Volunteering You Can Get Into: Meet Our Volunteers!

Meet Karen Forney! She's one of our longtime volunteers who is involved with the MF community in many ways - as an educator, former intern, and part-time event staff. And, she still makes time to volunteer. Read on to learn more about her long relationship with the museum.

How long have you been a volunteer? 

Since 2007, when I graduated from college.

What do you do when you're not volunteering? 

Gosh! I work part time at an online educational institution, and also as a Museum Educator here at the Mattress Factory. I perform regularly as a comedy improviser.

Favorite Artists? 

Rodin and Michelangelo. At the MF, I love James Turrell, Mark Garry, David Ellis. I love Rolf Julius' sound pieces.

What do you wish people knew about the MF, but maybe don't? 

I think when people think of museums, they think of rules and etiquette and behavior that goes along with being in a fancy place. But at the Mattress Factory, it's open-ended, self-directed in some ways, and relaxing, at least for me. I don't have to worry about a docent telling me I'm too close to the artwork - because I'm part of it. That's what makes the MF so different from other art museums.

So, you also work part-time for us and have other commitments, yet, you volunteer. Why do it still? What does it mean to you, and how has that changed over the years?

When I first started volunteering, it was right after college. I was burnt out from art and didn't know what I wanted to do with my life, but I knew deep down that I needed to stay connected to art. Volunteering was my only social outlet for the first few years after college that I did on my own - it was Karen Time. The staff were so nice and laid back that I always felt happy being here; I have always been grateful for that. I also feel like I learned how to be OK meeting new people. Because of my enthusiasm, the MF gave me the opportunity to take on more roles and make me a part of their community. It's my museum family, so even though I work more, I can't give up on volunteering!!

Volunteers at the Mattress Factory provide support to the museum at every level. Our programs, exhibitions and events would not have the reach and impact they do without the help of our faithful volunteers. For more information about the MF Volunteer Program or to apply for a position, please visit our Volunteers page.

ARTLab: Board the Solar Express!

ARTLab: A Sun-Filled Afternoon

To start the month off right, ARTLab introduced MF visitors to part 1 of 4 of the Photovoltaic Solar Energy and Art Series (PV-SEAS). ARTLab head educator, Derek Reese, and Indigo Raffel (visiting from Conservation Consultant Inc.), teamed up to combine art and sustainability by providing us with an afternoon of solar energy education, interactive games, and a giant mural inspired by the sun. Participants learned about the importance of renewable energy and just how practical and easy it can be to take small, yet impactful steps in lowering our carbon imprint.


Join ARTLab on March 15th for the second installment of PV-SEAS as we venture outside of the museum on our first field trip! A bus will be provided to transport participants from the museum to the CCI Center where we will meet Indigo Raffel again to learn more about green buildings, resource conversation, and the environmental health damage caused by traditional power plants.

Participants will be able to help invest in the future through energy efficiency and renewable resources as well as have the chance to visit all Mattress Factory exhibits before and after ARTLab, including Design 99's installation, Following the Sun 2, which uses photovoltaic panels and wind turbines to create an open environment for reflection and contemplation of visitors' surroundings through contemporary art and architectural practice.

Design 99's wind turbines on the roof of the Mattress Factory

Be sure to pre-order a ticket for this exciting journey by e-mailing Felice, the Director of Education, at felice[at]mattress.org or call 412.231.3169. Busses will leave the Mattress Factory at 1:00pm and return by 4:00pm (children need to be accompanied by adults). Please arrive on time and be prepared to learn more about sustainability! Tickets will be $15 for adults, $10 for members, students and seniors. Hope to see you there!

Two Nights with Artist Jessica Frelinghuysen

Mark your calendars for this month, Detroit artist, Jessica Frelinghuysen, will be joining the Mattress Factory for two events that explore the use of language and community through story collecting, literary readings, and music!

Two of Frelinghuysen's pieces are currently featured in the Detroit: Artists in Residence exhibition. "My City is Your City" and "Sound-Collecting Suit and Backpack" are on-going investigations that document audio from four years of living in Hamtramck, MI, located two miles north of Detroit. Frelinghuysen's sound-collecting suit allows her to acclimate to the sounds and voices of a foreign city and collect shared experiences of those who live there.

