CARNEGIE MUSEUM OF ART | PHOTO BY TOM LITTLE / COURTESY CARNEGIE MUSEUM OF ART

“Every landscape picture tells a human story in some way,” says Carnegie Museum of Art Curator of Photography Dan Leers. “Oftentimes, those stories are not readily visible or readily apparent on the surface.”

“Widening the Lens: Photography, Ecology, and the Contemporary Landscape,” the fourth iteration of the Hillman Photography Initiative at the Carnegie Museum of Art, aims to tell those stories. With nearly 100 works from 19 artists, pressed flowers, silk impressions and moving shockwaves are utilized to represent environmental change, allowing viewers to truly see their landscape, and, hopefully, begin to envision an equitable way forward.

“We as a museum are seeking to address [the] issues of our time, specifically by showing artists who are thinking about these ideas,” says Leers, who organized the exhibit along with Keenan Saiz, Hillman Photography Initiative project curatorial assistant.

Related: Modern Museum of Art Showcases Braddock Documentarian

The exhibit is separated into four themes — Archive, Remembering, Pathfinding and Horizon. Visitors begin in the section titled “Archive,” where they’ll be greeted by the multimedia work “The Histories (Crépuscule)” from Philadelphia-based artist David Hartt.

“We have an image that has been blown up and turned into a tapestry — a jacquard weaving — of Kingston, a port city in Jamaica,” explains Leers.

The work examines the legacies of the slave trade from Jamaica to Newfoundland, Canada, documenting the cycle of “colonial ships traveling from Jamaica, where they were gathering sugar and rum and people, bringing them to Newfoundland, and then gathering up cod — a relatively abundant resource — to feed the people who were working in Canada, but then also [to] send back to the colony,” Leers says.

In the section titled “Pathfinding,” some small — yet quite affecting — black and white gelatin silver prints might evade your view. Pittsburgh native Sam Contis’ “Untitled” selections from the series “Overpass” (2020–2022) consist of nine prints, each examining mobility within the landscape, as well as limitations to that mobility.

SAM CONTIS, AMERICAN, BORN 1982. “UNTITLED,” 2020-2022 GELATIN SILVER PRINT. CARNEGIE MUSEUM OF ART, PITTSBURGH: PURCHASED WITH FUNDS PROVIDED BY THE WILLIAM TALBOTT HILLMAN FOUNDATION, 2023.32.4. © SAM CONTIS. COURTESY OF THE ARTIST AND KLAUS VON NICHTSSAGEND GALLERY, NEW YORK.

During COVID-19 lockdown conditions, Contis was residing in the English countryside where her primary form of entertainment was going on walks. She began noticing stone pathways and gates, known as stiles, that offer passage through private properties.

Upon further research, Contis found that the British Constitution requires that there be a way, even on some privately owned land, for people to hike and experience the natural environment.

The prints born out of this discovery focus on the stones, the fences, and the passageways themselves. Contis seemingly omits the natural environment from view for emphasis on accessibility as a privilege worthy of documentation.

“This got us thinking — how do we define boundaries and how do we delineate the landscape?,” Leers asks. “What does that keep in and what can we let through?”

Before, while and after interacting with the exhibit, Leers encourages viewers to “[think] about where we’ve been, so that we might know maybe where we’re going” — to “think about our current relationship to our environment and what it might look like in the future.”

Leers views this as “acknowledging the environmental crisis that we are currently in, but also trying to think about and foreground artists who are really seriously thinking about what that means and how we might navigate it,” rather than an alarmist call for viewers to reconcile with their own mortality. “I think that is how a monumental change can happen.”

The exhibition’s opening on May 11 featured poetry readings by Appalachian-born Saretta Morgan and Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Natalie Diaz, guided nature walks around the museum’s campus, and a sonic performance by 2023 MacArthur Fellow Raven Chacon.

The museum also has a high-profile collaboration with Venus Williams, tennis champion and arts advocate, to encourage public engagement with the exhibition. Williams will host a six-part podcast series about the exhibit with episodes released starting in June.

“I’m honored to partner with Carnegie Museum of Art on ‘Widening the Lens,’ a deeply meaningful project that integrates art, environment and intentional storytelling,” Williams said in a press release.

“The participating artists and thinkers you’ll hear on the ‘Widening the Lens’ podcast reflect diverse, global perspectives and a vast range of backgrounds and experiences; I am proud to help amplify their voices as they prompt us to consider new and alternative ways of relating to our landscapes through photography.”

Says Leers: “Our hope [is not] that people come out of this exhibition saying, ‘Oh my goodness, there’s nothing to be done,’” but instead that, “as we exit the exhibition, we’re thinking about, ‘OK, what can I do? How can I live in this world?’ Or, ‘What can this world look like?’”

“And for that,” he says, “we always look to artists here at the museum to help us find our way.”

“Transcript of the Disappearance, Exact and Diminishing”

Lynn Emanuel

University of Pittsburgh Press, $18

Lynn Emanuel writes tightly coiled poems that writhe and click like a simmering swarm. There is rage and sadness in her work but also an undercurrent of desperate self-preservation.

Her latest collection, “Transcript of the Disappearance, Exact and Diminishing,” revisits familiar territory for the poet. There are bracing poems about her artist father, who she describes as “the unclosed cut of me,” and Film Noir, a favorite of the poet, proliferates as a theme while providing tone and color for the book as a whole.

But here we also have the recent pandemic, which grabs the gulf between life and death and emulsifies these twin poles of existence until we can no longer be sure where one ends and the other begins. It’s strong stuff and surely some of Emanuel’s finest work.

“Pretend the Ball Is Named Jim Crow: The Story of Josh Gibson”

Dorian Hairston

The University Press of Kentucky, $21.95

Josh Gibson died in 1947 at the age of 35. The Negro League legend was physically depleted and shouldering a 17-year-old heartbreak — his wife died giving birth to their twin children when they were both still teenagers.

Dorian Hairston’s excellent debut poetry collection, “Pretend the Ball Is Named Jim Crow: The Story of Josh Gibson,” tells the life story of the former catcher who played for both the Homestead Grays and Pittsburgh Crawfords legendary teams and, in the process, racked up 800 home runs and set several batting marks that, thanks to a recent change in baseball’s official statistics, now stand as all-time records.

Hairston’s poems inhabit the voice of Gibson himself as well as his wife and children in a series of illuminating persona poems. Satchel Paige and Hooks Tinker, ballplayers who shared the diamond with Gibson, also make appearances. Hairston lets Tinker put the game in context: “it ain’t baseball / we offer folk / when they lay down their money / to watch some Black Ball. // we offer up the one place / where we all agree / a Negro ain’t nothing / but a man.”

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RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS PLAY THE PAVILION AT STAR LAKE ON JULY 2 | PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK

Note: This list is being updated throughout the summer to keep it current. Previous concerts will be removed for your convenience.

