Then and Now: Michael Olijnyk

These two photos just gives us one more reason why we love Michael Olijnyk so much. He has been curator/co-director of the museum since it was founded in 1977 (he also exhibited here back in 1982).

Here he is when the museum just started more than thirty years ago.

Here he is today. We asked him to recreate the above iconic pose at a staff party on Friday. He happily obliged with fake mustache and all.

POSTED BY LINDSAY Read All Posts by Lindsay

FOUR 2011 GARDEN PARTY FACTS

We start planning for the Garden Party 51 weeks in advance. Yup. That’s right; the week after the Garden Party we’re back at it again.

This will be my fifth Garden Party as an MFer. Despite the insane hours and the heart palpitations of worry – this party is a blast! And it's only 15 days away.

A few things you may not know about the 2011 Urban Garden Party:

1. WIN A DATE WITH JAMES FOREMAN
James Foreman, Mattress Factory member and supporter, is running his second annual “Win a Date” contest for one lucky girl (or guy) to be Jim’s date for the evening. For icing on the cake, he’s buying a Green Membership and handing it straight to you so you can keep on enjoying the Mattress Factory for 364 days after the Garden Party ends. Full disclosure: I’ve known Jim for 9 years. He’s a good guy. One of the best. He’ll blush for the first five minutes, and then continue to blush after consuming his first mixed drink. He’s nice, intelligent, thoughtful, generous, and will watch you dance your ass off (not so much of a dancer, that guy).

He’ll be picking a hot date in the next few days, so apply now!

Jim at 5, I think. He doesn't know I'm using this photo... yet.

Nobody knows about this yet, so this is the exclusive, last-minute announcement: Do you have a boyfriend? A girlfriend? A wife? A husband? A domestic partner? A best friend? Now's your chance! James is cracking the whip and forcing his judges to choose a winner for Win a Date With Each Other! That's right - he's giving away two extra tickets to the couple who wants it the most!

Stay tuned to the @MattressFactory twitter feed and Facebook page for more information about how you and the partner of your choice can join James and his date for the best party this side of paradise!

Here is Jim (near right) at last year's Garden Party.

P.S. Oh, also, he’s a newly published author.

2. TICKET GIVEAWAYS
Pocketbook a little light? Watch during the final two weeks–starting tomorrow–for a few ticket giveaways on Twitter and Facebook.

Follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook for your chance to enter a contest to win a pair of tickets to the party! (Already purchased your tickets? No worries, we’ll give you an automatic upgrade to our exclusive VIP party for being such awesome supporters/partiers.)

3. ANDREWANDREW
AndrewAndrew will be here DJing from their iPads. And probably judging what you wear more than you think. (My favorite line in the video below: “We’re the guys who invented Facebook.”)



4. CRAIGSLIST SHENANIGANS
Someone is trying to scalp Garden Party tickets on craigslist: http://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/tix/2414226003.html
The MF building posted a response: http://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/mis/2416469128.html



The bottom line? This is going to be a fantastic party. I'd love to see you there on Friday, June 17th.

POSTED BY LINDSAY Read All Posts by Lindsay

SARAH PIERCE NEEDS YOU!

Sarah Pierce is an artist based in Dublin, who is making a newly commissioned work at the Mattress Factory for the show Neighbo(u)rhood. Her focus is the University of Pittsburgh campus. She is interested places where students gather, in various registers of "organization" from classroom learning, to political demonstrations, to student government, to campus clubs.

As part of this new work, Pierce is producing a new performance that will take place during the opening of the exhibition on May 13, 2011 from 6 - 8 p.m. She has collected various quotes from student protests and the Black Action Society dating back to 1959-1969, as well as recent ones from studio art classes and student senate meetings recorded in April 2011. These quotes will be incorporated into the performance, along with a series of simple 'gestures' performed by a group of 8-12 volunteers.

It's time to sign up to become a part of the art!

If you are interested in participating as a volunteer for the performance (any and all are welcome), please contact Lindsay at the Mattress Factory at lindsay [at] mattress [dot] org or post a comment below.