Join us on March 14th for the "Let Me Tell You" Pub Crawl ($5, but you must RSVP[at]matterss.org because space is limited) starting at 8pm at the Mattress Factory. You are invited to join Frelinghuysen and writer, Steve Hughes, and then explore the North Side, collecting new stories and conversations by drawing and writing on your bar napkins as you go. These napkins will then come part of a one-night-only collaborative installation that will be installed in the Mattress Factory lobby during the Good Tyme Writer's Buffet the following evening.

Jessica Frelinghuysen, My City is Your City, 2013

If you aren't able to go out for drinks on Friday, then come in for delicious food on Saturday! On March 15th, the Mattress Factory will be hosting Good Tyme Writer's Buffet a neighborhood potluck where six writers (Sherrie Flick, Steve Hughes, Joy Katz, Lori Jakiela, Daniel McCloskey, and Dave Newman) will read their works on neighborhoods and community while visitors celebrate with music, food, and good company. If you haven't seen Frelinghuysen's work, come at 6:30pm to check it out. The potluck will be at 7pm and the readings at 7:30pm. Admission is $10 ($5 for MF members) or FREE for those who wish to bring a dish to share.

To reserve a spot for either, or both, of these wonderful events, please respond to RSVP[at]matterss.org or call 412.231.3169.

Jessica Frelinghuysen, Sound-Collecting Suit, 2013

For more information about Jessica's work, check out her awesome review in February's ArtForum!

Screenings: An Installation of Spontaneous Film Sketches

Today (Friday, February 28, 2014) is the opening of the Mattress Factory's second edition of Screenings, an installation of spontaneous film sketches inspired by the Mattress Factory's Gestures series. This exhibition will run for 12 weeks, allotting three weeks per artist. Each artist is presented with the opportunity to create a new video work specifically for exhibition on the Mattress Factory's large projector screen in the first floor lobby of the museum. I had the chance to speak with Owen Smith, the Exhibitions Manager and organizer behind the Screenings series, to get some insight into the makings of the series.

Caitlin Harpster: What is the Screenings Series exactly? Could you provide some background information for how the series first came to be?

Owen Smith: Our first go at this series was last year around this same time (March 1 - May 23, 2013). It began as this idea to be able to better utilize the large projector screen we have in the lobby of the museum. I took inspiration from our Gestures series (which dates back to 2001) and thought it would be interesting to ask artists who may not typically work in this type of medium, to experiment and create a "film sketch" to screen in our lobby.

CH: This is your second Screenings Series. What made you want to do this again?

OS: We received very good feedback from the first series and I started thinking about the next. We have this great big projector screen and it's a great platform for artists to be able to experiment and take risks and create something that they normally would not create. It is also a fairly quick exhibition. It is only 12 weeks long, so it's sort of nice to have programming that rotates more quickly. The viewer can come back the very next week and be surprised to see something completely different than the week before.

CH: There were more artists in the last series. Was there a reason why you limited the number of artists from six to four?

OS: Last time there were six artists and the screenings ran for 12 weeks. That left only two weeks for each artist's work to be on view. Two weeks seemed too short. I wanted to expand the screening time of each film without expanding the exhibition time. Three weeks seems like a better balance.

CH: What about the artists?

OS: The artists I choose last year were from all different backgrounds in the arts such as documentary film, live interactive media, photography, etc. Three out of the four artists I choose this year specialize in some sort of film, whether it be experimental documentary like George Cessna, performative video like Di-ay Battad, or computer animation like Nate Lorenzo. I choose Delanie Jenkins specifically because her practice does not involve film or video. She is a sculptor. I am very interested to see what a physical sculptor will do in this situation.

CH: George Cessna is opening the series tomorrow. Can you tell us anything about what to expect?

OS: George's video is called I'm Not A Very Good Cowboy. It is a short quasi-documentary in the sense that it is about himself as a real subject, but it is also a performance by him. It is a silent video with subtitles, about four minutes long. He is struggling with this country-western persona that he has created for himself. I think a lot of people will relate to his search for a genuine connection to a thing he loves.

George Cessna, I'm Not A Very Good Cowboy, 2014, 4 minutes, silent video with subtitles

For more information on last year's Screenings, you can check out our posts HERE.

Volunteering You Can Get Into: Meet Our Volunteers!

Hi everyone! It's Maria, your friendly neighborhood Visitor Services Coordinator. You've probably met me if you have visited the Mattress Factory lately -- I'm usually at the admissions desk collecting admissions and welcoming visitors to the museum. You may also know, if you've read my past posts, that I also manage the Mattress Factory's Volunteer Program -- and I'm posting today to introduce a new feature about just that!

