Local artist and IUP graduate, Nicholas Volpe, is pleased to announce his upcoming solo exhibition, Be Careful. The opening reception will run July 12 from 6:00 to 9:00 pm at the UnSmoke Systems Artspace in Braddock. Admission is free and open to the public.
Volpe graduated from IUP with a focus in sculpture and an alternative concentration on woodworking and furniture design. He has stayed local in the Pittsburgh area since 2014, when he started to pursue a career in the visual arts. Currently, he owns his personal design studio in Homewood, Temper and Grit, where he utilizes his skills as a technician, fabricator, blacksmith, and designer, to create architectural pieces, sculptures, and furniture for the businesses and residents of Pittsburgh.
Volpe’s Be Careful exhibition will use “value,” as the focal point of the show. According to Volpe, “value is defined as individual attitude and subjective worth assigned to the art. When we begin to interpret value, we use our senses to explore the quality of the object, the materials that compose the piece, the place it resides, the function of the object, the cultural and social implications, the trends and matters all the way down to who is in attendance.” This “value” is achieved through Volpe’s use of sculptural furniture and sculptural objects, which the audience then uses sentiment and personal experience to perceive the true value of the artwork.
The show will occur in the UnSmoke Systems Artspace, a repurposed Catholic school building since 2008. Inspired by the industrial character and the historical importance of Braddock, the artspace itself reflects Volpe’s work displayed in the gallery. Additional information for the Be Careful exhibition or future events at the UnSmoke Systems Artspace, feel free to check out their website http://unsmokeartspace.com. Volpe’s designer studio can be reached at https://temperandgrit.com, where they specialize in custom furniture and hardware.