July 2024

Jamey Johnson

When: Friday, July 19 

Where: Stage AE

Tickets: Starting at $62

The Pittsburgh Plague Featuring Noah Webster, MISSING! and Waifish

When: Friday, July 19 

Where: Mr. Smalls Theatre 

Tickets: $12

Defiant 

When: Friday, July 19 

Where: The Funhouse at Mr. Smalls  

Tickets: $15

Ole 60 

When: Friday, July 19 

Where: Jergel’s Rhythm Grille

Tickets: Starting at $39

Ludacris

When: Friday, July 19 

Where: Hollywood Casino at the Meadows 

Tickets: Starting at $44

Redd Kross

When: Saturday, July 20 

Where: Spirit Hall 

Tickets: $25

The Flaming Lips 

When: Saturday, July 20 

Where: Stage AE

Tickets: Starting at $74

Mammoth WVH

When: Saturday, July 20 

Where: Roxian Theatre 

Tickets: Starting at $34

Sam Hunt 

When: Saturday, July 20 

Where: The Pavilion at Star Lake 

Tickets: Starting at $41

Boom Boom Shake 

When: Saturday, July 20 

Where: The Funhouse at Mr. Smalls 

Tickets: $15

The Steel Woods 

When: Saturday, July 20 

Where: Jergel’s Rhythm Grille

Tickets: Starting at $48

The Boneshakers  

When: Sunday, July 21

Where: Jergel’s Rhythm Grille

Tickets: Starting at $39

The Band Camino 

When: Monday, July 22

Where: Stage AE

Tickets: Starting at $61

Sad Summer Festival 

When: Tuesday, July 23

Where: Stage AE

Tickets: Starting at $80

Taking Back Sunday

When: Wednesday, July 24

Where: Stage AE

Tickets: Starting at $66

Lyle Lovett

When: Thursday, July 25

Where: Stage AE

Tickets: Starting at $62

Pop Baby

When: Friday, July 26

Where: The Funhouse at Mr. Smalls 

Tickets: $15

Drew Parker

When: Friday, July 26 

Where: Jergel’s Rhythm Grille

Tickets: Starting at $47

Def Leppard

When: Saturday, July 27

Where: PNC Park 

Tickets: Starting at $101

Guster

When: Saturday, July 27

Where: Stage AE

Tickets: Starting at $50

Bad Custer 

When: Saturday, July 27

Where: The Funhouse at Mr. Smalls 

Tickets: $15

Halestorm 

When: Sunday, July 28 

Where: Stage AE

Tickets: Starting at $80

The Japanese House  

When: Sunday, July 28 

Where: Roxian Theatre 

Tickets: Starting at $41

Bowling for Soup 

When: Sunday, July 28 

Where: Palace Theatre 

Tickets: Starting at $46

Faye Webster

When: Monday, July 29

Where: Stage AE

Tickets: Starting at $51

Sleater-Kinney 

When: Monday, July 29

Where: Mr. Smalls Theatre 

Tickets: $45

Lamb of God

When: Tuesday, July 30  

Where: Stage AE

Tickets: Starting at $78

Still Woozy

When: Wednesday, July 31

Where: Stage AE

Tickets: Starting at $71

Styx and Foreigner

When: Wednesday, July 31

Where: The Pavilion at Star Lake 

Tickets: Starting at $41

August 2024

MC Chris 

When: Thursday, August 1 

Where: The Funhouse at Mr. Smalls 

Tickets: $18

Cults 

When: Thursday, August 1 

Where: Mr. Smalls Theatre 

Tickets: $24

Debbie Gibson 

When: Friday, August 2 

Where: Stage AE

Tickets: Starting at $56

Lucky Daye 

When: Friday, August 2

Where: Roxian Theatre 

Tickets: Starting at $40

Dan + Shay 

When: Friday, August 2 

Where: The Pavilion at Star Lake 

Tickets: Starting at $33

Doom Gong 

When: Friday, August 2

Where: The Funhouse at Mr. Smalls 

Tickets: $12

Old Neon & JoeMyGosh

When: Saturday, August 3

Where: The Funhouse at Mr. Smalls 

Tickets: $15

Creed

When: Saturday, August 3

Where: The Pavilion at Star Lake 

Tickets: Starting at $64

Tab Benoit 

When: Saturday, August 3 

Where: Jergel’s Rhythm Grille 

Tickets: Starting at $65

Yacht Rock Schooner 

When: Sunday, August 4 

Where: Stage AE

Tickets: Starting at $47

Chevelle 

When: Monday, August 5

Where: Stage AE

Tickets: Starting at $53

Iration

When: Wednesday, August 7

Where: Stage AE

Tickets: Starting at $61 

Slipknot 

When: Wednesday, August 7 

Where: The Pavilion at Star Lake 

Tickets: Starting at $42 

Sugaray Rayford  

When: Wednesday, August 7  

Where: Jergel’s Rhythm Grille 

Tickets: Starting at $50 

Primus 

When: Thursday, August 8 

Where: Stage AE

Tickets: Starting at $65

The Juliana Theory

When: Thursday, August 8 

Where: Spirit Hall 

Tickets: $29.50

Mixtape Madness #6  

When: Friday, August 9 

Where: The Funhouse at Mr. Smalls

Tickets: $10

Lil’ Fest II: Welcome to Metal-Vale

When: Saturday, August 10 

Where: The Funhouse at Mr. Smalls 

Tickets: $20 

Jason Aldean 

When: Saturday, August 10 

Where: The Pavilion at Star Lake 

Tickets: Starting at $56

Shaggy 

When: Saturday, August 10 

Where: Hollywood Casino at the Meadows 

Tickets: Starting at $55

The Struts

When: Sunday, August 11

Where: Stage AE

Tickets: Starting at $54

Lindsey Stirling  

When: Monday, August 12

Where: Stage AE

Tickets: Starting at $75

Sublime

When: Wednesday, August 14

Where: Stage AE

Tickets: Starting at $68

Imagine Dragons 

When: Wednesday, August 14 

Where: The Pavilion at Star Lake 

Tickets: Starting at $56

Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band  

When: Thursday, August 15 

Where: PPG Paints Arena 

Tickets: Starting at $65

Reverend Kristin Michael Hayter 

When: Thursday, August 15 

Where: Mr. Smalls Theatre 

Tickets: $25

Midge Ure 

When: Thursday, August 15 

Where: Jergel’s Rhythm Grille 

Tickets: Starting at $40

Maddie & Tae  

When: Friday, August 16 

Where: Roxian Theatre 

Tickets: Starting at $41

GUIDES

When: Saturday, August 17 

Where: The Funhouse at Mr. Smalls 

Tickets: $15

Tedeschi Trucks Band  

When: Saturday, August 17 

Where: The Pavilion at Star Lake 

Tickets: Starting at $41

Frostapalooza

When: Saturday, August 17 

Where: Mr. Smalls Theatre 

Tickets: $20

Good Terms x Rematch 

When: Sunday, August 18

Where: The Funhouse at Mr. Smalls 

Tickets: $15

Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band 

When: Sunday, August 18

Where: PPG Paints Arena 

Tickets: Starting at $65

The Script 

When: Monday, August 19 

Where: Stage AE

Tickets: Starting at $61

The Doobie Brothers  

When: Tuesday, August 20 

Where: The Pavilion at Star Lake 

Tickets: Starting at $33

Childish Gambino 

When: Tuesday, August 20 

Where: PPG Paints Arena 

Tickets: Starting at $56

Dweezil Zappa  

When: Wednesday, August 21 

Where: Roxian Theatre 

Tickets: Starting at $64

Dog Party 

When: Wednesday, August 21 

Where: The Funhouse at Mr. Smalls 

Tickets: $15

French Montana 

When: Thursday, August 22

Where: Stage AE

Tickets: Starting at $67

Koe Wetzel

When: Friday, August 23 

Where: Stage AE

Tickets: Starting at $195

The Gaslight Anthem 

When: Saturday, August 24

Where: Roxian Theatre 

Tickets: Starting at $61

mike.

When: Saturday, August 24

Where: Stage AE

Tickets: Starting at $56

Women Who Rock

When: Wednesday, August 28 

Where: Stage AE

Tickets: Starting at $78

Cage The Elephant  

When: Thursday, August 29

Where: The Pavilion at Star Lake 

Tickets: Starting at $33

The 502s 

When: Friday, August 30 

Where: Roxian Theatre 

Tickets: Starting at $35

Built to Spill

When: Friday, August 30 

Where: Mr. Smalls Theatre 

Tickets: $35

September 2024

Green Day  

When: Sunday, September 1

Where: PNC Park 

Tickets: Starting at $44

Rob Zombie and Alice Cooper

When: Tuesday, September 3

Where: The Pavilion at Star Lake 

Tickets: Starting at $39

Sarah Jarosz 

When: Tuesday, September 3

Where: Roxian Theatre 

Tickets: Starting at $35

Goth Babe 

When: Wednesday, September 4

Where: Stage AE

Tickets: Starting at $51

Hotel California  

When: Thursday, September 5

Where: Palace Theatre

Tickets: Starting at $68

Meghan Trainor 

When: Friday, September 6

Where: Petersen Events Center

Tickets: Starting at $24

Oak Ridge Boys  

When: Friday, September 6 

Where: Palace Theatre 

Tickets: Starting at $73

Nicki Minaj

When: Friday, September 6 

Where: PPG Paints Arena 

Tickets: Starting at $56

The Buttertones   

When: Saturday, September 7

Where: Mr. Smalls Theatre 

Tickets: On Sale Soon 

Flatland Cavalry  

When: Saturday, September 7 

Where: Stage AE

Tickets: Starting at $48

James Taylor 

When: Saturday, September 7 

Where: The Pavilion at Star Lake 

Tickets: Starting at $52

Leprous  

When: Sunday, September 8 

Where: Roxian Theatre 

Tickets: Starting at $41

Stained & Breaking Benjamin 

When: Tuesday, September 10 

Where: The Pavilion at Star Lake 

Tickets: Starting at $29

Rival Sons  

When: Tuesday, September 10 

Where: Stage AE

Tickets: Starting at $69

Jeff Lynne’s ELO 

When: Tuesday, September 10 

Where: PPG Paints Arena 

Tickets: Starting at $56

Descendents  

When: Wednesday, September 11

Where: Stage AE 

Tickets: Starting at $65

In This Moment 

When: Thursday, September 12 

Where: Stage AE 

Tickets: Starting at $68

Falling In Reverse 

When: Thursday, September 12

Where: The Pavilion at Star Lake 

Tickets: Starting at $36

Russian Circles 

When: Thursday, September 12

Where: Spirit Hall 

Tickets: $25

American Aquarium  

When: Thursday, September 12 

Where: Mr. Smalls Theatre 

Tickets: $22

Goatwhore

When: Friday, September 13 

Where: Spirit Hall 

Tickets: $25

Badflower 

When: Friday, September 13

Where: Roxian Theatre 

Tickets: Starting at $37

Charles Wesley Godwin

When: Friday, September 13

Where: Stage AE

Tickets: Starting at $74

Coal Chamber  

When: Saturday, September 14 

Where: Roxian Theatre 

Tickets: Starting at $47

Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan and John Mellencamp

When: Saturday, September 14

Where: The Pavilion at Star Lake 

Tickets: Starting at $50

Buzzcocks

When: Saturday, September 14

Where: Spirit Hall 

Tickets: $30

Joey Valence & Brae 

When: Sunday, September 15

Where: Spirit Hall 

Tickets: Starting at $25

The Sisters of Mercy 

When: Sunday, September 15

Where: Roxian Theatre

Tickets: Starting at $71

Atlanta Rhythm Section

When: Sunday, September 15

Where: Jergel’s Rhythm Grille 

Tickets: Starting at $57

Porter Robinson

When: Sunday, September 15

Where: UPMC Events Center 

Tickets: Starting at $29

GWAR

When: Monday, September 16

Where: Mr. Smalls Theatre

Tickets: $40

Hoodoo Gurus

When: Monday, September 16

Where: Jergel’s Rhythm Grille

Tickets: Starting at $86

Dashboard Confessional 

When: Tuesday, Sept. 17

Where: Stage AE

Tickets: Starting at $64

The Aces

When: Tuesday, Sept. 17

Where: Spirit Hall

Tickets: $25

STRFKR

When: Tuesday, Sept. 17

Where: Roxian Theatre

Tickets: Starting at $41

Sum 41

When: Tuesday, Sept. 17

Where: UPMC Events Center

Tickets: Starting at $32

The White Buffalo + Shawn James

When: Tuesday, Sept. 17

Where: Mr. Smalls Theatre

Tickets: $30

Megadeth

When: Wednesday, Sept. 18

Where: Stage AE

Tickets: Starting at $85

Spoon

When: Wednesday, Sept. 18

Where: Roxian Theatre

Tickets: Starting at $59

Pitbull

When: Wednesday, Sept. 18

Where: The Pavilion at Star Lake

Tickets: Starting at $40

Polaris

When: Thursday, Sept. 19

Where: Roxian Theatre

Tickets: Starting at $31

The Red Clay Strays

When: Thursday, Sept. 19

Where: Stage AE

Tickets: Starting at $60

Streetlight Manifesto 

When: Friday, Sept. 20

Where: Roxian Theatre

Tickets: Starting at $50

Aerosmith

When: Friday, Sept. 20

Where: PPG Paints Arena

Tickets: Starting at $57

Lorna Shore

When: Saturday, Sept. 21

Where: UPMC Events Center

Tickets: Starting at $39

Kameron Marlowe

When: Saturday, Sept. 21

Where: Stage AE

Tickets: Starting at $41

CULTURAL FORCES PERFORMS AT UKRAINE HOUSE IN WASHINGTON D.C. IN MAY ON THEIR GRADITUDE TOUR ACROSS AMERICA. | PHOTO COURTESY CULTURAL FORCES

Ukraine’s Cultural Forces, a group of military members who were professional artists before the Russian invasion more than two years ago, will be presenting seven concerts in Pittsburgh June 24-27 as a tour of gratitude to America. 

The concerts are free, although donations will be accepted.

On the U.S. tour, they have performed so far in Washington, D.C., New York, Detroit and other cities.

“This tour not only highlights the resilience of the Ukrainian people but also underscores the vital role of artistic expression in times of conflict,” said June Esser, in a statement. She and her husband, Ron “Moondog” Esser, brought this group to the Pittsburgh region. The group will be performing at the Essers’ club, Moondogs in Blawnox, on Tuesday, June 25

“These will be rich events helping us to understand how Ukrainians are living with the trauma of war while staying true to their profession of music,” she said.

Performers include Yurii Ivaskevych, known as “Pavarotti” for his operatic background; Taras Stoliar (who plays the bandura, a string folk instrument); Olha Rukavishnikova (violin); and Mykhailo Oliinyk (piano); who will share not only their music but their poignant stories. Valeriia Vovk, a special guest on the tour, is a performing master of folklore songs.

CULTURAL FORCES PERFORMS | PHOTO COURTESY CULTURAL FORCES

Mykolai Sierga, a popular Ukrainian TV presenter, musician and producer who helped create the Cultural Forces, told an audience in Washington, D.C. that the performances are an outlet to honor their Ukrainian identity.  

“We are fighting for the soul,” he said. “And you are helping us fight for the soul.” 

