“I paint the way some people write their autobiography. The paintings, finished or not, are the pages of my journal, and as such they are valid. The future will choose the pages it prefers.” — Françoise Gilot, French painter and ceramicist (1921-2023)
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2023 SAW THE loss of two popular Pittsburgh artists who painted their autobiograhies in very unique and memorable ways.
Timothy Kelley died suddenly and unexpectedly Dec. 15 at age 59, just hours before he was to open a new show (Coffee Talk Festivus) with Eli Johnson at Inkwell Tattoo. He was a longtime member of Associated Artists of Pittsburgh and exhibited frequently around the region. His eclectic approach to painting and sculpture reflected an ever-present sense of humor and a deeply felt desire to explore questions of the mind and spirit.
As noted in his obituary:
“Timothy created art from almost anything; found objects like barbed wire, crystals, antique wood and molds were used to create vividly personal sculptures. He painted on anything from stretched canvas, board, paper, or walls, from small scale to enormous murals for local businesses.”
Kathleen Ferri died July 25 at age 96. She took up painting in her late fifties and was oft-acclaimed as “The Grandma Moses of Pittsburgh”.
Originally inspired by the Turtle Creek townscapes of her 1930s childhood, she went on to re-create in vivid American folk art style scenes remembered from mid-century life in Wilmerding, East Pittsburgh, Braddock, North Braddock along with notable Kennywood vignettes and other landmarks around the city of Pittsburgh.
She once said of her art, “It brings history to new generations. It doesn’t have to be perfect.”
“East Pittsburgh, PA & Westinghouse Bridge & Industrial Valley”
OF COURSE, that’s how the perfect happens when art gets involved. Bringing new connections, retelling a multitude of histories for new eyes.
Timothy Kelly and Kathleen Ferri understood how much of our common History starts with an individual, and they understood the importance of expressing and sharing their own.
This month around the local galleries, see how much history you can find that perfectly speaks to you. You might be surprised.
*** GALLERIES & EXHIBITS ***
707 Penn Gallery. To Feb. 4, 2024: Death of a Lunar Cult. New work by painter Zach Brown. 707 Penn Ave. Pittsburgh. (412) 456-6666.
820 Liberty Gallery. To Feb. 18, 2024: MS User. New video, installation, performance work by Anisha Baid. 820 Liberty Ave. Pittsburgh. (412) 456-6666.
937 Liberty Gallery. To Mar. 17, 2024: The Wind Got Up in the Night and Took Our Plans Away. New work by Serbian photographers (Aleksandrija Ajduković, Milan Aleksić, Ivan Arsenijević, Boris Burić, Goranka Matić, Vesna Pavlović, Ivan Petrović, Katarina Radović, Mihailo Vasiljević, Srdjan Veljović) and photography collectives (Belgrade Raw, Jednostavno rečeno, Kamerades). 937 Liberty Ave. Pittsburgh. (412) 456-6666.
Assemble. Feb. 2 (7-9 p.m.): 6X6 2024. All ages artmaking event with futuristic themes. 4824 Penn Ave. Pittsburgh. (412) 661-6111.
Associated Artists of Pittsburgh. To Feb. 23: CCS + AAP: FIBER ART EXHIBITION. Artists from Creative Citizen Studios partnered with AAP fiber artists to create new works in sewing, felting, embroidery. 100 43rd St., Unit 107, Pittsburgh. Jan. 16- (412) 212-6650.
August Wilson African American Cultural Center. To Feb. 18, 2024: Onna-Bugeisha: Warriors of Light. New work by Canadian-born painter Tim Okamura. On permanent exhibit: August Wilson, The Writer’s Landscape. 980 Liberty Ave. Pittsburgh. (412) 339-1011.
Baby Bello. Feb. 2-Mar. 15: The Underground Railroad. New work by painter Marlon Gist; opening reception Feb. 2, 6-9 p.m. 2200 9th Ave. Beaver Falls. (724) 624-8674.
BoxHeart Gallery. Feb. 7-Mar. 29: We Will Wander. New work by collagist Seth Clark and jeweler Jeffrey Smith; opening reception Feb. 10, 5-7 p.m.. 4523 Liberty Ave. Pittsburgh. (412) 687-8858.
