December 8, 2008 - Theatre donations, Drake Well park, Free and Legal Holiday Downloads

Franklin's Barrow-Civic Theatre picked up a $5,000 donation from Joy Global.

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It's almost certain that the $6.34 million renovations for Drake Well park won't be completed (or possibly even started) by the time the Oil 150 celebration ends in December 2009

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Allegheny College's annual Senior Projects Exhibit, an opportunity for graduating studio art majors and art and technology majors to present their senior projects to the public, will open with a public reception in the Bowman, Penelec and Megahan Galleries on Tuesday, Dec. 9, from 7 to 9 p.m.map

“Shaping Spaces,” the title of this semester's Senior Projects Exhibit, will feature the work of eight artists. Jesse Beauchamp, majoring in studio art and geology, will construct an installation evoking the dramatic and secretive rearrangements of American landscapes that are the result of fossil fuel extraction.

Two art and technology majors will show their work: Rachel Berenson will invite gallery viewers to explore exotic locations through a web site she has designed, while Jessica Zeidler will juxtapose technical culture with traditional craft in an installation that combines digital forms with hand-sewn pieces.

The work of five studio art majors will be presented. Tom Kierzkowski will create a fantasy-narrative-installation that explores the limits of surveillance and privacy in a wired world. Calahan Malone will present a series of drawings that explore the fluid boundary between reality and imagination. Erin O'Boyle will present a children's picture book about an English teapot who generously offers assistance to her American friend. Andrew Slemenda will provide gallery viewers with a participatory experience, combining performance and installation to expose cultural ambivalence and anxiety about sexism, consumerism and nationalism. Maja Sweeny will show a series of prints depicting dream imagery.

The exhibit can be viewed through Tuesday, Dec. 16; please call for special hours during this exhibit. The Art Galleries, which are wheelchair accessible, are located in Doane Hall of Art, east of North Main Street, between College and John Streets. For additional information, call 814-332-4365.

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The Knickerbocker Hotel is hosting another “Haunted Tour Event” on December 13th 2008, and the members of Oil Region Paranormal Investigation Team will be part of the campy fun, I mean scientific inquiry. The cost for this event is $35 per person.

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You would look great with a Santa beard.

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10 Things Songbird Does That iTunes Can’t

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Free and Legal Downloads:

O’Death Live at the Bowery Ballroom on December 5, 2008

Every day through December 25, Amazon is unveiling a new holiday song available to download free for a limited time

My Brightest Diamond Live at Daytrotter

September 9, 2008 - Enviro Film Fest, Urban Foraging, and Bigfoot comes to NWPA (again)

Do you realize that this fall you can see free movies Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday as well as free shows on Friday. This is shaping up to be a busy Fall. Newly announced is The University of Pittsburgh at Titusville'environmental film series.

The schedule of events for this fall includes:

September 25, 2008: A Crude Awakening.
October 9, 2008: The End of Suburbia.
October 23, 2008: The Power of Community.
November 4, 2008: Who Killed the Electric Car?
November 20, 2008: An Inconvenient Truth.

All movies run from 7 - 9 p.m. in Haskell Memorial Library and are free and open to the public

At the conclusion of each screening, the audience is encouraged to discuss what can be done, what should be done, and the consequences of inaction.

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A select group of students from the Slippery Rock University theater department traveled to Edinburgh, Scotland this summer from July 29 through Aug. 13 to perform the original play The Margins at The Festival Fringe.

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The Meadville Tribune takes a look at last week's 8 hour art project at Allegheny College.

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Want to plan ahead? The Titusville Herald is listing August 2009 Oil 150 activites.

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Award-winning poets Annie Finch and Paula Bohince will read from their work at 8 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 11 in the Tillotson Room of Allegheny College's Tippie Alumni Center at Cochran Hall. The program, which is free and open to the public, is part of the college's Single Voice Reading Series.

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Pittsburgh Opera has announced a partnership with Locks of Love. Pittsburgh Opera wigmaster James Geier will snip the locks of five people who wish to donate their hair to help children suffering from hair loss at Pittsburgh Opera’s new headquarters in the Strip at 2425 Liberty Avenue on Wednesday, October 8. It's also a great chance to check out their refurbished building – George Westinghouse’s original air brake factory – which now includes creative space for costumers, wigmakers, makeup artists, and other theater crafts. And, of course, steal their ideas for our region.

Those wishing to participate should send their name, a photo, and contact information to Allison Ruppert. Please type “Locks of Love” in the subject line.

Pittsburgh Opera is also inviting salons to register for this drive by downloading an application form at www.pittsburghopera.org. Participating salons that have submitted 5 ponytails or more to Locks of Love between August 1 and October 1 will receive four tickets to a performance of Samson & Dalila. They also will be given four free passes to OperaBLAST!, a late-night party celebrating the opening of the Pittsburgh Opera’s 70th season on October 18.

