How to sail the Point - Community Creative School

"The lunch time creative sandwich" is a serie of events organized in Downtown Pittsburgh by Community Creative School, at the Bruno Works Spaces.

This spot is pretty interesting: you can rent it for your own start-ups / events or projects, by renting this office/apartment at 945 Liberty Avenue.

On June 28th there was the 4th event (or lesson) in which John D. Norton, professor at Pitt, taught how to sail the Point, and the three Pittsburgh rivers.

Even if I am not an old sea dog, I wanted to attend the lecture. I am convinced that anything that could help Pittsburgh in "getting to the rivers" is a great idea. I was definitely awarded for my curiosity and I could attend a very well structured and easy to follow explanation.

John D. Northon explained the basic things you need to sail (eg. a boat, a marina) and then gave precious technical information on how to understand the winds, the currents, the dangers you could face. Plus tons of tricks for having fun avoiding bad experiences.

He started sailing in 2009 and has a blog where you can learn more about how to sail the three rivers in safety. You can learn how to use the GPS for sailing, how to read the wind forecast and all the engineering behind such an interesting passion of life.

He showed us his GPS tracks and routes, explaining every movement he had to do according to any possible condition of winds and currents.

And of course there were lots of photos taken from his boat. When you see photos of Downtown from the rivers, the city seems even more attractive and it is really easy to fall in love with the idea to do the same, and sail the Point as well.

In a very professional way, John D. Norton demonstrated us that it is possible to sail the Rivers, it is safe and funny.

The Bruno Works, once again (I had attended other events there, in the past) is a great place, very flexible, with a wonderful view on the city.

Wanna learn more about the Bruno Works project?

Just contact them!

An for whoever would like to attend something there, I saw there will be another lecture on July 19th, 2013. You can register, for free, and join Dutch MacDonald, from MAYA design, who will teach us (I am going) "How to make a Creative Environment".

12 months in da 'Burgh - PechaKucha Night Pittsburgh vol.15

Yesterday night I attended and presented another PechaKucha Night, in Pittsburgh. It was our 15th edition!

We were at the WYEP Radio, in South Side, and had a lot of fun. 

The quality of the presentations was great: all the presenters spoke about Pittsburgh, or about something PGH-related.

I want to share with you my presentation, about what I learned and discovered spending 12 months in Pittsburgh.

Here we are… In this presentation I'm gonna talk about YOU. I'm going to tell you how I spent 12 months in da burgh, while I was attending an internship in architecture, and -most important- what I learned about PGH and from PGH, in terms of art, architecture, places and the community.

Some of you may already know me, because I am pretty much everywhere, all the time. You can see me in a 4-seasons version, in PGH (on the top) but I was born in Italy, Milan (on the left) where I have a lot of crazy friends. That photo in the right was taken at our graduation ceremony.

When I arrived in PGH, in 2012, it wasn't my first time here. I already knew a little of the city. I knew it was a cool place, trying to re-emerge after the crisis of the steel industry. 

I knew there were a lot of museums and things to do and, to get better prepared, I read a good book which I recommend: The Paris of Appalachian, by Brian O'Neill. 

Nevertheless, when I left Milan, I cried all the flight. Couldn't help!

I was scared to miss my family and friends. Plus... my city, maybe too grey to be put in the number of the italia-must-see. But I love it, even if with all its problems but also its hidden treasures. 

To keep track of my experience, and to stay connected with my Milanese life,  I started a blog called MILANO-PITTSBURGH: it won't be the Marco Polo trip, but i'll do my best for you. 

My friends were fed up with my posts, but it helped me a lot also in preparing this PKN. I am going to present you only the hints for each month.

In  APRIL I loved to go to the North Side, in the Mexican War streets and visit the Mattress Factory. 

I love art and that's a great place, with good exhibitions. I also found this project: google maps agreed to send the google car during a parade. You can see the people celebrating along Samsonia Way, on Street View.

