Greensburg was not a random choice for Phil and Steve Harrold’s art and music gallery.
The initials of the West Pittsburgh Street venue, called Green Beacon Gallery, align with a common abbreviation for the name of the city — which the brothers deemed deserving of an open stage for local musicians.
“You’ve pretty much been limited to the Palace (Theatre) and any bar that will have shows on the weekends,” said Phil Harrold, 39, of Greensburg. “But there’s no regular stage anywhere in town, and dang sure, if you’re under 21, you’re just totally out of luck.”
The Hempfield Area graduates signed the lease for their downtown Greensburg gallery in June 2020, opening its doors just three months later.
The gallery’s white walls are barely visible underneath hundreds of paintings, photographs, posters and stickers. Green LED string lights silently pay tribute to the gallery’s name, and various eclectic decorations surround the stage — including a 1970s television shaped like an astronaut’s helmet.
Now, the brothers are on the hunt for a new location, as their landlord informed them last year they will not be able to renew their lease when it expires at the end of June.
The gallery is one of several Westmoreland County businesses undergoing transitions, including Ferrante’s Lakeview in Hempfield, which is changing hands after about 70 years in operation.
The Harrold brothers were exposed to a healthy diet of music in their upbringing, courtesy of their father, Keith Harrold, who worked in sales at Word Records, a Christian entertainment company based in Nashville, Tenn.
The siblings played in bands during their teenage years, joining their father for a performance at his high school class reunion in 2017 at the former Keynote Cafe in Jeannette. They played three David Bowie songs for the crowd.
“That’s all my dad ever wanted: to play music with his boys,” Phil said.
Keith Harrold died in 2018, leaving his sons all of the sound equipment he gathered through years working as a wedding DJ. Just two years later, the Harrolds used the equipment to bring Green Beacon Gallery to life.
The gallery hosts between 80 and 90 live music performances per year and about the same number of miscellaneous community gatherings — such as movie, painting and record-listening nights. Three couples have even held their wedding ceremonies or receptions at the gallery, Phil said.
Western Pennsylvania artists hang their work on the gallery’s walls in the hopes of attracting buyers.
But the gallery has struggled in recent years to turn a profit, Phil said.
“Within a couple years, it kind of became apparent why there’s no stage in town that’s just dedicated for local music,” he said. “There’s just no money in it. I don’t know if it’s that streaming is killing it or people are just, post-covid, not going out as (much), but the numbers are just not ever super strong.”
After being informed they would be unable to renew their lease for a sixth year, the Harrolds began searching for another location in Greensburg. A community meeting Jan. 22 brought in 10 volunteers interested in supporting the gallery in its search for a new home.
Another meeting will be held at the gallery at 7 p.m. Thursday, and a fundraiser show to support moving expenses will take place at 6 p.m. March 13.
“We’re just going to keep plugging and doing what we can to keep this place afloat, get a new spot and see how we can keep the Beacon lit,” Phil said.
