NEWS FOR A NEW YEAR!

With the holiday season winding down, comes the winding up of a new year with a new U.S. president. Oh, sure, YOU have big plans, too and some undigested turkey still sitting in your stomach, but if you can make some room, here is the perfect dessert! Posted here: a pic of Robert Strovers and his amazing photo, "Lamps and Stucco." Passports/Artica Gallery will soon be featuring a selection of his incredible photography which includes irresistible urban textures and landscapes. Also keep checking this site for upcoming classes (See"quilting"below) and events we're involved in like ART KINGS OF THE HILL, now through January 23rd at the August Wilson's Gallery at 209/9th Street --Passports' Project Director, Christine Bethea will be curator for show featuring noted Hill District Artists like Amir Rashidd (video below), Thaddeus Mosely (book in print), Jorge Meyers (click to view his PPG Video by Annie O'Neill) , Biko, George Gist, Bo Hill, Carlos Peterson, Norman Brown, (art shown, here: Game), Dingbat, Yourba Batonga, "Teenie" Harris, Ernest Bey, James McCoy and Keith "Pizza" Smith
(Smith's car hood, above).
Closing Reception /ART KINGS OF THE HILL
Thursday, January 22, 6-8:30 pm.
Get the New August Wilson Center
Update and learn what's happening
to Pittsburgh's Romare Bearden Mural
at the Port Authority T-Station.


Amir Rashidd, Artist/Storyteller

Then its on to the Quilter's Weekend at the Senator John Heinz History Center January 24-25, 2009 which will feature the Pittsburgh Friendship Quilt and the history of African-American quilt makers and making in Pittsburgh, an annual exhibition, curated by Passports' Christine Bethea.
(See Tina Brewer's quilt during an interview with
Terri Blanchette, Director of Programming at the Heinz History Center.)

ARTica is the Offical new home for the Passports Art Diversity Project

Happy to have a final home and opportunity , Christine Bethea and Brenda Brown of the Passports Art Diversity Project, have dubbed the Penn Avenue Corridor "Art Central."

"It doesn't get any better than this," said Christine. "The entire community is a virtual dream team! The Bloomfield/Garfield Association, Sprout, and the Penn Avenue Arts Initiative under Friendship Development have all been wonderfully supportive of us and our programs. They want artists and the energy they bring to a community and they are in no way bashful about it."

ARTica is currently showcasing Passports "Sugar & Spice" sale and exhibition featuring original art and prints by local artists of many cultures along with an array of antiques and collectibles. The shop is open Thursday, Friday noon to 6, Saturday noon to 5 p.m.

SPECIAL RECEPTION FOR "TEXTILE INTERIORS" curated by Cathleen Bailey

Friday, November 7 from 6 to 10 p.m. (see details below)

Multicultural Holiday Event

~ created and inspired by ~
African, Latin, Asian, Indian
and Native American Cultures

GOING ON NOW!

Participating Artists:

Amir, Leslie Ansley, Cathleen Bailey, C.C. Bethea,

Biko, Tina Brewer, Brenda Brown, Norman Brown,

Susan Constanse, Bill Cousins, Rene Fair, Vanessa German,

Michelle Gregio, Teresa Harris, LaVerne Kemp, Ryan Holandes,

Betsy Jones, Moshe, Saihou Njie, Lynn Rakovich, Charles Smith,

John Tarka, Richard Wierzbowski and Bob Ziller

Exhibit and Sale open every
Thursday, Friday and Saturday
Through Friday December 511 to 6 p.m.

Friendship-Garfield area

Curated by Christine Bethea and Ryan Holandes

Also Exhibiting...

Textile Interiors

A show of Student work through

"The Quilting"

Curated by Cathleen Bailey

Art Above: My roots are in African by Biko;
Geisha by Leslie Ansley

Art SEEN

Art SEEN
Creating Art in the face of Challenge
September 5, 2008 @ ARTica
5510 Penn Avenue 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.

