“I’m a multidisciplinary person. I never have been able to decide what kind of artist I should be, and so I just keep doing what I feel like at the time.”
— Elizabeth Asche Douglas (1930-2023)
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IF YOU MISSED last week’s Downtown Gallery Crawl presented by Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, August brings another round of eclectic and lively outdoor celebrations of Pittsburgh visual arts.
The July 28 Downtown Gallery Crawl was dedicated to the art and scholarship of Elizabeth “Betty” Douglas who passed away July 15 after seven decades of inspirational creativity in art, music, teaching and social activism.
Prof. Douglas was a true trailblazer in many fields, earning a BFA from Carnegie Institute of Technology and an MA in History of Art and Architecture from the University of Pittsburgh.
More about her extraordinary life can be found here.
- Fri. Aug. 4 from 6-10 p.m. Celebrate 25 years of Unblurred: First Fridays on Penn, a monthly art and entertainment stroll spotlighting an eclectic blend of galleries and art retailers along Penn Avenue in Bloomfield/Garfield — Pittsburgh Glass Center, Silver Eye Photography, BFG Café, Arts & Crafts: Bottanica & Occult Shop, Songbird Artistry, Imagebox, Vault Art Studio, Kelly Strayhorn Theater, Center for PostNatural History, Irma Freeman Center for Imagination and more. Check Bill O’Driscoll’s feature on The Confluence.
- Sat. Aug. 5, 1-9 p.m. 200+ artists and vendors, 75+ musial performers, 45+ participating venues — that’s the 2023 Lawrenceville Art Crawl organized by Redfishbowl on Butler Street from 35th to 56th streets and Arsenal Park. And then there’s the After Party! (4327 Butler)
- Sun. Aug. 6, 1-5 p.m. The Mattress Factory presents its annual Trash Bash Community Fest, featuring local and regional artists, musicians, designers and vendors spotlighting the versatility of reused-recycled goods to the creative process. It’s free and all-ages, with mentorship and entrepreneurial opportunities for emerging youth artists.
SOME VISUAL ART OPPORUNITIES:
- Deadline Aug. 14, 2023. The Keystone Progress Education Fund seeks visual art that creates a dialogue about how democracy impacts censorship, reproductive justice/abortion access, worker’s rights, economic justice and what a healthy democracy should look like; the exhibit runs in Sept.-Oct. 2023 at Brew House Arts and East End Cooperative Ministry.
- Deadline Aug. 15, 2023. Applications are now open for the new Creative Sector Flex Fund sponsored by Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council, providing $5,000 grants to small arts organizations in Allegheny, Beaver, Greene, Washington counties.
- Deadline Aug. 18, 2023. The Mattress Factory has a Regional Open Call for artists-in-residence looking to mount a solo exhibition at the Mattress Factory Monterey Annex in May 2025.
** Galleries & Exhibits **
707 Penn Gallery. To Sept. 24: Seen & Heard: Recent Acquisitions by the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust. New work by Joanne Bates, Tina Williams Brewer, Tara Fay Coleman, Elizabeth Asche Douglas, Vanessa German, Ashley A. Jones, Juliandra Jones, Ashanté Josey. 707 Penn Ave. Pittsburgh. (412) 456-6666.
820 Liberty Gallery. To Sept. 24: Traveling While Black. Roger Ross Williams offers a cinematic virtual-reality experience immersing viewers in the long history of restriction of movement for black Americans and the creation of safe spaces in our communities. 820 Liberty Ave. Pittsburgh. (412) 456-6666.
937 Liberty Gallery. Aug.18-Nov. 19: Divinity/Femininity. Curated by Dominique Seneca, this is the first U.S. solo exhibition by Zimbabwean contemporary artist Akudzwe Elsie Chiwa, whose multidisciplinary practice explores themes of migrant identity, femininity, Afro-Feminisms; opening reception Aug. 18, 6-8 p.m. 937 Liberty Ave. Pittsburgh. (412) 456-6666.
