Artist Susan Middleman’s paintings and collages on the last day of her show at Spinning Plate Gallery.
Bold, colorful, and alive is how I’d describe her paintings. The dancers look as if they could dance right off the wall.
follow her on Instagram @susan_middleman
July has been a busy and satisfying month with the People at Work Show exhibiting at Panza Gallery. There was a well attended opening three weeks ago and now tomorrow (Saturday 7/28) the closing reception is at six.
Early Wednesday morning, my good friend Vincie texted me this photo she took when she opened her morning paper. What a happy way to start my day. It just felt great! Mary Thomas wrote a nice article (with four color photos) about the People at Work Show in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. 
V sent me the online version when it became available (link below )
Later in the day, I received another text from From Vincie. Her cousin Paula had texted her the photo below saying “Great article about Ruth in the Post-Gazette today”
Very thoughtful of them both. Thanks Vincie and Paula.
It’s been a nice feeling to have good friends and family who cheer me on and encourage me.
Aphrodite at Ritter’s Diner came to see her People at Work portrait. Her photo was in the newspaper, too.
This is a good time to thank Panza Gallery Owner Mark Panza who (2 years ago) invited me to show my People at Work series and who hung the show beautifully.
Also thanks to his wonderful daughter, Jennifer Panza, whose generous help was essential in making the show a success. And a grateful nod to her fiancé J for getting the beer and ice.
(Mark Panza on left, photo taken by my son Mark)
Thanks to artist Carol Skinger, fellow member of Pittsburgh Society of Artists Guild, who tutored me about publicity for the People at Work Show.
And special thanks to Tom Underiner of Pixel River Images for making me shine by printing my work expertly, using the archival pigment on the Hahnenmuhle rag paper.
Bernie Pintar was the official greeter and encouraged gallery goers to sign the guest book.
Thanks for all the good wishes in accomplishing nine years of blogging and starting year ten. I’ve posted 3,235 times which averages 359 times a year.
More family came to Millvale to see the People at Work show today which was really nice. They drove in from Virginia, Ohio and West Mifflin. We gathered back at my house for dinner.
And a photography classmate of mine came with his wife to Panza Gallery at the same time. Andrew Wagner and I took a few classes together at Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild. He’s a loyal blog follower, too, having photographed many similar subjects throughout his career- in FILM!
Andrew once said my blog was like a Kodak Carousel slide show and you never knew what the next slide would be. He offered to take a photo of the family at the gallery this afternoon and he took it on my camera so I have the photos right away. Thank you for coming and always being so supportive to me in my photography efforts.
Here are the photos Andrew took today.
Uncle Frank and Maura look at Vintage Car Restorer storyboard featuring Uncle Frank.
Photo credit to all three photos –Andrew Wagner
Genoeffa’s Knitting Hands
(One of my two photographs that was selected to be part of the show)
Pittsburgh Society of Artists PHYSIQUE/ Construction of the Human Form.
Opens June 9th and runs till June 29th, 2018. Panza Gallery
Opening Reception Saturday June 9 6-8 PM
This week’s challenge was just that- a challenge.
A Face in the Crowd. Or two or three or four……..
Austin TX
PNC Park tailgate/ Wedding 
Wedding -Fredericksburg TX
Zion Apostolic McKeesport PA
Panza Gallery, Millvale PA
Lion Dance Strip District 
Pittsburgh Marathon 
First Communion Columbus OH
Below-Kennywood Amusement Park Pittsburgh Plunge
New York City
Swim Meet Columbus OH
Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium
https://dailypost.wordpress.com/photo-challenges/a-face-in-the-crowd/
KANE/QUALTERS: MY PITTSBURGH Sept 5- November 10. 2017
Thursday evening Steve and I drove to Carlow University Art Gallery to see this exhibit. My friend R told me about the reception when I had breakfast with her earlier in the day. There will be an artist’s talk on Tuesday September 19 at 4 p.m. Click here for a link to the Carlow University Art Gallery page for more information
Steve and I met the artist Robert Qualters and saw his work, alongside the paintings of John Kane (1860-1934)
Mr. Qualters has donated two paintings to the University For John Kane and Big Self-Portrait. (He is on the left below)
“MY PITTSBURGH focuses on the Pittsburgh subjects of two iconic artists, giving special emphasis to the influence that Kane’s work had on Qualters’ paintings”
There were four John Kane paintings, one Mount Mercy was donated in 2001 to the University by Mrs. Elsie Hillman. The other three were on loan from the Hillman Foundation Art Collection
(Note: Photo credit on the colorful brochure- Tom Underiner. No wonder it was so well done)
An eclectic post
A sneak peek from the catalog of the show. Tonight I just had the old iPhone with me and didn’t capture the artwork. Took a few shots of the artist and a few family members- I didn’t ask if it would be okay to blog them so if you are in the Pittsburgh Area you have until July 15th to experience these stunning paintings in person. 
Lots happening on Penn Avenue as it was a first Friday and it’s called Unblurred
-art galleries open and the street abuzz with activity.
We were walking to the Irma Freeman Center for the Imagination where my friend Joan Brindle was having an art opening along with 3 other artists Roshida Abira Ali, Jim Brindle and Irma Freeman. The show will be open until July 15th
Friendship Bagel complete with an Ode to a Spring Meadow Poem on the sidewalk in Garfield on Penn Avenue.
And when we crossed the street to ensure our friend V got in her car, I captured one of the new Artistic Tree Grates that have been installed recently as part of the Penn Avenue Reconstruction
How about this artistic tree grate?
People at Work Series.
From the April wedding in Austin, Texas.
David Lujan co-owner(with his wife) & curator of Black Lagoon: art+ yoga and artist. He tended the bar at the wedding celebration and made the little fairy chairs out of the champagne tops. He was sketching a tree house for his daughter, as I remember. I must carry a reporter’s notebook to write down the details.
Available light portrait of David Lujan
The Fairy Chairs he created from the champagne bottle tops.
Photographer Joey Kennedy‘s solo show, presented by the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, opened tonight at 709 Penn Avenue, directly across from the Benedum Center for the Performing Arts.
You may be familiar with Joey’s elegant wedding photography.
I met him at Silver Eye Center for Photography a few years ago when we were in a Self-Portrait show. He has always been generous in answering photography questions.
Tonight Steve and I went to the wonderful and well attended opening and bought a print. The prices on his prints and stretched canvas photos were affordable! Familiar skylines and bridges in soft fog, Allegheny Cemetery scenes, trees and scupltured angels, the incline- just as the show is titled- Light and Landscape
Followers who viewed his images made the selections for the exhibition AND the size of the printed photo was determined by which on got the most “likes”.
“Kennedy invites the public to participate in the exhibition’s image selection by visiting his Instagram account, instagram.com/joeykennedyphoto. Each image included in the exhibition is tagged #lightandlandscape.”
The good news is that the show is up until April 12th.
709 Gallery on Penn Avenue in the Cultural District
Joey calls everyone together for a group shot!
(Experimenting with the panorama setting on the new mirrorless SONY)
The view when leaving the gallery
