About us
Meet others in your local area that are interested in attending, discussing, learning more about the local cultural arts scene. All art forms and art enthusiasts welcome. Share your interests in art, music, film, dance, theater, etc. with others. Have fun and meet new people who share an appreciation and enjoyment of the arts! Our meetups offer a chance to get out into the community, relax, socialize and enjoy activities such as: Movies, Symphony, Concerts, Museums, Plays, Bands, Comedy, and FUN!
Upcoming events
11
Carnegie Museum, Phipps, & Frick Fine Arts with University of Pittsburgh Gallery
Carnegie Museum of Art, 4400 Forbes Ave., Pittsburgh, PA, USThis event brings new people together and incorporates flexibility tailored to the interests of the group. This event begins at Café Carnegie (inside Carnegie Museum of Art) so people can socialize and get coffee/tea/drink or quick lunch. Because Café Carnegie doesn't require museum admission, we'll gauge the interests of everyone and possibility of smaller groups (perhaps 5-10+ people) exploring the following options from 12-5 PM or even later.
Option A -- Spend the afternoon inside the many galleries and exhibits of the Carnegie Museum of Art and Carnegie Museum of Natural History. Of note is that there will be a docent led tour at 1 PM for the Carnegie Museum of Art. Visitors can check out Charles Harlan on display through February 22, 2025.
There will also be a Trio Tour from 12:30-1 PM where visitors take an up-close look at the caribou, mountain goat, and walrus dioramas. Meet the tour next to the walrus display in the Hall of North American Wildlife. Join knowledgeable Natural History Interpreters to explore three connected specimens, objects, or dioramas on 30-minute tours.
We expect at least 10 people will get into Carnegie Museums for free based on those with Carnegie Museums memberships that allow guests. Priority for free admission will be decided by the order of arrival and recognition of members that are relatively new to the group.
Option B -- Walk over to Phipps Conservatory to check out Orchid and Tropical Bonsai Show: Blooming with Love (on display from January 10 – March 15) and fun Garden Railroad: The Age of Dinosaurs and other exhibits including Tropical Forest Panama and The Audacity of the Mundane: An Exhibition of Artwork by Charlee Brodsky as well as glass sculptures by Dale Chihuly and Hans Godo Fräbel. Also on display is The BETA Project (Biophilia Enhanced Through Art) with paintings, sculptures, etc. by over 20 local, national, and international artists.
Option C -- Attend the closing reception of three exhibitions at the University of Pittsburgh Art Gallery inside the Frick Fine Arts Building located across from Carnegie Library of Oakland.
- Rethinking the Rotunda III: José Santiago Pérez’s “As Above” & Charmette Young’s “It Keeps My Hands Busy”
- Wavelengths: deRoy Gruber – Filkosky – Fuller – Haskell
- Earth & Ether: The Art of Lucille and Virgil Cantini
Option D -- Walk over to check out the 31 Nationality Rooms inside the Cathedral of Learning where there will be 1-2:30 PM docent led tour. Tickets are $10 Adult and $6 Youth (ages 18 and under). To make reservations, please visit Tours | Nationality Rooms
Option E -- People can discuss if they'd to have lunch or dinner at a nearby restaurant such as The Porch in Schenley Plaza or one of the many restaurants along Craig Street, Forbes Avenue, etc.
In terms of Admission Charges, we'll see if anyone has memberships (e.g., Carnegie Museums, Phipps) which allow them to bring guests in for free. We expect at least 10 people will be able to get into Carnegie Museums for free and several more people for free at Phipps.
Parking The Carnegie Museum has plenty of parking which is conveniently located near the museum entrance at the corner of Forbes Ave & S. Craig Street. Here is a link with more info about parking and directions http://cmoa.org/visit/directions-maps-parking/
Stay Tuned for updates!
48 attendees
Authors Calvin Duncan and Sophie Cull "The Jailhouse Lawyer"
Carnegie Music Hall, 4400 Forbes Ave, Pittsburgh, PA, USPlease join Pittsburgh Arts and Lectures as they welcome Calvin Duncan and Sophie Cull to discuss their book, The Jailhouse Lawyer.
Calvin Duncan was nineteen when he was incarcerated for a 1981 New Orleans murder he didn’t commit. The victim of a wildly incompetent public defense system and a badly compromised witness, Duncan was left to rot in the waking nightmare of confinement. Armed with little education, he took matters into his own hands.
At twenty-one, he filed his first motion from prison: “Motion for a Law Book,” which launched his highly successful, self-taught legal career. Trapped within this wholly corrupted system, Duncan became a legal advocate for himself and his fellow prisoners as an inmate counsel at the infamous Louisiana State Penitentiary, Angola. Literature sustained his hope, as he learned the law in its shadow.
During his decades of incarceration, Duncan helped hundreds of other prisoners navigate their cases, advocating for those the state had long since written off. He taught a class in the midst of Angola to empower other incarcerated men to fight for their own justice under the law. But his own case remained stalled. A defense lawyer once responded to Duncan’s request for documents: “You are not a person.”
Criminal justice reform advocate Sophie Cull met Duncan after he was finally released from prison; he began to tell her his story. Together, they’ve written a bracing condemnation of the criminal legal system, and an intimate portrait of a heroic and brilliant man’s resilience in the face of injustice.
Calvin Duncan is the founder and director of the Light of Justice program focused on improving legal access for incarcerated individuals. His efforts have contributed to landmark U.S. Supreme Court decisions, including Smith v. Cain (2012) and Ramos v. Louisiana (2020). Duncan holds a JD from Lewis & Clark Law School and resides in New Orleans, where he continues his advocacy on behalf of those still behind bars.
Sophie Cull is a criminal justice reform advocate who has published on the death penalty, life sentences, and prosecutorial misconduct. As a cofounder of The Visiting Room Project, she helped create the world’s largest collection of filmed interviews with people serving life without parole. Originally from Australia, she began her career in New Orleans, assisting legal organizations defending individuals on Louisiana’s death row.
The Jailhouse Lawyer is available to pre-order through bookseller White Whale Bookstore who will be set-up in the lobby with many books available for purchase by other authors that have been part of the Pittsburgh Arts and Lectures series.
TICKETS
In person tickets start at $31 Calvin Duncan with Sophie Cull for the upper balcony (where it is easier for a group to sit together) Tickets may also be purchased by phone (412) 622-8866 or at the door starting at 6:30 PMFor Online Tickets ($31) Calvin Duncan with Sophie Cull Online The viewing link will be emailed on the day of the event. Viewers will have access to the recorded program for one week.
Parking While many visitors find street parking, the Carnegie Museum has plenty of parking which is conveniently located near the museum entrance at the corner of Forbes Ave & S. Craig Street. Here is a link with more info about parking and directions http://cmoa.org/visit/directions-maps-parking/
4 attendees
Past events
1691
Group links
Organizers
Members
11,461