In MAY I really regretted I studied in Italy, instead of at CMU. I studied architecture in Milan, but studying at CMU would have been great anyway.

I love the spaces for the students and the rich variety of architectures, from building to building, which is very inspirational.

In JUNE I was really happy to discover Lawrenceville, with all the fancy shops and boutiques. It somehow reminds me of North Europe, like the historic centers of Amsterdam or Copenhagen  It's really a blast for creativity and start-ups. And you can also develop your own ideas in a number of cafes along butler street.

In JULY I was way less excited of discovering about the problems related to the Marcellus Shale. I am not an activist, but I love the environment and I started reading more about the issue. The documentary GASLAND was really scaring. I would like to invite everybody to keep an eye on what's happening and being aware of the risks.

In AUGUST I could finally see the Batman every Pittsburgher was waiting for. And I had enough knowledge of the city -at that point- that I was able to point out all the buildings pictured. I risked to be thrown out of the theater, but I was very proud of myself. Just a bit disappointed that Mr Nolan destroyed pretty much half of the Burgh, but anyway…

In SEPTEMBER I decided to do something that I've never done before: the Great Race (I'm in the circle). I am still figuring out if I hate more biking or running, but keep fostering both, because they are the best way to discover PGH. I was very excited that day, and very painful for the rest of the week.

In OCTOBER I was blessed with a fantastic win. I've never won anything, not even when my father was trying to let me win, as a kid. In terms of contests or games, I am really "the biggest loser". 

But I did win the Young Architect Studio Competition, for the year 2012.

I proposed to create something special for PGH, that has a great music tradition. I thought to transform the Fort Wayne Bridge (from the David Lawrence Center) in a musical bridge, called "symphony bridge", where people or nature could make music and noise, via instruments hanging everywhere, or just bring their tools.

And suddenly was NOVEMBER, with Thanksgiving (new for me) and the prepping for christmas. I also had the occasion to hear again Vanessa German performing. She is really a great artist, pluri-talented, and also involved in Homewood's "Love the front porch" a project of art for kids.

What I love of Pittsburgh is the people. There are lots of people doing good things for the kids, in problematic neighborhoods. In DECEMBER I attended a show by the Center Of Life in Hazelwood. There were kids from 5 to 19 performing jazz like the masters. Totally amazing!

In JANUARY I had to deal with the snow. But also with great walks in Frick Park, which is wonderful all over the year. Nothing to regret: I believe that PGH is wonderful also under the snow. That allows to discover new perspectives and views even in places you have already visited hundreds of time.

And in case of snow, a visit to the Carnegie is always a nice thing to do. In FEBRUARY, the Heinz Architectural Center organized a big event to celebrate their 20 years anniversary. It was call "Cakeitecture" and this is a cake made into Downtown shape. There were other cakes shaped as other famous buildings. all edible!

In MARCH, with better weather, I spent a lot of time at the cafe 720, on Butler Street, to prepare my second PKN. I presented a guide "how to survive Italians" that was quite fun. I talked about the goods and the bads in italy, but let out Berlusconi which requires a PKN on its own.

And then APRIL was spent pretty much making new friends and discovering the city slower, refining my knowledge of it. This group of kids was just playing in a parking lot, very naturally and simply, and to me they are the symbol of the Burgh: pure enthusiasm even with very little stuff, willing to do better for a larger community.

This is a minimal part of what I learned, discovered and loved of Pittsburgh. There are tons of things that I had to cut here, which are still on my blog (in italian).

I would like to say that this little city or big village -as I say- is a great place to be. It can be tough, but also rewarding. Everybody should be proud to be in Pittsburgh and -even better- to be a Pittsburgher!

Thank you!

Exploring Downtown Pittsburgh

Every time I go Downtown Pittsburgh, I try to understand it. The only thing I know is that I love it, for sure. No matter if the viability is a bit funky, or if the streets could result confusing - very far from the typical orthogonal grid of other American cities.

