Future Tenant Presents: Traffic Lights

WHO/WHAT: Trespass residency by Jakob Marsico

WHEN: August 14 – September 13

WHERE: 819 Penn Avenue

COST: Free to the public

PITTSBURGH, PA – "Traffic Lights" is a light and sound installation by Jakob Marsico, based on the patterns created by live-streaming traffic cameras. Using computer vision, custom software, generative sound design and dynamic lighting, Traffic Lights translates real-time CCTV traffic footage into an immersive experience; exposing the otherwise unrecognized patterns we create throughout our built environment.

 The opening night of “Traffic Lights” is August 14, 2015 at 6 PM. Future Tenant will provide drinks courtesy of Straub Beer, Jack’s Hard Cider, and Johnnie Ryan Soda. Two bands will be performing at the Future Tenant space during opening night: “Natural Bottom” and Evan Richards.

 Jakob Marsico is an interaction designer and media artist. He runs Ultra Low Res Studio, an arts-engineering firm that works with developers and architects to integrate dynamic, experiential installations with the built environment. Marsico currently holds an adjunct instructor position at Carnegie Mellon University and is a member of the CoDe Lab in CMU’s School of Architecture. He has a BA in Religious Studies from George Washington University and a Masters of Tangible Interaction Design from Carnegie Mellon University.

This specific project is made possible by the generous support of Frank-Ratchye STUDIO for Creative Inquiry.

The Trespass residencies at Future Tenant allows two artists or groups to reside in the Future Tenant space in order to practice, plan, and create new work.

 FUTURE TENANT is a non-profit art space located in downtown Pittsburgh at 819 Penn Avenue dedicated to showcasing the work of emerging artists through exhibitions that offer a cutting edge perspective on the Pittsburgh art scene.

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Season Press Release 2015-2016

FUTURE TENANT PRESENTS A DYNAMIC VISUAL AND PERFORMING SEASON

Photos available at [email protected]

PITTSBURGH, PA –Future Tenant is excited to announce their thirteenth season, which will incorporate a diverse platter of themes. A total of 13 major exhibitions and performances make up this upcoming season.

inti.mate, a solo group exhibition by Sidney Mullis, focuses on a fictive animal kingdom, where invented animals perform mating rituals. Born in Virginia, Mullis is currently pursuing her MFA with a concentration in sculpture at Pennsylvania State University in State College, PA. She is the recipient of the Graham Fellowship and Melchers Gray Purchase Award. This exhibition will be at Future Tenant from July 10 – August 9.

Our annual sought-after Trespass series, offers a residency for artists or groups who put their exhibitions at the space for a limited amount of time. Our first Trespass artist, Jakob Marsico, uses patterns created by traffic cameras to create a light and sound installation, called Traffic Lights. Jakob, a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University, is also an adjunct instructor there, and a member of the CoDe Lab in the School of Architecture. This exhibition will show from August 14 – September 13.

Future Tenant is a space for art, and it welcomes all types of art forms at the space. Throughout our season, Future Tenant holds their Open Mic Nights, which gathers local Pittsburgh artists to perform their musical arrangements. The first Open Mic Night will be held at Future Tenant on August 21, from 7-10 PM.

As a part of the Southeastern College of Art Conference Future Tenant will be hosting a Juried Show curated by Jessica Beck, Assistant Curator at the Andy Warhol Museum. Works selected in this year’s show represent the broad creativity of SECAC member artists from thirteen different states. This will be at Future Tenant from September 25 – October 25.

Arguably considered one of the more popular shows at Future Tenant is the annual ten-minute play festival, Future Ten. This year, Future Ten will embark on a comedic route and host six ten-minute plays. Ticket prices for Future Ten is $12, and performances will be held on November 6 at 7 pm; November 7 at 7 & 9 pm; November 13 at 7 & 9 pm; November 14 at 7 & 9 pm; and November 15 at 2 pm.

In addition to live visual exhibitions, Future Tenant gives two visual artists a chance to have window installations. The first, The Escape Artist, by Savannah Schroll Guz, shows the history of body alterations caused by corsets over hundreds of years. This window installation will be at Future tenant from December 11 – January 5.

New Year’s Eve is celebrated worldwide, and Future Tenant aims to contribute a lasting memory for families in Downtown Pittsburgh. This year, Future Tenant will host a performing group as part of Highmark’s First Night Event on December 31.

As a part of long-standing tradition with the Carnegie Mellon School of Art, Future Tenant hosts the CFA Show, which displays students’ artwork. This show is at Future Tenant from January 15 – February 14.

From February 28 – March 23, is our second window exhibition, Accretion. Produced by Julia Betts, Accretion is a life-size, fibrous sculpture made entirely of masking tape. Masking tape initially interested Betts because of its accessibility and affordability, but, while working with the material, it became attractive as a vehicle for repetition. Julia Betts is a Pennsylvania native who is completing her MFA in Rhode Island School of Design.

Creative Byproducts is a visual collision of the work by artists Anna Brewer and Sam Berner. The collaborative installation is the immediate extension of their regular conversations about a stifled American dream and its byproducts of social inequalities, environmental devastation, and creative voids. The exhibit would include colorful, interactive and fun work from each artist as well as one or two large collaborative paintings they have completed over the past year. Creative Byproducts will be at Future Tenant from April 22 – May 21.

