to upload images to Your Gallery. And what did I do? Why, what any red-blooded blogger will do: I ran a search to see if anybody was blogging about it.

Lots of people have taken up the offer, for lots of different reasons. Some people are rather happy about it:
unfamous artist

One made a special announcement:
BEATRICE CLOAKE Fine art artist

Some list it as one of many accolades:
Hand Painted Art by Brandi Liebmann
Paul Cooklin

Some were sceptical:
Daniel Castillo
Musings of a mobile marketer

one announced it for a client:
FrogBlog

Ahem, a word from a Stuckist:
jody franklin

There were tons of pages, but this assortment were the ones that actually referenced an invitaion. Most of the references were from artists providing a link to their image gallery.

So, does anybody have any thoughts on Your Gallery or other portfolio sites?

October Unblurred

First Fridays on Penn Avenue are starting to be an energising art event. New venues have opened since last year and some businesses are offering their space to artists for display. One of the dual use businesses is Carolyn Wenning's (c)space. The building is her studio, so during the month the space used for presentation during Unblurred reverts to a workspace. Light and open, it is ideal for both purposes.

(c)space

(c)space had a strong show: DIAGRAMS, MOCK-UPS AND MAPPINGS. I have been trying something different with my camera: shooting the labels for the pieces to record the name of the artist and the title of the work. Unfortunately, things did not work out for the image on top; all I can make out is Nicholas and Untitled Series for the title. The series were figures drawn on graph paper and framed with distressed metal. At bottom was a mixed medium piece by Adam Walsh.

Modern Formations

Modern Formations had Introspections: The Artwork of Taya Hanauer. Modern Formations is a smallish space, with two rooms connected by a narrow hallway. I don't often think about the space that a show is in unless it has some bearing on the work. In this case, it is pertinent. The two rooms and the hall were hung with work. The front room had about a dozen framed drawings. The work was intuitive, but figure-based. Along the top of the wall leading into the hall were roughly drawn, illustrative figures, reminiscent of some comic book art. The figures were repeated in the hall but as digital prints and drawings on wood. The back room of the gallery is painted a dark eggplant. Here, the comic book character came out and really played in several mediums. Large-scale stencils, drawings on paper and wood and some evocative digital images. I had hoped to find more of the artist's work online, but she doesn't seem to have a website.

Imagebox

Imagebox is another venue that doubles as a full time business and presenter. This month, the work on exhibit was Charles Smith III's Autumn Abstract. The colors were rich and vibrant, much like the palette he prefers in the works presented on his website. It could be that this exhibit is a new direction for Mr. Smith since they are a radical departure from the figurative work for which he is known. The above image is one of the smallest in the exhibit and seemed to me to be the most interesting.

Garfield Artworks

The mob scene at Garfield Artworks was overwhelming. Tons of people dropped in for the show. Or maybe they were all there at the same time as me!

Garfield Artworks presented the work of five artists in the City of Monsters. The works were as crowded on the walls as the patrons were on the floor. Not a lot of breathing room for such active work.comic art seemed to be a theme here as well as at Modern Formations. There was an illustrative quality to the work. Pictured at top is one of Ben Kehoe's paintings. At bottom, one of Joe Bruce's works on paper. Bruce's work, though still informed by the aesthetics of comic book artistry, seemed to reach beyond the rather limited visual appeal to something that was of greater complexity.

Most Wanted Fine Art

Most Wanted Fine Art is not quite ready to open its doors, so they had a sidewalk show featuring Jason Sauer, Gene Fenton and quite a few others. Walking up Penn Avenue from Garfielsd Artworks, I was pleased to see art set up on the sidewalk. And even more pleased to run itno Gene, that maker of dinosaurs.

From MWFA's mission statement...

Most Wanted Fine Art is dedicated to being a growing forum for the
advancement of underground fine art and music in Pittsburgh. In
conjunction with J&J Sauer Trailer Sales, Most Wanted makes its art mobile
and publicly available by displaying it at various local sites in a utility
trailer (also for sale via J&J Sauer). Most Wanted operates on a loose
philosophy of artistic socialism; while each artist promotes his own work, it is
for the goal of the group's success as well as the individual's. By
booking shows for our artists and musicians, Most Wanted is serious about
helping each member of our team achieve success while simultaneously enriching
the local (and eventually national) art and music scenes by giving
below-the-radar artists a platform and a voice.

I have to say that if you only have a limited time to get into Pittsburgh to view art, first Friday's Unblurred event in the Penn Avenue corridor is worth working your schedule around. It is the only time when some of the veneues are open to the public or are open at the same time. Really, it was difficult to get to everything, there are a lot of gaps in what I got to see on Friday. I never made it to 5151 or the Pittsburgh Galss Center, which from what I hear had good shows, too.

This was a far cry from the disappointment at the Downtown Gallery Crawl the week before. Penn Avenue really is reflecting the diversity of the Pittsburgh visual arts scene. If you want to find out more about the district, check out the PAAI site. I'll be going every month. How about you?

Will Jeb come out of the closet, please?

So, what would you do if you were confronted by a band of angry steelworkers? Hide in a closet, of course. An eyewitness account says that Jeb was on his way to meet little Ricky at the Duquesnes Club, that bastion of Pittsburgh old-money, when he was confronted by activists from the Uprise Counter Recruitment Tour, joined by a group of steel workers. I mean, here he was, minding his own business, on his way to a party, and these guys just caught him off guard. Everything turned out okay, though. Two protesters were tasered and Jeb was safe. What a relief! Democracy can rest in peace tonight.

