Demystifying the Arts | July 10, 2025

The Power of Place and Presence

A man holding a young girl looks at a display of red and white woven garments with fringed edges hanging on a gallery wall. The girl holds a booklet or pamphlet in her hand. — Artwork by Carolyn Carson, part of Fiberart International at Contemporary Craft // Photo by Patrick Fisher

June was a celebration of movement—of seasonal energy, creative expression, and the joy that comes from being in community. It was a month marked by momentum, with artists and organizations offering moments of connection all across the region. As June unfolded, that rhythm continued, but with a deeper undercurrent: an invitation to reflect on place. Not just the physical locations where art happens, but the layered, living environments shaped by creativity, memory, and care. This month’s experiences brought that idea into focus, showing how place is both where we gather and what we make of it, together.

Place, in all its forms, emerged as the thread that connected each moment this month: from studios and stages to galleries and gathering spaces. The places we build, inhabit, and visit don’t just reflect who we are—they shape who we become. Each stop this June reaffirmed a belief I hold deeply: that culture brings purpose to place, and that creativity lives not only in people, but in landscapes, buildings, and neighborhoods. Here’s a look back at what June had to offer.

Three pendant lights with decorative, leaf-shaped shades in green, blue, and purple hang from the ceiling. Each light features a round white bulb, and the background shows a modern interior space. — Artist Lizzee Solomon's Ginkgo Pendants on view during Bridgeway Capital's reception for the Green Leap program // Photo by Patrick Fisher

June 5

Bridgeway Capital hosted a beautiful evening reception for the latest Green Leap cohort, a program that supports artists in designing sustainable, market-ready products for the built environment. Over eight months, 13 artists moved beyond traditional applications of visual art to create functional objects—lighting, furniture, and wall systems—that serve architectural purposes. Their work demonstrates how artistry and utility can converge to bring beauty and intention to the spaces we move through every day.

These pieces do more than fill a room; they define it. Whether handcrafted or conceptually driven, they shape our experience of space. They offer texture, meaning, and a sense of welcome. It's thoughtful accents like these that help transform a space into a place—one that resonates with identity, memory, and belonging.

Silhouettes of dancers and musicians perform on stage against a warm, golden background, some raising their arms and one holding a fan, creating a dramatic and artistic scene. — Flamenco Pittsburgh at the Kelly Strayhorn Theater // Photo by Patrick Fisher

June 8

After a five-year hiatus, Flamenco Pittsburgh returned to the Kelly Strayhorn Theater with Fiesta Flamenco, a vibrant performance that brought together students and guest artists from across the country. Full disclosure: my partner María performed that evening, and it’s always a joy to witness her on stage. Dance reminds me that the body itself is a place—one that holds memory, discipline, and expression.

The return to KST carried deeper meaning. For more than 20 years, the theater has served as a vital home for Black and queer creatives in Pittsburgh, a space where experimentation, affirmation, and community can flourish. Yet the organization now faces an uncertain future. In less than four years, it will be displaced due to changes in building ownership. As neighborhoods like East Liberty continue to evolve, we must ask: how do we ensure displacement isn’t seen as an unavoidable cost of growth? What becomes of a neighborhood’s identity when it loses a cultural anchor like KST? These questions are critical if we hope to build a more equitable future rooted in care.

Detail of a mural of a woman in a red robe with raised hands, set against a geometric patterned background with star shapes, and a bluebird flying nearby. A white SUV is parked in front of the mural. — Mural by Xylene artist collective in Cincinnati, Ohio // Photo by Patrick Fisher

June 12–15

I traveled to Cincinnati for my first Americans for the Arts Conference since 2018. Under new leadership, the organization feels reenergized, and it was wonderful to reconnect with peers from across the country during such a pivotal moment for our sector.

Cincinnati itself was a revelation. Between mural hunting in Over-the-Rhine, visiting the Contemporary Arts Center’s Ohio Now: State of Nature, and exploring the nostalgia-filled American Sign Museum, I was reminded how ecology, design, and history shape a city’s spirit.

I’ll definitely be back for BLINK, a multi-night celebration of light, art, and technology in October that transforms downtown Cincinnati and neighboring Covington into a luminous, immersive experience. With large-scale projection mapping, interactive installations, and light-based sculptures, the festival reimagines public space as a canvas for wonder. Since its launch in 2017, BLINK has grown into one of the largest events of its kind in the country, drawing an estimated 2.5 million people. Its unique fusion of art and technology has helped define not only Cincinnati’s creative identity, but the city’s emerging cultural brand. It’s a powerful example of how place can be transformed through collective imagination.

Three people stand together indoors, two smiling, while one holds a hand-shaped drawing featuring positive affirmations and a cartoon girl. A door with a butterfly decoration and “Family Matters” sign is in the background. — The Father Ryan Arts Center, an initiative of Focus on Renewal, in McKees Rocks // Photo by Patrick Fisher

June 17

Back in Pittsburgh, I visited the Father Ryan Arts Center in McKees Rocks with Kevin Platz and Adrienne Roberts. An initiative of Focus on Renewal, Ryan Arts has served its community since 2008, guided by a mission to inspire, empower, and enlighten through the arts. The center houses a branch of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, a theater, gallery, and classrooms for everything from ceramics and painting to music and digital photography. What makes Ryan Arts special is how its programming reflects the needs and voices of the people it serves.

"Spaces like this are essential."

Spaces like this are essential. Community arts centers don’t just provide access to the arts—they cultivate belonging. They offer room for self-expression, reflection, and connection. In neighborhoods that have weathered economic challenges, inclusive creative spaces become anchors. They offer not only programs, but pride. Ryan Arts isn’t just a building—it’s a place where people gather, grow, and imagine new futures together.

June 20

I had the chance to attend the opening of Fiberart International 2025 at Contemporary Craft, one of two venues hosting this globally recognized exhibition. Featuring work by artists from eight countries, the show is a vivid exploration of the evolving language of fiber. Some pieces embrace traditional materials and methods; others push the boundaries of the medium entirely. Each work offers a reminder of fiber’s ability to connect across time, culture, and meaning.

There’s growing momentum to establish Pittsburgh as a national destination for contemporary craft, much like Oaxaca is internationally recognized for its deeply rooted and innovative craft practices. At the forefront of this movement is Pittsburgh is Craft, a campaign highlighting our region’s history of making and our vibrant community of artists. Contemporary Craft continues to lead the way—through exhibitions like Fiberart International, artist residencies, and public programs that explore the social and material relevance of craft today. It’s exciting to see this vision take shape and to imagine what it could mean for Pittsburgh’s cultural future.

A dark, abstract sculpture with flowing, undulating folds and ridged textures sits on a white pedestal, resembling twisted fabric or waves frozen in motion. — Artwork by Philip M. Soucy at Atithi Studios // Photo by Patrick Fisher

June 21

Later that week, I visited Atithi Studios in Sharpsburg for the opening of New Works by Philip M. Soucy. His sculptural forms, built by stacking clay coils, bear the quiet imprints of his fingerprints—a subtle record of presence and process. The result is a body of work that feels ancient and contemporary all at once, layered with meaning and care.

"Sharpsburg’s Main Street is blossoming into a creative corridor."

Sharpsburg’s Main Street is blossoming into a creative corridor. Though just beyond city limits, it complements the energy found in nearby neighborhoods like Lawrenceville and Bloomfield. Spaces like Atithi, Ketchup City Creative, and Zynka Gallery are working together to position Sharpsburg as a destination for artists, residents, and visitors alike. This coordinated effort is helping to reimagine the borough not just as a place to pass through, but as a place to experience, contribute to, and call home.

June 25

This month’s Creative Hive, our community-building event, was hosted by Union Project in Highland Park. The evening was full of conversation, connection, and new relationships. Familiar faces returned, and newcomers were warmly welcomed into the fold.

Union Project is more than a beautifully restored building—it’s a model of how communities can reclaim and reimagine place. Housed in a former church, the space now functions as an arts and community hub, where architectural preservation meets cultural participation. It’s the kind of place that doesn’t just bring people together, it encourages them to stay, share, and create side by side.

A person with tattoos and a green cap closely observes abstract paintings displayed on a white brick wall in an art gallery, holding a clear plastic cup. — Artwork by Wren Howison on exhibit with Zynka Gallery at The Portal in East Liberty // Photo by Patrick Fisher

June 26

Zynka Gallery hosted the opening reception for Associated with Heartthrob, an exhibition of new works by Wren Howison. Displayed at the Portal in East Liberty, the show features more than a dozen paintings that explore identity, selfhood, and the emotional landscape of becoming. Wren’s bold forms and layered compositions invite viewers to sit with the tension of vulnerability and power, offering deeply personal interpretations of what it means to live fully in one’s truth.

The Portal is itself a creative reimagining of space. What might otherwise be an overlooked business entryway has been transformed through partnership and intention into a small but powerful exhibition venue. By turning a point of passage into a place of pause, the Portal becomes something more: a site of convergence, where art can catch someone mid-errand, shift perspective, or spark dialogue. It’s a quiet but important reminder that place can begin anywhere we choose to pay attention.

Every one of these moments—from a gallery opening in Sharpsburg to a fiber art exhibition in Lawrenceville—was a meditation on place. Not just as location, but as a container for care, creativity, and connection. As our communities continue to evolve, it’s worth asking not only what we’re building, but how we’re shaping the feeling of belonging within those spaces.

Until next month.