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2012 AMICA
Convention
Pittsburgh, PA, USA
July 11 – 15, 2012
Please plan on
attending the 2012 Convention in Pittsburgh, PA, an exciting city with
attractions galore, many within walking distance of our convention hotel.
Registration Form
Our convention hotel, the Sheraton Station Square, is situated at the premier
location in the city: on the Monongahela Riverfront in downtown Pittsburgh
overlooking Fort Duquesne and the Golden Triangle, where the Allegheny and
Monongahela Rivers meet to form the Ohio River. The hotel is part of the
Station Square shopping complex, which comprises 52 acres of indoor and outdoor
shopping, dining and entertainment. Being among Pittsburgh’s largest tourist
destinations, it attracts more than three million people annually. Station
Square incorporates the former “grand” station of the Pittsburgh and Lake Erie
Railroad, with some of the original structures such as the freight house
building and the elegant concourse being converted into restaurants and a
shopping mall. (If you ever saw the movie “Flash Dance,” a portion was filmed
at the Grand Concourse Restaurant). Station Square boasts a stop on
Pittsburgh’s Light Rail System (“PAT”), as well as the docks for the Gateway
Clipper River Fleet and “Just Ducky” DKW (WW2 amphibious boat) tours.
ITINERARY –
Updated as of 2/26/2012
Wednesday,
July 11
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Arrival and
Board Meeting / self-guided sightseeing for non-Board Members
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Pianola concert
with Bob Berkman – Bob has several “shows” he can perform and will highlight a
unique cultural aspect of the pianola in a finely-tuned and entertaining show
Thursday, July
12
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Opening
breakfast
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Tour of
Frick
Art and Historical Center, including Clayton, the mansion of Pittsburgh
industrialist Henry Clay Frick, and the Car and Carriage Museum. The mansion
includes a Welte Cottage Orchestrion restored by Durward Center in a rare
“original installation” location.
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Box lunch
provided in between tours
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Tour of
Phipps
Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, with 17 distinct botanical experiences,
including a Palm Court, Butterfly House, Orchid Room and formal outdoor
garden. The Phipps Welcome Center is the first LEED-certified building in a
public garden and boasts a fabulous Dale Chihuly chandelier.
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Return to hotel
and board Gateway Clipper Riverboat dinner tour of Pittsburgh’s three rivers
and stunning skyline.
Friday, July
13
Our planned
activities include visits to the following:
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Tour of Blackwood, a 35-acre estate in Butler County built in
its entirety by AMICAns Don Fink and Ben Robertson. Visit to include a
concert by Dave Wickerham on Blackwood’s meticulously restored 3 manual, 26
rank Wurlitzer theatre organ with gold-leaf “waterfall” console.
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Mini Organ Rally on the grounds during a wonderful outdoor
catered lunch and after Dave’s concerts Tour of the grounds will include
viewing the clock tower with its 1907 Seth Thomas clock and roll-playing
Schulmerich carillon, a Blackwood gyrocopter, and an antique radio collection.
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Dinner on own
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Pumper contest
Saturday, July 14
Sunday, July 15
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Closing breakfast and annual meeting
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Private collection tours (on own, or we may charter buses if
there is enough interest; additional fee for buses on this day only may be
assessed; see registration form).
The hotel rate is
$119 a night, and the convention registration fee of $385.00 will include all
attractions and transportation (except for Sunday collection tours by tour bus;
we’ll see if there is enough interest to merit bus rentals for that day), as
well as two breakfasts, two lunches and two dinners.
The convention is open to members of MBSI, COAA and the Player
Piano Group at no additional charge (or AMICA membership requirement).
To make a hotel reservation, call 1-800-325-3535 and mention the AMICA room
rate.
We look forward to seeing you in Pittsburgh -
Sincerely, Tim Baxter,
Your Convention Chair
Useful links:
Sheraton Station Square:
http://www.sheratonstationsquare.com/
Frick Art & Historical Center:
http://www.thefrickpittsburgh.org/
Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Garden:
http://phipps.conservatory.org/
Blackwood: http://www.blackwoodmusic.org
Gateway Clipper:
http://www.gatewayclipper.com/
Duquesne Incline:
http://www.duquesneincline.org/
Carnegie Museum of Art:
http://www.cmoa.org
Warhol Museum:
http://www.warhol.org
Nationality Rooms at Pitt:
http://www.pitt.edu/~natrooms/
National Aviary:
http://www.aviary.org/
Just Ducky Tours:
http://www.justduckytours.com/
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