TIME COMMITMENT: Volunteers are asked participate in a closed workshop on Thursday, May 12 from 6 - 8 pm at the Mattress Factory, with Pierce to develop / rehearse the performance. There will be a short 'rehearsal' on May 13 at 6 pm, and the performance is at the Mattress Factory during the opening reception of Neighbo(u)rhood on May 13 from 6 - 8 pm.

No performance, drama, or dance experience required. All are welcome to volunteer, age 18 and older please.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BARBARA!

Thirty-four years ago, this woman established an organization that would touch hundreds of thousands of lives in Pittsburgh and beyond. The Mattress Factory has welcomed installation artists from all over the world including Ann Hamilton, Damien Hirst, Jessica Stockholder, David Ellis, Yayoi Kusama, and more than 450 others.

Today, staff wore double-denim (also known as the Canadian tuxedo) and sat on exercise balls – two things for which the Mattress Factory founder, Barbara Luderowski, is known – in honor of her birthday. Maybe next year we’ll shave our hair down to an inch in length. Maybe.

Barbara, thank you for everything you’ve done and everything you do.

Internships at the MF

Part of my role as Director of Education here at the Mattress Factory involves coordinating internships. This is great because I have the unique opportunity to meet and get to know many young students as they assemble a professional pathway or imagine their post-graduation role within the world. For some, an internship can give insight into what it is they are passionate about and how to translate what they love into what they do. For others, an internship can be a stepping-stone or a bullet point on their resume. An internship can show an individual as much about what it is they do NOT want to do, as it can about what they do want to do. No matter the outcome, an internship can be a life-altering experience that forces a change of major, change of perception, or perhaps just a change of scenery.

Anymore, I find that college students want bigger, longer, and more intensive internships—they want to stay for two (or three) semesters instead of one, want to spend 20 (or 40) hours at the MF, instead of 12. This new trend is so mutually beneficial. The individual gets the inside scoop and is folded into the full-time staff as an integral member. The organization gets a whole lot more work done!

Ok, it’s more than that: student interns come loaded with freshly honed, cutting edge skills. For those of us who have been sitting behind desks for a few years, it’s an opportunity to learn from the student and see contemporary points of view. We can ask questions like, “How would you organize this information?” “What tools would you use to convey this message?” “How would you prioritize this to-do list?” “Can you help me decide if we’ve been successful?”

At the Mattress Factory, we are lucky to have interns from all over the world -- from local universities, and from universities far and wide. We have enjoyed working with interns with a range of ages and interests. Some have master’s degrees, some don’t yet have high school diplomas. An individual’s unique perspective and experiences are what draws us to them (and probably vice versa).

Having an intern means developing projects, asking and answering a million questions, giving advice, and in the end it means saying goodbye to somebody who you probably grew to depend on. In many cases, it can even mean saying goodbye to a friend. But, in the BEST cases, it means watching somebody take off into a wild world of choices and opportunities, hopefully made a little easier by having had a fruitful experience working at the Mattress Factory.

POSTED BY LIZ Read All Posts by Liz

The 2010 Urban Garden Party: Pics or It Didn't Happen.

And like that, it's over. The 2010 Urban Garden Party was a smashing success. Our sincerest thanks go out to everyone who attended and to everyone who helped get the word out. For the first time ever, the event sold out! Everyone here is absolutely blown away by the support. Through ticket sales, silent auction purchases, individual donations and event sponsorships, we raised just about $200,000 for the museum. This is money that will be used to support upcoming exhibitions, educational & community programming, and museum operations. We can't say it enough. Thank you.

There has been a lot of media coverage and web activity surrounding the event (most of which is aggregated below), but perhaps my favorite quote comes from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Marylynn Uricchio:

What's most interesting about this popular event is the way it cuts across the borders of age and economics to attract a lively, diverse and always colorful crowd. The installation art museum has done a wonderful job of appealing to a mass audience while it continues to stay on the edge, thanks to co-directors Barbara Luderowski and Michael Olijnyk.

Right on. The photos in the slide show embedded below were taken by John Altdorfer. We've posted the high-resolution images on Flickr and they are available for FREE download. Non-commercial use only please.