Future Tenant’s final visual exhibition of the 2015-2016 season, New Order: Collage Now, is a group exhibition curated by Sonja Sweterlitsch and Mundania Horvath. This exhibition presents a group of artists that create new meanings through juxtapositions, finding relationships and contrasts in the world around them to form fresh ideas. This exhibition will be at Future Tenant from June 3 – July 3.

WHERE

Future Tenant

819 Penn Avenue

Pittsburgh, PA 15222

COST

Free except for Future Ten

GALLERY HOURS*

Thursday and Friday: 4-8 PM

Saturday: 12-8 PM

Sunday: 1-6 PM

*Additional gallery hours may be in effect during other arts festivals around Pittsburgh. Please refer to www.futuretenant.org for updated hours. 

Trespass Spring 2014

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Diana Cwerenz, Executive Director
[email protected]
March 4, 2014                                                                                                         

Future Tenant presents:

“Trespass Residencies” - three weeks of new work from emerging artists.

Who: Future Tenant
What: Trespass Residencies
When: March 10 – 29, 2014. Performances 7PM March 14th, 21st, and 22nd, 2PM and 7PM March 15th.
Where: 819 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh PA 15222

Tickets for Shockheaded and The Rosie Rogers Cowgirl Show available at www.brownpapertickets.com

Pittsburgh, PA, March 4, 2014 – Future Tenant presents its bi-annual Trespass Residency series with three weeks of new work from emerging artists. Selected artists are provided with 24 hour access to Future Tenant’s 819 Penn Avenue Space to create and present never-before-seen performances and visual art.

Trespass Residency Week 1 - Shockheaded
Felicia Cooper, a senior at Point Park University presents an original ensemble based theatrical piece combining storytelling, post-modern movement, and paper sculpture. The piece, which explores several stories of Stuwwelpeter, grapples with the question of why we are so uncomfortable with messiness and ambiguity in the stories we tell, and why we gravitate towards logic and patterns.

Trespass Residency Week 2 - The Rosie Rogers Cowgirl Show
Inspired by Rosie Trump’s three-year stint as a resident of the lone star state and recent dive into matrimony, “The Rosie Rogers Cowgirl Show” melds contemporary dance, video collage, and narrative to tell the tongue-in-cheek story of Rosie Rogers. With her trusty mare Pony Grrrl by her side, Rosie will spin tales of her home on the range and “teach ya’ll a two-step you’ve never seen this side of the Rockies.” Following its run at Future Tenant, the piece will be featured at the Prague Fringe Festival.

Trespass Residency Week 3 - The “Take a Painting” Project
March 24-29, Open to the public all week. March 28 Reception from 6 to 9PM

Erika Stearly presents a re-mount of her graduate thesis at Indiana University, an interactive painting installation made up of several hundred small paintings on paper. Viewers are invited to help themselves to a complimentary painting and to participate in the creation of works that will be incorporated into the installation. With the goal of maximizing community involvement, this project is designed to level the boundaries between artist, viewer, and collector.

Future Tenant is a non-profit art space located in downtown Pittsburgh at 819 Penn Avenue dedicated to showcasing the work of emerging artists through exhibitions that offer a cutting edge perspective on the Pittsburgh art scene. For more information about the residencies and other Future Tenant programming, please visit www.futuretenant.org, www.facebook.com/futuretenant, or follow @futuretenant on Twitter.


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Vacancy: Art is Your Future Tenant

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Claire McCandless, Development Manager

[email protected] | 814-657-3877

www.futuretenant.org

Future Tenant Presents

Vacancy: Art is Your Future Tenant

What: Future Tenant invites the Pittsburgh community to Vacancy: Art is Your Future Tenant, the 2014 fundraiser and art party

When: Friday, April 4 | VIP Happy Hour 6-7:00 PM, Fundraiser 7-11:00 PM

Where: East Liberty Place North – 5807 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15206

Cost: VIP Tickets - $50 each, or $90 for 2; Pre-Sale tickets - General admission $25, students $20; At the door - General admission $30, students $25

(March 5, 2014) - Future Tenant announces Vacancy: Art is Your Future Tenant, the art space’s annual fundraiser and art party. On April 4, 2014, the Pittsburgh community will come together at East Liberty Place North from 7:00-11:00 pm in support of the mission and vision of Future Tenant, which was recently named one of Pittsburgh's 10 Best Contemporary Art Galleries by The Culture Trip.
 
Each year the Future Tenant annual fundraiser raises enough money to cover 33% of the upcoming season’s programming budget. The theme of the event this year, Art is Your Future Tenant, speaks to the idea of urban development through the arts. Art is the future tenant of the city of Pittsburgh, and we seek to promote that idea in the community through an interactive and entertainment-filled art party that directly supports arts programming.

The event will feature a raffle showcasing Pittsburgh-based emerging artists, who have donated their works specifically for the event. A variety of arts experiences will also be included and raffle tickets will be available for purchase during the event. Performers include DJ Jakeisrain, C Street Brass, and My Cardboard Spaceship Adventure.

A VIP Happy Hour will kick off the event, starting at 6:00 pm. The VIP portion of the evening will feature a tequila tasting and educational discussion by bartenders from sponsor Verde. It will also feature a champagne tasting provided by Bar Marco.  Beverage sponsors, Straub, Johnnie Ryan soda, and Jack’s Hard Cider, will provide complimentary drinks to all attendees throughout the evening. A variety of light bites and appetizers will also be provided by local restaurants.

