Month: May 2013

City County Building Hosts Pittsburgh Carrick High School Art Show

Update:  5-13-13   

Just added this gorgeous  panorama photographed by Instructional Team Leader for the Fine Arts Department -Michael Dean.

Panorama Pittsburgh Carrick Art Show

 

 

The Pittsburgh Carrick High School student Art Show is hung and waiting for the Monday opening reception at 5:30.
Anyone who works in this magnificent building will get a sneak peek during the day. There were ten of us working most of the day Saturday to hang the art and place the tags by each piece.
Awards ceremony is Monday evening at 6:30 PM. Sponsored by CITIPARKS!

How about those Tiffany columns? The marble, the windows, the painted ceiling? And all the student artwork? Wow!

I can’t wait for the students to see their artwork on display in such a wonderful setting.

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There will be refreshments at the reception.

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Everything looks great!

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You have to see it in person to get the full experience.

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If you are in the city, please come see the amazing student artwork.
(Parking downtown gets cheap after 5)

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P.S.
Remembering our mothers every day of the year

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by Categories: Art, Pittsburgh PhotosTags: , , , , , , , , , , , 19 Comments

The Umpire and the Softball Coach After a Consultation on the Field

I was at the Girl’s Softball game (high school ) last Monday.  When I look at this photo of the third base coach walking away from the PIAA umpire after a discussion, it makes me smile, too.

I considered showing the first photo of their discussion on the field  but this walking away after they spoke seemed the more powerful and effective shot.

You just wonder what was said.

I was shooting with a 70-200 mm Canon L series Lens and had to keep ducking behind the chain link fence for protection as those foul balls kept whipping towards third  base.

Softball coach and Umpire

 

by Categories: PhotographyTags: , , , , , , , 10 Comments

Bob Rumba- Ventriloquist, Comedian, Balloon Artist and All Around Funny Guy

His card states COMIC GENIUS*

and the asterisk below statement says *Genius Available by Appointment Only.  

When Steve and I were downtown at the Gallery Crawl a couple of weeks ago, we were walking  in front of the new Arcade Comedy Theater.   Kristy was out front distributing info and invited us in. I told her my daughter Laura was taking an improv class in Columbus.

Free beer!  Hmmm.  Steve thought that sounded good.  There was improv going on in the theatre.  Lots of good energy in the place.

We promised to return another time when we didn’t have to be somewhere.

We were on our way home but with the free beer and the man in the window motioning for us to come in, too, what else could we do?Just a few minutes.

Turns out it was Bob Rumba, All Around Funny Guy.   

Bob Rumba

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bob Rumba

 

 

Women outside the Arcade Comedy Theater

Gallery Crawl

by Categories: People at WorkTags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 9 Comments

Cars Driving Uphill Have the Right of Way

….and so when I leave school and I’m driving down Parkfield Street (AKA the Cow Trail) and someone’s driving uphill, the road’s so narrow you have to pull over to the curb and allow the uphill car passage. Even pulled over it can be a tight squeeze.

Wouldn’t you know it, I got lucky on Monday afternoon and as I’m at the curb I look out the passenger window and see the neighborhood of Carrick and St. Basil’s Church up at the top of another hill.   One shot with the window down and then I put the camera back in my school bag and take my foot of the brake and head down the hill as the uphill driver gives a wave of thanks.

Looked up St. Basil‘s story, too.

This shot shows Pittsburgh topography. Hills and more hills.

The trees are full of leaves now. Shot with the Canon 70-200mm lens as I was headed to the  Girl’s Softball game.

Carrick Neighborhood

 

 

 

by Categories: Pittsburgh Photos, What I Found on the Way Home from SchoolTags: , , , , , , , , , , , , 6 Comments

Not Quite Gilligan’s Island and The Ruins of Something Along Route 28

It was late when I left for home cause I went to photograph the girl’s softball game and

because the Bigelow Blvd. ramp was closed, I had to follow a lengthy detour.

I found myself in bumper to bumper traffic at a standstill on one of the most awful roads- Route 28.         It is ALWAYS under construction.

And there I saw this abandoned boat along the  busy highway.

It took  my mind of my impatience at not being home yet, having to wait.

I wondered how it got there.  To whom did it belong?

