PGH PHOTO FAIR, 2nd EDITION. IT'S HERE!

It's finally here - the PGH Photo Fair weekend we’ve been leading up to for months through our incredible speaker series! Join us all weekend long for a fabulous lineup of exhibitors, activities and culinary delights. We kick off the festivities with the Next Level "Thank You Pittsburgh" celebration on Thursday and swing right into the fair on Saturday at noon. Please come out and show your support, we can't wait to show you how we've grown!  

Check out all we have planned for you below:

NEXT LEVEL PARTY 
Thursday, May 16  6:30 - 10:30pm
The Beauty Shoppe at 6101 Penn Avenue 2nd Floor
Free & open to the public

Sheyi Bankale, editor and founder of Next Level & PGH Photo Fair combine forces this Thursday evening to throw a ‘Thank You Pittsburgh’ celebration. Join us to welcome all of the people who made the Pittsburgh edition of Next Level a success from funders to artists and writers. This event is also a celebration to launch the weekend of PGH Photo Fair. Salt of the Earth will be supplying lite bites and drinks will be provided by Clique Vodka and Penn Brewery. DJ Soy Sos will set the mood with his musical stylings.

PGH PHOTO FAIR 
Saturday, May 18  12 - 6pm & Sunday, May 19 11am - 5pm
Unsmoke Systems Artspace at 1137 Braddock Avenue, Braddock, PA
Free & open to the public

PGH Photo Fair returns for a second year this weekend, Saturday May 18 & Sunday May 19 at Unsmoke Systems Artspace. This year, PGH Photo Fair will host twelve internationally known dealers to exhibit museum-quality prints and photo-based art spanning the history of the medium, from nineteenth-century vintage prints to contemporary photography, as well as photographic books and photo-based magazines.  

The expanded scope of exhibitors this year includes greater international breadth with Stephen Bulger Gallery from Canada, Next Level Projects from London and Only Photography from Berlin. Returning this year are Gitterman Gallery and L. Parker Stephenson,both specializing in classic and mid-century work. New, and with a very strong representation of the best in contemporary photography, are Higher Pictures and Sasha Wolf Gallery. In nineteenth-century works the excellent program of Gary Edwards Gallery is expected from the DC area as well as Winter Works on Paper, a trailblazer in showing the best in vernacular photography. Rounding out the roster with books, limited edition prints and magazines are newcomers Blind Spot, and returning exhibitors Aperture Foundation and Spaces Corners, all with compelling programs of contemporary work.

10x10 American Photobook Reading Room
Saturday, May 18  12 - 6pm & Sunday, May 19 11am - 5pm

Bibliopolis, third floor of Unsmoke

10x10 American Photobooks is a multi-platform photobook event with a reading room, online component and publication that presents American artists’ photobooks from the last 25 years. The project previewed earlier this month in New York. It’s final destination will be the Tokyo Institute of Photography in September 2013.  
 
BOOK SIGNINGS
Saturday, May 18   1:00pm
Anima, Charlotte Dumas
 
Sunday, May 19   1:00pm
Notes From the Foundry, artists TBA
Signings will take place on at the Spaces Corners table

Pittsburgh exhibitor, Spaces Corners has a few special plans for the weekend, including the launch of two new books: Dangerous Women from the collection of Peter J. Cohen and Notes From the Foundry a group show in a book featuring the work of sixteen contemporary photographers. In addition to these exciting releases, Dutch photographer Charlotte Dumas, known for her portraits of animals, will be signing copies of her newest book, Anima - a portrait series of the burial horses at Arlington National Cemetery photographed at night while resting.  
 
GOOD EATSFood will be generously provided by Kevin Sousa and Salt of the Earth all weekend long. Among the many delicious offerings, the onsite brick oven will be turning out made-to order pizzas, and Union Pig and Chicken will be roasting whole pigs. Thanks to all of our generous sponsors that helped make our event possible this year. We hope to see you in a few short days!
 
Best wishes,

Evan Mirapaul, founder of PGH Photo Fair & Fugitive Vision, LLC
& the PGH Photo Fair team

Next Level presents the PGH Photo Fair Launch Party

Two years ago during  Paris Photo, I was having a chat with Sheyi Bankale, the editor of Next Level magazine. He told me that the magazine was starting to focus on doing city editions, especially cities that have a developing photo/art scene. I suggested that Pittsburgh fit the bill very well. We decided to bring Sheyi to Pittsburgh to check it all out.

Fast forward a year or so later and the Pittsburgh edition of Next Level magazine is on the shelves with the fabulous work of Tomoko Sawada on the cover. I've got to say, I'm thrilled that Sheyi (with a little help from me) was able to make it happen with the involvement of a small army of writers, artists, foundations, and miscellaneous good-hearted folks.

So, Sheyi and I wanted to throw a "Thank You Pittsburgh" party and to invite all of the folks that had a hand in the edition who might be able to be in Pittsburgh on May 16th. Happily, this coincides with the launch of the 2nd edition of the PGH Photo Fair which will take place that weekend on May 18-19 and in which Next Level will be one of the exhibitors.

The party will take place at The Beauty Shoppe, 6101 Penn Avenue, 2nd Floor, and will go from 6:30-10:30. 

We have lots of fabulous contributors to the evening: light bites will be provided by Salt of the Earth, beer is provided by Penn Brewery,  and cocktails are provided by Clique Vodka. Copies of the Next Level Edition will be available. Nakturnal is handling the details of the event, so you know that the dj and ambience will be cool and fun. 

More details are on our facebook page (friend us!!) and we look forward to raising a toast to all our Pittsburgh friends who made the issue possible. Thank you!