Factory 500 Member Tour: Historic Allegheny West

Just in time to welcome spring, the Factory 500 members and their guests gathered to take a tour this past weekend in historic Allegheny West. Each location was completely new and different, offering a look at some buildings and people with interesting histories.

The members get a tour at Calvary United Methodist Church.

The first stop was Calvary United Methodist Church at the corner of Allegheny and Beech. Construction was started on the Church in 1893, and it features three Louis Comfort Tiffany stained glass windows. Reverend Larry discussed with the group the painstaking effort that went into fund raising for and restoring the Church, and also gave the group a tour through the church’s interior, describing some of the unique architectural details and history.

The group looks at renovation plans for the Hipwell building, bought by Elaine and Mitchell.

The second stop was Elaine Stone and Mitchell Schwartz’s old Hipwell building, located on West North Avenue. The old flashlight factory is full of history and lots of spare flashlight parts. George C. Parks, who was the President of the Hipwell flashlight company, gave a talk and Elaine and Mitchell served hot and cold drinks alongside their Airstream. Mitchell led the group through the building and described some of the renovation plans, including living space, work space and apartments.

Photographer Annie O'Neill snaps some photos of the group at her studio.

The third and final stop was photographer Annie O’Neill’s studio on West North Avenue. The members enjoyed wine and refreshments and Annie spoke about some of her photography and the history of her studio building. The group was able to see a preview of some of her work for her next show on March 25th, and even got to participate in a photo shoot of their very own. Annie was kind enough to make the group a great slide show from the evening that you can view! Click here to see the photos.

Thank you to those who made the evening so wonderful. And as always, we are so grateful our Factory 500 members could come out and spend the night with us. If you want to see more of the photos from the evening, you can check out our Flickr. If you like what you see and want to be part of the Factory 500 membership level, you can visit our online shop to purchase a membership or call Abby at 412-231-3169. See you next time!

GESTURES 15 OPENS FRIDAY, MARCH 25, 2011

On March 25, 2011, the fifteenth installment of the Mattress Factory’s Gestures: An Exhibition of Small Site-Specific Works series will open with a reception from 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM at our annex gallery located at 1414 Monterey Street. Guest-curated by Katherine Talcott, Gestures 15 includes new work from Sue Abramson, Chris Craychee, Jerstin Crosby, Will Giannotti, Deborah Hosking, HOT SPOTS: What Comes After Oil? (artist collaborators Ann T. Rosenthal, Wendy Osher, Elizabeth Monoian, and Karin Bergdolt), Stephanie Mayer-Staley, Ingrid Nagin, and Garry Pyles.

“Gestures 15 is about process and collaboration: how the curator chooses artists and the process of the artist to create and respond to visual cues or concepts,” says Talcott. “My process as curator is to identify the inner workings and conceptual subtleties of aesthetic practices, see the potential, and offer experimental opportunities to Pittsburgh’s creative community.”

Stephanie Armbruster, Word Salad, 2009, Gestures 13

We started the Gestures series back in 2001 to showcase the diverse talents and practices of Pittsburgh artists. Gestures openings are always a blast. Visitors get the chance to talk with the artists and MF staff over delicious food and drink and incredible artwork. Plus, the turnout numbers in the hundreds, making for an amazing party!

Atticus Adams, castles in the air, 2009, Gestures 12 opening

“This is where you come in. We are consistently blown away by the support of our online community, and with the opening fast approaching, we could use your help getting the word out to people. I’ve embedded an electronic flyer below. Feel free to share the Gestures 15 poster on your blog or other social networking site, or email the flyer to your art-loving friends. As always, thank you so much for the online support, and I hope to see you on the 25th!

Poster design by Paul Schifino

IN MEMORIAM: ROLF JULIUS, 1939 - 2011

Our friend Rolf Julius, a sound and installation artist, passed away on January 21, 2011, at his home in Berlin. Julius (his friends always used his surname) was a very lovely man with many fans around the world. We all mourn the loss of his talent, dedication, and friendship.

Rolf Julius, 1939 - 2011

Julius exhibited at the Mattress Factory on more separate occasions than any other artist, first in 1988 and then again in 1991, 1996, 1998, and 2001. The final time was to participate in the exhibition Visual Sound, which he co-curated. Visitors will be familiar with his three works on permanent display in our galleries: Red, Ash, and Music for the Garden. We would like to invite you to watch a small excerpt from Julius' original untitled 1988 performance at the Mattress Factory, recently uncovered and digitized. Perhaps the best way to describe his work is to witness his methods:

Performance, Rolf Julius, 1988

Also, video documentation of his 2001 installation can be seen here:

why pink, why yellow, Rolf Julius, 2001

Rolf Julius, in the Garden Installation

-Owen Smith, Exhibitions Manager

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.