Tickets are available online via brownpapertickets.com or at the door.

Future Tenant, located in Downtown Pittsburgh at 819 Penn Avenue, is a non-profit art space dedicated to showcasing the work of emerging artists through exhibitions and performances that offer a cutting edge perspective on the Pittsburgh art scene. For more information about Vacancy: Art is Your Future Tenant and other Future Tenant programming, visit www.futuretenant.org.

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Arts and Drafts

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Marina Moser, Community Development Coordinator

[email protected]

412-567-8861

Future Tenant Presents: Arts and Drafts, An Artist Networking Roundtable

Who/What: Future Tenant is teaming up with local legal, marketing, and grant writing experts for an evening of networking and resource building.

When: Saturday, February 15th, 6:30-8:30pm

Where: Future Tenant, 819 Penn Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15222

Cost: This event is free and open to all artists. RSVP at FutureTenant.org required.

Meet fellow emerging artists and make connections in art law, arts marketing, and grant writing. On SATURDAY, February 15, FROM 6:30-8:30 PM, Future Tenant will be teaming with local gurus including Larry Castner, Brett Crawford, Pat Clark, and Ann Mulgrave for Arts and Drafts, An Artist Networking Roundtable. Emerging visual and performance artists are encouraged to come and seek resources from local experts passionate about the arts. Doors open at 6 PM, so come early for a complimentary Straub Beer, Jack’s Cider, or Johnnie Ryan Soda courtesy of our sponsors.

The exchange of artist trading cards and business cards throughout the evening is welcome. Artists will be divided into randomly selected teams for roundtable activities. Teams will spend 30 minutes each at the legal, marketing, and grant writing tables. 30 minutes will be reserved at the end of the evening for additional networking and questions for consultants. Events begin promptly at 6:30 PM.

Larry Castner, Esq. is Manager of Volunteer Services at the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council (GPAC) and runs the Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts program affiliated with the Pittsburgh Pro Bono Center. Dr. Brett Crawford has a performance background and is an Assistant Teaching Professor for the Arts Management program at Carnegie Mellon University’s Heinz College. Pat Clark is a Managing Partner of Jackson/Clark Partners with a background in marketing and arts and community development. Additionally, Ann Mulgrave is Manager of Grants and Accessibility at GPAC and works as an advocate for people with disabilities.

For more information about this event and other Future Tenant programming, please visit www.futuretenant.org.

Future Tenant is a non-profit art space located in downtown Pittsburgh at 819 Penn Avenue dedicated to showcasing the work of emerging artists through exhibitions that offer a cutting edge perspective on the Pittsburgh art scene.

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Fabrications

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 13, 2014

Contact: Diana Cwerenz, Executive Director
[email protected]

Fabrications, a group exhibition, highlights visual artwork by Carnegie Mellon University’s College of Fine Arts students. The nine artists were selected by Future Tenant staff during the CFA Open Studio Day in December of 2013.

Fabrications

Curated by Bonnie Gloris

At Future Tenant, 819 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222

Opening reception on January 31, 6-9 pm

On display from January 31-March 2, 2014

Free admission

(January 13, 2014) Future Tenant presents Fabrications, a group visual art exhibition. “Fabrication” can refer to many things; a story concocted with the goal of deception; a manufacturing process; a construction from raw materials. In this showcase of talent from Carnegie Mellon University’s College of Fine Arts, there is recurring emphasis on subtle narratives and stories woven from paint, thread, and wood. The tactile quality of the work tempts the viewer to explore the structures and to touch the various textiles and textures. A balance between craftsmanship and concept are achieved in a variety of mediums and styles in this presentation of work from the CFA program.

The exhibiting artists are Nicole Anderson, Zechariah Choi, Adelaide Cole, Cristina David, Claire Gustavson, Michael Importico, Justin Lin, Sejal Popat, and Laurel Michel-Schottman. These emerging artists were chosen due to the merit of the art they presented during the CFA Open Studio Day, and the potential their work shows for future success in the arts.

GALLERY HOURS: Thursday and Sunday, from 1 to 6pm, Friday and Saturday, from 1 to 8pm. Additional gallery hours will be announced at www.facebook.com/futuretenant and @futuretenant on Twitter.

Future Tenant is a nonprofit art space located in downtown Pittsburgh at 819 Penn Avenue, dedicated to showcasing the work of emerging artists through exhibitions that offer a cutting edge perspective on the Pittsburgh art scene. For more information about this show and other Future Tenant programming, please visit www.futuretenant.org.

Attached image: "America, As Imaged By," Nicole Anderson. Laser-cut fabric, 3 feet x 2 feet x 2 inches.

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Shame of the City: Deconstructing & Reconstructing Comic Narratives

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Diana Cwerenz, Executive Director
[email protected] 

Shame of the City: Deconstructing & Reconstructing Comic Narratives is group exhibition of 23 unique works of art made by 23 artists, each a deconstruction of a single page of the 1984 comic book “The Invincible Iron Man,” volume 01, issue 178, published in 1984. The exhibition, curated by Joseph A. Lupo, includes a variety of mediums, including drawing, collage, digital and traditional prints.

