The Unguarded Moment @ Joseph Saxton Gallery of Photography

Book cover for Steve McCurry: The Unguarded Moment, published by Phaidon

A few years ago, a photographer friend of mine, Danelle Doty, showed me a beautiful little book called Portraits, a collection of faces from around the world taken by National Geographic photographer Steve McCurry. Since then, I acquired my own copy of the book.

Now, at the Joseph Saxton Gallery of Photography in Canton, Ohio, there is an exhibit of McCurry's work called The Unguarded Moment. (These images are also collected into a book.) I look forward to seeing the exhibit in person at the end of this month!

Off the Page: The Comic Book and Game Art of Christopher Moeller

709 Penn Gallery

Opening Reception: Friday, March 5th 6-9 pm

About the Artist: Christopher Moeller of Mt. Lebanon, PA, is a writer and painter specializing in fully-painted graphic novels. Moeller's signature creation is the Iron Empires science-fiction universe, comprising two fully-painted graphic novels Faith Conquers and Sheva's War published by Dark Horse Books, a short story in Dark Horse Presents, and a second in the anthology Negative Burn. An Iron Empires role-playing game called Burning Empires was published in 2006. Moeller has also written and illustrated two graphic novels featuring the Justice League of America (JLA) for DC Comics.

Christopher Moeller tells stories of crisis and resolution, struggle and redemption, using acrylic paint and a simple assortment of brushes. This solo exhibition features a selection of his original work.

Diana Aflame, Wonder Woman © & ™ DC Comics

Artist's Website: www.moellerillustrations.com/

709 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh

Gallery Hours:

Wednesday-Thursday 11am-6pm
Friday-Saturday 11am-8pm
Sunday 11am-5pm (free on street parking)

Show dates: March 5 - April 25

Presented by the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, Dept. of Education and Community Engagement

gorgeously filmed

These opening credits for the movie The Fall are beautiful and artful.

(Note-- The rest of the movie is not filmed like this.)

Watch:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhARR-zmTCE&feature=related

Civil Rights Superheroes at the ToonSeum

Today I checked out Civil Rights Superheroes at the ToonSeum on Liberty Avenue (Downtown Pittsburgh). The exhibit features the Montgomery Story, a rare comic book from 1958 that condemned racism and encouraged social change by depicting the stories of "everyday superheroes", the main character being Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. At the time, it was distributed underground by churches, labor unions and civic organizations in order to teach about non-violent resistance and help further the civil rights movement. It still speaks to readers on a very human level and is very inspirational!

Louise Bourgeois' eye benches

I love the way these granite benches resembling eyes by artist Louise Bourgeois look now in Katz Plaza in downtown Pittsburgh. They really seem to peer up out of the snow!

portrait

Portrait of Toby, 2010

Oil on wood

(Click image to enlarge.)

2 local art institutions revisit art from 1934

1934... The Great Depression, the Dust Bowl, and war in Europe. This was also the year that Frankin Roosevelt's administration established the Public Works of Art Project. (Remember the movie "The Cradle Will Rock" about the similar Federal Theater Project, set around this time?) This month, both the Frick Art and Historical Center and the Westmoreland Museum of Art are exhibiting art created in 1934. The Frick has a traveling exhibit from the Smithsonian American Art Museum, and the Westmoreland will have an exhibit from the private collection of Jason Schoen.

The Public Works of Art Program was the first federal government program to support the arts nationally. The program payed artists to embellish public buildings and maintain America's spirit in a difficult time through their work.

Link to a slide show of works from the exhibit at the Frick, 1934: A New Deal for Artists:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/americanartmuseum/sets/72157613558866320/show/