Andy Warhol Museum. To Sept. 25: The Velvet Underground & Nico: Scepter Studio Sessions. New music and film of the 1960s trendsetting rock band with Steve Schapiro photographs from the Exploding Plastic Inevitable multisensory, multimedia events organized by Andy Warhol in 1966-67. 117 Sandusky St. Pittsburgh. (412) 237-8300.
Associated Artists of Pittsburgh. To Sept. 9: Associated Artists of Pittsburgh New Member Exhibition. At Brew House Association. 711 S. 21st St. Pittsburgh. (412) 212-6650.
August Wilson African American Cultural Center. To Sept. 1: Memories & Inspiration: The Kerry and C. Betty Davis Collection of African American Art. Featuring 67 drawings, paintings, prints, and sculpture by artists including Romare Bearden, Elizabeth Catlett, Ernest T. Crichlow, Sam Gilliam, Loïs Mailou Jones, Jacob Lawrence, Gordon Parks, Alma Thomas. To Aug. 31: Frame of Reference: Jo-Anne Bates. New work by painter/printmaker Jo-Anne Bates. On permanent exhibit: August Wilson, The Writer’s Landscape. 980 Liberty Ave. Pittsburgh. (412) 339-1011.
Backyard at 8th & Penn. To Sept. 4: Architects of Air: Daedalum. UK-based Architects of Air present an immersive walk-in sculpture known as a “luminarium” with 17 egg-shaped domes. 149 8th St. Pittsburgh. (412) 456-6666.
BoxHeart Gallery. Aug. 2-Sept. 1: Brocade. New work by watercolorist Augustina Droze; opening reception Aug. 19, 5-7 p.m. 4523 Liberty Ave. Pittsburgh. (412) 687-8858.
Brew House Association. To Sept. 9: Associated Artists of Pittsburgh New Member Exhibition. New work by Cheryl Capezzuti, Casey Connelly, Molly S. Davis, Meris Drew, Jessica Peña Heberle, Angie Jennings, Ulric Joseph, La Verne Kemp, Ling-lin Ku, LUCA, Erin Mallea, Natalie Miczikus, Josie Norton, Leana R. “Quade”, Nicholas Sardo. 711 S. 21st St. Pittsburgh. (412) 212-6650.
Carlow University Art Gallery. To Oct. 31: Flight Plans. New work by Njaimeh Njie. University Commons, 2nd floor, 3333 Fifth Ave. Pittsburgh. (412) 578-6000.
Carnegie Museum of Art. To Aug. 27: Lyndon Barrois Jr.: Rosette. New work by multimedia artist Lyndon Barrois, Jr. To Sept. 24: Joan Brown. Retrospective of San Francisco painter Joan Brown (1938-1990). 4400 Forbes Ave. Pittsburgh. (412) 622-3131.
Concept Art Gallery. To Aug. 26: Ignacio Arteta: Shadows of Silence. New work by painter Ignacio Arteta. To Aug. 26: Tim Kennedy: Tabula Rasa. New work by painter Tim Kennedy. 1031 S. Braddock Ave. Pittsburgh. (412) 242-9200.
Contemporary Craft. To Aug. 19: Self. New work by fiber artists Erika Diamond and matt lambert. 5645 Butler St. Pittsburgh. To Oct. 22: James Simon: A Life of Making. An exhibit exploring the artistic diversity of Uptown sculptor, luthier and painter James Simon, including a simulated violin-making studio, early ceramic works, mosaics and new creations. BNY Mellon Satellite Gallery, 500 Grant St. Pittsburgh. (412) 261-7003.
Cranberry Artists Network. To Aug. 24: Martinis with Monet. Township Municipal Building. 2525 Rochester Road, Cranberry Township. (724) 728-4658.
CURIO. To Aug. 31: Birds and Broken Landscapes. New work by painter Michael McDevitt; opening reception Aug. 12, 5-8 p.m. 113 North Main Street, Zelienople. (724) 473-0223.
