{"id":98510,"date":"2026-01-28T04:11:10","date_gmt":"2026-01-28T04:11:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/98510\/"},"modified":"2026-01-28T04:11:10","modified_gmt":"2026-01-28T04:11:10","slug":"psychic-visuals-alchemy-and-shrines-to-matriarchs-in-pittsburgh","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/98510\/","title":{"rendered":"Psychic visuals, alchemy and shrines to matriarchs in Pittsburgh"},"content":{"rendered":"

Each month NEXTpittsburgh features new openings and special art events in our series,\u00a0NEXT in the Gallery<\/a>. Keep us posted on what\u2019s new in your neighborhood \u2014 email lemccullough@mac.com<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

With February being a short month, it makes perfect sense that Pittsburgh\u2019s visual arts calendar gets a head start the last two days of January. Don\u2019t miss these before the month is out:<\/p>\n

\u2022 Pittsburgh Cultural Trust Downtown Gallery Crawl<\/a>, happening Jan. 30 from 5:30-9 p.m., features conversations with artists Ben Schonberger (707 Gallery<\/a>), Stamatina Gregory and Sharmistha Ray (Wood Street Galleries<\/a>), Brian Eyerman and Lu Eyerman plus Skyline Ink Animators + Illustrators (Harris Theater<\/a>).<\/p>\n

\u2022 Hey Friend:\u00a0Ceramics by Artist-in-Residence Nikki Lau<\/a> (Pittsburgh Center for Arts & Media, Jan. 30, 6-8 p.m.)<\/p>\n

\u2022 The Painted Planet: Sue Abramson, Hand Colored Photographs, 1984-1989<\/a> (Bottom Feeder Books, Jan. 31-Feb. 28, 6-8 p.m.)<\/p>\n

\u2022 Joe Lupo: Chronic Uncertainty<\/a> and Found:\u00a0Work by Jamie Earnest, Alli Lemon, Natalie Moffitt, Zo\u00eb Welsh<\/a> (Concept Art Gallery, Jan. 31-April 4)<\/p>\n

\u2022 The Atithi Collective: A Community Exhibition<\/a> (Atithi Studios, Jan. 31, opening reception 7-9 p.m.) featuring works by Atithi Creative Lab members, studio residents and 2025 Art Battle winners:\u00a0Ellastaire, Eleni Manganas, Kate Lindrose, Rae Ovesney, Hannah Powell, Raheem Perry, Julia Ischinger, Mallory Tadaki, Sarah Sloneker, Kayla Monteiro, Giovanna Ferrari, Dodi Dean, Jacki Temple and Julia Toal.<\/p>\n

\u2022\u00a0 Live \u2022 Worship \u2022 Shop:\u00a0 Nine Iconic Exhibits from the P.J. McArdle Collection<\/a> continues at\u00a0\u00a0John A. Hermann Memorial Art Museum<\/a> in Bellevue with Saturday opening receptions from 6-9 p.m. and Sunday artist talks from 2-3 p.m. Jan. 31-Feb. 1: The Genius of Philip Rostek; Feb. 7-8: The Alchemy of Christine Bethea; Feb. 14-15:\u00a0 English artists Helen Bryant and Hilary Best; Feb. 21-22: \u201cThe State of the Arts\u201d curated by Sydney Pascarella; Feb. 28-March 1: \u201cA Salon of Working Pittsburgh Artists\u201d curated by P.J. McArdle.<\/p>\n

Once February begins, the art doesn\u2019t stop. <\/p>\n

\u201cStuck in Sa\u1e43s\u0101ra\u201d on view Feb. 6-March 22, opening reception Feb. 6, 6-9 p.m.<\/p>\n

\u201cStuck in Sa\u1e43s\u0101ra\u201d<\/a> presents 10 Asian American & Pacific Island artists from around the U.S. (Christian Ba\u00f1ez, Martin Castro, Jon Chao, Anne Chen, Eriko Hattori, Marius Keo Marjolin, Brent Nakamoto, Anthony Park Kascak, Sara Tang and Song Watkins Park) working in painting, drawing, printmaking, ceramics, sculpture and video.<\/p>\n