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An Oskar Schindler exhibition is coming to Youngstown this week and running through Oct. 22 at the Youngstown Historical Center of Industry and Labor

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What it means to be an urban forager

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Build a digital pin-hole camera

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i can has exhbit?

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The Pennsylvania Bigfoot Society' East Coast Bigfoot Conference is on September 27, 2008

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Or you could always head East and search for the Jersey Devil:

On the surrounding walls hang old illustrations of that which they seek: cloven hooves, a horselike face, a wing span perhaps too wide for browsing the aisles at the Super Foodtown a few doors down.

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Pittsburgh lists the Best (and Worst) of Pittsburgh

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Google has begun scanning microfilm from some newspapers’ historic archives to make them searchable online

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Flat World Knowledge wants to give away college textbooks.

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Free and Legal Downloads:

Ben Kweller Live at Stonewall Music Hall on July 4, 2008

Death Cab for Cutie Live at Seattle Center on September 1, 2008

Vivian Girls Live at the East Village Radio Fest on September 7, 2008

September 7, 2006 - Joann Wheeler Exhibit, Meadville Mural, and EA Poe's bones

An exhibit of work by local artist Joann Wheeler will open with a reception at 7 p.m. on Friday, September 19, 2008, in the Robert W. Rhoades Center at Clarion University–Venango Campus. The reception is free and open to the public.

A resident of Oil City for twelve years, Ms. Wheeler was hired to be its Arts Champion in 2006 and has since coordinated the Oil City Arts Revitalization and the Artist Relocation Program. Under her leadership, seven artists have relocated with their families and 21 artists rent space in the National Transit Building.

For more information about the exhibit, please contact the Venango Campus Office of Student Affairs at 814-676-6591, extension 1269.

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The 12’ x 73’ mural above, implemented through Allegheny's Arts & Environment Initiative, is now installed on the Hovis Annex Building in downtown Meadville on the east side of the corner of Park Avenue and Chestnut Street.

Resources for the Market Alley mural were provided by a gift from the Valera Richards family in memory of the late Gwendolyn Barboni, a local artist and past director of the Meadville Council on the Arts. Funds were also provided by the Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful Core Communities Program. Numerous community partners have helped support the project including the Grassinger family, owners of Hovis Interiors, who provided permission to locate the mural at the site; ACE Lumber, which is assisting with materials costs; and area residents John Koehler and Jed Miller, both of whom provided technical consultation.

For additional information about CEED or Meadville, PA: Not Your Run of the Mill Community, contact Amara Geffen at amara.geffen@allegheny.edu.

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The Oil 150 celebration marking the sesquicentennial of the petroleum industry will debut in Oil City with a film festival Friday through Sunday, Sept. 12-14.

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Pittsburgh Opera Theatre has announced their 2008-2009 sereis. I'm lukewarm on the Byham series choices, but the more intimate salon series of chamber operas at several "non-performances" spaces in the city sounds like a lot of fun. If I can swing the time and the money, look for a review in the future.

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Philadelphia Wants Poe's Bones

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Robert Giroux, an editor and publisher who introduced and nurtured some of the major authors of the 20th century and ultimately added his name to one of the nation’s most distinguished publishing houses, died on Friday in Tinton Falls, N.J. He was 94.

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The first manuscript I ever sold was on the role of government in the arts during the Great Depression, so yeah, I'm a little excited to see that more than 3,000 photographs of Government run amusement park Play will become available on the Internet. Most were taken in the depths of the Depression.

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Tucson Weekly interviews Mogwai.

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To celebrate The Surrogates movie wrapping principal photography, surviving San Diego, and all the cool new summer and fall releases, for the next ten days -- through Friday September 12th -- Top Shelf is having a giant $3 graphic novel web sale.

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The Allegheny College Playshop Theatre opens its 2008-2009 season with an evening of two original one-act plays that address issues of diversity and transformation in American life: “Swapping Broomsticks for Muskets: Women of the Civil War” and “Color Me White.”

The performances begin at 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, Sept. 12 and 13, in the Playshop Theatre, which is located in Arter Hall on the Allegheny College campus.

“Broomsticks for Muskets” is based on the stories of four real 19th-century women who dressed as men in order to fight in the Union Army during the American Civil War.

“Color Me White” is a new piece written and performed by Associate Professor of Communication Arts and Theatre Dan Crozier. It investigates a white, middle-aged male's attempts to broaden his cultural horizons. The play is directed by Roberta Levine.

Tickets for both performances are $7.50 for adults; $5 for non-Allegheny students, senior citizens and Allegheny employees. Admission is free for Allegheny students with identification. Audiences should note that the production contains language and situations some may find offensive. For more information or to order tickets, contact the Playshop Theatre Box Office at (814) 332-3414.