Here is the Pittsburgh schedule:

• Monday, June 24: Steamworks Creative, 4967 William Flinn Highway #6, Hampton. 7 p.m.
• Tuesday, June 25: Market Square, Downtown. 11:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m. 
• Tuesday, June 25: Moondogs, 378 Freeport Road, Blawnox. 7 p.m. (With Billy The Kid)
• Wednesday, June 26: Ukraine American Club, 302 Mansfield Blvd., Carnegie. 5–6:30 p.m. 
• Wednesday, June 26: Starlite Lounge, 364 Freeport Road, Blawnox.7 p.m.
• Thursday, June 27: Market Square, Downtown. 11:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m. 
• Thursday, June 27: Pittsburgh Shrine Center, 1877 Shriners Way, Cheswick. 7 p.m. (With the Jimmy Adler Band)

ALL-AMERICAN REJECTS WILL HEADLINE FOUR CHORD MUSIC FEST ON SUNDAY, JUNE 23 | PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK

It’s rare in Pittsburgh for a music festival to mark a 10-year anniversary.

But Four Chord Music Fest is doing just that, moving to the Carrie Furnace this year for a two-day event June 22 and 23. A Day to Remember will headline Saturday night’s show and All-American Rejects are on tap to close Sunday night.

Saturday’s lineup also includes The Story So Far, Sense Fail, State Champs, Four Year Strong, Microwave and Militarie Gun. Sunday’s lineup includes Something Corporate, Motion City Soundtrack, The Get Up Kids, Reliant K, Taylor Acorn, Hunny and Patent Pending.

“It’s the biggest lineup we’ve ever had,” says Adam Valen, director of marketing for Drusky Entertainment, who’s co-producing the festival with Four Chord Music. “It’s been an independently run, essentially DIY music festival for the last 10 years, and now it’s a two-day festival that highlights local and national artists.”

The first Four Chord festival took place at a nightclub in the Strip District with The Wonder Years headlining. Last year’s took place at Wild Things Park in Washington County.

“The last couple years it’s been outside of city limits mostly because it’s been difficult to find a venue that can hold this many people,” says Valen. “To really bring this back into the city, I think it’s such a monumental accomplishment for us to be able to have our 10-year anniversary back in Pittsburgh where it originated.”

GEORGIE LEHOOP, A DRUM ARTIST FROM ST. CLAIR, PA., DISPLAYS HIS ARTWORK AT THE DOLLAR BANK THREE RIVERS ARTS FESTIVAL THIS WEEK. | PHOTO BY JILIAN MUSSER

Lotus Billand, of Floyd, Virginia, loves art, and she travels to cities all across the country every year checking out their arts festivals.

Her favorite one? Pittsburgh’s Dollar Bank Three Rivers Arts Festival.

“I have traveled all around the country, and Pittsburgh is the one place that always ends up calling me home,” she said this week as she browsed among the artists’ booths that are spread out in a larger footprint than in recent years along the Allegheny River.

The views of this photographer and author echoed many others who were either showing their works or attending the 65th annual Three Rivers Arts Festival. 

“I love this festival,” said drum artist Georgie Lehoop, of St. Clair, Pa. “This town is very much into art and they seem to enjoy what I’m doing. I do very well here.” 

As the free, 10-day arts and music festival heads into its final weekend, ending Sunday, it’s been blessed with mostly glorious weather and an influx of crowds attending other huge events like Pride Week and the Kenny Chesney concert that have kept the festival hopping since it opened on May 31.

For the first time, the festival’s footprint extends along the Rachel Carson Bridge, where a Green Mountain Energy Stage offers additional entertainment. The Main Stage is at Ninth Street and Fort Duquesne Boulevard.  

ARTISTS’ BOOTHS ARE LINED UP ALONG FORT DUQUESNE BOULEVARD FOR THE THREE RIVERS ARTS FESTIVAL. | PHOTO BY JILIAN MUSSER

Until 2020, the festival’s Artist Market and concerts were held primarily in Point State Park and the shaded, narrow paths of Gateway Center. But the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, which owns and operates the park, said it could no longer accommodate a 10-day festival in the park. Since then, the festival moved to the Cultural District, where different configurations have been tried each year.

While some festival-goers praised the new layout, others said they miss the setup previously held around Gateway Center. The Fort Duquesne layout allows booths to be spread out more, but requires more walking and there is no shade on the Rachel Carson Bridge. 

“I like it spread out more, even though it’s hard to walk around,” said Cathy Kosmann of Brentwood. “Even though all festivals have the same thing, I think this has a bunch of little different niches here.” 

Most of the artists interviewed — among more than 325 appearing at the festival — were enthusiastic about their work and the festival. 

“We were given a job to make you smile, you know, so that’s important,” said Sidney Carter of Atlanta, who has shown at the festival for eight years. He paints an array of musical and dance pieces to ethnic, abstract, still life and cubism. While most of his pieces are displayed at his gallery in Powder Springs, Georgia, he travels to many festivals. 

“Art is the reason for living. In a lot of ways, it’s what makes culture so interesting,” said Lindsay Schmittle, a former graphic design student who is part of the festival’s Emerging Artist program. That provides new artists with supplies for a booth to ensure their first year at the festival is a success. Her business, Gingerly Press, specializes in letterpress printing.

From metal to wood, Schmittle’s materials are all recyclable, earning her “The Best Use of Recycled Materials” award from the festival. “I’ve got a small business partnership with the National Forest Foundation, so $1 from every product goes and plants a little tree,” she said. More than 3,200 trees have been planted from her work. 

DARIN DINAPOLI OF BRADDOCK HILLS FOCUSES ON ABSTRACT AND DRONE PHOTOGRAPHY. | PHOTO BY JILIAN MUSSER

Artist Darin DiNapoli of Braddock Hills, an Emmy Award-winning director/editor/producer/motion graphics artists, runs DNAPPS Productions, which focuses on abstract and drone photography.

He has been at the festival for three years, beginning as an Emerging Artist. “It’s good to see other artists that are doing [festivals] full time and then myself who does it once a year,” said DiNapoli. “Learning from all these other artists and getting to talk to all the people and what they say about my work as well is great.” 

For Billand of Virginia, she’s just glad to be back.

“This art fair specifically, is so important to me because I have so many family members who I’ve adopted on the road that come here. This is a place that we can all come back to,” she said. “The artists that raised me get to come and we get to connect. Pittsburgh puts it on and that’s why Pittsburgh is home in a way.” 

The festival wraps up with these headline performances on the Dollar Bank Main Stage, located at the intersection of Fort Duquesne Boulevard and Ninth Street. These performers will play between 7:30-9 p.m. For a full weekend schedule, go here,

Friday, June 7 | Doom Flamingo

Doom Flamingo is a synth-wave band from Charleston, South Carolina mixing Top Gun guitar riffs and Miami Beach poolside lounge-vibes, contrasted with dark synth sounds reminiscent of old John Carpenter films.

Saturday, June 8 | Sugarhill Gang and The Furious Five

Sugarhill Gang and The Furious Five are Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and GRAMMY® Award-winning artists and legendary pioneers of rap and hip-hop music. Sugarhill Gang lineup includes Wonder Mike, Master Gee, and Hen Dogg. The Furious Five includes Scorpio, Mele Mel, and Rahiem.

Sunday, June 9 | Ben Folds

Ben Folds is widely regarded as a major music influencer. The Emmy-nominated singer-songwriter-composer has created an enormous body of genre-bending music that includes pop albums with Ben Folds Five, multiple solo albums, and numerous collaborative records.

Jilian Musser’s reporting is supported by the Pittsburgh Media Partnership.

There’s a famous apocryphal story attributed to Ernest Hemingway. It goes like this — a couple of Papa’s writer friends bet him he could not write a story using only six words. Hemingway, who loved besting his pals, simply grinned and said, “For sale: baby shoes, never worn.” According to the sci-fi writer Arthur C. Clarke, ol’ Hem pocketed a cool $10 from his stunned buddies. Not a bad haul in those days.

HATTIE FLETCHER | PHOTO COURTESY HATTIE FLETCHER

Whether this ever actually happened is debatable. But it’s a good story. And it’s a story that proves the adage, “There’s a great power in words, if you don’t hitch too many of them together.” That’s a sentiment that Hattie Fletcher and her latest project, “Short Reads,” wholly endorse.

Fletcher was the managing editor for the locally published magazine “Creative Nonfiction” for 18 years. That magazine specialized in literary non-fiction, an elastic genre that includes essays, memoirs and even poetry. Or, as Fletcher succinctly describes it, “stories based in reality that are written interestingly.” After Creative Nonfiction ceased publication in early 2023, Fletcher and a handful of her co-workers started “Short Reads.”

“Short Reads,” which celebrated its first anniversary earlier this year, is exactly what you would expect from the title. Every week subscribers receive a fresh Flash Essay, under 1,250 words, in their inbox. Subjects and themes may change from week to week but what remains consistent is the immediacy of the essays. “People’s attention spans aren’t always what they used to be,” Fletcher laughs, “so Flash is having a moment.”

Check out more Short Reads at: short-reads.org

PHOTO COURTESY OF ASHER O’BRIANT

Asher O’Briant is tired of being made the villain. In fact, the comedian wants to scream the wonders of gender euphoria from the rooftops — a desire he’s bringing to fruition in his new musical stand-up comedy special, “One-Man, No-Woman, Show.”

Don’t be fooled by the title — the hour-long special welcomes all genders and tackles “untraditional upbringings and uncomfortable bathroom experiences,” says O’Briant. Among a month full of Pride commitments, O’Briant will perform “One-Man, No-Woman, Show” at Arcade Comedy Theater on Friday and at Brillobox on June 23.

“As a transgender writer, I found most mainstream media does not convey transgender people in a very happy or light tone. We’re often associated with crime and drugs and suicide, and it’s not good representation. It’s also not accurate,” O’Briant explains. “Having stories which show gender euphoria and show funny coming-out experiences can really open people’s minds to the fact that it does get better and there is a happier narrative out there.”

COURTESY OF ASHER O’BRIANT

O’Briant aspired to give the kind of representation he himself sought to the transgender community, describing the special as “A fluid monologue through queer history as well as some of my own semi-autobiographical experiences.”

He treats his audience as old friends. Sipping a cup of tea, he addresses the room from a makeshift cafe set-up, complete with “some weeping acoustic guitar player in the corner,” in an attempt to emulate the public intimacy that trading secrets behind a menu offers. Think roller derby-fueled sexual awakenings, Bible-page rolling papers and prostate examination dreams.

As for the musical element of his newest special? O’Briant shares that the concept was born out of the desire to perform alongside his partner, Maximilian Cathey, in a way “where we could showcase our works and our queer experiences at the same time,” says O’Briant.

“[It’s] like a Sonny and Cher hour, but Sonny and Cher are gay and they’re not going to split up.”

The duo uses the iconic Pixies tune “Where is My Mind?” several times throughout the performance, a reference to the song’s prominent placement in the film “Fight Club” — a film that fascinates O’Briant “because it’s so beloved by the cis-het-dude-bro community.”

The cult classic film is additionally referenced as a way to talk about consent — sexual or otherwise — because, for O’Briant, comedy is a medium for advocacy.

His May 25th performance at Deutschtown’s QMNTY Center (pronounced “community”) offered free admission to all audience members identifying as part of the LQBTQ+ community. The QMNTY Center provides resources to trans youth; O’Briant himself teaches sketch, stand-up and improv classes at the center.

“Comedy is a very cis-het dominated field, [which] is unfortunate because it is such a valuable tool for people who are marginalized to speak their experiences to a large audience and be able to laugh at harder subjects that they’ve dealt with,” O’Briant says.

Helping the QMNTY Center — “in any capacity they’ll have me” — allows O’Briant to uplift marginalized voices while using his own. For the last three years, O’Briant has performed at Pittsburgh Pride which the QMNTY Center helps manage.

