Work got in the way of blogging yesterday which means I must belatedly celebrate the birthdays of some of my favorite artists:Edward Gorey, sexy dead poet Edna St Vincent Millay, and Pittsburgh's own Gerald Stern.

The Library of Congress has made available the The George Grantham Bain Collection
. . . the photographic files of one of America's earliest news picture agencies. The collection richly documents sports events, theater, celebrities, crime, strikes, disasters, political activities including the woman suffrage campaign, conventions and public celebrations. The photographs Bain produced and gathered for distribution through his news service were worldwide in their coverage, but there was a special emphasis on life in New York City. The bulk of the collection dates from the 1900s to the mid-1920s, but scattered images can be found as early as the 1860s and as late as the 1930s.

Available online are 39,744 glass negatives and a selection of about 1,600 photographic prints for which copy negatives exist.

There are tons of early Pittsburgh Pirate photos (remember to search for "Pittsburg" as well), Including this one with Honus Wagner:

This one called "Tusk, held by four men, excavated near Pittsburgh"

or "Miss Pittsburgh in Atlantic City"

and, of course, the "Pittsburgh Arts Committee"
Wing & A Prayer Pittsburgh Players performed at Central Elementary School yesterday
The muticultural troupe of dancers, drummers, singers and storytellers, was in town for a program, "Amandla: A Celebration of the African Arts"

Titusville's Four Sons Brewery sold for, gulp, $323. Please god tell me there was some sort of catch and I didn't miss out on one of those once-in-a-lifetime own a bar for less than an evening's bar tab. The Business Authority say they'll have anew owner within a month. Not to be cynical, but where have I heard that before.

Speaking of the Franklin Club, despite all the rumors that have been flying around, no buyers yet. No surprise there, it's a beautiful property but in need of tens of thousands of dollars (if not more) of repairs.

While the NYTimes hosts a slideshow of celebrity tattoos, local radio station KISS FM is running a tattoo contest. Which would actually be kind of cool until you read the rules and realize it's a random drawing. That means, that like so many local tattoos, quality of art means nothing - a Daniel Johnson tattoo has the same chance as a scorpion eating an eyeball as a tramp stamp. Still, I'll probably rustle something up to send in. venangago-go tatoo anyone?

The Warhol Museum has listed its March programs.

I never actually watched the OC, but was glad to see that Matt Pond PA and Wilco made Rolling Stone's best of the OC's music list.

Benefit Show - I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change

One of the great things about living in Venango is that everything is darn cheap. Last week I was invited to Pittsburgh's Bricolage, an event where 6 writers have 12 hours to write a 10-minute play inspired by a 90-minute journey on a city bus. The directors and actors have the next 12 hours to rehearse, memorize and stage each play to debut that same evening exactly 24 hours after the first meeting. It was a benefit for a theatre company and tickets cost $75. Ouch.
However, this Saturday the 20th, at 8:00, the Barrow will host a re-presentation of the production of I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change .
As Director Peter Greene writes in Venangoland:

The show is a series of short vignettes capturing every aspect of meeting and mating from the very first moments of nervous first datery all the way through marriage, kids and, um, maturity. It is a musical about humor and love in everyday, ordinary life. The tunes are fun and, the characters are many of the people that we all know. The show does deal with mature themes and situations, but in a grown-up manner.The cast is composed of local theater veterans Steve Luxbacher, Jodi Hoover, Steve Teig and Suzi Ditzenberger, The musical accompaniment is provided by Kristen Criado and Jill Mattson.

It too is a benefit show, helping to the theater defray the cost of some new sound equipment. Prior to the production there will be a silent auction.

For $15. I'm serious. Only in Western PA. Call 437-3440 or 800-537-7769.

Speaking of Jill, this Saturday, January 20, at 1:00 pm Holly Nowak of the Arts Council of Erie and Oil City artist Jill Mattson will meet with artists in the Great Room of the National Transit Building to explain how to respond to the Arts in Education call for professional artists and become eligible for state-funded residencies and projects in schools and community organizations. Individual artists, companies, and ensembles may apply. The deadline is March 15. Call (814)676-5303 to reseve a spot.

Sylvia Coast and Kaycee Reib are looking for input on a book on Venango County's black history. Considering that everyone I talk to who owns an old house claims that it was a stop on the Underground Railroad, it's going to be a pretty big book.

The Titusville Redevelopment Authority is looking for a buyer for the Four Sons Brewery.

The RickDan Band is sponsering a big ol' music festival Saturday. 11 bands for $8 bucks at the Franklin Presbyterian Church 1250 Elk Street, Franklin, Pennsylvania 16323. Playing will be Signal Home, Loko Phylum, Hand in Hand, Nothing Unexpected, Hope on a Rope, and many others.

Although I think that the PA Lottery groundhog is one of the creepiest animatronics since 1950s Disney, Phil himself still has street cred (meadow cred?). Check out Groundhog Crossing for this year's build up.