KURATEDpgh Gallery opens Oct. 17-18 in Aspinwall

Pittsburgh’s diverse visual arts milieu adds a new gallery this month when KURATEDpgh opens Oct. 17-18 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. at 405 Freeport Road in the heart of downtown Aspinwall.

The initial exhibit features artists Gavin Benjamin, Tressa Jones, Crystal Latimer and Nicole Renee Ryan joined by ceramicists Margaret Haden, Christian Alexander Morris, Britney Smith, Talon Smith and Mark Vander Heide.

Concerned by the negative impacts of COVID-19 on the region’s artists, KURATEDPgh owners Rachel and Katie Rearick believe that sharing the joy and resiliency of art is necessary now more than ever.

“Pittsburgh has a robust arts community that is not only making work but also encouraging conversations around a plethora of topics,” says Rachel. “At the same time, our artists need a better financial ecosystem where more people outside the arts community get to know them and collect their work in order to sustain what is happening here.”

Katie Rearick teaches jewelry and metals at Waynesburg University and is the founder of Allegheny Metals Collective. Her work ranges from small-scale body adornment to large sculptural installations exhibited at numerous galleries throughout the U.S. and in Europe. “We’re looking forward to exhibiting a wide variety of media and styles,” she says. “It’s also an opportunity to dialogue on a deeper level with the community about artist intent and content within the work.”

Rachel Rearick has served since 2018 as Arts and Culture Manager at Pittsburgh International Airport. As a dedicated printmaker herself, she believes KURATEDPgh will provide helpful visibility to artists seeking to maintain a public presence during this difficult time.

“The opening weekend is not a typical reception but more of an all-day open house,” notes Rachel, adding that mask-wearing will be required in the gallery at all times.