Ahead of Pride 2024 his excitement was palpable — “I have circles around at least 10 people’s names on the bill that I want to catch,” says O’Briant.

From the welcoming banner on his website — “My pronouns are He/He” — and his special’s tagline, “Insights after going through puberty twice,” O’Briant revels in the opportunity to spread queer joy.

IN THE RIGGING AREA, VISITORS POSE WITH MODELS OF MIKE AND SULLEY FROM “MONSTER’S UNIVERSITY.” | PHOTO © MICHAEL MALYSZKO

My experience with Pixar started with VHS.

Kids today wouldn’t understand having to manually rewind film tape to relive the movie magic. Instead, they can see their favorite Pixar movies come to life right before their eyes at the Carnegie Science Center’s new exhibit “The Science Behind Pixar.”

The exhibit’s media preview included roughly 20 sixth and seventh graders from the Schiller STEAM Academy, but hey, this exhibit is for adults, too!

VISITORS ADJUST THE LIGHTING FOR THEIR PHOTO WITH DORY. | PHOTO © MICHAEL MALYSZKO

Everyone — from museum staff to the students and myself — was excited. Or “buzzing” with excitement, you could say. (“We are excited to infinity and beyond” was also a clear contender in the pun category and used by Science Center Chief of Staff Kim Amey.)

“For me, ‘The Science Behind Pixar’ really stands apart from the other exhibits that we’ve had here for several reasons. The first is how it beautifully blends those STEM disciplines — science, technology, engineering and math — with the arts,” says Amey.

The exhibit — and your journey into the world of animation — starts with a short film about the people and processes behind creating an animated movie. Something as potent and emotional as Boo’s relationship with Sully (“Monsters, Inc.”) or Marlin’s pain and anguish after learning that all but one of his children were killed (“Finding Nemo”) all begins with a sketch.

From there, the sketch becomes digitized, sets are created, lighting is adjusted and entire worlds are built. Amey is right, this exhibit really does combine math and science with arts and creativity.

After the short film, you enter onto the top floor of the exhibit, which spans 12,000 square feet across two floors. When the doors open, it’s like walking into your television screen and entering the world of your favorite characters.

A life-size Buzz Lightyear is there to greet you and teach you about modeling — that is, creating virtual, 3-D models of the characters. There are more than 50 hands-on, interactive workstations that cover topics from modeling to rigging to surfaces and texture.

VISITORS POSE WITH HUMAN-SIZED MODELS OF SOME OF THEIR FAVORITE PIXAR CHARACTERS, INCLUDING BUZZ LIGHTYEAR AND MIKE & SULLEY. | PHOTO © MICHAEL MALYSZKO

I recommend the station that explains how to use rigging to create facial expressions. Move sliding bars from left to right to change Jessie’s (“Toy Story”) face by closing her eyes, lifting her eyebrows or adjusting her pupils.

For those who are visually impaired, each station has a telephone that announces what the station is displaying. For deaf or hard-of-hearing individuals, closed captions appear on the screens.

VISITORS EXPLORE HOW THE RIGHT RIG CAN MAKE ELASTIGIRL’S ARM SUPER STRETCHY. | PHOTO © MICHAEL MALYSZKO

The exhibit is designed to get you to wander instead of following a prescribed itinerary. This is because the process of making a movie isn’t linear itself. Something always has to be reiterated or changed, says Pixar Exhibition Designer Brianne Moseley. Designers wanted the exhibit to reflect that.

New characters may be introduced, new designs can come to light … all of this changes the process of how an animated movie comes together. A process that, by the way, usually takes five years from start to finish.

It took the same amount of time to develop this exhibit, says Moseley.

You’ll find more workstations and characters on the first floor. Don’t miss Edna Mode (“The Incredibles”) in the corner. She’s watching over a display that shows how animation comes together frame by frame. A sign at her feet reads, “Animation is acting, dahling.”

VISITORS POSE WITH MODELS OF SOME OF THEIR FAVORITE PIXAR CHARACTERS, INCLUDING EDNA MODE. | PHOTO © NICOLAUS CZARNECKI

“The Science Behind Pixar” is the eighth international touring exhibition to come through the museum since the opening of the PPG Science Pavilion in 2018. The museum’s last traveling exhibit, “Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition,” broke museum attendance records. I’d gamble my old VHS collection that this exhibit will do the same.

Timed tickets are available now and cost $15 for members. For non-members, a discount is available when you bundle the exhibit with general admission to the museum.

Museum staff say to schedule between 90 minutes and two hours to explore all the exhibit has to offer. That’s more than enough time to watch “Toy Story,” but why watch the movie when you can become a part of it?

KAWS, GONE, 2018, © KAWS

On the fourth floor of The Andy Warhol Museum, one entire wall contains about 2,000 General Mills cereal boxes behind Plexiglas. 

They’re located within sight of Warhol’s famous Brillo Boxes, as well as Heinz and other company’s cartons. 

They’re examples of how Warhol and contemporary Brooklyn-based artist KAWS, who created the cereal boxes as part of a project for General Mills in 2022, blur the lines of art and commercialism, and just one example of how the two artists’ works are intertwined in “KAWS + Warhol,” which just opened.

KAWS AND GENERAL MILLS, FRANKEN BERRY LIMITED EDITION CEREAL BOX, 2022, © KAWS, PHOTO BRAD BRIDGERS

“KAWS + Warhol,” which will be on view through Jan. 20 as part of the Warhol’s 30th anniversary celebration, is the first exhibition to examine the dark themes present in the work of both artists.

“With Warhol, people think glamour, Marilyn Monroe, Liza Minnelli, Studio 54, bright colors, and the same with KAWS — they think about cartoon characters, bright shiny objects,” says Warhol Director Patrick Moore, who curated the show. “But if you really look at them, there’s this undercurrent that makes them, at least for me, much more interesting, which is a fascination with death, tragedy, sadness, compassion, nostalgia, so that’s what we decided to look at.”

ANDY WARHOL, LITTLE ELECTRIC CHAIR, 1964-65, © THE ANDY WARHOL FOUNDATION FOR THE VISUAL ARTS, INC.

Warhol’s work is shown alongside KAWS’ pieces throughout the exhibition: KAWS’ “Sesame Street” characters are in a section entitled “Nostalgia” with Warhol’s “Myths” series, Warhol’s car crash and electric chair works hang near KAWS’ Chum figure behind bars or in sober black and white in a section entitled “Anxiety and Dread.”

Two of Warhol’s works were altered by KAWS: Warhol’s Chanel No. 5 ads have KAWS’ companions wrapped around the perfume bottles. The pieces are displayed alongside one-sheet advertisements from bus shelters and telephone booths that KAWS altered in the 1990s.

KAWS, COMPANION 2020, 2020, © KAWS

Across the street in Pop Park, passersby will see a large sculpture — two of KAWS’ companions embracing in “Together.” The work, while part of the exhibition, will not travel when the exhibition leaves The Warhol (it’s set to go to Tokyo and Kyoto in 2026).

“We thought it was important to do it because we know that there are a lot of people who may or may not be museum people, who might be going to a game, for example,” Moore says. “It’s a way to kind of introduce them to the museum, introduce them to the idea that there may be some art that actually speaks to them.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE ROXIAN THEATRE

In the past several years, a number of new music venues have cropped up around the Pittsburgh region — and others that closed for remodeling (or due to the pandemic) have reopened. If you’re craving that one-of-a-kind concert experience, here are some places worth checking out.

Bottlerocket Social Hall

Allentown: 1226 Arlington Ave. | bottlerocketpgh.com

Founded exclusively as a comedy club with ’70s flair in May 2022, Bottlerocket Social Hall has expanded to include a variety of indie musical acts and other entertainment — and it’s quickly become a part of the Allentown community. The team members at Bottlerocket are passionate, priding themselves on handling everything from booking to promoting in-house; they also are dedicated to showcasing their favorite artists, in genres ranging from punk to soul. At Bottlerocket, you’ll also find DJ nights, trivia nights, karaoke, literary events, movie screenings and more.

The Government Center

East Allegheny: 715 East St. | thegovernmentcenter.com

A record store and cafe by day and concert venue and bar by night, The Government Center is a hub for music lovers on the North Side. Owner Josh Cozby wanted to create a welcoming space for people to appreciate and share music, so he opened The Government Center as a storefront in 2019. In 2021, Cozby moved to a larger and more visible location and added a stage. By the next year, he had added a bar and cafe. Many local and out-of-own acts have since played the venue, with several hosting record release shows there. Even dogs are welcome!

Thunderbird Cafe & Music Hall

Lawarenceville: 4023 Butler St. | thunderbirdmusichall.com

Though it’s been a bar since the 1930s and part of the Lawrenceville music scene since the aughts, Thunderbird’s renovation in 2016 incorporated both a cafe and a music hall for shows, revitalizing the venue. The hall features state-of-the-art technology and maximum visibility to preserve a sense of intimacy. Artists run the gamut; indie rockers, blues musicians and funk and soul performers have come through Thunderbird, making it a popular destination for touring musicians.

Preserving Underground

New Kensington: 1101 Fifth Ave. | preservingconcerts.com

Preserving Underground began as Preserving Hardcore — a record store in the basement of the magisterial district court office in New Kensington with a room for shows designed to drive foot traffic through the shop. An eclectic mix of punk and metal CDs and records predominantly fill the shelves. With a name change and expansion into a former Presbyterian church next door in 2020, Preserving Underground increased its venue size and added more room for records and memorabilia, becoming a treasure trove for collectors and heavy music fans. If you’re into metal or hardcore, you’ll likely find some of your favorite bands in the record bins — or catch them stopping here for a tour date.

Roxian Theatre   

McKees Rocks: 425 Chartiers Ave. | roxiantheatre.com

Originally a vaudeville playhouse and movie theater built in 1929, the Roxian’s remodel and relaunch in 2019 aimed to fill a need for more mid-sized venues in Pittsburgh. Because of the pandemic, the Roxian had to shutter temporarily before it had a chance to make its mark The renovations give the theater a sleek, modern feel. With a 1,400-person capacity, the Roxian is bigger than many of the places on this list, but still more intimate than venues with larger capacities where it’s easier to feel disconnected from the performance.

City Winery

Strip District: 1627 Smallman St. | citywinery.com

Since getting its start in New York, City Winery has expanded to multiple cities across the U.S. and opened a location at The Terminal in the Strip District last year. In addition to offering wine tastings and dining, City Winery regularly features a variety of performers and touring artists, such as the Billy Price Band, a David Bowie Tribute or Splintered Sunlight (a Grateful Dead cover band). Able to seat up to 220 guests for performances, City Winery frequently features rock and soul artists alongside stand-up comedy and other performances. With events scheduled multiple times a week, you’d be hard-pressed to simply call it a winery.

Crafthouse Stage & Grill

Baldwin: 5024 Curry Road | crafthousepgh.com

If you’ve got a craving for a rock or metal concert but also want to let off some steam throwing axes, Crafthouse Stage & Grill has you covered. Connected to Legacy Lanes and Woodchuckers Axe Throwing next door, Crafthouse feels one part sit-down restaurant, one part concert venue and one part family fun center. Despite the mix of activities under one roof, the stage portion of the venue feels focused enough for intimate concerts. And with a recent upgrade in their sound system, Crafthouse is expanding beyond local acts and inviting touring artists to perform as well.

PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK

1. With more than 500,000 artworks and objects, The Andy Warhol Museum on the North Shore is the global keeper of this Pittsburgh native’s legacy.

2. The museum debuted on May 13, 1994, with a fireworks display over the Allegheny River and a 24-hour grand opening.

3. Just two years later, a combination of heavy snow, warming temperatures and rain swelled the three rivers, flooding the basement of The Warhol. No art or archival materials were damaged because they were stored on upper levels.

4. A reproduction of Warhol’s famous red velvet couch in the museum lobby is a favorite photo spot for visitors. The original was found abandoned on a New York City curb in 1964 and became a fixture in Warhol’s Silver Factory.

PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK

5. On March 18, 2005, the Seventh Street Bridge was renamed The Andy Warhol Bridge to mark the museum’s 10-year anniversary. It is the only bridge in the United States named after an artist. (In fact, this was the idea of former Pittsburgh Magazine editor Mike May.)

6. On Sept. 25, 2009, The Warhol hosted first lady Michelle Obama and other spouses of G-20 leaders for a tour and silk-screening demonstration.

7. In August 2013, the museum collaborated with EarthCam Inc. to start a 24/7 live feed of Andy’s final resting place at St. John the Baptist Byzantine Catholic Cemetery in Bethel Park. It continues today.

8. Among the many celebrities who have visited The Warhol: Big Bird, who stopped by in 2019.

9. When Andy Warhol’s “Shot Sage Blue Marilyn” sold for a record $195 million at auction in 2022, he became the most expensive American artist ever — so much so that his namesake museum can’t afford to buy his famous works.

10. Also in 2022, The Warhol launched the Pop District, a $60 million initiative to create a six-block arts and cultural center on the North Shore.

11. Warhol’s 610 Time Capsules have inspired the Gen-Z Time Capsule Project, a collection of photos, videos and objects that best represent those born between 1997 and 2012.

12. Over 12 million people have visited the museum’s touring exhibitions worldwide.

13. In 2023, The Warhol welcomed 180,023 visitors.

14. Warhol’s stuffed Great Dane “Cecil” is on display in the Archives area on the third floor.

15. And about those Silver Clouds: It takes 3 minutes to inflate a metallic balloon pillow with a proprietary mixture of air and helium (enough to have them rise above the ground but not stick to the ceiling). All 25 balloons in the fifth-floor exhibit are changed out every Friday.

PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK

The Greater Pittsburgh Festival of Books returns this month for its third year. More than 60 authors and poets will be in attendance giving readings, participating in panel discussions and signing books. Storytimes should please youngsters while young adult readers can participate in workshops and create their own digital comics. The free festival will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, May 11 at the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary in East Liberty.

(We independently review everything we recommend. When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission.)

“Why We Read: On Bookworms, Libraries, and Just One More Page Before Lights Out”

Shannon Reed

Hanover Square Press, $27.99

While at the festival, stop and chat with local author Shannon Reed. The University of Pittsburgh professor’s “Why We Read: On Bookworms, Libraries, and Just One More Page Before Lights Out” is a warm and witty ode to all things bookish. The book is at turns snarky and generous in its ruminations about the reading life. “Sometimes we read for comfort. Sometimes to feel superior. Sometimes to learn. Sometimes because we are told to. Sometimes out of love, sometimes out of jealousy, sometimes to feel better,” she writes. Reed shows herself to be a wonderful companion as she explores the literary world.

“Millions of Suns: On Writing and Life”

Sharon Fagan McDermott and M.C. Benner Dixon

University of Michigan Press, $24.95

Still feeling bitten by the book bug? Check out “Millions of Suns: On Writing and Life” by Sharon Fagan McDermott and M. C. Benner Dixon. With each chapter consisting of two paired essays on a specific theme, one from each author, “Millions of Suns” offers a very personal look into the writing life. The authors’ experiences as teachers, writers, editors and readers inform their approach to subjects like imagery, metaphor, inspiration and writer’s block. While the book does offer tips and strategies for writers new and old, the authors never allow things to get bogged down in the purely academic. Instead, the reader is invited to participate in a very smart and at times quite moving conversation about the art of putting words on paper.

DIRECTOR, CO-WRITER AND CO-PRODUCER SIMON BARRACCHINI (LEFT) AND CINEMATOGRAPHER AND CO-PRODUCER ADAM PALUH | PHOTO COURTESY RUMINATION IMAGES

Simon Barracchini was on his way to work one day when he checked his mailbox to find a handwritten letter. With no return address, one might be cautious to open it — or start imagining the possibilities.

“Having lived a life, you kind of start thinking extremes,” Barracchini says.

He started exploring the “what ifs”: Could this be a relationship from the past? Perhaps, there was a child he didn’t know he had.

Turns out, it was a Jehovah’s Witness letter.

“It’s an interesting tactic to get people to open it up, because you’re just going to throw [junk] mail in the trash,” Barracchini says.

Inspired by this experience, Barracchini’s creative mind started running. A knock on the door could be from anyone, but what about a child you don’t remember having?

Barracchini thought, “How would you not know? How would that happen … but what if I was a woman?”

The result of his ruminations is a dramatic-thriller, “Godless Children,” an independent feature film directed and written by Barracchini that will be available through Amazon beginning May 7; it was nominated as one of the best feature films at the 2023 Lonely Wolf International Film Festival.

Barracchini is the president of Rumination Images and grew up in Beaver County; the film was made entirely in Pittsburgh. The producers used 15 locations across the region, from Ruthfred Market in Bethel Park, Chrissy’s Cut, Color, and Curls in Springdale, and even family homes offered by locals from Ambridge to Upper St. Clair.

Related: This Pittsburgh-Made Comedy is a Classic in the Making

“The topography of Pittsburgh, for filmmakers, is parallel to none,” says Kathleen Regan, Rumination Images producer and film co-writer. “If you need to shoot a scene in the city, a scene with a cow, a scene with a suburban house, you can do that in one day.”

Regan stars as Theresa in the film, an infertile woman who gets an unexpected visitor claiming to be her daughter.

ACTOR JESS UHLER (LEFT) AND ACTOR, CO-PRODUCER AND CO-WRITER KATHLEEN REGAN | PHOTO COURTESY RUMINATION IMAGES

“I’ve been infertile all of my life, so what if someone came to my door saying they’re my child?” says Regan.

Actors Jess Uhler (Meghan) and Noah J. Welter (Nico), who both appeared in the locally filmed “Wolf Hollow,” were chosen through a round of auditions for local talent, union and non-union. “We had no issues finding actors to audition — but our problem was trying to choose,” Regan says.

The film digs into the complexities of relationships, perceptions and how sometimes people will hide things from each other, no matter how close they are.

“You’re not even sharing it with your best friend, your partner … especially as two females,” Regan says.

“Our whole idea is when things go too far,” Regan says. “We took that concept of, ‘what’s the worst that could happen?’”

PHOTO COURTESY THE FRICK PITTSBURGH

Summer Fridays aren’t just for the office — they’re also at The Frick.

The museum’s outdoor concert series is back for its 10th season, which kicks off June 14 with a performance by choral group Vocal Confluence.

That’s not the only reason to celebrate. This also marks the 30-year milestone of summer music on the grounds of the museum in Point Breeze.

Below is the full lineup for the Summer Friday concert series. Performances begin at 6:30 p.m. on the North Lawn. A $5 donation is suggested.

Related: See Which New Famous Artists Are Currently in Town at The Frick

June 14

Vocal Confluence

Vocal Confluence will perform a diverse selection of music ranging from jazz to pop. Expect to hear the music of Walter Donaldson and Sara Bareilles.

July 12

Daphne Alderson

This performance celebrates the closing of The Frick’s exhibit “Vermeer, Monet, Rembrandt: Forging the Frick Collections in Pittsburgh & New York.” Alderson will be joined by the St. Michael Chamber Band.

Aug. 2

Cello Fury

Enjoy a night of a night of instrumental rock with the sounds of cellos and drums.

Aug. 23

Ishtar Vintage Bellydance Band

This performance celebrates the opening of “Treasured Ornament: 10 Centuries of Islamic Art.” The group blends jazz with the sounds of Turkey, Greece, Egypt and the Balkans.

PHOTO BY AIDAN MCCLAIN

If you find yourself Downtown on Liberty or Penn Avenues between Sixth and Ninth streets, look up!

A new public art installation has lodged 200 multi-colored kites into more than 80 trees in the Cultural District. But the kites aren’t kites at all. They’re kite-shaped aluminum sculptures from Pittsburgh-based artists Lenka Clayton and Phillip Andrew Lewis.

The “kites” will be on display through March 31, 2025.

THE “KITES” ARE ALUMINUM SCULPTURES | PHOTO BY AIDAN MCCLAIN

“We are thrilled to commission this joyful public art project that encourages audience members of all ages to reconnect with their inner child,” said Anastasia James,irector of Galleries and Public Art for the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust in a press release.

The sculptures “can be interpreted as a colorful aftermath of a celebratory event,” according to the release. Fittingly, the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust will present multiple public programs during the exhibition’s run.

The exhibition’s grand opening, scheduled for April 26, falls on the same date as the Cultural District’s Spring Gallery Crawl. Community flying days are scheduled for May 30 to June 9, which overlap with the Three Rivers Arts Festival. Free kites will be provided — just don’t get them lost in the trees!

Related: When You Can See Sugarhill Gang, Ben Folds and More, for Free, This Summer

2023 CHALK FEST | PHOTO COURTESY OF RIVERLIFE

The Riverlife Chalk Fest is back for its third year.

Twenty-five professional artists from across the country will come to Pittsburgh to turn ordinary sidewalks in the Pop District into works of art. Local artists will display their work too, including Pittsburgh’s own Erik Greenawalt, also known as “The Chalking Dad.”

“I’ve traveled around the world doing chalk art, from Australia to England, and I’m so very excited that we are able to once again color the streets of Pittsburgh,” Greenawalt said.

2023 CHALK FEST | PHOTO COURTESY OF RIVERLIFE

A new “up and coming” artist category this year introduces a youth artist who will create alongside the professionals.

Artists will start their chalk art creations on Friday, May 24 on Isabella Street. You’re free to view the artists at work or return on Saturday, May 25 to see the art in its entirety when the Riverlife Chalk Fest officially kicks off at 1 p.m.

Or, head to the area on Sunday, May 26 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. for the official viewing day.

Last year’s Chalk Fest drew in more than 10,000 people over two days.

2023 CHALK FEST | PHOTO COURTESY OF RIVERLIFE

This year’s artistic celebration coincides with the Pittsburgh Pirates home game festivities on Federal Street, with a block party on Saturday and Pirates Family Fun Day on Sunday.

The 25 artists symbolize Riverlife’s 25th year of reclaiming Pittsburgh’s riverfronts.

“We’re going to be breaking ground at Allegheny Riverfront Park in late summer 2024, and finalizing concept designs at Allegheny Landing, where Riverlife Chalk Fest takes place,” said Riverlife President and CEO Matt Galluzzo in a statement.