In Buddhism, sa\u1e43s\u0101ra describes the world\u2019s endless cycle of repeated birth, life and death. Curator Brent Nakamoto<\/a> was inspired by the Buddhist \u201cParable of the Burning House\u201d to artistically examine the sa\u1e43s\u0101ra concept. \u201cCentral to the exhibition,\u201d he says, \u201cis the image of fire in its many forms. Fire is destruction and death, but it\u2019s also energy, purification, rebirth, life itself. Flames destroy but they also bloom.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"\"\" \u201cScrublady, New York, 1920\u201d; \u201cSadie, a cotton mill spinner, Lancaster, South Carolina, 1908\u201d; \u201cPowerhouse Mechanic, 1920-21\u201d (Frick Museum & Gardens). Photos by Lewis Hine.<\/p>\n

\u201cLewis Hine Pictures America\u201d on view Feb. 21-May 17<\/p>\n

Lewis Wickes Hine (1874-1940) was a pioneering American documentary photographer whose art drew attention to the country\u2019s Progressive Era social reform movements. Starting in the 1890s, he produced riveting photos of immigrants, farmers and factory workers \u2014 including some powerful portraits of steelworkers in Pittsburgh and the neighborhoods where they lived. Hine refined the technique of what he called \u201cphoto-interpretation\u201d to transform black-and-white images of everyday working Americans into eloquent and empathetic fine art.<\/p>\n

This is a ticketed exhibit<\/a>,with tickets on sale at the Frick\u2019s website. All the way into May, when the show closes, the Frick will host a dozen film screenings, workshops and lectures related to the social themes that Hine\u2019s photography shed light on.<\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"From left, \u201cA Sea-Change\u201d by Darlene Durrwachter Rushing, \u201cPlatanthera\u201d by Chris Clarke, \u201cIcons casting spells\u201d by Wesley Bull (Pittsburgh Glass Center). Photos courtesy of Pittsburgh Glass Center.<\/p>\n

\u201cGathered Locally \u2013 25 years of Glass Art at Pittsburgh Glass Center\u201d on view Feb. 6-April 19, opening reception Feb. 6, 6-9 p.m.<\/p>\n

Pittsburgh Glass Center celebrates its 25th anniversary with a special exhibit featuring 100 local glass artists and their custom-made work. \u201cGathered Locally\u201d<\/a> includes Sandra Bacchi, Chris Clarke, Lisa Demagall, Margot Dermody, Percy Echols II, Matt Eskuche, Jason Forck, Elizabeth Fortunato, Jaime Guerrero, Leslie Kaplan, Rocky Kindelberger, Zach Layhew, Heather McElwee, Michael Magiafico, Gillian Preston, Chris Ross, Rebecca Smith and more.<\/p>\n

One of the world\u2019s most respected glass art institutions, the center was founded by artists Kathleen Mulcahy and the late Ron Desmett and has blossomed into a destination for artists, students and visitors from around the world while helping to transform a Pittsburgh neighborhood and revive a historic regional craft.<\/p>\n

\u201cPGC was built on the belief that glass art should be accessible, collaborative and inspiring,\u201d says Executive Director Heather McElwee. In addition to its regular exhibits, the center has educated nearly 75,000 people in glassmaking through classes, free demonstrations, exhibitions, school partnerships, artist residencies and community events including the popular monthly HOT Jam<\/a> demonstrations.<\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"\u201cThe Lesser Lights of Heaven\u201d by Gabe Felice (Groove Gallery.) Photo by Gabe Felice.<\/p>\n

\u201cGabe Felice Solo Show\u201d on view Feb. 6-28, opening reception Feb. 6, 6-9 p.m.<\/p>\n

Self-dubbed \u201cpsychic\/visual artist\u201d Gabe Felice<\/a> began to draw while learning to write the alphabet. \u201cMy father was an encyclopedia salesman,\u201d he says, \u201cso I had access to a broad variety of images and concepts from A to Z which definitely impacted my style. I drew as a way to decode and communicate the hidden information I was receiving and seeing within my environment.\u201d His current primary medium is acrylic on wood, and he works without preliminary sketches or visual references, preferring to create by following \u201cinternal instructions \u2026 a subtle voice guiding me toward new techniques or a particular color.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"\u201cLor Lor\u201d by Sasha-Loriene McClain (Kelly Strayhorn Theater). Photo by Sasha-Loriene McClain.<\/p>\n