For more than one year that I tried to improve my knowledge of the area, to better understand its essence.

Yesterday I was there again, under a "bloody" sun, that really makes difficult walking around, trying to take good shots. But I was there, indeed, and you can consider the followings as "visive notes" of my visit.

Downtown Pittsburgh is a 3D-puzzle, where -almost- all the pieces are already in place. The point is, the pieces seem not to come from the same box! And this makes Pittsburgh precious, because there is very little chance, to see in an American city, such a variety. Other cities have old tall buildings as well, but they are very often vacant or ready to be tore down to make space for the new ones. More often, they are seriously abandoned (see Detroit).   

Pittsburgh, instead, was able to build new constructions, with different architectural styles according to the era, and preserve a lot of the old ones. Some of the historic buildings are still empty also because the upgrading of old mechanical systems would be an enough considerable expense.

Associations like the PHLF (see website) are encouraging the purchase and careful restoration of old buildings. Downtown Pittsburgh is full of small/medium size building that could be renewed more easily than tall (and old) buildings, hopefully with beneficial help from the County, or from Pennsylvania State.

Nevertheless, the situation in Downtown Pittsburgh is pretty interesting to me.

I love the complexity of a project like the Woodstreet Galleries building (picture above) hosts a subway station and three floors of art galleries, all under the same roof. Plus, let me express once more my appreciation for those Galleries, that have always great installations. 

What I love more of that building is the side facing Liberty Avenue, where a glazed cantilever creates protection for the people waiting for the buses. That cantilever is modern, with pattern representing leaves. Just to mitigate the effect of the true ones, falling down in Fall. 

Downtown Pittsburgh is not perfect, of course, and you can still find a lot of scars from the past. The above building has no (more) windows, on a facade that rises from... EQT plaza! That indeed looks for a monumental character. Almost "Rockfellerian", if I might say so (see detail below).

But Downtown Pittsburgh is also about colors, many of them. The creation of the Pittsburgh Cabaret Theater (2004) together with the renewal of the O'Reilly Theater gave the chance to add a pleasant accent to Penn Avenue.

Thus, what I really enjoy of Downtown Pittsburgh is exactly this gigantic puzzle, that can creates interesting short-circuits to be caught by my camera. Below, a shot that puts together the Heinz Hall, the Fairmont Hotel, and a parking lot on 6th Ave. 

other shots of this big 3d-puzzle, 

flattened by the camera, but still tridimensional in the meaning:

a big mix of old, new; full, empty; public and private.

The Fairmont Hotel, with its cut in the middle.

There are still empty lots, some just cleared by renewals. Right now, the area between Market Square and the site of the future Tower at PNC Plaza is having big works. Old buildings were destroyed, to leave space for something new. It is always tough, for me as an Italian, to see pieces of the past being lost forever. I also understand the challenges of a obsolete architectural heritage.

The only thing I can do, for now, is trying to find something interesting in this process, something to think about. Documenting temporary new perspectives from Downtown. 

Such the above one, with the Oxford Center appearing from a grey wall.

I am going to end this article with a simple shot of a project that I am very curious to se finally built.

It is the Tower at PNC Plaza, that will be an important green tall building, following the best rules of eco-friendly architecture.

Taking another shot of a temporary point of view: CHECK. 

Or CLICK.

Penn Avenue Art in Motion. Creativity is in the air.

How much creative can creativity be? What can be considered "creative", nowadays?

These are the questions I was asking myself while I was walking along Penn Avenue, between Pacific and Atlantic Street.

A gorgeous and sunny day was the perfect background for this little but dense Festival. Held today from 12 to 6 pm, the Festival was about art and manufactured products. Any support, any color, any material. Useful objects or just treats, but very creative. And here we go back to creativity. 

Creativity comes from the latin "creo", that means "to make". In ancient cultures  creativity wasn't  really "existing", being art supposed to be just a "discover" and, lately in Christian era, divine inspiration. 

