Come make illuminated puppets and lanterns for the First Night Pittsburgh parade all over town with Cheryl Capezzuti. These FREE workshops for all ages and abilities are sponsored by First Night Pittsburgh. Here’s how it works: Sign up for a workshop, make an illuminated art work for the parade at 8:00 on New Year’s Eve in downtown Pittsburgh, take your art work home after the parade.
Here’s the official sign-up link: https://firstnightpgh.trustarts.org/fn_home/get-involved/parade-workshops
Free First Night Buttons for everyone who signs up to volunteer for the parade, too. A $10/person value and your free pass to all the arts-centered events happening downtown at First Night Pittsburgh on New Year’s Eve.
BONUS: All light-up art works made in this workshop will also be used for a small procession in our neighborhood at 5:00 pm on Saturday, December 1.
It’s time to turn cars into giant puppets at Studio Capezzuti. Each art car is designed by an artist in collaboration with Cheryl Capezzuti. Then we invite anyone who wants to drop by to help bring the design to life. We’ll slip cover cars, paint, build and papier mâché for 20 hours and then we’ll pack everything up until the First Night Pittsburgh Parade rolls around on New Year’s Eve. This is a free workshop open to anyone, any age that would like to lend a hand. Free food all weekend long for volunteers. If you need a little time to get messy and hang out with people that love to make stuff, this is the event for you.
A Puppet Slam is a showcase of short, contemporary puppetry work typically aimed at an adult audience. This event showcases the work of members of the Puppetry Guild of Pittsburgh. There will be a picnic on the lawn from 6-7:30 where you can enjoy outdoor puppetry activities including a workshop by Light Bright Beautiful Puppetry and an opportunity to dance in a giant puppet with Giant Puppet Dance Club followed by a puppet parade into the performance venue. During the picnic all attendees are invited to bring a puppet that they love to share with others. Spring Hill Brewery will be open for the event and folks can purchase beer and non-alcoholic beverages. There will also be some sort of food for sale (still figuring out the details of that). You are welcome to pack your own picnic basket, too.
We will move indoors at 7:30 for a series of short performances hosted by Tom Sarver and Dave English accompanied by Daniel Baxter and his band Imaginary Friends. The evening’s line-up includes shows from local favorites Felicia Cooper, Fuzzy Boundary (Cheryl Capezzuti and Kellee Van Aken), Alison Babusci, Bob Rumba, Joann Kielar and Giant Puppet Dance Club. We will also get to enjoy performances by three guild members performing for the first time: Theresa Casciato, Becky Spevak and Albert Pantone. The audience can also expect to participate in an improvisational puppet experience inspired by Kirsten Ervin and her CoStar album collection.
Giant Puppet Dance Club is Cheryl Capezzuti’s latest experiment in community connection, laughter and delight. Join the fun at this event where the community is invited to try on giant puppets and participate in an interactive dance experience.