DR. ROBERT FARRIS THOMPSON ON AFRO-ATLANTIC ART

Robert Farris Thompson is America’s most prominent scholar of African art and its influence on American and Caribbean art and music. In the preface to Thompson’s forthcoming book, Aesthetic of the Cool: Afro-Atlantic Art and Music, publisher Gloria Kury calls him a living legend, and based on what I’ve read, I’d say that description is right on target.

Dr. Robert Farris Thompson

He has published eight books on topics ranging from the art history of the Yoruba people of southwestern Nigeria (Black Gods and Kings, 1971) to the cultural history of the tango (Tango: The Art History of Love, 2005). The Master of Timothy Dwight College at Yale, Thompson also authored an introduction to the diaries of Keith Haring and studies the art of Jose Bedia and Guillermo Kuitca. He has been anthologized fifteen times and was given the 2007 “Outstanding Contribution to Dance Research” award by the Congress of Research in Dance.

Long story short, this guy is brilliant.

Which is why we are thrilled to announce that Thompson will be visiting the MF this February for a tour of Queloides and a discussion! Dr. Thompson will present The Edge of the Road is Listening: The Art and Origin of an Afro-Cuban God. He will also be speaking about his almost-at-the-printers book, Aesthetic of the Cool, which collects the best of the essays on Afro-Atlantic art and music that he wrote from 1963 to 2006.

The evening is sure to be incredible; Gloria Kury recalls waiting outside one of Thompson’s classes at Yale and being bombarded by the sounds of music punctuated by thunderous applause. Not to mention my recent Internet search that yielded images of Thompson dancing the tango during several different lectures!

Talk: Dr. Robert Farris Thompson
Thursday, February 3, 2011
6:00PM – Tour of Queloides
7:00PM – Discussion
Mattress Factory, 500 Sampsonia Way, Pittsburgh, PA 15212
The cost is $10, and as always, MF Members and Pitt and CMU students are free!

URBAN GARDEN PARTY: FRIDAY, JUNE 17, 2011

2011 URBAN GARDEN PARTY: FROM HOLLYWOOD TO PARADISE
Friday, June 17, 2011
7:00 PM (VIP Pre-Party at 6:00 PM)
TICKETS ARE SOLD OUT! (as of 6/17/11 12pm)


Heading to the party? Here are some parking tips.

Headlining Music Performers:
AndrewAndrew, the iPad DJs from NYC
Dr. Zoot, neo-swing band

Save the date for the Mattress Factory Urban Garden Party: From Hollywood to Paradise -- chaired by Michael White and Rick LeBeau -- Friday, June 17th, 2011! The Urban Garden Party is the event of the summer you don't want to miss. Last year, the event sold out and more than 1,000 attendees turned out to help support the museum's mission and celebrate this unique Pittsburgh institution.

"...the Mattress Factory's Urban Garden Party is the type of gig that, if missed, will result in an eyebrow raised ever so slightly in an oh-so-you-weren't-there? sympathetic sort of condolence."
- Kate Guerriero, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, June 20, 2010

Still not convinced you should come? Check out these photos from last year's party!

GET INVOLVED!

Interested in sponsoring this event? Contact Emily at emily [at] mattress [dot] org

Interested in donating food or drink? Contact Gina at events [at] mattress [dot] org

Interested in volunteering for the evening? Contact Kelsey and Maria at volunteer [at] mattress [dot] org

2011 SPONSORS

Allegheny General Hospital

AT&T

Avaya, Inc.

CGI Technologies and Solutions Inc

Cisco

Dell

IBM

JV Chujko

Oracle

PNC Bank

Tata Consultancy Services

UPMC Health Plan

Verizon

Visa

AGH Friends of Dr. Michael White
All Lines Technology
Apple Box Studios
Beacon Hill Technologies
BikePGH
Brush Footwear
Burroughs Payment Systems, Inc.
CIBER, Inc.
Clique Vodka
Cohen & Grigsby
CompuGroup Technologies
ConsultUSA
CrawfordEllenbogen LLC
CSC
Deeplocal
Dell
Deloitte LLP
EMC Corporation
First National Bank of Pennsylvania
H Marketing
H.J. Heinz Company
Henderson Brothers
Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield
Hewlett-Packard Company
Hilbish McGee Lighting Design
Huntington National Bank
IKON
Maher Duessel CPAs
Medical Staff at Allegheny General Hospital
Mosaic Inc.
NEP Supershooters
Orange Business Services
Peoples Natural Gas
Plastic Surgery of Pittsburgh
Chris and Gloria Post
Preservation Technologies
Presidio Networked Solutions
Pyramid Consulting Group, Inc.
Xerox