Brew House Arts. To Mar. 9: Blank Tape. New work curated by Lena Hansen includes mixed media, photography, animation and installation examining how surveillance technology has become integrated into our daily existence. 711 S. 21st St. Pittsburgh. (412) 212-6650.
Carlow University Art Gallery. To Mar. 1, 2024: Kingdom of this World, Reimagined. New painting, photography, mixed media by Dudley Alexis, José Bedia, Edouard Duval-Carrié, Scherezade García, Sergio García, José García Cordero, Simryn Gill, Leah Gordon, Roberto Juárez, Maggie Steber commemorating the 1947 novel Kingdom of This World by Haitian author Alejo Carpentier. University Commons, 2nd floor, 3333 Fifth Ave. Pittsburgh. (412) 578-6000.
Carnegie Museum of Art. Feb. 3-May 12, 2024: Imprinting in Their Time: Japanese Printmakers, 1912–2022. 90 classic prints drawn from the museum’s extensive collection. To Mar. 10, 2024: Amie Siegel: Panorama. New work by filmmaker, multimedia artist Amie Siegel. 4400 Forbes Ave. Pittsburgh. (412) 622-3131.
Concept Art Gallery. To Feb. 24, 2024: I Love You. New work by ceramicist Seuil Chung. To Mar. 16: Spy School. New work by painter and ceramicist Jeff Schwarz. 1031 S. Braddock Ave. Pittsburgh. (412) 242-9200.
Contemporary Craft. Feb. 2-May 4: Oneness. New work by sculptor Brie Ruais. To Feb. 23, 2024: ::iRiD3SC3NT[dreamz_____]:::. New work by jeweler Sulo Bee. 5645 Butler St. Pittsburgh. (412) 261-7003.
Dormont Municipal Center. To Feb. 29, 2024: Art on the Walls. New work from Pittsburgh-based artists Giovanna Ferrari, John Hinderliter, Paige Kleinfelder, Jeannie McGuire, Anne M. Trimble, Wavy Wednesday, sponsored by Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council’s Art on the Walls program. 1444 Hillsdale Ave. Pittsburgh. (412) 391-2060.
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 Mar. 10, 2024: 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.
John A. Hermann Memorial Art Museum. To Feb. 25: Live • Worship • Shop: Eight Iconic Exhibits from the P.J. McArdle Collection. 300+ items by 70+ artists spanning a multitude of traditional and modern styles; reception each Sat. from 6-9 p.m. and Sun. 1-4 p.m. Feb. 3 – African and African-American Artists; Feb. 10 – Self-taught Artists; Feb. 17 – VaultArt Studios; Feb. 24 – P.J.’s Favorites. 318 Lincoln Ave. Bellvue. (412) 761-8008.
Ketchup City Creative. Feb. 2 (6-9 p.m.): LocalGood Art Pop-up. New work by Harp and Hound Jewelry, Jen Gallagher, Kayla Kirsch Design. 612 Main St. Sharpsburg. (412) 593-4386.
Kelly-Strayhorn Theater. Feb. 29-June 8: Abolitionist Expressions. Work from the Let’s Get Free permanent collection featuring art made by people in prison as well as artists in solidarity from outside of prison; opening reception Feb. 29, 6 p.m. 5941 Penn Ave. Pittsburgh. (412) 363-3000.
Lohr Gallery. To Feb. 24: Jasmine Green. New work by painter Jasmine Green. 725 Wood St. Wilkinsburg. (412) 727-7855.
Manos Gallery. To Feb. 29: Reimagined. New work by 29 artists; opening reception Feb. 3, 12-5 p.m. 320 E. 5th Ave. Tarentum. (484) 529-1597.
Mattress Factory. 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. To Dec. 1, 2024: Andrea Peña. New solo exhibit by sculptor/choreographer Andrea Peña. To Nov. 30, 2025: State of the Sky. New two-year exhibition by artist-in-residence Luke Stettner featuring collaborations with Mac Carbonell, Chris Domenick, Michelle Franco, Nicholas Kawa, Calista Lyon, Bryan Ortiz, Suzanne Silver, Ed Steck, Mike Stickrod. 516 Sampsonia Way, Pittsburgh. (412) 231-3169.
Miller ICA. Feb. 3-18: End Meeting for All. CMU Design Exhibit 2024 featuring 40 artists. Carnegie Mellon University Purnell Center for the Arts, 5000 Forbes Ave. Pittsburgh. (412) 268-3618.
