Downtown Pittsburgh art gallery Blaqk House won't let vandalism stop exhibit
You can’t keep art down.
As such, Cynthia Kenderson and Nicky Jo Dawson say they will not allow vandalism of their gallery to stop them from showcasing something beautiful.
The co-owners of Blaqk House Collections, a Downtown Pittsburgh art gallery, had its windows and a glass door smashed in November.
How did they respond? They made temporary repairs to the front of their building and are hosting a new exhibition.
A reception for “Pop Up: Revolutionary Rebel (s)” will run from 5 to 10 p.m. Friday.
The gallery opened in October with a mission to “showcase artists of all races,” Kenderson said.
Kenderson said she and Dawson are excited to showcase the works of talented artists for their second-ever art exhibition. They’ve been hosting vendors every other Saturday and also plan to add a cafe in the spring.
Kenderson filed a police report after the incident. The art inside was not touched.
The investigation is ongoing and there are no updates at this time, police said Thursday.
There will be a dozen artists involved in the exhibition, and most of the work will be for sale.
Some of those artists are showing their art in a gallery setting for the first time, Kenderson said.
Roderick Ryuki-X Ramsey III is a digital collage artist who was born in Stanton Heights and lives in the Hill District. He uses the word “RISE” in some of his work, standing for “resilient intelligent surreal energy.” His website is oculararcade.com and represents “vision in play.”
Tom Mosser of the East End will have two portraits from his “Big Faces” project displayed at the gallery.
His work features James Washington, dance department chair at Pittsburgh CAPA 6-12, the creative and performing arts magnet school located Downtown, and Stacie Lawrence, a Penn Hills-based model, creative designer, photographer and artist.
Mosser was part of the gallery’s opening show in October. He’s planning to host his complete “Big Faces” show somewhere in the city in the fall.
“I definitely wanted to be involved again, especially after what happened with the vandalism,” Mosser said. “We need more diversity, and we need to support galleries like this one because the owners are working to include everyone.”
The gallery located at 440 First Ave., near Cherry Way.
JoAnne Klimovich Harrop is a TribLive reporter covering the region's diverse culinary scene and unique homes. She writes features about interesting people. The Edward R. Murrow award-winning journalist began her career as a sports reporter. She has been with the Trib for 26 years and is the author of "A Daughter's Promise." She can be reached at jharrop@triblive.com.
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