Downtown Gallery Crawl - part 3

There's a really fine show at the Three Rivers Arts Festival Gallery

IN OUR HOUSE
Curated by Marica Jackson

Dates: September 8, 2006 - October 21, 2006
Opening Reception: September 8, 5:30-7:30pm

IN OUR HOUSE promises to uphold the high standard set by Women of Visions’ summer exhibition at the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts, Migrations of the African Diaspora. While Migrations focused on the nature of the journey, this exhibition will delve into aspects of the African American experience that reflect “settling in” to establish a distinctive presence.

I stopped by during my gallery walkabout and snapped a couple pictures of my favorite pieces. Pictured above left is Emory Biko's MOM (More dependable than Maytag) and above right is
Monique Luck's Fabulous Friday Hair. I need to take better pictures. You really lose any sense of how special Monique's work is in this image. Follow the link for much better images.

Oh, yuck! I need to wash my eyeballs...

brillo burlesque

Thanks to Renee Ruth Ickes at brillobox for coming up with this really cool idea for us Pittsburgh artists. If you want to get updates about future sessions, email us and we'll put you on the email list.

Brillo Burlesque draws inspiration from the vaudeville queens and their outrageous costumes for this unique artist opportunity. Brillo Burlesque will offer two models, clothed in feathers and satin and lace; a study in sensuous textures.

The models will be costumed and some props will be available for the sessions. One model will be dedicated to a single pose while the other will concentrate on a variety of poses. The sessions are uninstructed, drop-in sessions. The brillobox artists must bring their own materials. Water-based and dry mediums are welcome. (Sorry, no photography or oil-based mediums)

burlesquebrillo@yahoo.com
www.myspace.com/brilloboxevents

Saturday, October 14: 5-8PM
brillobox
4104 Penn Ave.
Pittsburgh PA 15224
(412) 621-4900
Two models!
Cost: $15

Downtown Gallery Crawl - part 2

Peter Kope and Michele de la Reza from Attack Theater brought Game Night to the Wood Street Gallery for the gallery crawl. This is a popoular program for Unblurred, first Fridays on Penn Avenue. During Unblurred, though, the company members also perform the Seven Minute Dance Series. It's a great way to get to know the company's works and get a sneak preview of upcoming works. They'll be performing October 6 for Unblurred. And yes, there will be games.


The Sprout Fund began sponsoring murals in the various Pittsburgh neighborhoods in 2003, with thirty murals completed to date. It's a great opportunity for young artists to get their feet wet in the public art arena. While I was downtown for the gallery crawl, I swung by and snapped a picture of the second mural for the area. Brian Holderman was hanging out with some friends across from the mural. Now, I don't understand why the dedication ceremony didn't take place during the gallery crawl, but there you go. The dedication ceremony is taking place Friday, September 29th, 6:00pm at 7th & Liberty Avenue.

I think that this fall's gallery crawl was disappointing. Merge Divide wrote eloquently about it in Serendipity. There were a lot of performance-oriented programs for an event that is supposed to showcase visual arts. The video exhibit at Space was unviewable because of the band. While the band seemed to be pretty good, I found that the music echoed so much from the walls that I couldn't make out the lyrics.
Wood Street Gallery had dance events instead of visual arts. Even the Three Rivers Arts Festival Gallery got into the act with a drum performance. (I'll post about the exhibit later)

What happened? Did everybody just ignore the calendar? Are they so concerned with bringing in masses of people that they've resorted to bread-and-circuses to make a greater number impact?

Snark!

Top Ten Reasons God Won't Get Tenure

1. Only published one book.
2. It was in Hebrew.
3. There is doubt He wrote it Himself.
4. When one experiment went awry, He tried to cover it up by drowning all the subjects.
5. When sample subjects do not behave as predicted, He deletes the whole sample
6. He rarely comes to class-just tells His students to read the Book.
7. It is rumored that He sometimes lets His Son teach the class.
8. Although He only has 10 requirements, His students often fail His tests.
9. He expelled His first two students for learning.
10. His office hours are infrequent and usually held on a mountain top.

Going once, going twice...

Thanks, Bill. I didn't know that an animal was killed in the name of art(ego). Read all about it on Artblog Comments.

Downtown Gallery Crawl

I met a friend for the Pittsburgh Downtown Gallery Crawl on Friday night. This is a quarterly event sponsored by the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust. The night's events are listed on their website. The first place the we stopped was at the August Wilson Center for African American Culture Gallery to see Women of Vision's Celebration of Visual Traditions exhibit. The space is broken into a series of alcoves and small rooms. Perfect for a group show like this. It gives each work space without it having to compete with each other. The image above is Bullock's Mother and Child; Journey Series . This is one of several fine collages that were presented at the exhibits on Friday. The figure in this piece is about life-sized, which really contributes to its impact. Really, you have to go and see the piece to get a better idea of the intricate collage. At the same show in the lower level was a series of boxes created by Martina Johnson Allen. The piece, titled Sacred Space, is made up of nine small boxes (below left). There is an interesting, lively feel to the work. Color seems to burst out along with the bits and pieces. I think that for me, the best piece in the exhibit was RL Washington's Just Having Church. My friend and I spent some time looking at this piece and coming up with several narratives to reflect the characters. There is quite a bit more, so stay-tuned. I'll be uploading pictures and info about the other shows and happenings later.