\u201cPractices of Holding:\u00a0Sibyls Shrine\u201d on view Feb. 4-June 14, opening reception Feb. 4, 6-8 p.m.<\/p>\n

Curated by Jessica Gaynelle Moss, \u201cPractices of Holding\u201d<\/a> honors ancestral and living matriarchs with an eclectic array of artwork by Elizabeth Burden, Tiara L. Burtin, Lisa Brown, Dail Chambers, Lish Danielle, Cher\u00e9 D. Gordon, Olivia Guterson, sarah huny young, Miracle Jones, Melike Vivastine Konur, Sasha-Loriene McClain, Chanell McCollum, Victoria Ramlalsingh-Hinton and Anqwenique.<\/p>\n

The show is a salon-style installation blending portraits, written reflections, memory work and collective altar-building to form a collective portrait infused with deep reverence for each matriarch.<\/p>\n

Art is popping up everywhere!<\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"<\/p>\n

\t\tMorgan Overton. Photo by Ryan C. Hamilton.<\/p>\n

New studios and galleries are filling Pittsburgh storefront and retail spaces each month. Morgan Overton Art Gallery & Shop<\/a> is the newest arrival at historic Lawrenceville Market House (4112 Butler St., Lawrenceville). A nationally exhibited multidisciplinary creator<\/a>, Overton employs paint, drawing and mixed media to explore intersections of identity, ancestral memory and resilience \u2014 a committed Afrofuturist inspired by Harlem Renaissance energy.<\/p>\n

She\u2019s started a monthly \u201cUnStuck: A Creative Reset Series\u201d for artists and non-artists; on Feb. 14 from 10 a.m.-3 p.m., she will offer personalized Valentine\u2019s Day portraits<\/a> rendered in watercolor to capture love in its many forms.<\/p>\n

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\t\t\u201cSeeing Voices\u201d, \u201cFailing\u201d, \u201cA Nice Smile\u201d by Jesse Solomon (Arriviste Coffee Roasters). Photos by Jesse Solomon.<\/p>\n

Through March, the walls of Arriviste Coffee Roasters<\/a> will display recent work by graphic designer Jesse Solomon<\/a>. \u201cLove Me in December as You Did in May\u201d is a portrait series devised from original tape transfer collages of retro magazine advertising art intended to evoke, says Solomon, \u201ccathartic, therapeutic visual storytelling.\u201d 5730 Ellsworth Ave., Shadyside.<\/p>\n

Known for its Middle Eastern cuisine, Ali Baba Restaurant<\/a> enhances the culinary experience with work by local artists. Currently, diners can enjoy paintings by printmaker, quilter and fiber artist Michelle Browne<\/a>. \u201cMy art practice is a visceral response to what hurts, vexes and inspires,\u201d she notes. \u201cMy most primal and obsessive expression, my drawings, are an intuitive reflection of my inner world, a narrative that travels to the unexpected.\u201d 404 S. Craig St., Oakland.<\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"\u201cFallopian Krater\u201d and \u201cFabrication\u201d by Michelle Browne (Ali Baba Restaurant). Photos by Michelle Browne.<\/p>\n

Check these art happenings, too:<\/p>\n

\u2022\u00a0 Thursday, Feb. 5, 7-9 p.m. \u201cAlchemy\u201d is the theme for this year\u2019s Assemble 6\u00d76 Exhibit<\/a> that asked participating artists to use science, technology, engineering, art and math (STEAM) to transform the world around them, especially when it comes to impossible and insurmountable challenges.\u00a04824 Penn Ave., Bloomfield.<\/p>\n

\u2022\u00a0 Friday, Feb. 6, 6-10 p.m. Pittsburgh\u2019s longest-running visual art stroll, Unblurred: First Fridays on Penn Avenue<\/a>, returns with a lively evening of art openings, live performances, sidewalk markets and innumerable diverse food and beverage offerings along the 4800\u20135500 blocks of Penn Avenue in Bloomfield\/Garfield\/Friendship.<\/p>\n

\u2022\u00a0 Thursday, Feb. 12, 6-10 p.m. Eberle Studios hosts a closing reception spotlighting its current exhibit A Love Letter to the Mon Valley: The First Annual Mon Valley Invitational<\/a> featuring work by Tyler Gedman, Cue Perry, Curtis Reaves, Paige Henry, Douglas Lopretto, Ed Parrish, Lindsey Peck Scherloum, Glen Gardner and Zachary Rutter. 229 E. Ninth Ave., Homestead.<\/p>\n

\u2022\u00a0 Friday, Feb. 19, 6-10 p.m. August Wilson African American Cultural Center presents the winners of the third annual Envisioning a Just Pittsburgh competition<\/a> that invited Western Pennsylvania artists to respond to the question: What if our beloved region worked for everyone? It\u2019s an evening of visual art, music and performances celebrating artistic interpretations of justice in Pittsburgh; see the winners<\/a> here. 980 Liberty Ave., Downtown.<\/p>\n

\u2022\u00a0 Friday, Feb. 20, 5-8 p.m. Artist Image Resource holds A Celebration of Ian Short<\/a> commemorating the life and art of AIR co-founder and printmaker Ian Short<\/a> who passed away in January. 518 Foreland St., North Side.<\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"The Westmoreland Museum of American Art in December 2023. Photo courtesy of the Westmoreland Museum of American Art.<\/p>\n

\u2022\u00a0\u00a0 Sunday, Feb. 22, 2-4 p.m. Westmoreland Museum of American Art features a screening of \u201cDanielle Scott: Ancestral Call,\u201d<\/a> a PBS film spotlighting mixed-media assemblage artist Danielle Scott and her artistic explorations of ancestry, memory, diaspora and resilience.<\/p>\n

More February openings:<\/p>\n

\u2022\u00a0 FIGURATIVELY: Six Artists Sharing Their View of the Human Form \u2013 Peggi Habets, Annie Heisey, Heather Heitzenrater, Jeannie McGuire, Josh Mitchel, Mychal Vens<\/a> (ICON Fine Art Gallery, Feb. 4-March 28)<\/p>\n

\u2022\u00a0 The Pittsburgh Group<\/a> (Sweetwater Center for the Arts, Feb. 5-March 27)<\/p>\n

\u2022\u00a0 Peregrination:\u00a0 Xiaojing Yan, 2026 Tomayko Solo Artist Elevation Series<\/a> (Contemporary Craft, Feb. 6-May 2)<\/p>\n

\u2022\u00a0 Alloy 13 Artisans<\/a> (Aluminum City Arts, Feb. 7-28)<\/p>\n

\u2022\u00a0 Fiberarts Guild of Pittsburgh \u201cSoulbeats: Expressions of the Spirit in Fiber\u201d<\/a> (The Harlan Gallery at Seton Hill University, Feb. 10-March 20)<\/p>\n

\u2022\u00a0 Joshua Hogan + Craig Marcus + Jason Sauer: Piecing It Together<\/a> (BoxHeart Gallery, Feb. 11-March 20)<\/p>\n

\u2022\u00a0 What Remains:\u00a0 New large-scale collages by Emily Krill<\/a> (The Portal, Feb. 13-March 31)<\/p>\n

\u2022\u00a0 Shaping the American Landscape<\/a> (Westmoreland Museum of American Art, Feb. 13-Jan. 18, 2027)<\/p>\n

\u2022\u00a0 Dream Sequence: Carnegie Mellon University 1st and 2nd Year MFA Exhibition<\/a> (SPACE Gallery, Feb. 13-April 5)<\/p>\n

\u2022\u00a0 RISE<\/a> (Castle Consortia, Feb. 14-April 30)<\/p>\n

\u2022\u00a0 Skin Tight:\u00a0 Fiber Art from Durags and Pantyhose by Anthony Olubunmi Akinbola and Turiya Magadlela<\/a> (Carnegie Museum of Art, Feb. 26, 2026\u2013July 25, 2027)\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u2022\u00a0 Art of Pittsburgh\u2019s South Side<\/a> (Brew House Arts, Feb. 26-March 28)<\/p>\n

\u2022\u00a0 Unstuck In Time:\u00a0 Nicole Renee Ryan<\/a> (Atithi Studios, Feb. 28-April 11)<\/p>\n