The MF Twitter Posse and local press were out in full force Friday night as well. Here are some links to photos, articles and blogs that have been popping up around the interwebs. If I've missed any, all apologies. Post a link in the comments or shoot a message to us via email or Twitter and we'll update our list.

Marylynn Uricchio's piece for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
An awesome photoset from Jo Ellen Smith
MF Twitter Posse member Rob de la Cretaz's photos. [ Follow Rob on Twitter ]
Unbelievable shots from Twitter Posse Member Rima Campbell. [ Follow Rima on Twitter ]
MF Green & Twitter Posse Member Andrea Shockling's blog recap of the event. [ Follow Andrea on Twitter ]
Kate Guerriero's FANFARE column for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
WPXI-TV was here covering the event for SEE & BE SEEN.
A cool photo set from Flickr user jtkennedy.
Whirl Magazine's coverage of the 2010 Urban Garden Party.
A nice blog recap from Twitter Posse Member Andrea Disaster. [ Follow Andrea on Twitter ]
The Northside Chronicle posted some photos from the event.
A bunch of great shots over at Yinzer Party. Login required (:-/)

POSTED BY JEFFREY Read All Posts by Jeffrey

Ten Days and Counting

Each year, on one special night in mid-June, we throw a fundraising event called the Urban Garden Party. And each year, we are overwhelmed by the outpouring of support for the museum expressed by the 1,000+ event attendees. It truly is an amazing evening filled with artistic energy, tasty food & beverages from more than 50 of Pittsburgh's top restaurants & bars, top-notch performances, and secret surprises.

This year's event is shaping up to be the best Garden Party to date. For a good sense of the vibe this year, check out this event trailer our awesome video production volunteer (!!) Abby Vanim created with a little soundtrack help from headliners Eclectic Method:



Without giving away too many details, the decor for the evening is taking shape as well. We have amassed a collection of more than 100 hubcaps and rumor has it there will be skateboard ramps and a fire hydrant involved. Check out these shots of MF Danny and MF Karla making tons of large scale origami that will accent the ceiling for the VIP Pre-Party:









If you'd like to attend the party, we'd love to see you there. We're running contests over on Twitter and Facebook from now through the event, so make sure you're keeping an eye on those streams. Of course, you can find out more information and purchase tickets HERE or by calling the museum at 412-231-3169. More updates to come!

POSTED BY JEFFREY Read All Posts by Jeffrey

Be Bold. Take Risks.

I think Barbara Luderowski and Michael Olijnyk should write a business book. I know they would laugh at the thought, but I’m being sincere.

For the past couple of weeks I’ve been immersed in watching and transcribing individual oral history videos of Barbara and Michael in which they discuss their early childhoods, their first experiences with art, and eventually the origins and the early years of the Mattress Factory.

They each speak eloquently about wanting to create a place that was intellectually stimulating and supportive of artists, a place that would incorporate all artistic disciplines by focusing on installation. There was never a master plan. The place grew “organically” (as Michael described) – both physically and organizationally. They slowly purchased and renovated nearby buildings for gallery and artist apartment space. They developed education programs, added a café, and began developing digital media initiatives.

They grew by capitalizing on opportunity. They tried to make intelligent decisions. They learned to avoid easy money when it did not align with their core mission. They took chances. During one interview, Barbara recounts how the museum’s relationship with James Turrell began. He was already a well-established artist by the early 1980s, but Barbara and Michael approached him anyway, drove to New York City and boldly invited him to the museum while sharing a cab ride.

The museum grew by experimenting. This is what artists do. But normally they do it in the privacy of their studios. Here, the Mattress Factory does it publicly as an organization in a very transparent way. They’re willing to try to new things. Good ideas are acted upon more quickly in part because there are fewer barriers. “Go for it!” Barbara would say.

It’s no wonder then that the museum was the first in the U.S. to utilize QR code technology as a visitor engagement tool in its galleries. Jeffrey then shared the easy-to-use and free technology in a September, 2009 blog. Or that the Mattress Factory was the first museum in the country to offer an entirely paperless “green” membership. These are just two examples of staff-generated ideas that were acted upon and which now serve to distinguish the museum.

