At the Museum

Thursday, my sister Mary and I went to the Carnegie Museum of Art to see the photography exhibit Gordon Parks in Pittsburgh 1944-1946 .

While we roamed around the other galleries, I documented our visit with two selfies. One where we are looking quite svelte on our reflection in Heart Pavilion by artist Dan Graham who passed February 2022. Click his name to read his obit. .

The first selfie. A couple of gray heads was about all I could capture.

Being a tourist in my own city

 

When you turn 65 in Pittsburgh you can apply for a free PAT bus pass.

Monday morning I went downtown on the 71 B.  I am going to familiarize myself with schedules and routes but having a smart phone is a big help

You can pick the stop where you’re waiting it tells you how many minutes until a bus arrives. My plan is to visit all of the 88 neighborhoods in the city of Pittsburgh.

Here’s  Day One of my Free Bus Pass Photography Adventure.IMG_9946Me waiting at Highland and Bryant for the 71 B to go downtown.

Meet Kevin M. who accepted my medicare card until I get the pass.

His portrait will be wonderful in the People at Work show next July.

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taken as I exited the bus, with his gracious permission.

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The Port Authority where you fill out your application to get your bus pass.

 

I went to the City County Building where I was greeted by a sign and a bronze statue of Mayor Caligiuri

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IMG_9977Mayor Caligiuri by Robert Berks 1990

 

 

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Cathedral of Learning   University of Pittsburgh

 

I rejoined the Carnegie Museum of Art in Oakland

 

 

Crabcake and Slaw lunch at the Union Grill

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St. Paul Cathedral as I went to the next Bus Stop to get to Shadyside where they were setting up a Vintage Car Show on Walnut Street

Cars arriving in trailers  I caught the next bus on Highland Avenue and guess who my driver was?  Yep you guessed. Turns out Kevin went to the same high school as my sons but he was a class ahead of Mark.

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Steve and I  took a ride up to Shadyside later to see the vintage cars but it was raining

 

 

 

Sculpture Court Puddle Reflections

With raindrops.

Without.

Wet pavement and textured concrete.

 

RAINDROP IN PUDDLE

 

 

 

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Through the museum window

 

 

 

 

 

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Trying to find attribution to sculpture court artwork is challenging on the CMOA website.

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Monday afternoon

We need rain but it’s coming so fast and furious on Tuesday, it’s running off and forming problems on  roadways, causing flooding in some areas.

 

In context.  Sculpture Court Carnegie Museum of Art.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Looks Like Change of Seasons

In response to The Daily Post’s weekly photo challenge: “Change.”

Sculpture court steps at rear of Carnegie Museum of Artimage

Little locust leaves litter the steps, wet from the rain

Light Streams at the Museum

The Carnegie Museum of Art 

Carnegie Museum of Art

I was waiting on a bench in the lobby while Matthew and Natalya were in the galleries.

I saw the light stream through the windows onto the floor.

A family was examining a portion of the  Sebastian Errazuriz: Look Again exhibit.

You might remember The Piano hanging overhead in the Hall of Architecture before Thanksgiving?

(this shot taken with the SONY mirrorless)

One Shiny Shoe and a Good Thing I’d Eaten Dinner

My neighbors invited me to accompany them to the Carnegie Museum of Art for the opening reception of Storyteller: The Photographs of Duane Michals.   The exhibition was curated by Linda Benedict- Jones and is quite impressive, requiring a return visit to take the show in when it’s less crowded.

In the Hall of Sculpture after the remarks, i was standing on the lighted glass floor and so were three others. Our 4 pairs of  black shoes with the light coming from the floor below.

Photographer Martha Rial and I had our phones out, capturing the pattern.  I call it One Shiny Shoe.

One shiny shoe

Where the light comes from below

Hall of Sculpture

Here is a man looking closely at the photos of Andy Warhol and his mother Julia.

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When I got to the refreshments table there were a few grapes

Some of you saw this on FB already but here I am in the Hall of Architecture under the artwork “The Piano” by Chilean Artist Sebastian Errazuriz

I asked a random museum goer if he’d take my photo.  He’d already taken a selfie under the 800 pound piano.

When I showed this photo to the high school students, they said I was crazy to stand under it.  I said, wouldn’t it be funny to have a  tall ladder and some hedge clippers?  They groaned.

Mark said it looked like I was in a Looney Tune.

