For Immediate Release                                                                Contact: Carol OÕSullivan

October 27, 2009                                                                                             412-681-5449

 

Pittsburgh Center for the Arts

Announces Upcoming Gallery Shows and Holiday Shop

 

(Pittsburgh, PA) -- Pittsburgh Center for the Arts presents five new exhibits, November 20, 2009 through January 24, 2010. The opening reception at the PCA is on Friday evening, November 20, 5:30 – 8:00pm. The reception is open to the public; a $5 donation is requested; free to PF/PCA members.

 

The five exhibits at the PCA include:

-       When Night Falls, presented by Pittsburgh Society of Artists

-       Seeds of Light, solo show by Fuyuko Matsubara

-       James Thurman: Ancient 21st Century Art-i-facts, solo show by Thurman

-       The Exchange, presented by The Center for Emerging Visual Artists

-       Media Bits, a selection of works from PCAÕs media collection (Video Room)

 

In addition, The PCA Annual Holiday Shop holds its opening event on November 20 to commemorate the start of the holiday season with extended shop and gallery hours.* The Shop features art and crafts from over 180 regional artists, with everything from papier-m‰chŽ to glass, ceramics, crochet, video art, and more. The Holiday Shop reception begins at 5:30.

 

When Night Falls is a juried show involving a variety of media presented by the Pittsburgh Society of Artists (PSA). The title refers to the way familiar surroundings can become less defined and instead are open to ambiguous impressions. Anxiety might stem from the invisibility of nightfall, the mystery posed by the incognizance of what lurks amid the dimming backdrop. When Night Falls encompasses the world between dusk and dawn. The showÕs juror is Michael Olijnyk, Curator of Exhibitions at the Mattress Factory.

 

In Seeds of Light by Fuyuko Matsubara, light represents energy from a spiritual point of view. Her solo exhibit of painted silk weavings is part of a series of textile works in which she explores the positive quality of light energy. Born in Japan, she has been exhibiting her work nationally and internationally for over 30 years.  Her original weaving technique of ÒCombination Painted Warp and Painted WeftÓ is internationally recognized. Matsubara earned her MFA in fiber arts from Cranbrook Academy of Art in Michigan and has served as senior restorer at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Currently she teaches fiber and textile arts at Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

 

 

 

 

In James ThurmanÕs installation Ancient Art-i-facts of the 21st Century, he uses the format of a natural history museum as a cultural critique.  Fascinated with how the method of presentation and display affects the perception of the object, he uses sculptural objects of his own creation for a fictitious futureÕs misinterpretation.  With sly humor he explores issues of material culture hierarchies, consumerism and environmentalism.  A former Pennsylvanian, Thurman recently moved to Texas. HeÕs currently Assistant Professor in the College of Visual Arts & Design, University of North Texas. He received his MFA in metalsmithing from the Cranbrook Academy of Art, and his BFA in sculpture from Carnegie Mellon University.

 

The Exchange, continuing through January 24, is an ongoing collaboration between Pittsburgh Center for the Arts and The Center for Emerging Visual Artists (CFEVA) in Philadelphia. This collaboration not only strengthens the artistic dialogue between the cities, it provides a larger context and more exposure for regional artists. More than 20 artists from the Philadelphia area are exhibiting work that includes painting, sculpture, installation, photography, printmaking, and drawing. The selected artists are all part of CFEVAÕs career development program.

           

Artist Events at PCA

Artist Talks:

Thursday, Dec. 10 at 7:00pm; with Pittsburgh Society of Artists

Sunday, January 24 at 3:00pm; with James Thurman

 

Dialogue Series:

Thursday, January 14 at 6:30pm; with Fuyuko Matsubara and PF/PCAÕs curator Adam Welch. (This ongoing discussion series has an admission fee of $5/members, or $10/non-members; cash bar.)

 

*Holiday Hours (Nov. 20 – Dec. 30)

Tuesdays & Wednesdays, 10:00am – 5:00pm

Thursdays, 10:00am – 9:00pm

Fridays & Saturdays, 10:00am – 7:00pm

Sundays 12:00pm – 5:00pm

In addition: In December, open Mondays 10:00am– 5:00pm

 

 

Pittsburgh Center for the Arts is located at 6300 Fifth Ave in Shadyside.

For more information call 412-361-0873.

 

 

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