Shame of the City: Deconstructing & Reconstructing Comic Narratives

Curated by Joseph A. Lupo

At Future Tenant, 819 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222

Opening reception on December 13, 6-9 pm
On display from December 13, 2013-January 12, 2014

Free admission

(November 11, 2013) Future Tenant presents Shame of the City: Deconstructing & Reconstructing Comic Narrative, a group visual art exhibition. Curator Joseph A. Lupo is interested in how artists and writers communicate through comics. Comics rely on text and image to establish a storyline. By eliminating or combining aspects of both characteristics, one can begin to deconstruct the visual and narrative of a comic. According to Lupo, his attention is “to reveal the hidden design in the construction of comic books and to question how presentation affects the way we interpret narrative.” The meaning of this work emerges from a unique dialogue between the artwork and viewer.

The issue of “The Invincible Iron Man” that Lupo has chosen to deconstruct is unique because the super hero Iron Man never directly appears. Each of the nationally recognized artists featured in this exhibition were provided with a copy of a single page from the comic book. Some of the participating artists are professional comic book artists, while others make comic inspired artwork, or are interested in collage. Each artist was encouraged to cut up/deconstruct/collage/reassemble parts of the comic to create a new comic image. The guidelines were loose; the only stipulation was that the final image be composed mostly of the original comic imagery. The resulting artwork will be displayed in the sequence of the page numbers each artist was given, promoting the idea that an underlying narrative still exists.

The artists were selected by Joseph A. Lupo, Associate Professor of Art at West Virginia University. Lupo has exhibited his artwork and lectured extensively, and has participated in numerous artist residency programs. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for Artists Image Resource, a nonprofit press and gallery located on Pittsburgh’s North Side.

Exhibiting artists: Jennifer Anderson, Randy Bolton, Peter Bugg, Dylan Collins, Matt DiClemente, Tim Dooley, Amze Emmons,Tate Foley, Joseph Galbreath, Andrew Kozlowski, Michael Krueger, Adam Leestma, Jasen Lex, Joseph Lupo, Daniel Maw, Nathan Meltz, Ryan Miller, Luke Novel, Ed Piskor, Jim Rug, Geo Sipp, Brian Stuparyk, and Jason Urban.

GALLERY HOURS: Thursday and Sunday from 1 to 6pm, Friday and Saturday from 1 to 8pm. The gallery will be closed December 26-27, but will have extended hours on December 31, 6-11pm for Highmark First Night. Additional gallery hours will be announced at www.facebook.com/futuretenant and @futuretenant on Twitter.

Future Tenant is a nonprofit art space located in downtown Pittsburgh at 819 Penn Avenue dedicated to showcasing the work of emerging artists through exhibitions that offer a cutting edge perspective on the Pittsburgh art scene. For more information about this show and other Future Tenant programming, please visit www.futuretenant.org

Open Mic Night - Call for Performers

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jackie Shimishoni, Community Development Manager
[email protected]

Future Tenant announces a call for musicians, magicians, dancers, comedians, and entertainers of all forms to perform at Open Mic Night to be held at Future Tenant on Saturday January 25, 2014.  We are looking for acts local to Pittsburgh and the surrounding area. The call is open to all performance art disciplines.

Act requirements:

• Your act must be relatively easy to set up and remove (to insure enough time for all acts)

• Your act must be appropriate for all ages, as this event is FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. If you feel your act is too risqué, chances are it is. However, if you have specific concerns please let us know with your submission.

Submission instructions:

In order to reserve a timeslot, please submit your interest, equipment requirements, and appropriate sample materials to Jackie Shimshoni (Future Tenant’s Community Development Manager) at [email protected] by January 18, 2014.

About Future Tenant

Located in the heart of Pittsburgh’s cultural district, at 819 Penn Avenue, Future Tenant provides a laboratory setting for artists, arts managers and audiences to explore the limits of the creative expression, presentation and interpretation of various art forms. For more information please visit futuretenant.org or email [email protected].

The Upcycle Make and Take

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jackie Shimishoni, Community Development Manager
[email protected]

Who/What: Future Tenant is teaming up with Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore to present The Upcycle Make and Take, a workshop for creating original holiday ornaments out of recycled materials.
When:  Saturday, November 23rd, from 12-2 PM.
Where:  Future Tenant: 819 Penn Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15222Cost:
Cost:  There is a five-dollar entry fee and RSVP is required

This November, Future Tenant is celebrating the possibilities of creating beautiful art while also being kind to the earth.  Surrounded by the repurposed artwork of Tree Pittsburgh’s Arbor Aid exhibit, The Upcycle Make and Take event allows you to channel your own inner artist! Guests will be able to get creative and do their own upcycling by using a variety of recycled materials to create holiday ornaments. RSVP is required by November 20th to ensure enough supplies for the event.Materials for this event were generously donated by Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore. 

According to their mission, “The Habitat for Humanity ReStore sells reusable house building and home improvement materials to the public…All proceeds from the sale of donations help place families in affordable shelter in the Greater Pittsburgh area. The ReStore provides an environmentally and socially responsible way to keep good, reusable materials out of the waste stream while providing funding for Habitat’s community improvement work.”