It’s like being in a coffee shop and suddenly understanding why someone writing a screenplay is sitting there, working.  A snippet of conversation overheard. You write a script.  You get ideas.

I heard the guy say to the woman at the next table, “You have a certain lyrical unexpectedness.”  (inaudible response from her) Him again, ” I played in a bar last night.”

So what’s the story of the boat?  And the next scene just a few feet later, a few more car lengths down?

abandoned boat

or the next scene when the traffic stopped again.  These scenes  just make you wonder.

Or if I hadn’t been stopped, would I have seen them?

Architectural Ruins

by Categories: What I Found on the Way Home from SchoolTags: , , , , , , , , , , 9 Comments

Divertido – If you Need Russian, Chinese, Hebrew, French or Greek Building Blocks

Divertido means fun in Spanish.

Saturday afternoon I drove down to the Lawrenceville neighborhood to photograph this fun shop on Butler Street.  I’d met the owner, Mary Ellen, when she attended the Christopher Jones house concert at my home last October so this had been on my “to do” list for a time.  I knew visiting the store, photographing it and blogging it, would be a good project.  Six months can fly by before you know it, though.    I needed a college graduation card, too, so what better time to go shopping and blogging?   The greeting cards are definitely out of the ordinary and this was a special one for my friend’s daughter.

Hebrew and Greek Wooden Building Blocks

I loved the Uncle Goose wooden building blocks with the different languages- French, Russian, Chinese, Hebrew and Greek were some of the languages represented.

Everything about the store is fun!  The front windows with the swim noodles and inflatable swim rings as well as the trophies in aqua displaying the jewelry in a case are designed by Sean L. Miller.

The turquoise trophies  took on a life of their own, like an installation art piece.

I took the window designer’s business card from the counter  which has the words imprinted –Think Outside the Box.  He definitely does and gets you thinking that way, too. The eye catching colors and design were so inviting.

Front Window by Sean L. MillerTurquoise Trophy Case

Mary Ellen wasn’t sure she wanted her photograph taken but she graciously consented.  Here she is in front of the counter with a cool, antique door on the front.

Thanks Mary Ellen.  Another shot for my People at Work series.

Mary Ellen Gubanic

You might have visited the store when it was down the street but Mary Ellen has been in business for nine years.  And if you live out of town, no worries, she has online shopping at her website and you can LIKE her on the DIVERTIDO page on Facebook, too.

Divertido

3609 Butler Street

by Categories: People at WorkTags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 12 Comments

Pittsburgh Marathon Photos – Almost Mile Twenty

I got down early to catch the first marathoners in the wheelchair division. It was a perfect day for a marathon.

There was a street sweeper operating at the intersection of Highland and Bryant when I got down.   I knew the wheelchair participants started about 6:45 AM and I calculated when they’d arrive at almost mile twenty down the bottom of our hill.  I didn’t have too long to wait.

When I witness their effort, a catch forms in my throat.  It’s inspiring.  Accompanied by a bicycle escort, they “run” the course with determination and hard work.

I am dividing the post into galleries.  The first shots I stood across the street from the local coffee shop – Tazza D’Oro.

DICK’S Sporting Goods flew about 3 dozen marathoners to Pittsburgh from Boston so they could run the marathon.  These runners were ones who were unable to complete the marathon due to the attacks.

There were thousands of runners today for the Pittsburgh Marathon so this is just a small sampling of the day.  Perfect weather!

Here’ s the first gallery-

The Wheelchair Participants

The first marathoner in the Wheelchair Division
Way to go. He gave me a smile!

The lead runners just flew by, almost effortlessly (well, it seemed easy watching them)  Soooo fast.  So smooth.

There were lots of dogs in attendance today.

And then there were the fun runners, the monkey, the man with the trumpet.bugle?, the guy in a kilt and sandals, women wearing tutus who were texting, and some wild hair and outfits.  Many patriotic displays and one guy running backwards.  A man wore a Chicago Runs for Boston shirt.