The Mattress Factory's volunteers are a team of amazing, dedicated individuals. They provide support at every level of the museum, from administrative help to gallery attending. Our programs, exhibitions and events just would not have the reach and the impact they do without help from our faithful volunteers.

One of my favorite aspects about working at the MF is managing the Volunteer Program and working with all of the generous and interesting people who make up our volunteer pool. We're going to start featuring some of these volunteers regularly on the blog so you can get to know them, and a little more about what it's like to donate your time volunteering at the Mattress Factory. If you're interested in joining any of these fantastic folks, or would like to talk more about volunteering, e-mail volunteer[at]mattress.org to chat with me (Maria) about our Volunteer Program.


So, without any further ado, allow me to introduce our first volunteer to be featured on the MF's blog: Karlee Turkaly.

How long have you been a volunteer at the MF?
I have been volunteering for the Mattress Factory for one year now.

What do you like to do when you are not volunteering?
Aside from working full-time and going to school, I typically go out to eat here and there, check out what's going on in town, browse around goodwill, and exercise.

Who are your favorite artists, MF or otherwise?
James Turrell always hits a note with me. I am also a big fan of Robert Mapplethorpe, Jean Michel Basquiat, Roy Lichtenstein, and Baldaccini, just to name a few!

What made you decide to become a volunteer for the Mattress Factory?
Schedule flexibility is what won me over to volunteer with the MF. My schedule is very unpredictable so I can't commit to every Saturday, for example. The Volunteer Program at the MF is very understanding and adaptable in scheduling around issues and I really admire that. I feel respected and cared for with that kind of flexibility.

Helping out as a volunteer gives you an insider's perspective that the typical visitor does not get. What is something you wish people knew about the Mattress Factory, but probably don't?
That's a really good question. I would probably wish people knew the organizations and management that goes into events held at the museum. There are insane amounts of details to consider, people and vendors to contact, venue layout, keeping in mind of the people who live nearby, etc. And to get volunteers on board is probably a whole other story!

ARTLab: SERIES!

As usual, the Mattress Factory’s first Saturday of the month was a huge success with ARTLab! This week’s installment was “Puppet Party,” where educator, Derek Reese, and MF visitors explored the many intricacies of puppet making through a wide range of styles and sophisticated designs. While some devoted their time to elaborate sock and shadow puppets, others focused on creating marionettes. Two participants in particular collaborated together to create an almost life-sized marionette of a mermaid, complete with sequined scales. This imaginative creature was then paraded throughout the museum in full performance.

 

Be sure to join us next time on March 1^st as part one of four Photovoltaic Solar Energy and Art Series (PV-SEAS) installments. Educator, Indigo Raffel, will be joining us from the Conservation Consultants Inc. to increase awareness of solar energy and its benefits on our environment. Hands on solar games, educational projections, and a mural inspired by Design 99’s Following the Sun 2, will make up the three stations available for the next ARTLab.

ARTLab is a great opportunity for people of all ages to come together and create art through laboratory style activities that promote and encourage visitors to use different materials and discover the benefit of problem solving with their hands. We hope to see you every first and third Saturday of the month to investigate new and exciting methods of art making!

PV-SEAS ARTLabs:

• March 1st, 1-4pm, Mattress Factory Lobby - ARTLab: A Sun-Filled Afternoon
• March 15th, 1-4pm, Conservation Consultants Inc. Center - ARTLab: Board the Solar Express 
• This ARTLab will be held off-site at the Conservation Consultants Inc. Center at 64 S. 14th St. Pittsburgh, 15203. A bus will transport ARTLab participants from the Mattress Factory to the CCI promptly at 1pm. Reservations are required. E-mail felice[at]mattress.org to reserve your spot.
• April 5th, 1-4pm, Mattress Factory Lobby - ARTLab: Solar Panel Jamboree
• May 3rd, 1-4pm, Mattress Factory Lobby - ARTLab: Searching for the Sun

From the Archives: John Cage, "changing installation," 1991

As an MLIS (Master of Library & Information Science) graduate student interning in the Mattress Factory Archives, I have a unique opportunity to work with records, documents, and photographs, which tell the story of the museum and the artworks created over the museum’s 35-year history. There are many amazing relics in the MF archives and I help preserve and provide access to this material for students, researchers, and artists. One of my favorite collections is a group of images of John Cage’s 1991 changing installation, an artwork exhibited as part of the 1991 Carnegie International. While cataloging, digitizing, and organizing these photos, I noticed an unexpected surprise that exemplifies the serendipitous magic that so often happens with artists working at the Mattress Factory.

