Artsy
8/8/2012
One of the best ways to get to know a new city - in my "professional" opinion - is to go to any and all festivals, events, and street events that you can get yourself too. Following my own advice, I ventured over the 7th Street Bridge and into downtown to explore the Three Rivers Arts Festival.
A far cry from your usual street fairs, Arts Fest consumed downtown Pittsburgh from June 1-10 despite the all-too-blazing heat. Every year (or so I'm told) professional artists and hopefuls alike travel across the country to show their work and sell their wares to droves of Pittsburgh residents. Even better than the booths - again, in my "professional" opinion - are the street performers who swarm the sidewalks and parks. While I'm always a fan of a good mime or metallic man, my favorite this year was overwhelmingly the two men playing Didgeridoos. Side note - while looking up the correct spelling for this particular Aussie instrument I learned that it greatly helps reduce snoring and sleep apnea.. though I'm sure headaches are the side effect.
One thing that never ceases to amaze me is that art is such a fluid thing. It has no definition or limitations, it just.. is. I saw paint splatters, wood carvings, old record covers that had been mounted, liquor bottles that had been melted down to made cheese trays, and a variety of other things that confirmed my position as spectator never to join the likes of these crafty and gifted individuals (unless stick figures suddenly become a thing). Regardless, I will most definitely be in attendance next year, and highly recommend that everyone out there does the same.
Oh, and stay away from the lemonade. Bitter and full of seeds - not a fan.
SJ
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