This is not the world I had come from. Originally, I thought I would write this final blog about how the Mattress Factory ruined me. How my first few weeks here felt like a recovery program from the years I had spent at an old, large, cultural not-for-profit with a traditional top-down management style. In January when I first spoke with Jeffrey and talked myself into working for him (I am sure that’s what happened), I remember telling him that I was “ready for lean and mean.” And that’s exactly what I got.

The Mattress Factory operates with just 12 full-time employees – a talented, creative, multi-tasking, collaborative group of people. Many are artists themselves. The organizational structure is extremely horizontal. Of course everyone knows that the buck stops with Barbara and Michael, but otherwise there is no hierarchy. Bureaucracy is almost nonexistent.

The fundamental characteristics of the museum struck me right away. Frankly, it took some getting used to. And now I’m ruined. At least that’s what I was going to write about. But then I learned that the museum has always been this way. It’s how the place started, and in that respect, not much has changed.

From a business perspective, I think these are all reasons why the museum has been so successful. People want to be a part of something exciting. The uniqueness of the work and the process of discovery – for the artist, the museum go-er, and for the organization itself – are the museum’s most compelling features. You never know what you’re going to get, but you know it’s going to be something you’ve never experienced before.

One last quick story. As the last vestiges of the February snowpocalypse began to recede, Michael popped in on his usual rounds and asked, “Has anyone noticed that big mound of grey snow on the corner?” Snow was all anyone had been looking at for months, but no one in the office seemed to know what he was talking about. Something was brewing. “I think we should do something with it,” he said.

Over the course of the next two hours Michael made art out of the last remaining, stubborn, grit-covered pile of snow in the neighborhood, conveniently located at the well-traveled intersection near the Annex Gallery. An eternal optimist with a little streak of devilishness, Michael wanted to send a message of hope to the community that Spring was on its way.

As my time at the museum comes to an end, these are the memories I will take with me. And I leave reassured that a vibrant arts organization can thrive – not by mimicking the for-profit business world and organizational structures but by capitalizing on the creativity and flexibility that come naturally to artists. Be bold. Take risks.

Thank you Mattress Factory!

Lesley Williamson is a guest blogger. While completing a Master of Arts Management degree at Carnegie Mellon University, she is interning in the Mattress Factory's marketing department and will be posting here regularly through May. Lesley and her husband David Coester, a classical guitarist, make their home in Dunkirk, NY where they occasionally share custody of two small brown geriatric border terrier dogs. (It's a long story.)

Showing the Green Love

More art. Less paper. That’s what our Green Membership program is all about. And in honor of Earth Day, we are offering our $50 Green membership for just $35!

Yes, it’s still a year-long membership. You still receive all the fabulous benefits. But from now until next Tuesday, April 27, you can purchase this membership for $35. That’s how much we love you. And you have returned that love in spades! MF Green members now make up the single largest segment of our entire membership.

Two years ago MF Jeffrey and I created this program by brainstorming the type of museum membership that would appeal to, well, us. We asked ourselves, “What kind of membership program would we want?” And the answer was this: one that was quick, easy, affordable, and entirely paperless.

This means that, as a Green member, you choose to forgo ALL printed materials. Seriously. We will never mail you anything. Ever. This also means that all of your $50 (or $35 if you take the plunge in the next six days) goes directly toward supporting the museum.

Please consider joining the Mattress Factory at this level today. In doing so, you will be supporting the first museum in the United States to offer a 100% paperless membership. And you can feel good for supporting art and the environment at the same time. What more could you want?

Here are all the benefits you receive:

- No paper mail. Ever.
- FREE museum admission for one year
- FREE admission to exhibition openings
- Complimentary one-time admission for two guests
- Electronic invitations to exhibition openings and special events
- Bi-monthly email newsletters
- 10% discount in the BoxSpring Café
- 10% discount in the MF Shop – includes online purchases
- Discounted tickets to the Annual Urban Garden Party

Your employer might also match your gift to the Mattress Factory with an equal corporate contribution. Check with your human resources office, or you can contact me, Lindsay, at lindsay [at] mattress [dot] org or 412-231-3169 and I’ll ask for you.

Happy Earth Day!

