Watch the furries Downtown for Anthrocon’s 20th anniversary, check out fireworks and other Fourth of July celebrations throughout the city, or cheer on your favorite team at a World Cup watch party \u2014 here’s what to do in Pittsburgh this weekend.<\/p>\n
Visual Art Visual Art Furries Music Festival
Pittsburgh Center for Arts & Media\u2019s Annual Member and Student Exhibition is a special one this year. It marks the 80th anniversary of the group<\/a> that began as the Arts and Crafts Center of Pittsburgh and later became Pittsburgh Center for the Arts and PCA&M. The new show includes work by 52 member and student artists, but also features films, photos and exhibit posters from the Shadyside-based group\u2019s eight decades of arts education and exhibition. The show runs through Aug. 23.<\/p>\n
Japanese and Japanese-American artists living and working in the Pittsburgh region take the spotlight in \u201cNikkei: Pittsburgh Voices.\u201d<\/a> Nikkei refers to members of the Japanese diaspora; the exhibit at Sharpsburg\u2019s Atithi Studio includes work in a variety of media by seven artists, including Brent Nakamoto, Eriko Hattori and Reiko Yamamoto. The gallery is open Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays and by appointment. The show continues through July 25.<\/p>\n
America250 is also Anthrocon20. That is, the 20th year here for the convention that annually draws 18,000 or more participants dressed as anthropomorphized animal characters. Once seen as a fringe pursuit (fursuit?), furrydom is now fully embraced by politicians and chamber-of-commerce types. This year\u2019s con runs Thu., July 2, through Sun., July 5, at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center. The public is welcome to July 4\u2019s free Fursuit Parade and Anthrocon Block Party<\/a>, on Penn Avenue between 9th and 11th streets.<\/p>\n
The South Hills Chorale and other regional choirs join The Bach Choir of Pittsburgh for Sing Democracy 250. The Fri., July 3, concert<\/a> at Downtown\u2019s O\u2019Reilly Theater features two newly commissioned works. Brandon A. Boyd\u2019s \u201cRedeem the Dream\u201d is based on Langston Hughes\u2019 iconic poem \u201cLet America Be America Again.\u201d And Michael Bussewitz-Quarm\u2019s \u201cUS\u201d is a call to good citizenship as a way to renew democracy.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re looking for an Independence Day Celebration, the City of Pittsburgh\u2019s will surely be the biggest around, and among its own largest ever. Starting the afternoon of Sat., July 4, Point State Park, Liberty Avenue, the North Shore Great Lawn and Grandview Park will host an array of live music, line dancing, kids\u2019 activities, food trucks and more. There\u2019s even a Ferris wheel on the North Side (ticketed, for charity). Fireworks follow. A complete schedule is here.<\/a><\/p>\n