Pedantic Apartment. Feb. 2 (6 p.m.). Closing open house of the Pedantic Winter 2024 Cohort featuring artist Laura Dudu and writer Alysia Nicole Harris. 5228 Penn Ave. Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh Botanic Garden. Feb. 9-18: Hearts in the Garden. The Garden’s Horticulture and Conservation team use natural and found materials to craft heart-shaped designs along Garden pathways. 799 Pinkerton Run Rd. Pittsburgh. (412) 444-4464.
Pittsburgh Center for Arts & Media. To Mar. 10: City Limits: Process, Observations & Explorations. New work by ceramicist Marcè Nixon Washington. 1047 Shady Ave. Pittsburgh. (412) 361-0873.
Redfishbowl Studios. Feb. 10 (7-11 p.m.): Expressions of Love. New work by 10+ Redfishbowl Studio Artists; live music by Personally. 4327 Butler St. #200, Pittsburgh. (724) 681-8965.
Robert Morris University Media Arts Gallery. To Mar. 7: Art & Algorithms: Pittsburgh Artists Respond to AI. New work by Richard Bignell, Aimee Bungard, Matthew Conboy, Casey Connelly, Tim Fabian, Fabrizio Gerbino, Eunsu Kang, Renee Keil, Eli Kessler, Jamie Walters Kessler, S Kessler Kaminski, Jason LaCroix, Sarah Simmon showcasing ways in which AI has transformed the art-making process, challenged traditional concepts of creativity and opened new avenues for artistic expression. 6001 University Blvd, Wheatley Center, Moon Township PA. (412) 397-3000.
Silver Eye Center For Photography. To Feb. 3, 2024: Radial Survey Vol. 3. New work by Kelli Connell and Natalie Krick. Feb. 22-Apr. 13: O_Man! . 4808 Penn Ave. Pittsburgh. (412) 431-1810.
StopWatch Gallery & Studio. To Feb. 24: Patricia Scharbo Barefoot. New drawings and paintings by painter Patricia Scharbo Barefoot; opening reception Dec. 2, 6-8 p.m. 323 South Main St. Greensburg. (724) 708-2034.
Sweetwater Center for the Arts. To Mar. 1: Meticulous: A Sampling of Contemporary Printmaking. New work by Christa Carleton, Christina Kang, Emmy Lingscheit, Valerie Lueth, Guen Montgomery, Edie Overturf, Bryn Perrott, Jessica Robles, Tonja Torgerson, Cammy York. 200 Broad St. Sewickley. (412) 741-4405.
University Art Gallery. To Mar. 1, 2024: Kingdom of this World, Reimagined. New painting, photography, mixed media by Dudley Alexis, José Bedia, Edouard Duval-Carrié, Scherezade García, Sergio García, José García Cordero, Simryn Gill, Leah Gordon, Roberto Juárez, Maggie Steber commemorating the 1947 novel Kingdom of This World by Haitian author Alejo Carpentier. Frick Fine Arts Building, 650 Schenley Drive, Pittsburgh. (412) 648-2400.
VaultArt Studio. Feb. 2 -Feb.29: New work by VaultArt Studio members; opening reception Feb. 2, 7-9 p.m. 5100 Penn Ave. Pittsburgh. (412) 404-2895.
Velum Fermentation. Feb. 24 (6-10 p.m.): GRWM Runway Experience. Catherine Trendz curates a celebration of black hair, black culture, the black experience through fashion & performance arts. 2120 Jane St. Pittsburgh.
Westmoreland Museum of American Art. Feb. 11-Sept. 8: 65 Artists, 65 Years: An Anniversary Exhibition. 65 artists from the museum’s collection. To Apr. 24, 2024: Toshiko Mori & Frank Lloyd Wright: Dialogue in Details. Exhibit features a dialogue between architects Wright and Mori. 221 N. Main St. Greensburg. (724) 837-1500.
Wood Street Galleries. To Feb. 11, 2024: Workflow: Jenson Leonard. New work by filmmaker Jenson Leonard. 601 Wood St. Pittsburgh. (412) 456-6666.
ZYNKA Gallery. To Feb. 25: The Nonie Series: A Second Look. New work by painter Scott Hunter. 904 Main St. Sharpsburg. (412) 952-7370.
