Mattress Factory Hosts Free Annual Festival and Admission Day: Community Fest on Sunday, July 28, 2024

This year’s theme, Community Fest: The Archives, celebrates the incredible talent of regional artists, musicians, filmmakers, and vendors. In collaboration with Pittsburgh Sound + Image and PGH Vintage Mixer, the festival will showcase analog film and vintage materials from local creatives.

Inspired by the archival material documenting Mattress Factory’s founding in the 1970s as an artist-centered DIY creative space, at Community Fest: The Archives, visitors can enjoy a selection of 16mm and digital films created primarily by Pittsburgh artists and community members. Along with art activities led by Assemble, Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild, Workshop PGH, Irma Freemen Center for Imagination, & more, Pittsburgh Sound + Image will also present Open Archives, five hours of continuous, interactive moving image exploration! Featuring a media archaeological playground with 16mm, Super 8, filmstrips, 35mm slides, original artworks, and more, this playful, and tactilely rich happening invites all attendees to put their hands on films and gear.

The event is free and open to all ages, running from 1:00 PM to 8:00 PM, with free access to the museum galleries from 1:00 PM to 6:00 PM. Visitors can also enjoy complimentary ice cream provided by Millie’s Homemade Ice Cream!

This year’s festival highlights both current and past film creatives, emphasizing the joy of experimenting with creative collaborators. Inspired by archival materials documenting the Mattress Factory’s storied founding by Barbara Luderowski and the wide range of processes artists have explored at the museum over the years, the festival also engages with Luke Stettner’s current exhibition, State of the Sky. This exhibition embodies artistic partnership, shared inquiry, and experimental dialogue, featuring expansive archival materials, analog film production, and a custom-made solar darkroom for creating photograms, or camera-less photographs, using natural light.

PARTNERS

Film Partner – Pittsburgh Sound + Image

Vintage Partner – PGH Vintage Mixer

Music – Formosa, I4A, Gina Glory, Glam Hand, BRNDA

Exhibiting Artist Partner – Luke Stettner

Food and Drink Vendors – Badamo’s Pizza, Lo Bar Cocktail Services, Dahntahn Dogs, Millie’s & more!

Vendors – Government Center, Laurie Trok Studios, Megalons Stained Glass, Steph Neary, Catherine Trendz, Melissa Sade Designs, Hilltop Urban Farm (Shelly Girl Farms & Bee Boy Honey), Bryce Hemington Pottery,

Art Activities – Assemble, Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild, Workshop PGH, Irma Freemen Center for Imagination, & more