Check out two sports-themed exhibits at the August Wilson Center ahead of the NFL Draft, visit the annual Art All Night event in Point Breeze or go to the Maxo Vanka Block Party in Millvale — here’s what to do in Pittsburgh this weekend.
Visual art
The August Wilson African American Cultural Center opens two new sports-themed exhibits ahead of the NFL draft. “HBCU Field of Dreams to Pro Football Fame” features Pro Football Hall of Fame memorabilia — signed jerseys, helmets, game balls — from HBCU players and coaches and more, including Walter Payton, Mel Blount and pioneering Steelers scout Bill Nunn. And “Shaheed Rucker: (re)Covering the Iconic” is a display of Rucker’s art reimagining Wheaties boxes and Jet magazine covers with Black cultural icons from Josh Gibson and Roberto Clemente to August Wilson himself. “HBCU” runs Thu., April 16 through April 26, and the Rucker show opens Wed., April 22. Admission is free.
Dance
Bodiography premieres founding director Maria Caruso’s new full-length ballet at the Kelly Strayhorn Theater. “Arcadia” is a sequel to Caruso’s “Evensong” that builds on its themes of “transformation and human connection.” The company performs the work to a soundscape by Kevin Keller. It gets three performances Fri., April 17, through Sunday’s matinee.
Visual art
Still sailing under the banner “No Fee. No Jury. No Censorship,” Art All Night returns for its 29th year of crowd-sourced paintings, sculptures and more in big borrowed spaces. This year, thousands of visitors will see hundreds of works by artists of all ages and skill levels, watch live painting, hear live music and more at Rockwell Park, in Point Breeze. The round-the-clock fun starts at 4 p.m. Sat., April 18, and runs through 2 p.m. Sun., April 19. Admission remains free.
Film
An evening of new silent short films by local artists, set to original soundtracks performed live: Sync’d 9 takes over Carnegie Mellon’s Melwood Screening Room, in North Oakland. The long-running annual series features films by the likes of Noam Di Giulio, Zahra El Ansary and Nasty Taxi. The music is by audio-visual artist Chris Cannon and three-piece instrumental band The Long Hunt. The show is the evening of Sat., April 18, and admission is free.
Festival
True to the spirit of its namesake artist’s well-populated Millvale murals, the annual Maxo Vanka Block Party packs a lot into its four hours. Outdoors, there’s an art tent (LEGO printmaking, spraypainting and more), DJs, snacks and drinks; inside St. Nicholas Croatian Catholic Church, beneath the gaze of Vanko’s visionary artworks, Croatian folk records will spin alongside a kids’ scavenger hunt, a performance by the Rankin Junior Tamburitzans, and a chance to talk to docents and conservators. It all kicks off at noon Sun., April 19, and admission is free.
Music
Heads up, Pittsburgh: NFL draft festivities begin next week. Officially, the four days of events kick off Wed., April 22, with VisitPITTSBURGH’s sprawling PicksBURGH Music Crawl. After a ribbon-cutting in the revamped Market Square, more than a dozen venues Downtown, on the North Shore and beyond will host an evening-length festival of jazz, rock, pop, metal, EDM and more. Spots include Con Alma, Club Cafe, the Park House, the Thunderbird Cafe and many more. About half the shows are free; a complete lineup is here, and watch this space next week for additional events.