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Free and Legal Downloads:

A cool overcast early fall Sunday just cries out for some cello, don't you think? (and really can you go wrong with a song titled, "Air on a G string"?

ISGM Podcast: The Concert #22- Bach's Songs...for Strings

Ravens And Crows - S/T Free and legal EP download

My Morning Jacket Live at The Fillmore on August 29, 2008

Venangoland author Pete Greene is looking for actors for his production of The Sound of Music.

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Venango County First Book staffers caught got in a photo op recently.

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The NYTimes takes a look at the copyright issues surrounding Pittsburgh based artist Girl Talk.

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Allegheny College has announced the line up for the The nineteenth annual Silberman Recital Series.

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Library Thing is allowing public access to their one million scanned covers. While you're there, feel free to peruse my library.

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Upcoming Shows of Local Interest:

Big Leg Emma plays a free show in Oil City's Justus Park tonight at 7:30 pm.

A Voice Like Rhetoric plays Grove City's Station 71 - Rescue Squad Building (1252 S Center St, Grove City, Pennsylvania 16127) this afternoon. $5 cover Show starts at 5 pm

Brother Bean's Solid Rock Cafe Reunion Festival is Saturday at 6pm. $6 cover with Darby Redford, Remora Deign, Signal Home, and Neocracy playing and Will James performing spoken word between sets. A la Footloose, there will be no dancing white guy style bobbing of heads will be allowed.


Free and Legal Downloads:

Big Leg Emma Live at Silver Maple Music Festival on August 2, 2008

Nine Inch Nails Live at Key Arena, Seattle, WA on July 26, 2008

She & Him Live at the Newport Folk Festival on August 2, 2008

Soundgarden Live at the Sunrise Musical Theatre; Sunrise, FL on July 28, 1994

So, it's the last Friday in the month which means a regional artist Top 10 list. It's no surprise that with the Oil Region Indie Songwriter's Fest upon us, this month's featured artist is Festival founder, musician, and Oil City resident, Jerome Wincek.

I've been a fan of Wincek since he was part of Big Jack Earl. Such a fan, in fact that I'm p assing up a chance to see one of the seminal bands of my youth, X, in order to catch the Festival shows this weekend.


Jerome Wincek's Top 10 list:

1-Rails to Trails - It's nice to be in a residential area, but still within walking distance of the wild and scenic Allegheny River Valley.

2-The Oil City Trolley - Oil City again has a trolley. Naysayers should have to take the normie bus.


3-Joann Wheeler She has been like a cold refreshing energy drink for the local arts community.

4-venangago-go - As the only local independent happenings post, venangago-go is an incredibly valuable asset to our culture and community.

5-Oil Region Indie - This festival is a cooperative effort of our local college, arts council, revitalization committee, visual artists, and songwriters. It is really amazing to see a community work together like this in an effort to appreciate and promote its indigenous artistic talent.

6-Summerhouse Coffee - Locally roasted fair trade organic coffee. Need i say more?

7-Brother Bean - Gwen and Bruce have been hosting shows for as long as I've known them. that has been a while, as I used to buy my Christian rock and metal albums from them. It is great to have a venue like them in this area.

8-The Latonia Theatre - A project as big as it is worthwhile.

9-The Howling Dog Cafe - A direct result of Joann Wheeler's coolness. Fresh perspective from Alaska is precisely what we need.

10-The Shamrock Tavern - #10 on the list, but #1 in my heart.

Jerome Wincek plays with his band, The Old Hats. They'll be performing at the Oil Region Indie Songwriters Festival Saturday May 24, at 5 pm in Justus Park.

Download (via Mediafire) Jerome Wincek and the Old Hats - "The Giver" from Love is a Martyr

Download (via Mediafire) Jerome Wincek and the Old Hats - "The Coyote" from Love is a Martyr

Check out my review of their live show

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Shame, shame Erie Times News and writer Lisa Thompson (who, if I'm not mistaken used to work for the News Herald/Derrick here in town). In yesterday's front page, they covered the continuing success of the Erie Skatepark. The real story here, as I mentioned earlier, is that this project which has been put off and put off for years with a cry of NIMBY! has perservered and organized to the point that they were awarded highly competitive $25K Tony Hawk Grant. That fact, though, wasn't mentioned until after the jump, buried deeply on the third page. What did Thompson and the Times News sees the story's hook as?

The skateboarders leaned over the skate park designer's shoulder, their eyes locked on the laptop screen in front of him. Mussed hair dangled from underneath knit hats and rakishly positioned ball caps. Smudgy tattoos decorated knuckles.

Lazy stereotypes. Sloppy, sloppy, sloppy.

