Mr. Imagination

Society for Contemporary Craft

Through March 1

2100 Smallman St.

… Mr. Imagination

Society for Contemporary Craft

Through March 1

2100 Smallman St.

(412) 261-7003

Tuesday to Friday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Contemporary Folk Art

Senator John Heinz Pittsburgh Regional History Center

Through Jan. 30

1212 Smallman St.

(412) 454-6000

Open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Mid-November saw the kickoff of a citywide folk art festival that is still going strong at the Senator John Heinz Pittsburgh Regional History Center as well as at the Society for Contemporary Craft, both located in the Strip District. The artwork on display showcases the efforts of artists around the country and in our own backyard.

In the History Center, visitors are greeted with an extensive collection on loan from the Smithsonian as well as works by local artists such as Andy Flanigan, Kathleen Ferri, Robert Wright, and John Graves. A few blocks away at the SCC is the excitement that is Mr. Imagination – a 54-year-old installation artist from Chicago.

Like most folk artists, Mr. Imagination, also known as Gregory Warmack, has never received any formal art training. But his self-taught techniques, which utilize massive quantities of bottle caps, among other media, are quite the spectacle. He has a series of eerie self-portraits and many wooden masks. Also of interest are his creations of royalty with “junk;” including sculptures such as “Throne,” “Stove Top with Staff” and “Hub Cap King.” Many of his figures lack human bodies, they exist as heads on sticks – appearing almost to have been beheaded. Mr. Imagination now works out of a Bethlehem, Pa., studio and many of the works in his solo show are for sale.

Mr. Imagination collects bottle caps, but his prolific artwork would not be supported by his beverage consumption alone; he receives donations to supplement his collection. The bottle caps are used to make figures, crowns, dolls, neckties and vests. In this show Mr. Imagination displays elaborate headboards and footboards for a bottle cap bed – running a combined $15,000. This and other works at the SCC feature a plethora of brand-name caps: Coors Light, MGD, Samuel Adams, Amstel Light, Mike’s Hard Lemonade, Heineken, OB Beer, Budweiser, Miller Lite, Kirin Beer, O’Doul’s, Smirnoff Ice, Michelob, Molson Canadian, Corona and Killian’s.

A few blocks away at the History Center, the variety of artists and media is seemingly endless. The two-part exhibit features “Treasures from the Smithsonian Museum of American Art” coupled with Western Pennsylvanian folk art. There are 72 works, including various paintings, sculptures and textiles. Each piece tells a story about a place and time in American history. Museum patrons can view interpretations of Washington crossing the Delaware, the Civil War and the Statue of Liberty. The Smithsonian exhibit is divided by theme: “Politics and Prose,” “Divine Inspiration,” “Places and Spaces,” “Animal Crackers,” and “Phenomenal Figures.”

Bringing things to a local focus, the variety of folk art coming from Pittsburgh and the rest of Western Pennsylvania is vast. From 19th century quilts made in Washington and Allegheny counties to 18th century Westmoreland county gravestones – the merging of history and art is evident in the 44 local works on display at the History Center. The regional portion of the exhibit is also divided by theme: “Tradition,” “Birds and Beasts,” “Town and Country,” “Personal Vision,” and “Looking Back: Memory, Nostalgia, Commemoration.”

It is interesting to see what materials can conjure memories. Cecilia Mayer Schoor, of Allegheny County, made a hair wreath in 1881 when she was 16 years old. The wreath, made from braids of hair belonging to friends and loved ones, has been preserved for more than 100 years and is part of the History Center’s tribute to Western Pennsylvanian folk art. Another display of physical memory is the 1930 memory vase from Pittsburgh. Its various materials include a key, a dog tag, a thimble and a penny.

In addition to admiring these works existing outside the traditional aesthetic of “high art,” visitors to both the History Center and the SCC are given a chance to roll up their sleeves and become folk artists themselves. In the History Center, families are invited to create self-portraits, quilts and landscapes. At the SCC, visitors can make “Mr. I. Shakers” at the drop-in workshop.

But whether participating or simply perusing, attending these exhibits before they are gone will mean witnessing a piece of history, and understanding a type of art.