Related: A Closer Look at The Big Plans For Pittsburgh’s Riverfront Parks

SZA WILL HEADLINE THE THE INAUGURAL SUDDEN LITTLE THRILLS FESTIVAL THIS SEPTEMBER | PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK

A pair of bona fide headliners are boosting Pittsburgh’s newest music festival, as Grammy-winning R&B superstar SZA and alternative titans The Killers will headline the inaugural Sudden Little Thrills fest.

The full lineup for the new festival, scheduled for Sept. 7-8 at Hazelwood Green, was announced Tuesday.

The Killers will headline on Saturday, Sept. 7, alongside sets from St. Vincent, Melanie Martinez, Crowded House, Ethel Cain and more. SZA will wrap up the weekend with the featured set on Sunday’s show, which will also include performances from Yung Gravy, Omar Apollo, Juvenile and Lupe Fiasco, among others; each day’s lineup features 16 different artists.

Pittsburgh royalty will also be represented at each day of Sudden Little Thrills. Globally recognized DJ and producer Girl Talk will be part of the lineup on Saturday. Wiz Khalifa will celebrate his 37th birthday with a performance on Sunday.

The event will also feature “curated local cuisine and spirits offerings,” according to a press release, and a portion of proceeds will be donated to Hazelwood-based nonprofits and community organizations.

Tickets for the festival begin at $149 for single-day general admission or $249 for two-day GA passes, with ample upgrades available. A presale begins Thursday.

PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK

Before eHarmony, and Match, and Tinder, and Bumble, and Hinge … there was “Date Night TV.”

The show, which began airing on WPXI (after “Saturday Night Live”) in 1995, was kind of the first wave of reality television, with bar-hopping hosts stopping by hot spots (Tequila Willies, Banana Joe’s, Chauncy’s) to film Pittsburgh singles looking for love. Each single featured on the episode would have a unique mailbox number, and viewers could call a number into the station (men had to pay .49 cents a minute, women could call for free), and connect.

Host Lisa Dapprich stumbled into the job. At the time, she was a hairstylist, working with some of the executives at WPXI. Originally, the idea was to have singles come into the studio — and Dapprich agreed to do their hair and makeup. She started to hang around while the show taped, and eventually (after the original producer left), stepped into a production role. And then she decided to change the format.

Related: Matchmakers, Speed Dating and Apps: A Look at Pittsburgh’s Dating Scene

“We originally did a little segment called The Burning Question, which was like man-on-the-street,” Dapprich says. “We’d go to bars, and we had rock comic Mark Eddie playing guitar and asking these goofy questions, and we’d have people answer it and edit all together. It was the best part of the show! And I knew that’s what the show needed to be.”

And the network let it happen.

Dapprich and her crew (other hosts included John Cline from the radio station B94) would go to bars and talk to people as they were out partying. Everyone who participated had to sign a release, but Dapprich says there was never any trouble finding people who wanted to be on TV.

“I found that if we started interviewing around 11 p.m., people had a couple of drinks and they would loosen up,” she says. “They were fun. If we went anywhere past 12:30, 1 a.m., they were annihilated and we couldn’t use anything.”

The show (you can still find some episodes on YouTube) was wild. People shared their real names, their real jobs (“I’m a personal financial advisor with American Express”), and their real sexual exploits.

“I remember asking one guy, where was the most unusual place you had a romantic encounter,” she says. “And he said something like, beside his grandmother’s bed, with his grandmother in the bed. And I thought, ‘Well, that’s something that will stick with you.’”

Thanks to the signed releases, the station never got sued, but there were some morning-after regrets.

“If someone called me at the station within that week before we started editing and said, ‘You gotta pull me,’ I would have,” Dapprich says. “I didn’t want to ruin anybody’s life.”

“Joe Manganiello was on it,” she adds. “I interviewed him and he said that he was on his way out to L.A. shortly. I’ll never forget it because he was so hot, No. 1, and because he was funny. And he popped up a couple of years later, and I was like, ‘Oh my God. He made it. I  interviewed him in the Strip District, and he made it. Maybe he was using it as his tape. That’s what got him to the big leagues.’”

Officially, “Date Night TV” stopped airing in 2002, but new episodes had stopped filming a few years earlier.

“I did it for about five years, and then I was just done with it,” Dapprich says. “I thought they’d get somebody else to do it, but they just ended up putting reruns [on the air] and still getting good numbers. Once I quit and they put it onto reruns for a few years, these poor people were like, ‘Get me off of this show!’ You know, their 3-year-old child is sitting there, and here they are dropping it at a bar somewhere, talking about their favorite turn on, and that was years ago.

“It was fun while it was fun, and then I just couldn’t take drunk people anymore.”

PHOTO BY KGTUNNEY PHOTOGRAPHY

The following story first appeared at onstagepittsburgh.com, a website dedicated to coverage of the performing arts in the Greater Pittsburgh region. 

Pittsburgh CLO is shaking up how it does business for its 78th year, including a summer season spread among three venues and, just announced, patron enticements targeting affordability.

Launching for 2024 are three “Remove the Barriers” initiatives that will include parking and transportation to and from four suburban areas, family discounts and child care for specific performances among PCLO shows: “West Side Story,” “The Music Man” and “The Color Purple” at the Benedum Center, “Seussical” at the Byham Theater and “Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill” and “Young Frankenstein” at the newly renovated Greer Cabaret Theater.

“It’s time to do new things, and let’s see what the results are,” said PCLO Executive Producer Mark Fleischer, who has previously shared the need to stem the tide of a 20% downturn in subscriptions and attendance that has occurred since the pandemic shutdown.

Previously, Fleischer said, there had been a balanced flow of losses and gains in subscribers. Two dark years changed the equation, “or, as one of my board members has said, it takes nine months to build a habit,” Fleischer said.

He and his team began audience-building conversations to determine what were the real and perceived barriers to bringing people back or bringing new patrons into the PCLO fold.

The feedback led to the following initiatives for the upcoming season, which begins May 13, with the Billie Holiday biomusical “Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill.”

PHOTO COURTESY PITTSBURGH CLO

PCLO Show Shuttle

For select summer shows, and starting from specific locations in suburbs of the city, patrons can park for free before boarding ticketed transportation provided by Molly’s Trolleys, with Audacy Radio providing onboard entertainment, for the journey to and from the Downtown theaters. When purchasing a PCLO show ticket online, guests can then add on a trolley ticket for $10, directly through Molly’s Trolleys.

The free-parking locations are lots at the Tanger Outlets in Washington, Pa.; the Mall at Robinson; and Target stores in Cranberry and Monroeville.

A trolley can hold up to 30 people. After 30 is reached, Molly’s Trolleys will determine the number needed to add more transports.

Besides “the convenience and ease” and avoiding parking rates that can go as high as $30, “I love theater for community building, and my hope is that people get on the trolley, and they’ll drive down and get to know each other. And then when they’re coming back after the show, hopefully they’re excited about what they saw, and they’re talking and making friends,” Fleischer said.

PHOTO BY KGTUNNEY PHOTOGRAPHY

PCLO Family Pass

For every adult ticket purchased, up to four child tickets can be added for $10 each. FAMILY PASS tickets can be purchased in all price zones for any date or time of four Summer Series productions: “West Side Story,” “The Music Man” and “Seussical” (ages 3-18) and “The Color Purple” (ages 13-18).

The initiative is patterned after the Travelex program at the National Teatre in London, and funded by the Richard King Mellon Foundation.

The idea was appealing to a foundation with the mutual concern of bringing families and young people Downtown. Fleischer adds his pride in that these discounts are for all seating areas, “so if parents buy $90 tickets, they can have their kids sit beside them for $10 each.”

PHOTO BY KGTUNNEY PHOTOGRAPHY

PCLO Show Care

While adults enjoy specific Saturday matinee shows, children ages 3 (fully potty trained) to 12 can be left to the care of Pittsburgh CLO Academy of Musical Theatre faculty. SHOW CARE is described as “not just child care; it’s peace of mind and a fun-filled show themed creative opportunity for children.” The CLO Academy faculty has clearance and skills to work with “Promising Preschoolers” on up, and will tailor programs to the ages of participants.

PCLO SHOW CARE is available for Saturday matinees of “West Side Story,” “The Color Purple” and “The Music Man.” Space is limited, and advance registration is required when buying tickets for those performances.

The evolving face of Pittsburgh CLO, a stalwart of America’s musical theater tradition, represents the need for change that has been challenging and inspiring arts groups of all sizes. The trio of initiatives announced on April 9 have come from listening to patrons and potential audience members, and recognizing “a need to make sure that we’re meeting them where they’re coming from,” Fleischer said.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE FRICK PITTSBURGH

There are only 30 or so Vermeers in existence. One of them is currently in Pittsburgh.

The Frick Pittsburgh has unveiled its latest exhibition, “Vermeer, Monet, Rembrandt,” with works by those artists as well as Degas, El Greco and more.

“It is truly an amazing opportunity to see some great works of art,” says Frick Chief Curator and Director of Collections Dawn Reid Brean, noting the last time a painting by the 17th century Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer was in Pittsburgh was in 1940, when the Carnegie Museum of Art displayed “The Milkmaid.”

As a whole, the exhibition helps to tell the story of how Frick and his daughter, Helen Clay Frick, amassed their extensive collection.

Henry Clay Frick took an interest in the old masters right around the turn of the 19th century. He purchased his first Vermeer, “Girl Interrupted at Her Music,” which is included in the exhibition, in 1901 for $26,000, which would be just under $1 million today. It was the fourth Vermeer to ever enter the United States.

JOHANNES VERMEER (DUTCH, 1632–1675), “GIRL INTERRUPTED AT HER MUSIC,” CA. 1658-1659. OIL ON CANVAS, 15 ½ X 17 ½ IN. THE FRICK COLLECTION, NEW YORK.

Frick purchased his second Vermeer, “Officer and Laughing Girl,” 10 years later for 10 times the amount. He ultimately had three Vermeers in his collection.

Also in 1901, Frick purchased Monet’s “Banks of the Seine at Lavacourt,” also included in The Frick Pittsburgh’s exhibition, for $3,000, less than a year after it hung in the Carnegie International.

CLAUDE MONET (FRENCH, 1840–1926), “BANKS OF THE SEINE AT LAVACOURT (BORDS DE LA SEINE A LAVACOURT),” 1879. OIL ON CANVAS, 22 7/8 X 31 ½ IN. FRICK ART & HISTORICAL CENTER, PITTSBURGH.

Frick purchased the Rembrandt “Self-Portrait” seen in the exhibition in 1906. Urging Frick to buy the piece, art dealer Charles Carstairs wrote to him saying, “It is most powerful, grand, monumental. If only you could see the picture over your mantel, dominating the entire gallery, just as you dominate those you come into contact with…” The painting is Rembrandt’s largest of his approximately 100 self portraits.

REMBRANDT HARMENSZ. VAN RIJN (DUTCH, 1606–1669), “SELF-PORTRAIT,” 1658. OIL ON CANVAS, 52 5/8 X 40 7/8 IN. THE FRICK COLLECTION, NEW YORK.

The Ingres portrait on display in this exhibition, “Comtesse d’Haussonville,” 1845, was one of Helen’s contributions to the family’s collection; it was from a period of French art that Henry did not collect and was acquired after his death. Helen also eliminated pieces from the family’s collection she felt did not align with her father’s tastes.

“What visitors to The Frick Collection might think of as Henry’s creation was, in fact, the work of many contributors, including his indomitable daughter,” a placard in the show reads. “Without Helen, The Frick Collection would look very different, and The Frick Pittsburgh would not exist.”

