5 things to do in Pittsburgh this weekend: Jan. 19-21
We’ve made it to the weekend. There is some snow in the forecast. Here are some ways to spend it.
Brew House Arts
An exhibition at Brew House on the South Side puts surveillance on view. Opening this weekend, “Blank Tape,” curated by Lena Hansen, is inspired by the ubiquity of surveillance technology in contemporary life. From social media to smart devices, surveillance technology is an inescapable part of our current reality.
The exhibit seeks to show how surveillance technologies inform the way we think and behave, and to imagine how we can use and engage with surveillance more ethically. It features artists working in video, animation, projection, photography, installation and game art. It is part of the Prospectus series, which offers professional and financial support to two emerging curators to curate an exhibition.
Gallery hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Details: brewhousearts.org
‘Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott’
Prime Stage Theatre’s “Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott” opens this weekend at the New Hazlett Theater on the North Side.
In 1955, 42-year-old Rosa Parks boarded a city bus to her seamstress job at a downtown department store in Montgomery, Ala. When asked to surrender her seat to a white man and sit in the rear section assigned to African Americans, she politely but insistently refused and was arrested for violating a city ordinance requiring racial segregation of public buses.
The piece is written by St. Louis playwright Sue Greenberg and directed by Pittsburgh theatre educator Linda Haston. Rosa Parks is played by Chelsea Davis, who is making her Pittsburgh debut.
On Saturday and Sunday, there will be a behind-the-scenes look at how sets and costumes are designed at the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh MuseumLab located next to the theater.
Tickets are $24 for adults, $19 for artists and $14 for students. Friday is pay-what-you-can admission.
Details: primestage.com
Laugh track
Jess Hilarious is at the Pittsburgh Improv this weekend at the Waterfront in Homestead. Born and raised in Baltimore, the stand-up comedian has been on MTV’s “Wild N’ Out” and Russell Simmons’ “All Def Comedy” on HBO, as well as on VH1, BET, and others.
She has opened for comedy legends such as Martin Lawrence, Rickey Smiley, Mo’Nique and Mike Epps.
She has been selling out venues across the country. Her shows on Saturday are sold out but there are limited tickets for Friday and Sunday.
She has more than 4.8 million social media followers.
Shows are at 7:30 p.m. and 9:45 p.m. on Friday and 5 p.m. on Sunday.
Tickets are $35.
Details: improv.com/pittsburgh
Get away
With snow on the ground and temperatures in the teens and low 20s recently, it’s good timing for the Pittsburgh Travel Showcase this weekend at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, Downtown.
The event features information on trips to the Caribbean, all-inclusive resorts and other warm-weather destinations.
Presented by AAA Travel, the showcase will have professionals on hand to help plan a trip to a variety of tropical locations for that once-in-a-lifetime vacation or weekend getaway.
Hours are noon to 6 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.
Tickets are $10.
Details: PittsburghTravelShowcase.com
Hooks & Phonics Festival
The August Wilson African American Cultural Center, Downtown, is hosting the debut of the Hooks & Phonics Festival this weekend.
It’s a celebration of hip-hop culture and the art of spoken word poetry and is dedicated to amplifying the stories of trial and triumph narrated by Black, indigenous, and people of color communities. The event honors the public-speaking power of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Friday is opening night and begins with Poetry Unplugged at 8 p.m. There will be sounds by Selecta and artists Sunni Patterson, Ed Mabrey, aja monet, LoveTies, Jessica Lanay, Kayden Hern will take the stage.
On Saturday, Grammy-nominated hip-hop artist Rapsody will perform at 9 p.m. Other artists on stage include Chelsea Pastel, KeilyN, Jimmy Hustle, Ron Johnny, and Nairobi starting at 7 p.m. There will be sounds by DJ Get It.
On Sunday, “Fan Tas-Tic FOREVER: An Ode to J-Dilla” featuring Slum Village will be on stage at 9 p.m. DJ Big Phill will spin tunes. Artists include Slum Village, jessica Care moore, De’Sean Jones & Urban Art Orchestra, Yusef Shelton, Khemist, Jeremiah Marcel, Free Black!, and NNS.
Tickets are $45, $120 for a three-day pass.
Details: visit awaacc.org
JoAnne Klimovich Harrop is a TribLive reporter covering the region's diverse culinary scene and unique homes. She writes features about interesting people. The Edward R. Murrow award-winning journalist began her career as a sports reporter. She has been with the Trib for 26 years and is the author of "A Daughter's Promise." She can be reached at jharrop@triblive.com.
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