Friday, May 4, 2012

2012 Urban Garden Party: Alice at the Factory countdown!

Hard to believe, but our annual fundraiser, the Urban Garden Party, is just six weeks away! Things are really heating up for another fabulous event full of great food & drink, fresh sounds from multiple music performers from near (Pittsburgh) and far (NYC and Oregon), and a few fantastic curiosities. Follow this image during the next few weeks for a little surprise – we'll reveal a piece of the puzzle every other day.

UPDATE 5/18/12: The Queen of Hearts is none other than our fearless leader, founder and Co-Director Barbara Luderowski!



Tickets have sold out the last two years and we're on pace to sell out even sooner, so purchase your tickets today and enjoy a great party while supporting a great museum.

Paul Nosa: Sewing People's Imagination

A few days ago we received a request from Paul Nosa to hang out here at the museum and "sew people's imagination." We said yes.


Watch this video for some AMAZING backwards writing with thread.

Paul Nosa: sewing people's imagination. "Unexpected visitor at the tea party in the sky."
 
Paul is a sewing artist from Tucson, Arizona. He draws people's imagination with a sewing machine powered by a solar panel and a bicycle electric generator. He's currently on a sewing tour across America facilitating people's creativity and showing them how to make their own alternative energy sources.

Paul Nosa: sewing your dreams five words [or less] at a time. "Swimming through the day."
 
If you can think of a scenario in five words or less, he will sew it on the spot using a bicycle-powered sewing machine. When he isn't using his bicycle, he has some photovoltaic panels to juice up a battery which he can connect to his sewing machine on his distinctively outer space looking "Solar Sewing Rover." You can purchase your custom patch from him and walk away with a one-of-a-kind piece of art and feel great knowing you're supporting this talented artist's trek across the continent. We also have a few cool limited edition Paul Nosa MF totes available in the MF Shop.


Who: Paul Nosa
What: Sewing Artist from Tuscon is stopping by the Mattress Factory during his U.S. tour on his way from New York City to Los Angeles. 
This event is sponsored by the MF Shop.
When: Saturday, May 5, 2012, 11am-4pm
Where: In the Mattress Factory's "Garden" (or in the lobby if rain)

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

ArtLab: Projection Perception

This Saturday’s ArtLab will showcase Factory Installed artist Pablo Valbuena's video projection, Para-Site [mattress factory]. Pablo uses light and projection on a static wall to emphasize the preexisting architecture in the Museum. In doing so, he lays out the blueprint for an animated virtual space. At different times throughout his installation, it appears as if windows are folding and the space reflected by mirrors. None of these things physical happen; they’re all amazing optical illusions. Pablo explains his work as the "dissolution of the limit between real and perceived."


Pablo Valbuena's mind-bending installation, Para-Site [mattress factory]

This week’s featured ArtLab workshop leader is local installation artist and Mattress Factory Educator, Esti Piels. Esti will provide a video that the museum visitor will collaboratively create the context by drafting or illustrating a physical setting for the projection. Each visitor will be asked to view the video first and then create a composition or scene for the narrative to occur. This temporary "scenario" will be living for the duration of the brief projection while being video documented by Esti. She will then piece together each documented scene to create a feature length video collaboration. The finished product will be available on this blog in the near future.

 Pablo Valbuena's installation being enjoyed by Museum visitors.






Join Esti this Saturday and add your creative piece to this video collaboration!

What: ArtLab: Projection Perception
When: Saturday, May 5, 2012, 1-4pm
Where: In the Museum's lobby
Cost: Free w/ paid Museum admission


Left: Esti thinking hard about how to make 
Saturday's ArtLab fantastic