JEAN-AUGUSTE-DOMINIQUE INGRES (FRENCH, 1780–1867), “LOUISE, PRINCESS DE BROGLIE, LATER THE COMTESSE D’HAUSSONVILLE,” 1845. OIL ON CANVAS, 51 7/8 X 36 ¼ IN. THE FRICK COLLECTION, NEW YORK.

Hanging next to the imposing Rembrandt that Henry acquired is a smaller work, Sassetta’s “Virgin Crowned by Two Angels,” originally purchased by Henry’s wife, Adelaide Frick in 1931. The positioning is meant to evoke the difference between Henry’s tastes and the roles Helen and Adelaide played in the family collection.

Frick Executive Director Elizabeth Barker said the exhibit has, in a sense, been about a century in the making. The Frick Collection in New York City opened in 1935; that museum and The Frick Pittsburgh each hold subsets of the Frick family art collection, but because The Frick Collection rarely lends their pieces, Barker said, the two subsets have never been exhibited as a whole.

However, The Frick Collection is currently undergoing renovations, and The Frick Pittsburgh made its case for displaying some of the works rather than have them sit in storage. Three dozen pieces from The Frick Collection are currently on display in Pittsburgh in this exhibition.

The Frick Pittsburgh has numerous events organized with community partners surrounding the exhibit, which runs through July 14. On May 5, members of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra will perform in The Frick Art Museum Auditorium, and on June 1, a full-day program will immerse guests in Henry Clay Frick’s life with a tour of Clayton then a trip to West Overton Village in Westmoreland County, where Frick was born and raised.

ROSEMARY WELSCH IN THE COMMUNITY BROADCAST CENTER MUSIC LIBRARY | PHOTO BY RENEE ROSENSTEEL

Bridging the music generation gap can be challenging. Gwen Field Snyder of Vandergrift knows; she and her 19-year-old son, Dylan, don’t like all of the same music. But when Dylan is home from college, Snyder can put WYEP on and they both get something out of it.

“It’s just kind of a bonding thing to listen to the same music,” she says.

The Snyders are two generations of WYEP fans, but there are one or two more generations in the WYEP listening audience. The commercial-free, public-supported station at 91.3 FM is celebrating its 50th year in operation.

“If you had told me in 1984 that we would still be here and that we would be in the shape we’re in, I would have said, ‘That’s fantasy. That’s never gonna happen,’” says Rosemary Welsch, who has been playing music on WYEP since 1981 and fills the 2 to 6 p.m. slot on weekdays. “But, it did happen.”

HOST ROSEMARY WELSCH IN CARSON STREET STUDIOS | PHOTO COURTESY WYEP ARCHIVES

Related: She Became Pittsburgh Radio Royalty by Making Music Matter

The station started in the community-radio movement of the ’70s, says its co-founder John Schwartz. Even then, there were people bristling at the rigid formats of commercial radio stations.

In the early days, working out of an unfinished, South Oakland basement, WYEP programmed children’s shows, talk shows and music that tracked from bluegrass to classical. It was difficult for listeners to keep track of when they should tune in to find the programming they liked, Schwartz says.

PROGRAM DIRECTOR MIKEL ELLCESSOR IN CHATHAM COLLEGE STUDIOS | PHOTO COURTESY MIKEL ELLCESSOR

Still, the station garnered enthusiasm from the nearly all-volunteer workforce and a small group of listeners.

“It kind of unlocked people’s desires to express themselves in a way I think now is done on social media,” says Schwartz, who left the station after two years to move to Colorado, where he still lives.

Welsch was a young woman looking to express herself when she walked into the station in 1981. “What attracted me to it was something that you would never expect,” Welsch says. “I was looking for a way to come out as a lesbian, and they had a lesbian show. When you’re 22 years old and you’re looking for a way to come out and you don’t go to bars, that was it for me.”

Welsch, who had no training in radio, described her first show as “the listener’s trial and my error. We really didn’t know what we were doing.”

Still, she felt that she had the work ethic to learn what to do. She talked to other staff members about specific skills she wanted to build and took any shift she could get. “I just went and figured this out,” she says.

DUBMISSION HOST KEREM GOKMEN IN CARSON STREET STUDIOS, 1990S | PHOTO COURTESY WYEP ARCHIVES

Welsch was on the station’s board of directors in 1985 when they figured out that the strength of the station also was its weakness: its programming was too spread out and listeners were not supporting it with donations.

“We had no money,” she says. “We knew we had to restructure the radio station. I knew it was the only chance we had of survival.”

The station returned to the airwaves two years later with a paid staff — but it still had not found its programming niche. At first, it played New Age music.

“I knew, right away, that that wasn’t gonna work,” says Welsch, who received her first paycheck from the station in 1990. “Eventually, they brought back the old weekend programs, folk and bluegrass and blues and things like that. There was a long series of programming changes, but there was no format at all until we started creating one with the morning show that I was hired to do.

“You have to have a focus and you have to understand you are not going to please everyone, because that’s what we were trying to do in the early days,” Welsch says.

The station eventually settled on a format that is loosely adult album alternative, she says. It plays some songs you’ll hear on commercial radio mixed with new artists, local bands and acts that don’t fit into commercial formats.

MUSICIAN MICHAEL FRANTI (LEFT) AND GUITARIST JAY BOOGIE (RIGHT) IN 2012 ON THE COMMUNITY BROADCAST CENTER STAGE | PHOTO BY HUGH TWYMAN

“Many times I’ll be driving to work listening and you’ll hear something like Stevie Wonder and then something like Florence and the Machine and then something that I’ve never ever heard before,” Snyder says. “You’re not gonna hear that kind of variety anywhere else. Even listening on Spotify, you’re not gonna discover the types of new music, or it’s not as easy to discover the types of new music, as it is on the radio.”

Ultimately, WYEP is about giving voice to the community, Welsch says, and she’s excited to celebrate its 50th year.

“It’s the little radio station that could. It’s a remarkable story, I think.”

PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK

It’s about time a medical drama was set in Pittsburgh.

Warner Bros. has announced that Max has greenlit a 15-episode, straight-to-series drama called “The PITT,” produced by and starring Noah Wyle of “ER” fame. “The PITT” will be “a realistic examination of the challenges facing health care workers in today’s America as seen through the lens of the frontline heroes working in a modern-day hospital in Pittsburgh,” according to a press release.

Pittsburghers can indeed hope for a realistic show; assistant professor Beth Hoffman, who teaches a course called Entertainment, Media, and Health at the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health, was asked to connect the show’s creators with clinicians in the Pittsburgh area.

Related: How a New Medical TV Show Could Influence Public Perception

She also shared stories of Freedom House, the first emergency medical service in the nation which was founded in the Hill District with an all-Black staff, and Jonas Salk developing the polio vaccine in Pittsburgh.

“It is really my hope that this show will help shed light on the amazing history we have here in Pittsburgh in terms of health and medicine,” she says. “Pittsburgh has such a rich history and an active medical community that I think it’s absolutely time [for a show to be set here], and I’m really excited to see what comes with it.”

Along with Warner Bros, the show will be produced by John Wells Productions, the company behind “ER,” “The West Wing” and many other award-winning shows. Wells is a Carnegie Mellon University graduate.

“We are grateful to Warner Bros. Television and Max for giving us this opportunity to return to the world of urban medicine,” Wells, Wyle and showrunner R. Scott Gemmill said in a statement. “The myriad of challenges facing the doctors, nurses, technicians, patients, and their families who work in the trenches of modern medicine have become only more pronounced in the decade and a half since we last visited their stories.”

No cast members other than Wyle have been announced, and production dates have not yet been released.

PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK

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“Nothing. Everything.”

Virginia Montanez

Winding Road Stories, $19.99

Some memories are painted in watercolor — a softer, more soothing representation of what had been a harsh reality. Some memories are pencil sketches that fade and smudge with time. And some are etched into diamond-hard surfaces in exact detail that will outlast any lifetime,” writes Virginia Montanez in “Nothing. Everything.,” her debut novel.

Montanez, a frequent PM contributor, is perhaps best known as “PittGirl,” the sobriquet she shared with an early-2000s blog that skewered the local political scene. The irreverence and love for Pittsburgh that informs so much of her writing is embodied here by Ellis Sloan, a recently divorced mother of two young children who is in the process of rebuilding her life. Sloan is funny and perceptive, and, as the above quote suggests, she is also struggling to move forward.

Montanez doesn’t offer any easy answers here. When an old love reappears in Sloan’s life, the author deftly plays against rom-com expectations. Ultimately, Sloan must find her own way out of the darkness. Luckily for her — and us — that path is paved with plenty of warmth and humor.

“Gen X Pittsburgh: The Beehive and the ‘90s Scene”

David Rullo

History Press, $24.99

Speaking of Pittsburgh history: Dig out your Doc Martens and grab some Manic Panic hair dye because author David Rullo is taking us on a journey to the not-so-distant past in “Gen X Pittsburgh: The Beehive and the ‘90s Scene.” Rullo testifies, “the Beehive brought coffee culture, and with it a healthy dose of art and alternative lifestyles, to the Steel City.”

The Beehive lasted from 1991 to 2019 on the South Side’s East Carson Street and quickly became a center for artists, writers, filmmakers and weirdos. (A second location in Oakland that featured a movie theater, bar and performance space took up residence in the King’s Court building on Forbes Avenue from 1992-2001.)

Rullo speaks for a lot of us who spent many caffeinated hours in both locations when he writes, “I wasn’t aware of the social impact of the Beehive when I found it. I simply knew I discovered a place where I fit in.” Here’s the whole story straight from the owners, employees and habitués of the legendary cafe.

THIS ARTWORK IS BY JORGE HIDALGO PIMENTEL, AN ARTIST WHO WILL BE FEATURED AT THE MARCH 26 SHOW AT PITTSBURGH WINERY | COURTESY DEL CAIMAN

For Rafael Migoyo, president of the Cuban art platform Del Caiman, the environment is an important part of presenting artwork. Getting it out of a white-wall gallery and into the home atmosphere has been the objective of past Del Caiman events, which took place at Migoyo’s home alongside carefully curated Spotify playlists.

Migoyo is passionate about the connection between viewer and artwork. He likes to explore that connection with attendees, almost like a matchmaker, by fostering and exploring relationships formed with the art. 

“They love the process of discovering an artwork for the first time,” Migoyo says about his clients. “Learning about it, exploring its depths, and then going home and seeing how it turns their house into a home,” is what drives Migoyo to bring people together with artwork that speaks to them.

RAFAEL MIGOYO | PHOTO BY EMMAI ALAQUIVA

He’s aiming to enhance the art salon experience by incorporating both taste and live music with the help of Pittsburgh Winery and Lucas Bowman, keyboardist of Pittsburgh band The Commonheart. The art and music event on March 26 at Pittsburgh Winery’s cellar stage in the Strip District promises to be a “celebration of creativity” of Cuban artists. 

Bowman, who also is Cuban, has composed five original pieces of music to accompany the five pieces of art on display; the music will be performed by Bowman and others.

The idea of an art show accompanied by live music was tossed around between the two for a while, but Migoyo hadn’t found the opportunity to make it a reality until now.