POSTED BY LINDSAY Read All Posts by Lindsay

Architecture in Havana

Claudia Giannini is an arts writer and has been Development Associate for the Mattress Factory since 1995. She prepares written material for grant proposals & exhibition publications, and oversees publication production. She holds a M.Ed. in Museum Education, and M.F.A. in Visual Art and is a practicing artist. This was her first trip to Cuba.

Cuba has a long history and its story can be read in its architecture. Columbus landed in Cuba on October 28, 1492 and settlement began in the 1500s. The Spanish built forts in strategic places on the coast out of blocks cut from coral reefs. It’s fun to pick out the shell forms in the walls. These fortifications, built for strength not looks, are in remarkably good condition.

Because there has been little development, Cuba’s buildings are like an architecture textbook in 3-D. Domestic architecture modeled on Spanish palaces built around a central courtyard began in the 1600s. Many buildings—like our hotel Palacio O’Farrill—combine elaborate Spanish Baroque, Roman-inspired Neoclassical, and Art-Nouveau/Art Deco.



In the last seven years, a lot of restoration of the colonial-era buildings has taken place in Habana Vieja (old Havana), which is a UN-designated World Heritage site. One is struck by the lyrical beauty of the wonderful restorations, side by side with the haunting crumbling masterpieces, that are home to many people carrying on their everyday lives.

The “official” post-revolutionary architecture is a combination of Soviet bloc non-descript concrete and really interesting modern design. Cuba’s art schools were lavished with architectural care, but deteriorated during the Special Period in the ‘90s. We saw an example of this when we visited Institute Superior de Arte (ISA), an art academy that has been rescued from the tropical climate and jungle encroachment.

Wheels Down Havana

We're here. Our flight arrived on time at the Havana airport to beautiful weather. Low 80s and blue, sunny skies. We scooted through customs after a moderate amount of questioning and jumped in a taxi to make our way to the hotel.

The landscape immediately surrounding the airport is rural and open. But we soon found the population growing more dense and the buildings growing taller. The next thing we know, we're in the heart of Havana passing monuments to the revolution and the Capitol. A few minutes later, we arrived at our hotel, located in the Habana Viejas (Old Havana). This is a very interesting neighborhood -- a unique mix of circa 1500s and modern architecture, residential and commercial, wealth and poverty...


(Keep reading on the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's community blog page. You know you want to.)

POSTED BY JEFFREY Read All Posts by Jeffrey

Gas Gloves, Queen Street and Dim Sum

The drive to Toronto was great. As we got on 279 North toward Erie, all three of us basically said in unison, "Wow. What a day for a road trip." The sun was shining brilliantly and the road was almost ours alone.

Conversation centered around to-do items on the Cuba check-list (museums and art, the Hemingway House, a trip to the beach to name a few), a discussion of the popular attraction to outlet mall shopping, and observances of nature as we passed through the western Pennsylvania and New York countryside...


(Keep reading on the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's community blog page. You know you want to.)

POSTED BY JEFFREY Read All Posts by Jeffrey

Viajes Artisticos. Or, I Wish I Was Going to Cuba

I’m not going to lie. I’m a little jealous. Next week, three lucky staff members are joining co-directors Barbara Luderowski and Michael Olijnyk for a week-long trip to Cuba. The occasion is the opening of Queloides/Keloids: Race and Racism in Cuban Contemporary Art at the Wifredo Lam Center for Contemporary Art in Havana. After the Havana run of the exhibition ends on May 31, several artists will travel to Pittsburgh to work in-residence and create new work for a Mattress Factory-produced Queloides/Keloids exhibition.

Traveling to Cuba is no easy task. As people are fond of saying in their best New England accent, “you can’t get there from here.” Due to the most enduring trade embargo in modern history, U.S. residents are prohibited from traveling to our island neighbor despite the 90 miles that separates Key West from the northern tip of Cuba. The Mattress Factory had to secure a special license from the U.S. Department of the Treasury to enable the group to travel.

