Knit the (Pittsburgh) Bridge Project Going Strong

Samples of crocheted/knit panels for Knit The Bridge 

Pittsburgh, PA is known for many things -- a certain NFL team, sky high sandwiches, three meandering rivers -- and bridges. Come visit our fair city and you will be impressed by the iron structures that bring visitors and residents alike together.

A project is underway to bring even more attention to our bridges. Knit the Bridge is a grass-roots project organized by local community members to create a "large-scale, aesthetically stunning fiberart installation on a Pittsburgh bridge in conjunction with an international fiberart exhibit."

The word went out to handcrafters a few months ago that large panels of brightly colored yarn needed to be crafted to cover the railings on both sides of the Andy Warhol Bridge, the middle of Pittsburgh's Three Sisters bridges. That's all it took. Knitters and crocheters are by nature a kind, helpful lot who love to be part of things and have a purpose for the work they would do no matter what. 

Officially, the Knit the Bridge project was created in conjunction with Fiberart International 2013, being exhibited in Pittsburgh now through August, with the intention of celebrating the history of Pittsburgh as a city of bridges and steel as well as to celebrate the region’s thriving, contemporary arts scene. 

My friend's completed panel for Knit the Bridge

 

 

 

I  was fortunate to be able to attend one of the group meetings where crafters work on their own panels, sew donated squares together to make even more panels and re-purpose discarded yarn projects into panels. It was a great way to spend an evening, among friends I had just met. I hope to go back.

Once official permission to line the bridge with yarn is had, and that should occur soon, the panels will be installed on the bridge during the month of August and later taken down, cleaned and given to those who need a little handmade comfort in their lives.

Paths less Traveled

The other day I had the opportunity to walk with a friend along a river trail in Pittsburgh, where I live. I have driven by this trail hundreds of times on my way to other places, but never really spent time on it.

Seeing the city's Downtown area from a completely different angle was really inspiring, and spending time on the Allegheny River, one of three large waterways around the city, was very relaxing.

I took the shot above from a lookout point on the trail and realized I had never seen this vista before.

I have promised myself to spend more time on this trail, and seek out any others I haven't had the pleasure of meeting yet. Sometimes being creative means just spending time in a place you haven't been before, even if it is in your own backyard.

Chimney Swift Tower, river trail, Pittsburgh

Andy Warhol and the Car

I adore the car. It's much better than a work of art. ~~ Andy Warhol

What to do on a wintry day in Pittsburgh? Visit museums, of course.

On Saturday we had a chance to visit the Andy Warhol Museum  where the featured exhibit focuses on the artist's love of cars. With the widespread appeal of his soup cans and shots of celebs like Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor (and the VW bug!), Warhol's artwork featuring cars is not as widely- known.

But sitting smack dab in the middle of the first floor exhibit hall at the museum on the city's North Shore is one of the commisioned BMW Art Cars painted by Warhol in colors and strokes to replicate movement in the 70s. Warhol insisted on making all of the brush strokes himself so this car is genuinely one-of-a-kind.

The exhibit runs till May 13. If you live close enough, jump in your own art car and ride on down to the museum. So much creativity in one spot!

Yeasty Photo Safari: Gingerbread Village

A Sweet Display in Downtown Pittsburgh

We happened upon a holiday display of creative gingerbread houses the other day in Pittsburgh, in the Downtown PPG complex. It's amazing what chidlren and adults can do with some crackers and icing.

The houses were on display inside the buildings, which border the city park where a ice skating ring was installed a few years ago. Families and single skaters made their way 'round and 'round the decorated tree, only stopping to have hot chocolate.

Inside, with the sun streaming in the windows, we found our own source for hot chocolate and holiday music, performed by young symphony musicians.

Here are just some of the houses that were on display. I have always wanted to make one of these and for some reason haven't done it. This was quite the inspriation to get it done!

Green Creativity: Garden Art from Recyclables



Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without

At Phipps Conservatory in Pittsburgh, the summer flower show includes lovely summer blooms as you would expect, but also some "green" ideas for recycling used items as art in your garden.

Phipps, one of America's Greenest Public Gardens, prides itself on being a leader for a more sustainable future.

Below (and above) are some photos of how items were recycled into garden art such as using bamboo, a great renewable resource, to create fabrics, as illustrated by the sculptural flower petals in the photo above.

Also, glass bottle pieces are suspended in architecural panels; cans become decorative accents, and plastic bottles are repurposed into fabrics.

Great ideas and only the beginning of reducing the amount of trash that ends up in landfills.



Creativity Tip. No. 6

Visit a new museum this winter

Saw these silver pillow-sized "clouds" at the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh. They are constantly moving around under the power of a couple of fans. Very cool.

We live in Pittsburgh, but had not been to the museum to see any exhibits, which I regretted as soon as I walked in the place.

Amazingly, there was a long line of people waiting to enter the museum this past Sunday, which delighted me because it wasn't a line for a sporting event, which is what this town is known for. Nope, it was a line to get into a musuem.

I hope you can find some time this winter to seek out a museum you haven't visited. It's good for the soul and a lot of fun too. I'm hoping there will be silver clouds there for you to play with.