To learn more about the ReStore, please visit their website at http://www.pittsburghhabitat.org/shop.html. For more information about this event and other Future Tenant programming, please visit www.futuretenant.org

Arbor Aid Juried Exhibition 2013

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Diana Cwerenz, Executive Director
[email protected]

Who/What: A juried exhibition of artwork that utilizes urban reclaimed wood. The exhibition is a collaboration between Future Tenant and Tree Pittsburgh, in conjunction with the 2013 Arbor Day Foundation Partners in Community Forestry National Conference.
When: November 2-December 1, 2013, with an opening night Arbor Aid celebration on Saturday, November 2nd, 6-10 pm.
Where: Future Tenant, 819 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222
Cost: FREE 

Join Future Tenant and Tree Pittsburgh for the Arbor Aid 2013 juried visual art exhibition, to be held at Future Tenant from November 2 through December 1, 2013, with an opening night Arbor Aid celebration on Saturday, November 2nd, 6-10 pm. The exhibition will be part of Tree Pittsburgh’s activities related to the 2013 Arbor Day Foundation Partners in Community Forestry National Conference.

Featured artists include: Andy Beck, Cory Bonnet, Jason Boone, Richena Brockinson, David Calfo, Matt Gatto, Peter Johnson, Rachel Mathes, Gary Raines, Chuck Sawyer, Khen Thomas, and Aaron Treher.

The artwork was selected by a jury of respected arts professionals from the Pittsburgh area, including: Jason Boone, a craftsman who owns Urban Tree, LLC; Natalie Sweet, exhibitions apprentice at The Society for Contemporary Craft; Phil Hessler, an arts educator and installation artist/photographer, whose work concerns dereliction and displacement; and Adam Kenney, the Executive Director of Touchstone Center for Crafts, in the Laurel Highlands.

The show features artwork made out of, or related to, reclaimed urban wood, which may come from downed or removed trees, materials from once-occupied buildings, or from other urban reclaimed sources. According to juror Natalie Sweet, “each piece was selected not only for the high quality of craftsmanship and innovation, but also for the clear connection it demonstrated to the natural world.” Adam Kenney further expounds that the artists’ “successful efforts drive home the notion that materials may have dynamic second lives that transcend their original purpose and origin."

Guides will be available during the opening night to escort visitors between Future Tenant and the Tree Pittsburgh fundraiser at the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust Art and Education Center, located at 803 Liberty Avenue. Enjoy food and drinks, I Made it! (out of wood) local craft market, and musical entertainment. Limited tickets for the fundraiser are available.

About Tree Pittsburgh
Tree Pittsburgh is an environmental non-profit organization formed in 2006 and dedicated to enhancing the city of Pittsburgh's vitality by protecting and growing the urban forest. Tree Pittsburgh is to be a leader in creating a healthy, attractive and safe urban forest by inspiring and engaging citizens to maintain plant and protect trees. Tree Pittsburgh works collaboratively with the City of Pittsburgh, community groups, and residents to make a positive impact on the urban forest.

History of Arbor Aid 
Arbor Aid was conceived of five years ago by Tree Pittsburgh and late local woodworker John Metzler, founder of the Urban Tree Forge. Arbor Aid celebrates the possibilities presented to us by trees as resources within our city. Rather than make mulch or firewood from urban trees that need to be removed, Tree Pittsburgh encourages giving them a longer life by repurposing them as art, furniture, flooring and everything in between.

Future Ten: 2013

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Diana Cwerenz, Executive Director
[email protected]

“Future Ten 10: A Showcase of the Past Decade” 10-minute Play festival will be held at 8PM on October 18-19 and 25-26 at Future Tenant.

Future Tenant’s annual 10-minute play festival, Future Ten, is celebrating its tenth anniversary. To commemorate a decade of showcasing local talent and vibrant new work, producers Brad Stephenson and Fred Betzner dug deep into the Future Ten archives and selected eight of Future Ten’s best submissions of all-time. In collaboration with Brad and Fred, local directors John Lane, Don DiGiulio, Todd Betker, and Joanna Lowe have brought together a remarkable ensemble of local actors to perform in this special best-of production.  

The eight selected plays for Future Ten 10 are:

Don't Ask Don't Tell by Gayle Pazerski - A pair of Civil War reenactors find out that the battlefields of yore were just as fraught with sexual tension and misunderstandings as those of today. 
Intermezzo by Robert Isenberg On an evening out at the opera, a couple finds themselves at a crossroads in their relationship. 
Purgatoriography by Joe Lyons - Two unlikely companions try to help each other pass some time and make sense of a surprisingly boring afterlife. 
Four Senses of Love by Arthur M. Jolly - Two people who have lost their senses of taste and touch find love and understanding. 
Post-Script by Robert Isenberg - A play that sheds light on what happens to an action movie hero after the closing credits roll.
The Unbearable Lightness of Eating by Joe Lyons - Finally, a play that celebrates the unsung heroes in the world of competitive eating. Ponchos will be provided for audience members seated in the "Splash Zone."
12 Sided Die by Fred Betzner - A group of friends gather around a game of Dungeons and Dragons to tell a tale of love, loss, and letting go. With wizards. And also Mountain Dew.  
When I do the Hoochy Coochy in the Sky by Gayle Pazerski - After moving to a new town, a young couple answers a classified ad as they try to seek new friends and experiences. 

All eight 10-minute plays will be performed at 8PM each night of the run, which spans October 18-19 and 25-26.  Tickets can be purchased in advance or at the door for $10.  

Trespass Series 2013

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Diana Cwerenz, Executive Director
[email protected]

(August 28, 2013) Future Tenant Art Space invites all to the latest Trespass Series, happening September 12-29 at 819 Penn Avenue. The bi-annual residency offers a chance for three separate artists or groups to reside in the Future Tenant space for one full week to practice, plan, and create new work. This year’s Summer Series features Andrew Huntley with Theatre Sans Serif and John Zobele.