The third floor (home of Media/PR) has been a flurry of activity. Jeff, a member of the traveling delegation, will be blogging about the trip for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, so a quick visit with Sharon Eberson, paper’s online features editor, took place to iron out a few logistic details. Press releases are being written. A few extra meetings scheduled. Redundant systems are being established in anticipation of spotty internet access in Cuba. This morning I brought a bag of dark chocolate to the office to calm nerves.

One of my tasks earlier this week was to “get a quote from Michael.” Although I see Michael frequently, we have never had the occasion to talk about anything more serious than the weather. Now I was putting him on the spot. I was a little apprehensive. And the look on Michael’s face was one of discomfort. But this is what came pouring out of his mouth:

“Even though governments make it difficult for people to travel, you can’t stop ideas and the arts from crossing borders. Art is an international language that has to – and can – cross borders, start dialogues, and hopefully make people realize that we’re all similar.”

Wow. While this trip is an opportunity for staff members to begin preparations for the October show by meeting with artists and visiting their studios, it is also part of a long history of cultural diplomacy in which prominent arts institutions have engaged for years.

In 1979 the Boston Symphony Orchestra performed in China at the end of the Cultural Revolution. In 1986, the National Gallery of Art and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art hosted a rare exchange of 41 impressionist paintings from the Soviet Union. Thirty-four paintings – including masterpieces by Matisse, Picasso, and Renoir – had never been shown in the United States.

In 2008, the New York Philharmonic traveled to North Korea for the first ever performance by an American orchestra in that country. Zarin Mehta, the Philharmonic’s president and executive director described “the power of music to unite people.”

In 2004 the Mattress Factory presented its first exhibition of Cuban artists but was forced to coordinate the entire installation electronically over the internet. (Ask Owen about this some time.) The artists were not given permission to travel for their residencies.

The guest curator for this show, Alejandro de la Fuente, Research Professor of History and Latin American Studies at the University of Pittsburgh, is trying again with Queloides/Keloids. If times do change, expect to welcome some of Cuba’s most renowned contemporary artists to Pittsburgh in October.

Lesley Williamson is a guest blogger. While completing a Master of Arts Management degree at Carnegie Mellon University, she is interning in the Mattress Factory's marketing department and will be posting here regularly through May. Lesley and her husband David Coester, a classical guitarist, make their home in Dunkirk, NY where they occasionally share custody of two small brown geriatric border terrier dogs. (It's a long story.)

Why I like Wednesday Staff Meetings

Lesley Williamson is a guest blogger. While completing a Master of Arts Management degree at Carnegie Mellon University, she is interning in the Mattress Factory's marketing department and will be posting here regularly through May. Lesley and her husband David Coester, a classical guitarist, make their home in Dunkirk, NY where they occasionally share custody of two small brown geriatric border terrier dogs. (It's a long story.)

Most people don’t normally look forward to staff meetings. But I have secretly enjoyed them at the Mattress Factory. You can learn a lot about an organization’s culture while sitting around the boardroom table.

There are two main reasons why I like these meetings. First, we’re always well fed. (Very important!) Pastries and fruit and frequent birthday cakes come spilling out of the galley kitchen around the corner. Mimosas made an appearance a while back. I can’t remember the occasion. I’m sure there was one.

Second, and not surprisingly, Mattress Factory staff meetings reflect the habit of creativity and collaboration that defines the museum. Of course there are the perfunctory updates on installations, future exhibitions, and numbers of tours and workshops offered.

But it’s also apparent that everyone is thinking about art all the time. A few weeks ago Lindsay presented a bold, brilliant marketing idea concerning a future installation that would involve painting the entire roof. (Everyone volunteered.) This morning Nathan announced that his original orchestral composition was having its premiere in Oakland later in the week. He had tickets for sale.

This morning's meeting also included a lively discussion about Brian Griffiths’ The Body and Ground (or Your Lovely Smile), a giant, orange, tent-like tethered bear head that fills the entire first room of the gallery at 1414 Monterey Street where Nothing is impossible opened last Friday. There have already been tours in the gallery, and there seemed to be a lack of clarity about how the piece should be interpreted by the guide.

Under-caffeinated, Liz, Education Programs Coordinator, said that she struggled to get a straight answer out of Brian before the end of his two-month residency. He said one thing. The curator Georgina Jackson said something else. The tour guide seemed suspicious and wasn’t warming up to the piece.