Day 73 of changing installation

One of the poems included within the installation
instructions for changing installation

Most well known for his musical compositions, John Cage (1912-1992) also expressed himself as a poet, artist, and writer. In changing installation, 1991, Cage combines the use of two-dimensional works with poetry, all while maintaining an exploration of concepts surrounding randomness. The concepts of randomness and chance are frequently woven into Cage’s musical compositions, such as Music of Changes (1951) and the 85-part series, Music for Piano (1952-1962). For more about John Cage’s work, check out the John Cage Trust.

Based on the concept of “controlled randomness,” changing installation consists of two-dimensional works by artists Dove Bradshaw, Mary Jean Kenton, John Cage and Marsha Skinner, along with six chairs that rotate around the exhibition space in an order determined by a computer algorithm.[1] The six chairs are: one Bertoia Side Chair, one 1940s aluminum lawn chair, one Arne Jacobson Egg Chair, one chair made from sticks, one Empire chair, and one steel chair made by a steelworker. John Cage hoped to present randomness (in this case, the computer generated numbers), in a controlled and orderly way (through the use of clear and precise installation instructions). The installation was on view for 102 days and each day the chairs and artworks were rearranged based on placements outlined by the computer algorithm. Museum Co-Director Michael Olijnyk photographed the installation each day from a vantage point identified by the computer algorithm.

Wall Label for changing installation, 1991. Each artist provided 12 works to be used within the installation. The works each have an assigned number and a combination of 15 works was shown every day.

The entire fourth floor of 500 Sampsonia Way was divided into distinct locations for changing installation. Cage gave each corner of the gallery a unique number ranging from 1-64. 

Based on the computer algorithm, John Cage’s script lists the works to be displayed each day, their location, their display angle, and the placement of the camera. Here, this script page indicates the works to be shown and their location within the gallery for the first twenty days. For example, on day 1, work 5 is shown in position 30.   

Each morning Museum Co-Director Michael Olijinyk took “down the works from the previous day, put in place the new arrangement of chairs and artwork” and “photograph[ed] the space.” During this process, his pet cat, Godzik, would follow him around the gallery. In some photographs, Godzik placed himself directly in the center of the installation (and image), and in others, he appears as a blur or a reflection. Rather than retaking the day’s image, Michael Olijinyk noted that the cat’s appearance was “in complete accord with Cage’s concept of incorporating random sounds and occurrences into his work.”[2] All in all, Godzik can be seen in 17 photographs and is a surprising addition to an exhibition already based heavily on randomness.

Check out the images below—can you find Godzik in each one? (Click the image to enlarge)

Day 14 of changing installation

Day 25 of changing installation

Day 26 of changing installation

Day 30 of changing installation

Day 31 of changing installation

Day 58 of changing installation

Day 95 of changing installation

           

As you can see, through my internship at the Mattress Factory Archives, I have the chance to work with some fantastic collections and amazing artwork. The museum is made up of a multitude of moving parts, and as I continue to explore its history, I’ll gather more interesting stories to share!

Bibliography:

Bernstein, David W., and Christopher Hatch (eds.). Writings Though John

Cage’s Music, Poetry, & Art. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000.  

Mattress Factory. “John Cage.”

http://mattressfactory.org/index.cfm?event=ShowArtist&eid=21&id=248&c=

Mattress Factory Education Department. “Mattress Factory’s Permanent

Collection Curriculum Guide.” Last Modified 2009.

http://www.mattress.org/documents/2009_CurriculumGuide_Web.pdf

Olijnyk, Michael, Barbara Luderowski, and Claudia Giannini. Installations:

Mattress Factory, 1990-1999. Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press, 2001.

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[1] David W. Bernstein and Christopher Hatch (eds.), Writings Though John Cage’s Music, Poetry, & Art (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000): 5.  

[2] Mattress Factory Education Department, “Mattress Factory’s Permanent Collection Curriculum Guide,” last modified 2009, http://www.mattress.org/documents/2009_curriculumguide_web.pdf.