Week 1 
John Zobele: RRRECYCLE BIN 
Witness RRRECYCLE BIN, a digital collective of reborn art. Taking old to make new, the show features artists across the globe. It’s a loud, flashy and new audio visual experience. http://rrrecyclebin.com/

Thursday-Saturday, September 12-14: 6 to 9pm 
FREE admission

Weeks 2 and 3
Andrew Huntley with Theatre Sans Serif: The Play Station 
Come in, let your inner child come out, and recharge your creativity at the Play Station, a large-scale 
interactive art installation focusing on the art of toys. 

Thursday, September 19: 11am to 7pm 
Friday, September 20: 12 to 9pm
Saturday, September 21: 12 to 9pm 
FREE admission

The Zine Exchange

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Marina Moser, Community Outreach Coordinator

[email protected]

412-567-8861

Future Tenant Presents: The Zine Exchange

Who/What: Future Tenant is teaming up with The Mr. Roboto Project, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, and Pittsburgh Zine Fair to present The Zine Exchange, a library preview, swap meet, and discussion celebrating regional self-publication.

When: Saturday, August 24^th, from 6-9 PM.

Where: Future Tenant: 819 Penn Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15222

Cost: The event is free and open to the public.

July may be International Zine Month, but Future Tenant is extending the love with The Zine Exchange on SATURDAY, AUGUST 24, FROM 6-9 PM. Throughout the evening, zine writers and collectors can participate in the swap meet. At 7 PM, join Jude Vachon, Erin Oh, Lucy Goubert, and Sarah LaPonte for intimate zine readings followed by a Q&A session. Can’t make it on Saturday? Select archival pieces will be on display from 1-6 PM ON SUNDAY, AUGUST 25.

Dedicated zinesters Jude Vachon and Erin Oh can be found working at the Carnegie Library Oakland Branch and the Pittsburgh Office of the Mayor, respectively. Formerly of Roup House, Lucy Goubert is active in Pittsburgh’s poetry scene, and Sarah LaPonte often pairs photography with her literary work. Their work with the local zine network—via The Mr. Roboto Project and the Pittsburgh Zine Fair—encourages civic engagement and community interaction while promoting Pittsburgh’s arts and culture movement. 

According to their mission, “The Mr. Roboto Project is a cooperatively-run performance space, art gallery, and zine library…[it] has endeavored to create a comfortable and open space for people of all-ages to participate in a true DIY community.” All archived works on display during The Zine Exchange are made possible through The Mr. Roboto Project and the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh.

To learn more about The Mr. Roboto Project, please visit their website at therobotoproject.org. For more information about this event and other Future Tenant programming, please visit www.futuretenant.org.

Future Tenant is a non-profit art space located in downtown Pittsburgh at 819 Penn Avenue dedicated to showcasing the work of emerging artists through exhibitions that offer a cutting edge perspective on the Pittsburgh art scene.

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Obscuro Bezango!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 18, 2013 

Contact: Diana Cwerenz

Executive Director

[email protected]

Obscuro Bezango! brings together the very different work of unlikely gallery-mates Thomas Rehm, Elmore "Buzz" Buzzizyk, and Maximum Traffic in a show unified by their singularity of vision and featuring traditional sculpture, outsider sculpture, and Obscuro art and comics.

Obscuro Bezango!

Curated by Thomas Rehm

At Future Tenant 819 Penn Avenue

Opening reception Friday August 2, 2013 | 7-10 PM

On display from August 2 to September 1, 2013

Free Admission

(June 18, 213) Future Tenant presents Obscuro Bezango!, a body of work by three creators in a little known arena of art called Obscuro Culture. This four-week visual arts exhibit will feature traditional sculpture, outsider sculpture, and Obscuro art and comics all unified by their singularity of vision. In addition to curating the show, Thomas Rehm will display work alongside Maximum Traffic- the assumed name of a prolific artist- and Elmore “Buzz” Buzzizyk. These three unlikely gallery-mates help carry on the underground culture of self published artists and cartoonists that arose in the advent of widely available, inexpensive photocopying, today known as Obscuro art.

Meet the curator and enjoy live music by the duo Pairdown along with complimentary drinks at the opening reception Friday, August 2 from 7-10PM. Steve Londy Willis, renowned Obscuro cartoonist, will be the guest of honor for the evening. Willis is perhaps one of the most loved and respected cartoonists in the underground comics scene.  His work, most especially his comic character, Morty Dog, surpasses in quality and creativity most of the mainstream comics that receive syndication. This event is free and open to the public.

GALLERY HOURS: Thursday and Sunday from 1 to 6pm, Friday and Saturday from 1 to 8pm. Additional gallery hours will be announced at www.facebook.com/futuretenant and @futuretenant on Twitter.

Future Tenant is a non-profit art space located in downtown Pittsburgh at 819 Penn Avenue dedicated to showcasing the work of emerging artists through exhibitions that offer a cutting edge perspective on the Pittsburgh art scene. For more information about this show and other Future Tenant programming, please visit www.futuretenant.org.

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I N V E N T O R Y: The Orgone Archive, Pittsburgh 13 (2002-2013)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 20, 2013

Contact: Graciela Kahn

Associate Director of Programming

[email protected]

For five weeks only Future Tenant will showcase a decade’s worth of the Orgone’s Archive promotion and propaganda.

