G2's Tee-Rific Sponsor and How We Plan to "Gigipan"

Steve Streibig of Tee Rex does a great T-shirt, but he and wife, Samantha are also all-round great people. As one of the new sponsors GA/GI 2011, Steve put his Cotton Factory  forward, and is working with us to create wildly wonderful graphics for GA/GI Fest products while giving us plenty of another key ingredient-- moral support.  Last year, we were fortunate to do a logo-share with Tech designer Dave Edwards of Art Energy Design, utilizing form and photos of his Power Flower. As GA/GI goes into its second year, we're working on creating our own brand; something passionate, that reflects tech funk and our on-going commitment to the "green" cause. Steve took Fest Director, Christine on a tour of his laid back operation, where T-shirts and other magic is made, showing us what he's done graphically for Voluto Coffee, Urban Tree Forge, Tree Pittsburgh, and many others all with that unique Tee Rex touch. We look forward to having T's, posters and some of the coolest festival gear any one in the city has to offer in 2011.

GA/GI also recently met David Bear, formerly a travel editor for the Post Gazette; now a fellow with The Studio for Creative Inquiry @ CMU, who works with inventors that created a unique way to creative views of the city through the Pittsburgh Gigipanorama Project. For our event, Bear plans to place giant photos taken from the the top of the US Steel Building and exhibit them in the big bottom windows of the Glass Lofts ; he'll also host a workshop on how to use the equipment, offer interactive opportunities that explore the Gigapan site and prints will be on sale. Other plans for GA/GI may include Gigipanning the Friendship Arts District on April 1 and 2. The robot that "calls the shots" can take images up to 50 miles away from its main location. We think that is pretty awesome.

"Pretty soon, everyone will want one!" said Bear.

GA/GI "Birds Trees and Robots" Expands @ Union Project Open House

"Birds, Trees and Robots" is GA/GI for Kids! As part of The Geek Art/ Green Innovators, our team will offer children and their familes eco and technology experiences they might otherwise never encounter by bringing projects and people from those industries to a neighborhood setting where its easily accessible. The Union Project, a 50l (c) 3 in the Highland Park community, is again hosting "Birds Trees and Robots" during their OPEN HOUSE on Saturday, April 2. In addition to witnessing the beautiful changes in the Union Project and learning about its many classes and usage options, parents and their children will be treated to information on healthy eating and exercise, do creative movement together; enjoy hands-on projects, learn farm and garden practices, and enjoy an animation workshop. We will also offer a healthy snack to all attending. There will be something for everyone from grades K-8 during GA/GI for Kids (of all ages)  Highlights include a winner's circle of technology from the Healthy Kids Apps Contest with returnees Pittsburgh Center for the Arts, and the Power Flower!

[poster design by Pierce Maratto/Touchfaster) 

David Roth Champions iPad Jazz, Creative Reuse and Zerolandfills

David Roth, may look like a mild-mannered Pittsburgh architect, but this guy has more sides to him than a rubix cube and every one of them is super! He creates several kinds of musical instruments and has been experimenting with jazz, using his i-Pad as the foundation of his work. Catch a sample of his music (Dark Chocolate) in the right  hand column of this blog. And if his business and music aren't enough to keep him busy, David is also deeply committed to his environmental work, currently spearheading Pittsburgh's ZEROLANDFILL Project which began a roll-out from the Twin Cities to encompass 20 new markets in 2011. Zerolandfill connects architects and designers to art educators and people like Faye Miller of Creative Reuse to "upcycle" sample materials from the often massive libraries of interior designers and architects; materials which all to often become trash. Roth is reaching out to his peers through Zerolandfill on Facebook and his blog Zerolandfill Pittsburgh to curb this trend. He would like to see these items "upcycled."

"Upcycling is different from recycling," says Roth, "in that the objects find a higher purpose than they originally had." For two weeks this April around Earth Day, Roth and his collaborators will be hosting a collection at Guardian Storage in the strip, and redistributing the materials to other creative types locally. Schools in particular may find this helpful as art budgets are usually the first cut. "People are happy to do good things, once they know how," said Roth.

You'll find both David Roth live, in performance and Creative Reuse working on an outdoor community art project at our festival in April.