One man ran the whole marathon blindfolded,  tethered to a co-runner.  He did this to raise awareness and to experience what his 7 year old daughter must experience in life- she’s legally blind.   To read about his efforts click here and another article about this father’s running the entire marathon blindfolded-  here

All things Scottish!
Running for a serious cause
BACKWARDS!!!
Oh say can you see
A monkey
A tutu
Texting in Tutus?
Tutus were popular this year
Chicago Runs for Boston
The last two marathoners after they reopened the streets

A few more runners

man juggles running marathon

And all the volunteers and the workers who made it all possible

The street sweepers, the garbage collectors, the police, the paramedics, the course marshals, the volunteers who passed out water and picked up the cups from the course. The bus who came to sweep up the runners who needed to ride for the remainder of the course.  All photos shot with a 70-200mm Canon L series lens on Canon 5D SLR camera

Preparing the course
Pittsburgh’s Finest
The Media Truck
The Media Truck Close-Up
Volunteers arriving
Water Station Volunteer
Volunteer picks up paper cups
you never saw such an expedited clean-up
Sweeping Bus

And the partiers, the cheering section, and as neighbor Mike coined the term the CHAIR-ATHONERS.  for further coverage you can go to the Post-Gazette

Old Three Rivers Stadium Seats
Barbara’s table
The Walking Taco Station
Highland Avenue Partiers
by Categories: marathon, Photography, Pittsburgh PhotosTags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 16 Comments

This Little Piggy- Wait, It’s THIRTEEN Piggies- Guest Blog by Marlene and Donald

Down on the farm in Virginia.  Mar said it was dark in the barn. Thanks for a fun guest blog. We don’t see this in the city!

Lots of new life appearing at your neighbor’s farm.

Springtime action in corrals and pens and barn.

See proud future Dad.      His “wife” is sitting on 17 eggs.        (Not sure if Turkeys mate for life like other species you hear about. hmmmm)

Future Thanksgiving Dinner?

Future Dad Turkey

 

Future Dad Turkey

 

Future Mom sitting on 17 eggs!

 

 

 

 

Turkey sitting on 17 eggs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Watcha Looking At?

 

Waiting for baby horses- another blog, another day

 

 

 

 

a litter of piglets eating lunch

 Click on Video below -A little dark in the barn.  That is if you want to see 13 new piglets scramble at feeding time.

by Categories: Family, Guest BlogTags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 11 Comments

Weekly Photo Challenge: From Above

There’ve been a lot of directions in the challenges.

Up, down. Round. Forward. No inside out. Yet

this week it’s FROM ABOVE.  

I stand over garbage, see a lone glove on the road-

take a shot.  A single baby shoe in the gutter.

Weddings from a church balcony, the mezzanine.

Not often, though.  Directly above is rare, more likely above from an angled side.

Have they done sideways?  I like that movie.

Here’s my From Above Gallery, though not celestial.

At the wedding reception

Laura and James at Marjorie and Dan’s Wedding Reception.  Carnegie Music Hall in Oakland.

 

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Seventh (Andy Warhol) and Ninth Street Bridges taken from the Renaissance Hotel.  

 

 

At the Met in NYC

Metropolitan Museum of Art

 

 

 

Shadows at School Entrance

Shadows at the entrance of school

Angie and John's Wedding

John and Angie’s Wedding

 

 

 

Franklin Conservatory Ceramic Tile

Franklin Park Conservatory Columbus OH

 

 

Siblings

 

Anna, Baby Jack and Michael  March 2007

 

 

Roberto Clemente Bridge

 

 

Roberto Clemente Bridge and PNC Park from the Renaissance Hotel

 

Last Year's Rose

 

 

Last Year’s Rose

 

French fries

French Fries on Carson Street

 

 

 

Porsche Engine

 

Porsche Engine

 

 

Batteries

 

 

 

 

Batteries from a week in digital photo class.

 

Dunkin Donut apron in the school parking lot.

Dunkin Donut Apron in the Parking Lot

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

by Categories: Weekly Photo ChallengeTags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 35 Comments

The Trees Sue’s Dad Had the City Plant, 35 Years Ago

Yesterday Sue commented on the new tulip tree being planted in front of my house. She told how her father had the city plant trees up and down her street, thirty five years ago, and how they were a memorial to him. He was featured on the blog for a Veteran’s Day post- Martin H. Cooper.

Today I was driving by her street on my way home from the Waterfront. Took two cell shots of his trees. Thanks Sue for your good words on the blog.

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by Categories: Garden, Pittsburgh Photos, Tribute to a FriendTags: , , , , , , , 8 Comments