I N V E N T O R Y: The Orgone Archive, Pittsburgh 13 (2002-2013)

Curated by Greg Pierce

At Future Tenant 819 Penn Ave.

Opening reception Friday June 7, 2013 | 7-10 PM

On display from June 7 to July 14, 2013

Free Admission

(May 20, 2013) Future Tenant is presenting I N V E N T O R Y: The Orgone Archive, Pittsburgh 13 (2002-2013). This exhibition will showcase a decade’s worth of promotion and propaganda in the form of posters, stickers and bits of paper created by The Orgone Archive for its cinema outings. Orgone is a motion picture archive and screening outfit based in Pittsburgh specializing in inscrutable epiphanies, toilet trims, unknown what-have-yous, perfect industrial rolls, home movie printing tests, corporate comedies, Warholian strikebreaking screeds, the all-around beautiful and everything else. Originally founded in 1993 as Orgone Cinema by Jeff Armstrong, Michael Johnsen and Greg Pierce as a break-even motion picture exhibition group dedicated to a sincere film culture, it presented unique monthly shows of home movies, industrial, educational, experimental, and documentary films, light and sound performances, and visiting film and videomakers at the Silver Eye Center for Photography on the South Side. Orgone is also (and was) a travelling cinema band that screens and performs films at home and nationally. Greg Pierce is the current custodian of this proudly fringe collection.

GALLERY HOURS: Thursday and Sunday from 1 to 6pm, Friday and Saturday from 1 to 8pm. Additional gallery hours will be announced at www.facebook.com/futuretenant and @futuretenant on Twitter.

Future Tenant is a non-profit art space located in downtown Pittsburgh at 819 Penn Avenue dedicated to showcasing the work of emerging artists through exhibitions that offer a cutting edge perspective on the Pittsburgh art scene. For more information about this show and other Future Tenant programming, please visit www.futuretenant.org.

Future Tenant Presents: Singer/Songwriter Laurelin Kruse

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Diana Cwerenz, Executive Director

[email protected]

815-347-0182

Future Tenant Presents: Singer/Songwriter Laurelin Kruse

Who/What: Future Tenant Art Space invites all to a one night only performance by Americana/folk singer Laurelin Kruse

When: May 17, 2013 at 7 PM

Where: Future Tenant: 819 Penn Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15222

Cost: The event is free and open to the general public.

Join us downtown at the Future Tenant Art Space FRIDAY MAY 17 AT 7 PM to welcome Colorado singer/songwriter Laurelin Kruse for a one night only performance as she stops through Pittsburgh on her summer tour.

Laurelin began writing songs as a student at Yale, surviving several short-lived college romances to sing about them. Her funny-dark performance style is borne from her training with Yale's frankest and bleakest musical improv comedy troupe.

Kruse released her debut full-length album No Town in May 2011. Her newest work, Winter in Mind, is said to be “a golden pot of Americana styled folk to transport you to vast, spacey desert plains.”

For more information about this show and other Future Tenant programming, please visit www.futuretenant.org.

Future Tenant is a non-profit art space located in downtown Pittsburgh at 819 Penn Avenue dedicated to showcasing the work of emerging artists through exhibitions that offer a cutting edge perspective on the Pittsburgh art scene.

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Window Exhibit Live, Waste, Live Opens at Future Tenant May 10

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Diana Cwerenz, Executive Director

[email protected]

815-347-0182

Window Exhibit Live, Waste, Live Opens at Future Tenant May 10

Who/What: Future Tenant Art Space invites all to view the window exhibit Live, Waste, Live by Maria Barcic.

When: May 10-30, 2013

Where: Future Tenant: 819 Penn Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15222

Cost: The event is free and viewable by the general public.

Stop by 819 Penn Avenue anytime you are in the Cultural District May 10-30 to see the window exhibit Live, Waste, Live by Marie Barcic. Using the installation of printed and stenciled full body portraits of Pittsburghers grown from compost, Barcic aims to replicate the story of the Cultural District, of growing and transforming what is seen as waste.

Marie Barcic is a native of Pittsburgh who is currently in her third year at Carnegie Mellon University pursuing her BFA in art. Through meaningful repurposing of decayed matter and abstracted images of the human expression, her work serves as a signifier of the momentariness of the lives that humans live and also illuminates the cyclical nature of life.  

For more information about this exhibition and other Future Tenant programming, please visit www.futuretenant.org.

Future Tenant is a non-profit art space located in downtown Pittsburgh at 819 Penn Avenue dedicated to showcasing the work of emerging artists through exhibitions that offer a cutting edge perspective on the Pittsburgh art scene.

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IMPROBABLE MOVIES CALL FOR ENTRIES

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Marina Moser, Marketing Manager
[email protected]
215-206-4428

IMPROBABLE MOVIES CALL FOR ENTRIES

What would you film if you had an unlimited budget?

Submit a one sheet poster and a 400 – 600 word plot by 11:59pm on Sunday, May 5, 2013 via http://futuretenant.org/events/improbable-movies-call-for-entries.

The production of a film is one of the most complicated and costly structures in art production. We want to know, if independent filmmakers could have the budgets of Hollywood blockbusters, what would movies look like?

