The Creative Hive

Crowd of smiling people networking inside an art gallery — The Creative Hive's January 2024 kickoff event at the Silver Eye Center for Photography // Photo by Patrick Fisher

The Creative Hive is a monthly networking event designed to provide a friendly and casual space for artists, creatives, art educators, culture bearers, and arts administrators to establish and foster professional relationships.

The Creative Hive kicked off in January 2024 and will be held on the second Thursday of every month this year from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. Meeting locations rotate month-to-month to different creative and cultural venues within Pittsburgh.

Program highlights include:

Free and tailored to artists, creatives, art educators, culture bearers, and arts administrators.
No program, no agenda – just show up with a desire to network and connect.
Be a part of creating stronger connections and bonds, especially between disciplines and roles, to improve the breadth and strength of our sector.
Non/alcoholic beverages provided, with support from Barrel & Flow, as well as finger foods.

Meet your Creative Hive hosts

Aadam Soorma (he/him)

A smiling man with a blue collared shirt and a backwards gray baseball cap

Host of The Creative Hive, May 2024 Aadam Soorma is the head of marketing and guest experience at Trace Brewing in Bloomfield. He guides the brewery's day-to-day digital strategy, including content distribution and brand expression across all web and social channels.

atiya jones (she/her)

A woman with large hoop earrings, a black t-shirt, black leather jacket, and a light brown beanie smiles for the camera beside black-and-white abstract artwork

Host of The Creative Hive, May 2024 atiya jones is a multidisciplinary visual and conceptual artist, exploring themes of human connection, gentrification, migration, isolation, and mysticism, while visually depicting accumulative actions / community presence through her WildLines & Brain Maps. She utilizes her artwork to create and hold discourse centering the Black-experience she’s had as an artist, woman, queer person, transplant, and wanderer. jones believes that art is and should be everywhere.

Dr. Tahirah Walker (she/her)

A smiling Black woman with black-and-gray hair, large circular dangly earrings, a chain necklace, and a bright blue top. She's posing outside in front of a brick wall covered with greenery

Host of The Creative Hive, January-December 2024

Tahirah Walker is an assistant professor in the Department of Community Engagement & Leadership at Point Park University's Rowland School of Business. She holds a Ph.D. in Communication and Rhetorical Studies. Tahirah enjoys books, books, books, music, visual art, and her beautiful supportive family. Tahirah is inspired by a wide range of writers, musicians, and visual artists including Deesha Philyaw, Brian Broome, Kiese Laymon, Yona Harvey, Stevie Wonder, Kara Walker, Reyna Noriega, and the incomparable noteholder mezzo soprano like no other, Whitney Elizabeth Houston.

Melessie Clark (she/her)

A smiling Black woman with long dark hair, a white shirt, and a bright yellow pullover

Host of The Creative Hive, June-December 2024

Melessie is an actor, singer, model, voiceover, and teaching artist. She attended Point Park University with a B.F.A. in Musical Theatre. She recently won the 2022 BroadwayWorld Pittsburgh Awards for Best Supporting Performer in a Play for her role as Risa in Two Trains Running by August Wilson and Best Supporting Performer in the musical An Untitled New Play by Justin Timberlake.

The Creative Hive 2024 Schedule

January 2024

January 11, 2024

Time: 5:30-7:30PM
Location: Silver Eye Center for Photography
Address: 4808 Penn Ave., Bloomfield. silvereye.org

Hosted by: Clara Kent, Dr. Tahirah Walker, and Noa Mims

→ Learn more, and grab your free tickets, here

February 2024

February 8, 2024

Time: 5:30-7:30PM
Location: MuseumLab at the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh
Address: 6 Allegheny Square East, North Side. museumlab.org

Hosted by: Clara Kent, Dr. Tahirah Walker, and Noa Mims