After discussing some shared musical influences, Bowman previewed the artwork. Migoyo stresses that authenticity is an important part of the creative process, and wanted Bowman to interpret the work based on his own emotional response. Since then, Migoyo’s been hands-off. 

“The requirement was authenticity and skill and ability. I knew he could deliver that. So I give him the trust,” Migoyo says. 

For Bowman, working alone is an exciting change of pace that isn’t without its pressures. Though influenced by Cuban music he grew up listening to, Bowman tries not to go into the composition of a piece with a specific style in mind. This leads to dabbling in a variety of genres, including improvisation. 

“As a rule, when I’m composing a piece I try to let the music speak for itself. I want it to tell me where it’s going,” Bowman says. 

Deadlines are daunting, especially for a larger body of work, but Bowman works well with them. He finds the pressure of a deadline creates a different energy in the composition as opposed to writing with no set end date. It’s also helpful to avoid overthinking. 

The total creative free rein differs from working collaboratively with The Commonheart, where differences of musical opinion can sometimes arise and decisions have to be made.

“Sometimes, other people are right,” he says laughing.

Tickets are available online as well as on the day of the event. The event is 21+, with doors opening at 7 p.m. and music beginning at 8 p.m. The cost of admission also includes a glass of wine. 

PHOTO BY KARLI CADEL/THE GLIMMERGLASS FESTIVAL

The story of how a groundbreaking opera company got its start should make for a good opera. The story of how the National Negro Opera Company got its start in Pittsburgh should make for a great opera — to be performed in Pittsburgh.

Pittsburgh Opera will present “The Passion of Mary Cardwell Dawson,” about the music teacher who founded the longest-running, all-Black opera company in 1941.

Pittsburgh Opera General Director Christopher Hahn says a lot of people may not know Dawson’s story, despite the significant effort underway to restore the National Opera House in Homewood, where the National Negro Opera Company began.

“The first performances in Pittsburgh are of tremendous importance,” Hahn says.

Hahn first visited the National Opera House in 2017 when Pittsburgh Opera performed “The Summer King,” the story of the great Negro Leagues baseball player Josh Gibson; the cast took a field trip to the site. Not long after that, one of Hahn’s colleagues, who runs the Glimmerglass Opera Festival in upstate New York, let him know she was putting together an opera about Dawson.

“I knew really instantaneously that this was a piece that needed to be done here,” Hahn says.

PHOTO BY JATI LINDSAY, COURTESY OF WASHINGTON NATIONAL OPERA

What Dawson was able to do in the 1940s was incredible, he relates. Starting an opera company from scratch involves more than just finding great singers; Dawson had to find chorus members, seamstresses and stagehands who could travel and put on world-class shows.

At the time, the opera house was a boarding house for Black celebrities who needed a place to stay while they were in town. Dawson’s music studio was on the third floor.

Dawson “was able to plug into a support system that helped encourage her very brave, almost quixotic quest because she was not able to, for reasons of segregation at that time, be a part of any of the other opera companies around, and so she basically decided to form her own,” Hahn says.

The opera went on to perform major productions at The Met in New York City, in Chicago and in Washington, D.C.

“She was a fascinating person bubbling out of Pittsburgh, and we all need to know that.”

The show was written by Sandra Seaton with music from Carlos Simon and selections from “Carmen.”

“The Passion of Mary Cardwell Dawson”
April 27, 30 & May 3, 5
Byham Theater
pittsburghopera.org

The last two nights of this year’s Dollar Bank Three Rivers Arts Festival feature two of the most lauded artists in the celebrated festival’s history.

On Saturday, June 8, hip-hop pioneers Sugarhill Gang and the Furious Five will perform Downtown as part of the annual festival. The former group, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees, are credited with the first true hip-hop single, “Rapper’s Delight.” Founding members Wonder Mike and Master Gee will perform with the group, alongside fellow trailblazers the Furious Five, fellow Hall of Famers featuring “The Message” MC Melle Mel.

The following night, master songwriter Ben Folds returns to Pittsburgh for a night of his Paper Airplane Request Tour. The pianist, who has performed with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra in the past, will invite fans to write song requests on paper airplanes and loft them toward the stage. (Hopefully there’s no bad weather on Sunday, June 9.) Folds’ appearance was “spoiled” several weeks ago when the Paper Airplanes Request Tour announcement included a date at the Arts Festival.

Other featured artists at the 10-day festival include Los Lonely Boys, Doom Flamingo and more. A full lineup of music, visual arts and exhibitions will be announced in April. Find the lineup of headliners below.

Friday, May 31 — Pokey LaFarge

Saturday, June 1 — Los Lonely Boys

Sunday, June 2 — Martha Redbone Roots Project

Monday, June 3 — Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra

Tuesday, June 4 — Nicole Zuraitis

Wednesday, June 5 — Ozomatli

Thursday, June 6 — Say She She

Friday, June 7 — Doom Flamingo

Saturday, June 8 — Sugarhill Gang and the Furious Five

Sunday, June 9 — Ben Folds

ALGERIAN ARTIST ANOUAR RAHMANI (LEFT) AND UKRAINIAN ARTIST OLENA BORYSHPOLETS PERFORM ‘SORRY, I DON’T UNDERSTANDING’ AT CITY OF ASYLUM. | PHOTOS COURTESY CITY OF ASYLUM

Two writers who became roommates seeking sanctuary at the City of Asylum’s Comma House have collaborated to create “Sorry, I Don’t Understanding,” an original, multilingual play that explores ways to communicate and connect without language. 

Performed in Navajo, French, Ukrainian and English, the play stars Ukrainian artist Olena Boryshpolets and Algerian artist Anouar Rahmani and takes inspiration from their story of learning to understand each other. “This multilingual aspect is the core idea of the play,” says Rahmani. 

Since 2004, the City of Asylum has offered short and long-term living for persecuted writers through its Exiled Writer and Artist Residency Program so writers can continue to add to culture and literature through their work. One of City of Asylum’s residences on the North Side, Alphabet City, will host a free world premiere of the play at 7 p.m. Monday, March 25 — available in person or streamed online.

“Most of what we do here is much more straightforward, like a reading or book launch or bringing in external artists who have their own thing,” says Alexis Jabour, senior production manager at City of Asylum. “This is a unique program for us.” 

“We’re happy that we’re adding some additional value to its history as the first time two writers from City of Asylum have worked together on a play,” Rahmani says. 

Rahmani, the first person to demand the legalization of same-sex marriage in Algeria, was already living in the Comma House when Boryshpolets moved in. She fled Ukraine when Russia invaded in 2022 and lived in Poland for a year.

Another artist at City of Asylum, Oleksandr Frazé-Frazénko, translated from Ukrainian for Boryshpolets in an interview, “You can imagine my stress when I needed to move to a new country again and start learning a new language that I didn’t know before.”

“She was barely saying ‘hi’ or ‘good morning’. That’s all our interactions were and she was really sad and angry,” Rahmani says. “I was also like that when I arrived, so I got to see myself in her.” 

Step by step, the two started to understand each other without words. While their story makes its way into the play, it’s not just the writers and their experiences. The title of the play refers to the stressful process of moving to another country and how trying to connect with a new world comes with complex lessons that aren’t so easily understood. “This is why we actually chose the title to be a little bit confusing,” Rahmani says. 

The show will also feature Frazé-Frazénko and The Happy Lovers band for one of its scenes, playing a traditional Ukrainian song that Frazé-Frazénko says “reflects the twist in the play perfectly.” 

The night will end with a Q&A session, where the artists are hoping for the most engagement. They expect the audience to be both passive and active “through questions in their mind that we’re trying to encourage them to ask,” Rahmani says.

“This is very important because art should not answer questions,” Boryhspolets said through Frazé-Frazénko as interpreter. 

Jabour says the stage will be surrounded by the audience, making room for about 100 people. Free tickets can be reserved in advance, and the show can also be viewed online via livestream.

PHOTO COURTESY “SIGNTASTIC!”

Tonight, a locally filmed game show will hit the big screen — and its creators will celebrate some historic achievements.

The premiere event, to be held at the Lindsay Theater in Sewickley, will spotlight “SignTasTic!,” a Pittsburgh-filmed game show that incorporates American Sign Language (ASL) to appeal to both hearing and Deaf communities. It’s also the first American game show to feature a Deaf host, Dan Cook.

Cook, who also created the show, said the idea initially took form as a card game to make teaching ASL more engaging for students. When approached by a friend to make a show teaching ASL, the idea transformed into a full-fledged game show.

“We both thought that it was not fair that other TV channels [are focused on] diversity … but there is no channel for Deaf people,” Cook says.

This desire led to the creation of Silent Visual Media, a company aimed at bridging the gap between Deaf and hearing communities in media. “SignTasTic!” is one of their first major projects.

In “SignTasTic!,” contestants are given 50 words in ASL to learn, and then are expected to use and respond to them throughout various segments to earn cash prizes. For viewers at home who aren’t fluent in ASL, graphics on screen will help them follow along.

The show incorporates hearing contestants and crew alongside Deaf performers, which caused some communication difficulties early on in the filming process. But by the end, the team formed a tight bond and were reluctant to stop filming.

“I want people to be pulled into the Deaf community in a fun way, so we can all share our experiences,” Cook says. “My hope is that SignTasTic! can help establish relationships and pave the way for Deaf people and hearing people to collaborate together and make awesome entertainment”.

“SignTasTic!” has been picked up by VSYN+, a recently launched streaming service for signed languages, where new episodes will air weekly.

Tickets for tonight’s event are still available — but selling quickly.

POSE WITH A HUMAN-SIZED MODEL OF BUZZ LIGHTYEAR AND LEARN HOW HE WAS MADE. | PHOTO © MICHAEL MALYSZKO

When the landmark animated film “Toy Story” debuted in 1995, it wasn’t merely another hit movie. The blockbuster film represented a landmark technological achievement, bringing cutting-edge computer science to bear on popular entertainment. Now, Pittsburghers will get a peek behind the digital curtain — not to mention some great selfies.

Starting in May, guests at the Carnegie Science Center can discover the science behind the movie magic at “The Science Behind Pixar,” a visiting exhibit scheduled to take up residence in the PPG Science Pavilion. The 12,000-square-foot exhibition, which replaces the current “Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition,” is set to open on May 25.

Related: “The Science Behind Pixar” Is Larger Than Life

“The Science Behind Pixar” features exhibits explaining how the STEM disciplines — science, technology, engineering and math — are used to make cutting-edge animation. The Science Center promises more than 50 interactive displays at the exhibit, which will allow guests to replicate some of the processes used to create animated films.

VISITORS POSE WITH MIKE AND SULLEY AND WATCH HOW SULLEY’S RIG MOVES AS HE WALKS. | PHOTO © MICHAEL MALYSZKO

Of course, the exhibit is also made for Instagram: Life-sized replicas of characters including WALL-E, Buzz Lightyear and “Finding Nemo” favorite Dory will be on hand for photo opportunities.

“The Science Behind Pixar” was created by the animation studio in collaboration with the Museum of Science, Boston. The domestic exhibition (an identical exhibit tours internationally) is currently on display at the Liberty Science Center in Jersey City; it will close May 5 and relocate to Pittsburgh.

Tickets to “The Science Behind Pixar” will be sold separately from museum admission, and will cost $15 for members and $18-22 for non-members.

“The Science Behind Pixar” will remain in Pittsburgh through January 5, 2025.