For Immediate Release	Contact: Carol O'Sullivan
Dec 10, 2004	412-681-5449 x205
Harp & Silver Exhibit Opens January 7 at Filmmakers Galleries (Pittsburgh, PA) — Filmmakers Galleries will exhibit The Happiest Day, an installation by Pittsburgh artists Hilary Harp and Suzie Silver from January 7 through February 13, 2005. An opening reception, with the artists, will be held on January 14 at 7:00pm. It is free and open to the public. The installation incorporates video view-boxes, reminiscent of dioramas. A series of 2-ft. by 2-ft. boxes line the walls, each with a plasma screen. The videos are of recent, original performances by the artists' friends and students, but with Victorian shadow box landscapes. Harp and Silver call The Happiest Day "a remembrance of a lost bohemia with depictions of a lost Arcadia." Another part of the show is an installation of projected video with sculptural pieces that together create an intriguing setting. In addition, two special afternoon events will be held in the Melwood Screening Room, to compliment the exhibit. On Saturday, January 22 at 2:00pm, several episodes of The Little Mole will be shown. These vintage animations (suitable for all ages) from Czech artist Zdenek Miler, are enchanting videos which are very popular around the world. On Saturday, February 5 at 2:00pm, an assortment of performances, films and videos will be screened (recommended for ages 10 and up). Local artist Jacob Ciocci, will do live mixing of digitized images, creating video collages. Local artists Luke Meeken and Andrew Negrey will also combine live performance with video animation. In addition a recent film by New York artists Jacob and Tom Burckhardt will be shown. Hilary Harp, Associate Professor at Carnegie Mellon University, is a sculptor interested in creating objects and installations that explore the anxiety and absurdity of human embodiment. She received her MFA from Tyler School of Art at Temple University. Harp's work has been exhibited at the Gale Gates Gallery, The Sculpture Center, White Columns and Esso Gallery in New York. She is the recipient of a Pew Fellowship. Suzie Silver is an artist working primarily in video and performance; recent projects explore historical fantasies, notions of the paradisiacal, mythologies of stardom and the allure of imaginary landscapes. She received her MFA from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Silver's works have screened at the Whitney Museum in New York; the Worldwide Video Festival in The Hague; the London Film Festival; The Moscow Film Festival, and dozens of other venues worldwide. She is a 1996 recipient of the James D. Phelan Art Award in Video and a 2004 Pennsylvania Council on the Arts Fellowship, as well as many other awards. Currently she is Associate Professor in the School of Art at Carnegie Mellon University. Harp and Silver have been working collaboratively since March 2003. Portions of The Happiest Day exhibit have been included in national exhibitions as well as in China, Argentina, Australia, Mexico and Italy. Pittsburgh Filmmakers galleries are located at 477 Melwood Avenue, North Oakland. The New Gallery's hours are Monday through Friday, noon to 5:00pm and during film screenings. The Outer Gallery' hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00am to 5:00pm and during film screenings. For more information, call 412-681-5449 or visit www.pghfilmmakers.org Pittsburgh Filmmakers, founded in 1971, is one of the largest and oldest independent media arts centers in the U.S. It is committed to the advancement of artistic excellence in film, video, photography and digital media, and accomplishes this with programs in education, artist services, and exhibition.