Comments and questions came rapid-fire. “I heard someone at the opening say it looked like a giant gas mask.” “Did Brian explain why the bear was tethered?” “My three year-old is convinced it’s a mouse.” “Why a bear and not some other animal?” “Is that really tent material?” “I thought there was something subterranean about it, with that decapitated head above ground.”

What I most loved about this conversation was how candid and honest it was. There was an implicit understanding that it was perfectly ok to have questions. That it was ok not to “get it.” Cross another silly stereotype off my list: people who work at art museums don’t always understand the art. Fancy that! It’s perfectly alright to be confused. I’m sure you can relate.

But Anna, Director of Education, raised a great question: whose explanation of the piece does the museum use – the artist’s or the curator’s? Sharing and interpreting works of art is one of the fundamental missions of any art museum. If there is no clarity around this point, the museum risks misrepresenting the work and misinforming the public. In the end, the answer was “both”.

Did you come to the opening? What do you think about The Body and Ground (or Your Lovely Smile)? Let us know your thoughts in the comment box below.

What Did You Do Last Saturday? -- A Factory 500 Recap

This past Saturday evening, the Mattress Factory’s Factory 500 members toured Millvale and Sharpsburg. These events, specially planned for our Factory 500 and Patron level members, are amazing behind-the-scenes glimpses into the lives of creative thinkers and doers in our Pittsburgh community.

The evening began at St. Nicholas Church in Millvale. The church is home of Maxo Vanka’s famous murals (and the most amazing tour guide, Mary Petrich). After St. Nicholas we headed over to Red Star Ironworks, a blacksmithing studio chock-full of incredible custom fabricated metal designs of all shapes and sizes (including Pete Lambert’s new motorcycles!). Our next stop during our snowy stroll was Mr. Smalls Funhouse. Mr. Smalls is, well, hard to describe. It’s part concert venue, part loft apartments, part recording studio, part skate park and a million things in between. Mike Speranzo, owner of Mr. Smalls, gave us a chance to see where all the rock stars hang out before, during and after the show.



Next stop, Sharpsburg. We were treated to a peek at how Zoe Collins, purveyor of Threadneedle Street boutique, works when she stitches together wonderful clothing like she did for the Mattress Factory's Urban Garden Party fashion show two years ago. Factory 500 members wrapped up the night at James and Wendy Osher’s studio. He showed us lots of beautiful large-scale photography prints like this and this. (Psst! Wendy Osher has a piece you should check out over at the Carnegie Museum’s Heinz Architectural Center.)



I’d like to thank everyone who braved the cold and inclement weather to make it out on Saturday. It was another unforgettable event. The next Factory 500 event in July won’t be as snowy. Pinkie-swear.

If you’re interested in becoming a member at the Factory 500 level (or any level), feel free to contact me via email at lindsay[at]mattress[dot]org or calling the museum at 412.231.3169 (and, yes, we can break down membership dues into monthly payments).

P.S. Check out more photos from the evening over at the Mattress Factory's Factory 500 Flickr page.

POSTED BY LINDSAY Read All Posts by Lindsay

Is This Art? -- The Backstory

You may have heard through the grapevine of the interwebs yesterday that we released an iPhone application called "Is This Art?". Within minutes of going public on Twitter, and with the help of some awesome people like MoMA, the Walker Art Center, the Warhol, David Carr and Paddy Johnson among a tidal wave of others, it was easy to tell that people were excited about it. For the general scoop, check out this piece by WNYC Culture or this post by our collaborator on this project, C-Monster.

But what I'd like to do here, is discuss in deeper detail the why behind this project. As a museum of contemporary installation art with an artist residency program that exhibits mostly new site-specific works, the Mattress Factory has earned a reputation for pushing artistic boundaries by allowing the artists we work with to explore complete artistic freedom during their time here at the museum. Our goal as an organization is to make the artists' vision a reality. Period.

