Apply now! 2016 Summer Art Cooperative Applications Due May 1

If you're a high school student in Pittsburgh or the surrounding areas and would like to get involved with the Mattress Factory, consider joining the 2016 Summer Art Cooperative! The FREE program will run from July 6  - August 5, 2016, and will feature weekly workshops led by 10 local artists. In addition to workshops, Coop members will gain hands-on museum experience as they work together to plan an event, hear from museum staff about their careers, and more. Featuring teaching artists will include:

John Peña
Felicia Cooper
Jeff Weston
Lindsey Peck Scherloum
Rose Clancy
Henry Gepfer
Hudson Rush
Anna Bieberdorf

and more!

Applications for the Summer Art Cooperative are due Sunday, May 1 and can be emailed to Stephanie St. Aubin, or physically mailed to:

Mattress Factory
Attn: Stephanie St. Aubin
500 Sampsonia Way
Pittsburgh, PA 15212 

We hope you'll consider joining us for a summer of collaboration, creative practice and exploration! 

RECAP // Factory 500 Weekend: Pittsburgh Opera + Troy Hill Art Houses

Factory 500 members on the Pittsburgh Opera's rehearsal stage for The Rake's Progress 

This past weekend, Factory 500 members were treated to back-to-back exclusive contemporary art experiences! 

On Friday, April 22, Factory 500 members received a behind-the-scenes tour of the Pittsburgh Opera's production of Igor Stravinsky's The Rake's Progress. British artist David Hockney designed the jaw-dropping sets, props, wigs and costumes, drawing from the visual aesthetic of William Hogarth's famous series of engravings that originally inspired the opera. 

Members got to examine gorgeous, one-of-a-kind set pieces and costumes up close, seeing the intense cross-hatching that Hockney employed to mimic the feel of Hogarth's engravings. 

The next day, over 50 Factory 500 members gathered in Pittsburgh's Troy Hill neighborhood. To an outsider, it looked like a curious decision - what were contemporary art enthusiasts doing gathered in an ordinary neighborhood?

Factory 500 members gather at The Pear and the Pickle, Troy Hill's newest neighborhood cafe. 

Indeed, from the exterior, 1812 Rialto Street blends seamlessly into the block of family homes. But as soon as our members entered the door, they embarked on what they described as an "unexpected," "completely astonishing," and "delightful" adventure!

The entire house, known as "La Hüitte Royal," is the work of a German artists named Thorsten Brinkman who transformed the once vacant house over the course of two years. Members crawled through tunnels, climbed ladders, practiced their golf swings and traversed a series of spaces designed from top to bottom. The house is the first Troy Hill art house commissioned by Even Mirapaul. 

At 1718 Rialto Street, we explore "Kunzhaus," the second of Evan Mirapaul's art houses, which just opened in March 2016. Polish contemporary artists Robert Kusmirowski drew from the history of the house and its occupants as well as elements of his own past. 

Factory 500 is the Mattress Factory's premiere membership program, chaired by Susan Lammie. The group tours private collections, artist studios, local businesses and other interesting arts destinations in Pittsburgh several times throughout the year. Don't miss out — join today! 

RECAP // Mini-Factory: SOUND

Mini-Factory – our intrepid group of 3, 4 and 5 year olds - explored the world of SOUND at the Mattress Factory Museum.  How do artists use SOUND in their artwork?  What does the SOUND make me feel, think and imagine?   Red, by Rolf Julius, was a great starting point for our group.  Julius is an artist who pushes the boundaries of how our senses have traditionally been compartmentalized in the art world.  In Red, Julius has taken speakers, turned them upside-down, taken the grill off, and covered them with red pigment.  What happens when SOUND pipes through the red speakers? It jumps, vibrates and moves giving SOUND a visual component.

Stopping at the third floor landing, we explored another SOUND installation by Julius. Sound for Garden combines various objects such as wind chimes, factories, and city life to create a SOUND collage which compliments and accompanies the Garden Installation. The aim of this piece is to pull from two realms, SOUNDs of the past and present, guiding viewers to carefully observe their surroundings and, therefore, tune into their senses.

Once we explored galleries, it was time to put our observations to practice. Young artists listened to various sounds, including contrasting music allowing the SOUND to guide their paint brush.  We created a SOUND mural which was installed in the lobby of the Mattress Factory Museum.

Mini-Factory is an interactive learning program for children ages 3 - 5 years old and their parents or caregivers.  Using contemporary installation art, parents and children will explore new ideas and concepts from the everyday world.  Join us on April 23 for ME!