Gallery Crawl extends reach

Published: Monday, September 26, 2011

At one end of The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust's Fall Gallery Crawl is the opportunity to dance the tango, swing and meringue for free at the Arthur Murray Dance Studio.

Strolling down Penn Avenue, people will notice the exhibit Art on the Walls, celebrating a new bi-annual exhibit for Pittsburgh artists.

Toward the other end of the crawl, participants can create handmade postcards, buttons and sculptures at the Shake It & Make It with Handmade Arcade! exhibit.

These are among the assortment of activities throughout the Cultural District that people in the Pittsburgh area can look forward to this Friday at the art open house which will showcase art exhibits, live musical performances and opportunities for the public to participate in the festivities.

Many venues throughout the Cultural District will participate in the art open house, showcasing art exhibits, live musical performances and opportunities for the public to participate in the festivities.

The Gallery Crawl events have been occurring quarterly since 2004. It was developed from a program called "Full Frontal Friday" that would feature new exhibits at Wood Street Galleries and SPACE Gallery. Now, many more venues participate in the event.

Darcy C. Kucenic, director of First Night Pittsburgh and manager of Education and Operations at The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, helps to oversee the planning for the Gallery Crawl. In an email response, she explained the event is a way to showcase art galleries and other venues to a wide audience.

"The Gallery Crawl is free and a great way to see fantastic visual art and experience great performances," Kucenic said. "It is an open house of the Cultural District and our great venues and galleries. And it gives the community organizations and artists participating an opportunity to connect with new audiences."

One of the exhibits participating in the crawl, The August Wilson Center for African American Culture, is featuring the Moving the Lives of Kids [MLK] Community Mural Project Art over Generations.

The exhibit will show work done by children as well as professional artists. Kyle Holbrook led the project and helped participants create murals in their own neighborhoods as a way of strengthening their communities.

Cecile Shellman, artistic director for Visual Arts and Exhibitions at the center, explained the purpose and importance of displaying this exhibit.

"This community mural project is an opportunity to celebrate the accomplishments of local youth working with seasoned artists who are mentoring and encouraging them in their artistic endeavors," Shellman said. "This project shows youth how to channel their energies into something productive and beautiful."

The August Wilson Center will also feature Romare Bearden, the Last Years: Photography by Frank Stewart, the permanent exhibit, REMIX and portions of the Charles "Teenie" Harris collection. Shellman points out that the exhibits are chosen to compliment the goal at the center.

"We have a unique perspective to share with the community," Shellman said. "The August Wilson Center celebrates black culture, the heritage and lives of African Americans in Pittsburgh regionally and nationally. All of our exhibits feature artists who are up and coming in the artistic world and have worked to make a difference in society."

Another gallery space, Wood Street Galleries of 601 Wood St., is featuring the exhibit Parallel Universe which focuses on duel technologies that never overlap but hold similar goals. Murray Horne, curator at Wood Street Galleries, explained its appeal to younger generations.

 "Our philosophy is to appeal to the younger audience," Horne said. "This group of people have never known life without computers or video games, so utilizing technology is an exhibit appeals to a younger age group."

The gallery will also feature performances of Shrink by Lawrence Malstaf, where people will be given the opportunity to take part in the performance and wrap themselves in shrink wrap alongside the artist.

Horne, along with others that have helped to make the Gallery Crawl possible, encourage all people to get involved and come to the exhibits.

"It's an experience outside of the normal routine and therefore becomes a special experience that people should participate in," Horne said.

The Gallery Crawl will take place from 5:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. For more information about the event, people can visit pgharts.org.