And with that comes artwork that provokes thought and poses questions. Damien Hirst grew flies in our gallery for several months. Yumi Kori flooded our basement with water. Sarah Oppenheimer cut a large hole through our 4th floor gallery floor. If I had a nickel for every time I've heard someone say, "This is art? My kid could do that," I'd be a rich guy. But if I also had a nickel for every time someone has said that our James Turrell pieces have influenced the way they perceive the world or how Greer Lankton's It's all about ME, Not You has brought them to tears, I'd also have some pretty heavy pockets. And back in November an exchange on Twitter with Nina Simon got us thinking about how we, as a small art space in Pittsburgh, could start a wider dialog about the concept of art itself.

So shortly after Nina's tweet, I started chatting with Carolina Miranda (a.k.a. C-Monster) about the idea of an "Is This Art?" iPhone app. We knew if this project was going to be effective it would have to be funny, and Carolina is one of the wittiest, most on-point art & culture bloggers out there. When she agreed to write the art crit for the app, we knew we were onto something. All that was left was to develop the app, but again, as a small art space in Pittsburgh, we have no software developers on staff.

Enter Deeplocal. I can't say enough about these guys and gals. We've worked with them in the past on some things and our organizations have a similar worldview about art & technology. I truly believe Deeplocal is a special kind of company. They just make things happen. From my initial text message to David Evans pitching the project they were 100% up for it. The rest is history. We hope you enjoy the app and the website, but more than that, we hope this project gets people talking about art -- what art is, what art can be, how art influences people and why art is important. As always, if you have questions or comments, feel free to hit up the comments below or track me down on Twitter.

POSTED BY JEFFREY Read All Posts by Jeffrey

Eclectic Method to Throw Down at the 2010 Urban Garden Party

It's been extremely hard keeping quiet about this the past few days, but the time has come and I'm really excited to share this tidbit of information with you. As you know, each year in June the Mattress Factory hosts our biggest and most important annual fundraiser, the Urban Garden Party. Every year becomes bigger and more over-the-top than the previous party, and 2010 is no different. This year marks the first time we've booked a headlining musical performer. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Eclectic Method.



Featuring London natives Jonny Wilson, Ian Edgar and Geoff Gamlen, Eclectic Method helped pioneer the emerging art of audio-visual mixing since first cutting U2’s Mysterious Ways music video with the Beastie Boys’ Intergalactic as an experiment back in 2002. The trio’s audio-visual mash-ups feature television, film, music and video game footage sliced and diced into blistering, post-modern dance floor events. It’s a cyclone of music and images mashed together in a world where Kill Bill fight scenes and Dave Chappelle’s Rick James rants are ingeniously cut and looped over bootleg samples, DVD scratches and pumped-up dance anthems. The trio was also recently featured in the documentary, Copyright Criminals.

SUMMER IN THE CITY: The 2010 Urban Garden Party will take place on Friday, June 18th. We're extremely fortunate to have an amazing Event Chair this year in Christine Astorino, a Mattress Factory Board Member and Founder & CEO of fathom.

Tickets to the Urban Garden Party are now on sale! Through March 1, you can get two tickets for only $140 (a savings of $40). And the best part? 100% of your ticket purchase goes back into the artistic programming here at the museum to help us continue to push artistic boundaries and produce cutting-edge exhibitions. Thanks in advance for your continued support.

POSTED BY JEFFREY Read All Posts by Jeffrey

Weather Closings

Due to inclement weather, and the declaration of an emergency by Allegheny County, the Mattress Factory will be CLOSED on Tuesday, February 9, 2010 and Wednesday, February 10, 2010.

Please check back here or follow our Twitter stream for the latest museum closing news.


Mattress Factory staff dig out after the storm.


The Winifred Lutz Garden under two feet of snow.

POSTED BY JEFFREY Read All Posts by Jeffrey

It's All About YOU! Thanks.

Happy New Year everyone! It looks as though I have the pleasure of posting the first update on the MF blog for 2010. I'll keep it short and sweet, but all of us here at the museum wanted to extend a heartfelt thanks to all the individuals who donated to the 2009 Annual Fund, It's All About YOU, making it our most successful end-of-year campaign to date. Support from our friends and community makes everything we do possible, so we took some time yesterday to create the video below.

POSTED BY LINDSAY Read All Posts by Lindsay