FROM THE CURRATORS

As we set out to curate the second Pittsburgh International Festival of Firsts, we found ourselves coming back to this Beckett quote again and again.

"To find a form that accommodates the mess, that is the task of the artist now." – Samuel Beckett

Welcome to the 2008 Pittsburgh International Festival of Firsts!

It seemed to follow us, reflecting much of the work we saw at the forefront of performance today: artists who continue to find new ways of expression, explore new forms and formats, and develop new vocabularies that transform and challenge all "accommodating the mess."

Our vision for this year’s Festival was to gather some of the best examples of the highest quality works that illustrate this trend. Most of the works we selected celebrate the intersection of art, theater, dance, music and movement and all blur the lines between art forms and provide audiences with intimate experiences in performance.

These groundbreaking international artists are pioneers as are you, the first American audiences to see the works they bring to our Festival. Their performances share common threads of being intimate, immediate, immersive, even awkward happening in atypical environments as well as theaters and traditional performance spaces. They challenge as they entertain, prompting questions, discussion, and offering varied perspectives. And regardless of their innovation, they ultimately offer us an ancient gift: the transformative power of the arts.

We look forward to sharing these discoveries with you.

Paul J. Organisak, Curator
Ben Harrison, Associate Curator
Pittsburgh International
Festival of Firsts 2008

ABOUT THE PRESENTERS

In 2009, The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust will celebrate 25 years of leading the transformation of a blighted 14-block area of downtown into the city’s vibrant Cultural District. This bustling arts and entertainment center showcases over 2,000 exhibitions and events annually and continues to capture the attention of artists, business leaders, philanthropists, architects, urban planners, and national and international media.

Under the leadership of President and CEO J. Kevin McMahon, the Trust continues to promote the vision of its founder, civic leader and philanthropist H. J. “Jack” Heinz, by pursuing its original mission: advance regional economic growth and quality of life through the creation, development, and promotion of a downtown Cultural District.

Thanks to the support of foundations, government agencies, and thousands of private citizens, the Trust has developed a magnet destination and paradigm of redevelopment for other cities. It has been lauded for its unique holistic approach to development, in keeping with consistent high standards of design and presentation. Today it continues to pursue an even richer mix of arts and entertainment programming serving diverse audiences, to create new arts venues and compelling urban spaces, and to attract residential properties, shops, hotels, and restaurants. Additional information about the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust is available at www.pgharts.org.

Located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the place of Andy Warhol’s birth, The Andy Warhol Museum is one of the most comprehensive single-artist museums in the world. The Warhol is one of the four Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh. Additional information about The Warhol is available at www.warhol.org.