The Frick Art Museum. To Feb. 4, 2024: Pittsburgh and the Great Migration: Black Mobility and the Automobile. An exhibit exploring the role of automobile ownership and the early 20th-century migration of Black Americans fleeing racism in the U.S. South. To June 30: Reckoning: Grief and Light. Multisensory sculpture by Vanessa German exploring grief, love, and social healing. To Oct. 1: From Stage to Page: 400 Years of Shakespeare in Print. An exhibit tracing the history of the famed First Folio collection of William Shakespeare plays. 7227 Reynolds St. Pittsburgh (412) 371-0600.
Heinz History Center. To Aug. 13: The Negro Motorist Green Book. Multimedia exhibit of artifacts, posters, photos, film from the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service highlighting the innovative travel book published by Victor Green from 1936-1967 to help Black Americans navigate safely across the U.S. Features stunning photography of Black Pittsburghers during the 1930s-1960s, courtesy of the History Center’s Detre Library & Archives and the Charles “Teenie” Harris Archive at the Carnegie Museum of Art. 1212 Smallman St. Pittsburgh. (412) 454-6000.
Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh. Aug. 12 (12-1 p.m.): Revolving Doors. Artwork and artifacts from the collection of the Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh in a new narrative display, inspired by a series of collages created in 1916-17 by artist Man Ray. Reserve tickets here. Chatham University, Jennie King Mellon Library, Woodland Road, Pittsburgh. (412) 421-1500.
Irma Freeman Center for Imagination. Aug. 4-Sept. 1: Tales of Cursive Lands. New work by painters sāgar kāmath and Ravindra Kāmath. 5006 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh. (412) 924-0634.
Ketchup City Creative. Aug. 25-27: Bill Pfahl Solo Show. New work by painter Bill Pfahl. 612 Main St. Sharpsburg. (412) 593-4386.
Leslie Park Gallery. Aug. 5-31: Arcana Major. New work by painter Thommy Conroy. 4607 Butler St. Pittsburgh. (412) 370-6132.
Manos Gallery. Aug. 5 (opening reception Aug. 5, 6-9 p.m.): So The Sky Fell – new work by painter Sarah Hunter; Live Life in Color – new work by painter Luanne Haak; The Art of Bloom – new work by painter Linda Sadecky. New work by 3 painters. 320 E. 5th Ave. Tarentum. (484) 529-1597.
Mattress Factory. To Dec. 30: The Museum Collects Itself by Lenka Clayton & Phillip Andrew Lewis; Do this while I wait by Lydia Rosenberg; As Seen From the Surface by Katie Bullock – at Monterey Annex, 1414 Monterey St. Pittsburgh. To Fall 2023: HalfDream: Another Room. New solo exhibit by Hong Kong and US-based artist Doreen Chan in which users around the world can describe their dreams, add them to a database which matches common dreams of participants and connect to “dreammates”. To May 19, 2024: As Below, So Above. Artist-in-residence Shohei Katayama explores the space between light and dark, life and death, beauty and danger, nature and man. To Sept. 1, 2024: Assume the Risk by Delhi, India installation artist Asim Waqif. 516 Sampsonia Way, Pittsburgh. (412) 231-3169.
Miller ICA. To Sept. 3: 109th Annual Exhibition, Transcendental Arrangements. Artistic practices that engage with the magical, spiritual, supernatural qualities within everyday encounters, serendipitous connections, ubiquitous symbols in our daily lives. Carnegie Mellon University Purnell Center for the Arts, 5000 Forbes Ave. Pittsburgh. (412) 268-3618.
Nafasi on Centre. By appointment. Still Standing. Photography by Hannah Price. 2145 Centre Ave. Pittsburgh. (412) 765-1820.
Opya Studios. Aug. 26 (5-9 p.m.) Mind Blown III: Pittsburgh Art Exhibition & Expo. 2402 Sidney St. Pittsburgh. opyastudios@gmail.com
Phipps Conservatory. To Sept. 10: Flowers Meet Fashion: Inspired by Billy Porter. Six professional fashion designers, costumers and students from Carnegie Mellon University and Pittsburgh CAPA High School blend fashion and horticultural displays inspired by Pittsburgh-born actor Billy Porter. One Schenley Park, Pittsburgh. (412) 622-6914.