To find out, Future Tenant will partner with Greg Pierce -Custodian for The Orgone Archive and Assistant Curator of Film and Video at The Andy Warhol Museum- to curate an exhibition that showcases the best movies that will never be made. A mixed media exhibition of everything but themovies themselves.

This is a call for individual or collective projects about improbable movies:

Submit a brief plotline (400 to 600 words) and a scaled digital image of a 27" x 40" one sheet poster. 

Additionally you may also submit:

Soundtrack: original recording, minimum 3 minutes long. (If selected the soundtracks will be burned into a CD and be presented with the rest of the project.)

Costume: sketches or drawings of the costume design or concept (If selected, the costume design materials the artist(s) should mail or take them to the gallery to be displayed with the rest of the project.)

This call closes at 11:59pm on Sunday, May 5, 2013.

Projects will be selected by Greg Pierce in collaboration with Future Tenant staff and be displayed at the gallery on 819 Penn Ave. Pittsburgh, PA., from June 7 to July 14, 2013 during the Three Rivers Arts Festival.

Selected participants will be notified by phone or email by Friday, May 17, 2013. Selection results will be also published on futuretenant.org

Future Tenant will cover the cost of printing the posters and plot lines for the exhibition. Selected participants should submit printing quality files by Tuesday, May 21, 2013.

This call is open to everyone.

For more information or questions, please contact Cheli Kahn at [email protected].

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Future Tenant Presents: Displacement

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Marina Moser, Marketing Manager
[email protected]
215-206-4428

Future Tenant Presents: Displacement

Who/What: Future Tenant Art Space invites all to the opening of
Displacement curated by Kristen Letts Kovak. The exhibit features
installations by Phil Hessler and Natalia González Requena.

When: Opens Friday, April 19, from 7-10 PM. Subsequent hours are
Thursdays and Sundays, 1 – 6 PM, and Fridays and Saturdays 1 – 8 PM.
Show displayed until Sunday, May 5.

Where: Future Tenant: 819 Penn Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15222

Cost: The event is free and open to the public.

Join us downtown at the Future Tenant Art Space FRIDAY, April 19, FROM
7-10 PM for the opening reception of Displacement. Artists Phil
Hessler and Natalia González Requena use an expanded definition of
drawing to consider the formal and political status of Pittsburgh’s
industrial detritus. Through the use of sculptural installation and
site-specific notations, they re-present the remnants of industry; now
displaced in space and time.

Pittsburgh native and descendant of steel workers, Hessler reclaims
and re-contextualizes abandoned industrial materials. Bolivian artist
González Requena uses drawn and phenomenological lines to construct
new spatial and corporeal relationships. Together, they offer
complementary perspectives; one weighted and political, the other
poetic and experiential. Subsequent gallery hours for Displacement are
Thursdays and Sundays, 1-6 PM, and Fridays and Saturdays, 1-8 PM
through May 5.

For more information about this exhibition and other Future Tenant
programming, please visit www.futuretenant.org.

Future Tenant is a non-profit art space located in downtown Pittsburgh
at 819 Penn Avenue dedicated to showcasing the work of emerging
artists through exhibitions that offer a cutting edge perspective on
the Pittsburgh art scene.

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Future Tenant Presents: MM/DD/YYYY

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Marina Moser, Marketing Manager
[email protected]
215-206-4428

Future Tenant Presents: MM/DD/YYYY

Who/What: Future Tenant Art Space invites all to the opening of
MM/DD/YYYY in conjunction with Carnegie Mellon University’s School of
Art. The exhibit features a selection of artwork by current CMU School
of Art undergraduate students.

When: Opens Friday, March 22, from 7-10 PM. Subsequent hours are
Thursdays and Sundays, 1 – 6 PM, and Fridays and Saturdays 1 – 8 PM.
Show displayed until Sunday, April 7.

Where: Future Tenant: 819 Penn Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15222

Cost: The event is free and open to the public.

Join us downtown at the Future Tenant Art Space FRIDAY, March 22, FROM
7-10 PM for the opening reception of MM/DD/YYYY. The exhibition
highlights select works of art by CMU School of Art undergraduate
students. Participating artists include Jessica Aguero, Sarah
Ceurvorst, Allison Huey, Esther Michaels, Aaron Regal, Carolyn
Supinka, Rachel Wagner, and Jamie Walters. Subsequent gallery hours
for MM/DD/YYYY are Thursdays and Sundays, 1-6 PM, and Fridays and
Saturdays, 1-8 PM through April 7.

This show has the singularity of presenting pieces made by artists who
are still students and who produce work by a distinct system of
deadlines and revisions. But that is where the singularities end; the
work here is not forced into one classification, it can be read
outside the academic setting.

In MM/DD/YYYY we see artwork that spans a great range of media. It is
interesting to note that although it was all produced during the same
year, and that time is a recurrent concern, the works possess a
timeless quality: they could have been made three years from now, or
three years ago. This work was produced in an early stage of each
artist’s career but we are able to find patterns, ideas and production
processes that will remain constant.

To learn more about the CMU School of Art please visit www.cmu.edu/art
or @SOA_CMU on Twitter. For more information about this exhibition and
other Future Tenant programming, please visit www.futuretenant.org.

Future Tenant is a non-profit art space located in downtown Pittsburgh
at 819 Penn Avenue dedicated to showcasing the work of emerging
artists through exhibitions that offer a cutting edge perspective on
the Pittsburgh art scene.

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