Out & About: Women artists display their work at You Are Here

Shirley McMarlin
Monday, Feb. 3, 2020 12:01 a.m. | Monday, Feb. 3, 2020 12:01 a.m.

Kim Stepinsky | For the Tribune-Review

Erin Waller’s “love” is on exhibit during the opening reception for “Women’s Work” held Feb. 1 at You Are Here in Jeannette.

Kim Stepinsky | For the Tribune-Review

From left: Exhibiting artists Amy Roadman, Jen Palmer and Rachel Wheeler, all of Latrobe, gather for a photo during the opening reception for “Women’s Work” held Feb. 1 at You Are Here in Jeannette.

Kim Stepinsky | For the Tribune-Review

Exhibiting artist Courtney Robson of Dormont poses for a photo near her work, which received an honorable mention, during the opening reception for “Women’s Work” held Feb. 1 at You Are Here in Jeannette.

Kim Stepinsky | For the Tribune-Review

Roger Hayden III of Adamsburg joins his mother, exhibiting artist Melissa Hayden, also of Adamsburg, (photography shown right), for a photo during the opening reception for “Women’s Work” held Feb. 1 at You Are Here in Jeannette.

Kim Stepinsky | For the Tribune-Review

Pampa Saha (left) of Pittsburgh joins exhibiting artist Olena Abakumova of Pittsburgh (work receiving honorable mention, shown back) for a photo during the opening reception for “Women’s Work” held Feb. 1 at You Are Here in Jeannette.

Kim Stepinsky | For the Tribune-Review

Exhibiting artists Natalie Condrac (left) of Trafford and Pamela Cooper of Greensburg (works shown back) pose for a photo during the opening reception for “Women’s Work” held Feb. 1 at You Are Here in Jeannette.

Kim Stepinsky | For the Tribune-Review

From left: Jen Costello and Mary Briggs join juror, Maureen Vissat Kochanek for a photo during the opening reception for “Women’s Work” held Feb. 1 at You Are Here in Jeannette.

Kim Stepinsky | For the Tribune-Review

Exhibiting artist Leah Riley (left, work shown) joins her friend Maria Coughanour and brother Steven Riley, all of Greensburg, for a photo during the opening reception for “Women’s Work” held Feb. 1 at You Are Here in Jeannette.

The title of the new exhibition in Jeannette’s You Are Here gallery has layers of meaning.

“Women’s Work,” which opened with a reception Feb. 1 and continues through Feb. 29, features artwork in various media by a group of area artists.

As the name implies, all of the contributors to the show are women — and then the meaning gets a little deeper.

The varied pieces and their themes “are subversive of what you would anticipate from women artists — fiber, flowers and domesticity,” said the gallery’s curatorial assistant Phoebe Walczak, who hung the show.

“This is what women do for work; it’s not just changing diapers and keeping house, though they do that, too,” said juror Maureen Vissat Kochanek, a professor of art history at Seton Hill University.

The idea for the exhibition grew out of the art center’s third-Thursday discussion group for women artists, said gallery co-founders Mary Briggs and Jen Costello.

Featured artists include: Jess Higo Walbridge, Nicole Chmel, Aimee Bungard, Courtney Robson, Amy Roadman, Erin Waller, Jacs Fishburne, Jen Palmer, Kimberly Rentler, Leah Riley, Melissa Hayden, Natalie Condrac, Olena Abakumova, Pamela Cooper, Susan Novak, Rachel Wheeler, Sarah Hunter, Shalini Mitra and Stacey Pydynkowski.