Pittsburgh Botanic Garden. To Oct. 29: Unearthed: EcoArt in the Landscape. Exhibition of artworks created using found objects, repurposed materials otherwise heading to a landfill, and/or natural materials from the Allegheny Plateau ecoregion features Dino Deluliis, Jan Loney, Duncan MacDiarmid, Mary B. Mason, Sarah Simmons, artist collective La Vispera, Sierra Weir. To Oct. 29: Perennially Green. New work by sculptor Michelle Stitzlein. 799 Pinkerton Run Road, Pittsburgh. (412) 444-4464.
Pittsburgh Glass Center. Aug. 14-Sept. 20: Art on Fire. Over 150 one-of-a-kind glass art items by internationally renowned glass artists and emerging glass artists are included in the Sept. 22 silent auction at Rockwell Park in Point Breeze. 5472 Penn Ave. Pittsburgh. (412) 365-2145.
Shaler North Hills Library. To Aug. 26: Postal Collage Project No. 12. 90 hand-cut collages presented by Pittsburgh Collage Collective and Berkeley Commonplace. 1822 Mt. Royal Blvd. Glenshaw. (412) 486-0211.
Silver Eye Center For Photography. Aug. 4-26: Because Freedom. New work by photographers Lena Chen and Caroline Yoo. 4808 Penn Ave. Pittsburgh. (412) 431-1810.
SPACE. Aug. 18-Nov. 19: Jesse T. Best: Analog Holiday. New work by painter Jesse T. Best; opening reception Aug. 18, 6-8 p.m. 812 Liberty Ave. Pittsburgh. (412) 325-7723.
Spinning Plate Gallery. Aug. 5-27: Five Point Perspective Art Exhibit. New work by Deborah Lieberman, Patty Tran, Jody Shell, Sara Beck Sweeney, Arlene Holtz; opening reception Aug. 5, 6-9 p.m.; closing recpetion Aug. 27, 2-4 p.m. 5821 Baum Blvd. Pittsburgh. (412) 592-6418.
Sweetwater Center for the Arts. Aug. 4-Sept. 8: Against the Grain: An Exhibition Featuring the Timeless Art of Woodworking. New work by Karen Ernst, Aspen Golann, Aisha Bigwood, Jim Wright, Christian Burchard, Mark Gardner, Kevin Zor; opening reception Aug. 4, 5-8 p.m. 200 Broad St. Sewickley. (412) 741-4405.
Union Project. Aug. 12 (12-5 p.m.): All Around the City. New work by ceramicist Marce Nixon-Washington. 801 N. Negley Ave. Pittsburgh. (412) 363-4550.
VaultArt Studio. Aug. 4-31: Mars N’At! New work by Herman Schuler, Kim Bond, Heikeem Johnson, Kahyll Holyfield, Edith Sullivan, Sean Regis Traynor, Lee Kennedy, Darian Johnson, Charlie Wallace, others. 5100 Penn Ave. Pittsburgh. (412) 404-2895.
Westmoreland Museum of American Art. To Sept. 17: Block Party: Community and Celebration in American Art. Exhibit features the World War I innovation of the urban “block party” as a lens to view ideas on belonging, activism and mutual solidarity in historical and contemporary American art. 221 N. Main St. Greensburg. (724) 837-1500.
Wood Street Galleries. To Aug. 27: Vantage Points: Present Shock and Vanishing Point 3:1 #3. Multimedia exhibit by UVA (United Visual Artists), a London based collective integrating new technologies with traditional media such as sculpture, performance and site-specific installation. 601 Wood St. Pittsburgh. (412) 456-6666.
ZYNKA Gallery. To Sept. 2: Expanses Explored. New work by painters Stephanie Armbruster and Kevin Mack. 904 Main St. Sharpsburg. (412) 952-7370.
