As part of the Hive Days of Summer Campaign, The Labs @ Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh (CLP) main, in conjunction with educators from The Mattress Factory, gave a workshop for teens called “Art on the Move!” on July 10th. Workshops were provided on different dates at other library sites as well.

The “Art on the Move!” workshop provides a collaborative and interactive experience in making installation art.

Installation art is art that appeals to all of the senses. Everything is part of the art, the floor, ceiling, etc., and the viewer becomes part of the art piece too.

Erin Phillips and Di-ay Battad, art educators from The Mattress Factory, and Molly Dickerson, with the Labs at CLP (names left to right) begin working with students on their projects.

As a first exercise, participants were invited to use a variety of materials including egg cartons, bottles, and yarn to make either a self-propelled drawing robot or an installation box.

Rosalea Williams (left) from CAPA worked with her sister Ella Williams (right) on her robot.

Rosalea Williams puts the final touches on her robot.

Madeleine Barth Wu from Carlow Campus School watches her robot draw circles. A propeller allows the robot to scribble on its own.

Other participants worked on installation boxes. Installation boxes are smaller models of installation art pieces.

An example of an installation box created by Emily Weiss from Falk Laboratory School.

Di-ay Battad demonstrates another art installation exercise which consisted of tracing a number of projected images onto the wall to create a single drawing.

The final art piece traced and produced by the workshop participants.

Towards the end of the workshop, some of the students used a special button making machine to make pins out of magazine cutouts.

Some of the pins participants made.

As the smiling Gussie Weiss from Falk Laboratory School demonstrates, much fun was had by all!

Reporters from the Pittsburgh Youth Media program cover stories for Hive Pittsburgh. Read more at pghyouthmedia.com.