In 1926 Graham Wallace, in his Art of Thought, created a model for the creative process. According to him, creativity consists of five steps: preparation, incubation, intimation, illumination and finally verification. Each step is fundamental to reach the final result of creating something that works. Most important: according to him, creativity is part of the evolutionary process of human beings.

My question now is: what is creativity, today? From what I can read and see of the most popular creations of these days, plus considering the evolutionary process and the environmental situation, I do believe that creativity today is no more just "to make" something, but "to change" something. Reciclying  is the new frontier for creativity, with any other way that allows us to save on energy and materials. That would respect Wallace idea of evolutionary process, because it is evident that, right now, our world is shrinking and we are running low in materials and energy sources. Not to consider the problem of waste and garbage.

I love to remember also Bruno Munari definition for creativity: everything that is feasible in a global way, also from a technical point of view. I think that the "global way" he was speaking of is close to the Immanuel Kant dilemma of what is Good. Kant, when in doubt about something, if it was a good or bad thing to do, was asking himself: what if everyone on this Earth is doing this thing; would it be right for the world, or sustainable? Creativity today should keep in mind this, and keep asking the same Kant's question. 

Considering the environmantal challenges we are facing nowadays, I do believe that reuse, recycling and saving energy or materials are today's only possible form of creativity. 

Going back to the Festival, I wanted to show you something really creative, according to the above principles. Maybe these things won't change the world, but the fact that creativity is developing in this way, it's a sign of something changing in our attitudes. Big hope for the future!

• Pittsburgh Canning Exchange

These friends want to teach people how to save on food, by preparing your own canning. A second part of the project is to organize parties and events where people can exchange their cannings. 

Learn more on their website http://canningexchange.org/

 Canning team at their stand

• Stella Divina

By recycling beer labels and working with recyclable materials, S. J. Antonucci is making these nice tiles, to be used as coasters. Her workplace is her kitchen. The tiles come from constructions and demolitions, from all over the world. The cork under the tile is from Portugal, 100% recyclable. The glazing resin is a sustainable one, from an ecofriendly company. Learn more about her project here http://www.stelladivina.com/about.php 

 Cork, cork cork: cork is the word. I said cork, cork, cork...

Honorable mention for the serie of tiles dedicated to Pittsburgh: here, the Civic Arena now demolished.

• Shernise Alexa

Despite the industry is still playing a lot with plastic, I am personally convinced that glass, a very ecofriendly material, has still a lot to say. A proof is here, with Shernise, that creates also plates for Ikebana compositions. Her vases, twice fired, are given simple shapes, letting the serendipity of the process to do the rest.  You can contact Shernise at Art with Heart (412-441-1029). Her studio is at 4809 Penn Ave, Pittsburgh, PA.

Ikebana, Wabisabi style.

• Junquey Gal

Recycling fabrics and tissues of any kind, Kelly Crisanti creates romantic bags and clothes. Recycling can be definitely classy. You can find her in Downtown Pittsburgh, at the Boutique208 (208 Sixth Street, Pittsburgh, PA). 

Email address is junqueygal@gmail.com. 

Phone is 412-480-3839

• Vehement Romantic

No need to spend tons of money on fancy jewels: you can just rely on the beauty of nature and the help of little resin. These jewels are magnificently done, elegant, and are made with very common leaves or small flowers that are growing pretty much freely. The "staff pick" is an amazing dandelion, "caught" in the ripe moment.

More info at VehementRomanticFrantic@gmail.com. 

Ripe dandelion, alone on the right, on black background. 

• Pat Knoerdel Gilman

Alternative ways to grow your plants. Use shoes, for example! 

These are some of the creations by Pat. 

You can learn more at pknoerdel@gmail.com or at 724-312-1950

Finally, a quick note on the food stands there. Congrats to NACL Salt of the Earth that was offering free samplings of great chicken liver patè, on crostini, with pickle mulberry. 

I would encourage to have a dinner there, ASAP! They are at 5523 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA.