Pittsburgh has a long tradition of forging new things, by hand and by industry.
Locally Sourced, a new exhibition opening Nov. 20 at Carnegie Museum of Art, will showcase contemporary functional goods and furnishings from some of Pittsburgh’s most talented makers.
“It’s really a celebration of Pittsburgh, through its maker and designer community,” says the show’s curator, Alyssa Velazquez. When she joined CMOA in 2019, Velazquez got to know Pittsburgh through the maker community. “Those were some of the first events I went to in town, the first shops I supported,” she adds.
The exhibition features 19 local designers and makers working with raw and reclaimed materials — from clay to glass to wood to 3-D printing — and includes more than 100 objects displayed in the Charity Randall Gallery.
“Everyone’s personality really shows through,” says Velazquez. “Coded Clay uses a 3-D printer that he created and built himself. Hanna Dausch’s vases are wood and made by hand. Oatmeal has these really beautiful, cumulus vases that look like they’re dropped from the sky. The different forms and textures really highlight the diversity of makers in Pittsburgh.”
One exceptional piece is the delicately undulating wooden curves of the “Turbine Light” lamp by KerfCase (see top photo).
There’s a full slate of virtual programming that goes with the exhibition, starting with the Design in Conversation event on Nov. 19, about the art of listening as part of a creative practice.
In addition, there are Story Sundays with children’s stories and maker-led creative activities for kids. For adults, there are Makers Mixers, where you can learn more about the designers while sipping homemade craft cocktails created via virtual tutorials from local bartenders and mixologists.
“I’m so honored to be able to contribute to the greater Pittsburgh cultural ecosystem,” says Velazquez, who wishes she could include lots more makers in the exhibition. She hopes this is the first of many to celebrate local talent.
Artists featured in Locally Sourced include Bones and All, Building Bytes, Ashley Cecil, Coded Clay, Hanna Dausch, Brian Ferrell Designs, Savannah Hayes, Idia’Dega, KerfCase, Knotzland, OATMEAL, SPACAPAN, TAKTTIME, Temper and Grit, T.O.M.T, Transit Forge, TWELVE/TWENTY STUDIO, Jenna Vanden Brink Ceramics and Reiko Yamamoto.