In the ETN's defense though, they did run an editorial urging Erie's Port Authority not to ban unaccompanied minors from public concert. Still though, who reads editorials? They're like blogs.

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The Butler Art Center has issued a call for Artists for Futuristic Exhibit. Futuristic Art is a new exhibit and is open to all artists at any point in their career. This is a themed show and must represent ‘Futuristic Art’.

To enter the exhibit, please email or call 724-283-6922 for more information.

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The July 18-20 Firefly Music Festival line up has been announced. Regional favorites Gypsy Dave and the Stumpjumpers play on 3:30 on July 19th.

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The 2008 Band Camp for Adult Musicians will be held at Allegheny College June 8-14 and June 22-28. On Thursday at 7 p.m. each week the small ensembles — which include woodwind quintets, brass quintets, a Dixieland band and a stage band — hold a recital. Each week will end with a free gala concert on Friday at 7:30 p.m. in Shafer Auditorium. All of the camp performances are held in the Campus Center and are free and open to the public. The Band Camp for Adult Musicians is sponsored by the Allegheny College Office of Conference and Event Services. For more information, call (814) 332-3101.

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The Carnegie Museum of Natural History is putting a quartz crystal skull on display starting tomorrow to coincide with the new Indiana Jones movie. The crystal skull will be on display in the Hillman Hall of Minerals and Gems into June.

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Two current and one former singer in the Pittsburgh Opera Center completed a sweep of the top prizes in the Jensen Foundation Voice Competition last week in New York City.

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I couldn't give a crap less about big money pro sports, but this article about Wholey's Fish Market in Pittsburgh's Strip District hiring security to keep octopi out of the hand of Red Wings fans is pretty funny.

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KillerWolf Films is holding meetings/open auditions for their new feature film Warriors of the Apocalypse on Friday May 23 and Friday May 30 at the Erie Playhouse Rehearsal space at 12th and Brandes Streets in Erie from 6-9 pm both days. Shooting commences Saturday July 19 and wraps Sunday July 27, with filming being in the Northwestern PA area and possibly a few dates on the NJ/PA/NY border.

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Free and Legal Downloads:

Godspeed You Black Emperor! Live at Scottish Rite Temple of Freemasonry March 5, 2003

Ryan Adams Live at SXSW Festival on March 16, 2001

Great. Someone else for me to be jealous of. Christopher Bakken, associate professor of English at Allegheny College has won the Helen C. Smith Prize for the best book of poetry in 2006 for Goat Funeral.

"Duet with Salvatore Quasimodo"

When I die I’ll meet you at Mycenae
where stones mark out an alphabet of spoils,
leaving only a few square facts unquarried.

You’ll remember the place by its painting:
a splash of Sicilian green, cypresses,
and a pointillism of widow’s heads.

The murmurs of every Medieval square
give in to dusk; iron church bells
brim with the ether you leave in your wake.

Take down your lyre from the willow now,
it has sheltered long enough, like a flea
in the sultan’s beard, your island music

with its ancestry in the sea itself,
seasoned with a cloud-burst from Malta,
cannon dust, and bruised acacia blossoms.

Show me how to call beyond vacancy,
since we cannot out sing the megaphones;
when we become famished by their prattle

sustenance will be waiting for us there,
concealed by shadows in a beehive tomb
where the dead mount their chariots for war.

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Three local organists — Rebecca Borthwick-Aiken, Kevin Dill and James Ross – will present a concert at 3 p.m. on Sunday, April 22 in Ford Chapel at Allegheny College. The concert is free and open to the public.

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Chicago Celtic band The Crossing plays at Seneca's Brother Bean tomorrow (Thursday night) from 7pm -9pm. No cover.

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The Gypsy Dave plays for free this weekend on the 21 at the Titusville Earth Day Festival in Titusville's Burgess Park.

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The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette profiles the region's vernacular "2 up 2 down architecture"

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What won't you find at the London Book Fair? Authors...or...books...

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MP3 site Some Velvet Blog dishes put the love for Pittsburgh's Black Moth Super Rainbow.

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The Northwestern PA Maple Association has announced the dates for their Spring tour and tasting.

The 17th Annual Silberman Recital Series at Allegheny College continues this month with a performance by the Manhattan Piano Trio on Saturday, Feb. 24. The concert, which begins at 7:30 p.m. in Ford Memorial Chapel, is free and open to the public.

It's hard to go wrong with a headline like: Former Miss Crawford County trades baton for garb of pharmacologist

The Post Gazette reviews Colson Whitehead's lecture.

The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust is raffling off $100,000 toward a condo in the Cultural District.

T Shirt of the day: Poet Trees

Lit2Go is a free online collection of stories and poems in Mp3 (audiobook) format.

Finally, since it's Fat Tuesday, might I offer you an MP3? Professor Longhair - "Mardi Gras in New Orleans