If you Sebastian Errazuriz

Weekly Photo Challenge: Work of Art

Last Monday night at the Art for Change auction I bid and won a very cool work of art by photographer Scott Roller-

this is what I see when I come out of an upstairs room now.

Subway Face.  A poster  in the subway, peeling off the wall.

It is a compelling gaze.  Not sure who it was to begin with but you keep looking at it and wonder.

The deteriorated shape of the poster really adds to the mood and make it original.  Click on Scott’s name and see his 66 Shots series from a trip on Route 66.

He prints, mats and frames his photographs.  Works of art!

Subway Face (1)

SUBWAY FACE   1/10    Scott Roller

 

 

Pittsburgh Photo Fair

Welcome to the Pittsburgh Photo Fair at the Carnegie Museum of Art.     What a terrific venue.  Still on for Sunday (5-18-14) from 12-5 if you are in the city

 

 

 

Carnegie Museum of Art

The Cathedral of Learning in the reflection at the Carnegie Museum of Art.

 

Anna helps decorate her brother Michael’s First Communion Cake.

A work of art!      She wrote his name on it.  A chocolate pound cake- (gluten free) with vanilla buttercream icing.   Thanks to Aunt Mary for helping piece adequate parchment paper into the cross shaped pan so there were no cracks when it was extricated from the pan.

Anna decorates Michael's cake

Night at the Museum for Oh Snap!

The Carnegie Museum of Art had a wild evening featuring the Oh Snap!  Project  where museum goers are invited to respond to one of the 13 photographs recently acquired by the museum-  “a collaborative project”

and the place was packed when I arrived.

When I came into the crowd I asked a nice couple, what they were in line for and they responded, “Drinks!”

Ahhh.

I went drinkless into the gallery where  the thirteen photographs were hung.   Surrounding each photograph were several selections from the submissions of photographs in response to the Museum’s 13.  (Oh Snap! Project explained here if you are interested in submitting your photo inspired by one of the museum’s)  Everyone  please consume their snacks and beverages prior to entering the gallery with the photographs on the wall.  

No problem for me but others had to wait.

The gallery a bit crowded to savor and digest all the photos on the wall which is often the case with openings, receptions  and events. Definitely planning a return trip to take it all in.    I saw photographers I knew milling about, checking it all out.    It was a vibrant scene. Abuzz.  A green screen the backdrop for antics and people with props as in a photo booth.  Having a blast being silly. (I remembered the Photo Booth Laura and James had at their wedding, what fun for them to pore over the images of the guests)

Then I headed to the Hall of Sculpture and I chatted with one of the photographers with a Canon on a tripod, capturing the Light Writing with the LED Hula Hoops and various swords, necklaces, and eyeglasses that glowed, sparkled and flashed.  It was cool being in the Hall of Sculpture with the lights out.  Definitely a Night at the Museum   I told her how I worked with the hs students and we’ve done light writing in the former darkroom.  How the kids love doing it and the results.  We talked settings and equipment a bit and I watched the hula hoopers.   The admission?  FREE!

LED Hula Hoop

 When I left,  I captured the scene from the bottom of the Sculpture Garden stone stairs.  You can see how the new project was well attended.

The goal is to “spark a creative response” and I would say that goal is well on it’s way to being accomplished!  

If your photograph is chosen, you get a free pass for admission.

Carnegie Museum of Art

Fountains at the Carnegie and a Sad Sign at Kiva Han Coffee Shop

I love to go to the Museum at night. It was just getting dark when I arrived and you can see the progression by the fountain photos I shot with the iPhone.

The Carnegie Museum of Art has free admission on Thursday nights for February and March. When I entered,the gift shop was still open so I bought a book for school.  I had received an email that photographer Dawoud Bey  would lecture (free) and show his work Thursday night. I am so glad I went to hear him and look forward to seeing his show- I was sorry I didn’t get to meet him but he was mobbed by people getting him to sign his book. I would have told him how I’ve photographed my students but can’t show them outside the school.  His portraits were excellent!

 Silver Eye Center for Photography has an exhibition –

Class Pictures: Photographs by Dawoud Bey until March 10th.

The Fountains When I Arrived

The Fountains When I Left

 

After fifteen years.....

Kiva Han is closed now.  Forever.  Here is the article telling what happened 🙁  A franchise is coming in, The Bagel Factory.  Bummer.