Participating Artists: Biko, Debbie Bobeck, Susan Constanse, Rene Fair, Bill Cousins, C.C. Bethea, Richard Wierzbowski and Susan Wagner


Special thanks for their assistance with the exhibition:
Kirsten Ervin
Susan Constanse
Joyce LeSesne
James Gyre

ARTini

ARTini Artists


Kate Dambach . Amir . Biko . Adam Wadell . LaVerne Kemp . Leslie Ansley . Laura McLaughlin . Anne Hayes, Ian green . Bill Cousins . Vanessa German . Ruth Ward . Monique Luck . Sandy Simon . Ian Green . Jorge . Susan Constanse. Bob Johnson . George Gist . Tom Panei . John Walter . Ben Crouse . Bob Ziller . Susan Wagner . Michele Gregio . Mary Martin . Justin Rothshank . Cheryl Capezzuti . Norman Brown . Wendy Osher



ARTini: Art Shaken, Not Stirred was Passport's inaugural exhibit. The exhibit was held during the Unblurred Art Cubed Event on June 6th, 2008 at 113 South Pacific, just off Penn Avenue. ARTini featured thirty of Pittsburgh’s finest artists from all cultures and economic backgrounds and showcasing dozens of art styles. The opening night of the ARTini Exhibition and Sale lived up to its promise to be a stellar experience with something for everyone from paintings in oil and acrylic, to sculptures, abstracts, mosaic, fiber art, mixed media, collage, pop art, salvage art and even an installation by students from the Digital Fabrication Lab at Carnegie Mellon University.

The turnout for the first Passports event was delightful --


So many art lovers and artists came through to view the work and hang out. And with good reason! Check out the slide show of the art work represented at ARTini --

Also supporting the ARTini event on June 6th is Hill House Association whose staff was on hand to sell advance tickets to a rare performance of Issac Hayes with the Pittsburgh Symphony scheduled for later in the month.

The Sprout Fund is a nonprofit organization supporting innovative ideas and grassroots community projects that are catalyzing change in Pittsburgh.

ARTini: Art Shaken, Not Stirred

ARTini: Art Shaken, Not Stirred was Passport's inaugural exhibit, hosted at the Bloomfield/Garfiield Activity Center (Thanks BGC!). The exhibit was held during the Unblurred Art Cubed Event on June 6th, 2008 at 113 North Pacific, just off Penn Avenue. ARTini featured thirty two of Pittsburgh’s finest artists from all cultures and economic backgrounds and showcasing dozens of art styles. The opening night of the ARTini Exhibition and Sale lived up to its promise to be a stellar experience with something for everyone from paintings in oil and acrylic, to sculptures, abstracts, mosaic, fiber art, mixed media, collage, pop art, salvage art and even an installation by students from the Digital Fabrication Lab at Carnegie Mellon University.

Curators of the exhibition with support from Friendship Development, Christine Bethea, Brenda Brown and Leslie Ansley of Passports: Art of Diversity had been looking for reason and a location do such an eclectic event. Art Cubed, a partnership between the Penn Avenue Arts District, East Liberty, and Lawrenceville proved to be pivotal.

“As far as we're concerned, there are never enough opportunities to show-off all the great talent the Pittsburgh region has to offer,” said Bethea. “We may not have them all here, but we have most ot he best and creative."

Bethea, Brown, and Ansley, all artists themselves, plan a series of other exhibitions in the upcoming months on Penn Avenue and around the city including one in September featuring artists who are blind and visually impaired is scheduled for September 5th. “Their work is amazing, “said Brown, who will lead a sculpture workshop prior to the event. “We are inviting other artists to be part of their exhibition as well. We believe it will be the first time the two art communities have ever shown work together in the city.

Another project the group has in the works is a global inspired arts fair called “Sugar and Spice,” planned for October. “We have some wonderful programs in mind. ARTini is just the tip of the arts iceberg,” said Ansley, who with Bethea and Brown are recent recipients of a Sprout Fund Seed Award.

The Sprout Fund is a nonprofit organization supporting innovative ideas and grassroots community projects that are catalyzing change in Pittsburgh.

Also supporting the ARTini event on June 6th is Hill House Association whose staff will be on hand to sell advance tickets to a rare performance of Issac Hayes with the Pittsburgh Symphony scheduled for later in the month.

For more details about the exhibit, please see the ARTini page