KNIT THE BRIDGE HOOKS UP WITH GA/GI FEST

It's a project of the Fiberarts Guild, which is a member guild of the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts. It's also funded by Sprout. Those things in and of themselves are good enough,but add the support of several local officials, and hundreds of people with nimble fingers working months at a creative craft and you've got a recipe for successful community project called "Knit The Bridge."  

Said the project's lead artist--Amanda Gross--no stranger to GA/GI Fest, "This is not only the celebration of a traditional art form, it's about reclaiming spaces and rebuilding communities."

Gross who began the project last summer in earnest also pointed out that "yarn bombing" grew out the guerrilla arts in much the same way as any graffiti. "But yarn bombing does no permanent damage; so it's more widely accepted." The end result is so beautiful, the task of knitting bridges has become quite a global trend and is particularly popular in Australia, where wool is plentiful, to show off one of their main exports.

And just because the word "knit" is used in the description, this is not to say crochet is not part of the process. "We like the way 'knit the bridge' sounds. But make no mistake: Over half the work is actually done by crochet. It's a whole lot faster."

She'll be organizing a Meet-n-Make session at GA/GI (details to come) at ARTica Gallery, 5110 Penn Avenue, on April 5th, so start gathering your balls of extra yarn. Knit The Bridge can use any donations before the panels go up sometime over the summer.  And speaking of donations: The panels used to cover the bridge will be taken apart when the project is over and given to homeless shelters as blankets, bringing the whole community sharing, recycling, and caring theme full circle.

ILLUMINATING DEVELOPMENTs @ GA/GI

water vortex

 At GA/GI 2013 David Edwards of Art Engery Design, one of the festival's founders whose kenetic Power Flower has been linked with the event since its inception, will offer an interactive experience combining flowing water and light, illuminating the art in technology.

Liquid Light is a collection of hands-on exhibits that investigate water's ability to bend, reflect and transport light. Visitors can tinker with kinetic artworks, manipulate water to impel contraptions that explore the science of light, color and the nature of perception. Featured are lighted laminar flows, controllable water tornadoes, wave refraction pool, water prisms and image wave projection.

Liquid Light is a traveling art exhibition, teaching activities for the needs of specific venues and can be tailored to a variety of age groups. The program is mobile and can make its way to YOUR venue. Call 412-487-0621.

Laminar Flow Stream

Liquid Light programming is sponsored by a Spark grant from the Sprout Fund our Penn Avenue neighbor at 5423 Penn Avenue.

MODERN FORMATION EXPOSES 4 Suites at GA/GI

Open the evening of GA/GI@ Modern Formations, 4919 Penn Ave is a collection of work by four of this city's most enduring artists: Susan Constanse, Jean McClung, John Morris and Laurie Trok. Collectively, they've been showing work for over six decades, creating art that, haunts, enlightens, mesmerizes, and intrigues. For this installation, Constanse is a formalist, working primarily in paint, collage and drawing media;her pieces depicting not a moment but a time span. Morris works with the forgotten and found; testing boundaries between art/non art, while McClung  combines images from mixed media paintings done over several decades utilizing photographs of urban life.Trok, for her part, works with cut paper, playing with the idea of space and time, both in the action and in the process.  

Says Modern Formations owner Jen Quino Hedges, "GA/GI Festival, has helped me give a home to a number of very interesting artists over the years. 'Four Suites' features artists who connect to each other through the use of light, environment, found objects and images." She added,"Since one of GA/GI's goals is to exhibit the relationship between art and science,'Four Suites' and the festival now have a unique bond."
 
View the thought provoking exhibit--Four Suites-- during GA/GI @ Unblurred on Friday evening April 5th and come back for networking at the opening Reception on Saturday, April 6 from 7pm-10pm.

GA/GI Has A MONSTER MASH

Kate Watson-Wallace

Part, theater, part dance party, part runway; an experiment within an experiment, "Mash Up Body", presented by the Kelly Strayhorn Theater, is multi, disciplinary with all the additives for a "meditation on mulit-layered identity," Folks who have seen the preliminary rehearsals note that the DJ is awesome. It's all performed under the choreographic direction of Kate Watson-Wallace with music man Christopher Sean Powell, drama guy Jaamil Kosoko, and dancesters Devynn Emory, Jasmine Hearn, Cori Olinghouse, and Marjani Forte. The first performance is the evening of Unblurred's GA/GI Fest on Friday, April 5. The performers have a note for would-be fans: "Dear audience, you are part of the set design. Please wear all gray to the show. If you don’t have proper clothing, we will provide it for you at the event."  7pm mixer. 8 pm performance@ the Alloy Studios 5530 Penn Avenue (formerly the Dance Alloy). For more info click here.

LIGHTS! CAMERAS! FASHION! GAGI Melds w/ Eunsuh Choi Exhibition at Pittsburgh Glasss Center

Eunsuh Choi forms countless tiny glass rods into a cube composed within a perfect hexahedron. Choi works her way through a psychological journey that juxtaposes aspiration and limitation; meanwhile, the forms in her art shift to reflect the mental work. She has produced a succession of melting icicles, ladders, cages, boxes, and trees. 

When Team GAGI's Fashion Division heard from The Pittsburgh Glass Center her work would be featured as part of the festival's fourth year, they were more than inspired. Said Fashion Director, Kristin Barker, "This is how we do things. We let everything the festival has to offer be part of who, and how we plan. Ms. Choi's work is very eco and we love it." 

Angie Fec and Kristin Barker

Featured artist Angie Fec of Sew Addicted, who wowed the crowds at last year's extravaganza plans to put a models on ladders, honoring Choi's work, as well as planning over-the-top glitzy and glimmering looks for a mega photographer's shoot. In addition, jewelry by Choi will be showcased and noted Pittsburgh glass and fashion designers will have items available to the public for sale.

Can't wait to see what else the glam girls will do. Keep ya posted!