2011 MEDIA SPONSORS

2011 LEAD FOOD AND BEVERAGE SPONSORS

All In Good Taste Productions/Sendall Chocolates

Bossa Nova
FUZE

2011 FOOD AND BEVERAGE SPONSORS

Atria's
B2 Restaurants

Bean Catering
Ben and Jerry's Partnershop/Life's Work

big Catering
Bistro To-Go
BoxSpring Café
Buena Vista Coffee
The Capital Grille
Clement/Crawford
Coca Café
Coca-Cola
Divine Delectables

Double Wide Grill

Dozen
E2

Eat'n Park

Eclipse Lounge

Enginehouse Twentyfive Wines
Franktuary
Full Pint Brewing Company
Gina Marie's Catering
Girasole

The Greek Gourmet
JPC Event Group
LaCreme Catering
La Prima
Legume

M Catering

Milano's Pizza

Monterey Pub

My Goodies Bakery
Opening Night Catering
Pig Hill Café
Pittsburgh Candy Buffet

Pittsburgh Marshmallow Factory
Prestogeorge Coffee and Tea

Quiet Storm
Rania's Catering
Red Bull
Remo's Catering

Rita's Italian Ice
Spice Island Tea House
Spaghetti Warehouse

The Wine Loft
Tupelo Honey Teas
Willow
Yes, We Cater

Yuengling Beer


Friends of the Garden Party
All of our hard-working volunteers and staff
ALCO Parking
Analise Bahneman
Dennis Bergevin
BikePGH
Brush Footwear
Dicks Sporting Goods
Elsen Associates
Flowerama
Here You Go!
Leaf and Bean
Leed's
Massage Envy Squirrel Hill
Nakama
Party Savvy
Guy Stofman
SMARTSolution Technologies L.P.
TeeRex Syndicate/The Cotton Factory
War Admiral Press
Wright Contract Interiors
Venture Outdoors

Garden Party Committee

Barbara Barry

Catena Bergevin

Shannon Berkheiser

Alana Bly

Erin Borger

David Bush and Tim McVay

Debra Caplan

Emily Craig

Vivian Lee Croft

Gina D’Amico

Janice Donatelli

Matt Donnelly

Rich and Cindy Engler

Harris Ferris

James Foreman

Patti Fowler

Hal and Linda Hilbish

Jeffrey Inscho

Liz Keller

Karey Jo Kluesner

Shannon Knepper

Meredith Knight

Leah Koval

Anthony and Linda Lacenere

Ryan Lammie

Scott and Susan Lammie

Mike Lee

Nathan Martin and Heather Estes

Shelly Mathew

Teresa Montoya

Kayan Moussoba

Lindsay O’Leary

Richard Parsakian

Kelsey Patsch

Carter Post

Christopher and Gloria Post

Locke Roberts

Roseanne Silva

Guy Stofman

Molly Tighe

Abby Vanim

John Verbanic

Danny Vogel

Spencer Warren

Rachelle Wolf

Matthew Yough

(We'll be updating this page periodically as the days grow closer to the event with special news about performances, food, drink, and sponsors, as well as a few surprises. So check back often!)

Member Appreciation Day 12/11/10

Who: Current members
What: Member Appreciation Day
Where: Mattress Factory Museum
When: Saturday, December 11, 2010, 12 - 4 pm
Why: Because we love our members!

It’s time we celebrate you! Our members are our biggest supporters and without their support we wouldn’t be able to continue our mission. Membership fees for a year help us support our artists in residency, our education programming, and all the tours, outreach, and events we host year-round. This holiday season, we wanted to say thank you to our members.

Join us on Saturday for museum tours, art-making activities, live music and more!

To celebrate, current members are invited to the Mattress Factory on December 11th from 12 pm to 4 pm for a host of fun things. We will have crafts for kids of all ages, tours of our exhibitions, refreshments, live music, and special discounts (an extra 10% off in addition to your membership discount for a total of 20% off) in our MF Shop with free gift wrapping provided! In addition, every visitor can enter a raffle, and we will have a special free make-your-own t-shirt for members (while supplies last and one per person, per household)! Our North Side neighbors and friends from Artists Image Resource (AIR) will be here to help you silkscreen your own t-shirt – we have lots of sizes available, including kids' sizes and onesies!

MF Members will be able to make their own silkscreened t-shirt for free!

Take a moment from the holiday rush and stop by the MF on December 11th to enjoy all the perks of being a member. You deserve it. And don’t worry if you aren’t a member– you can still visit the museum and be part of the fun. if you want to join, you can do it on the spot at the museum.

On Saturday only, MF Members can enjoy 20% off in the MF Shop + free gift wrapping!

Again, thank you Mattress Factory Members!