Contemporary Craft, once based in the Strip District’s historic Produce Terminal, opens its new home Thursday with a solo exhibition, “The Heart Speaks Through the Hand,” featuring the work of Callie Curry, aka Swoon.
That title seems fitting considering the hands of so many artists and construction workers renovated and decorated a former industrial building for Contemporary Craft, now headquartered in Upper Lawrenceville at 5545 Butler St. The arts organization bought the property in February 2019.
The building’s attractive exterior proclaims that this is a place for people who appreciate, collect or make art.
“Braddock Steel,” a permanent mural on the building's exterior, will, like Ms. Curry’s street art, change slowly over time.
A permanent “scanimation panel” defines the entrance by animating sound waves that say “Art is Life.” Using barrier-grid animation, which began in the late 1890s, the panel was updated with digital design and fabrication techniques.
Under the “scanimation panel” is a bench made by Tadao Arimoto, a Pittsburgh woodworker who studied at the International Design Institute in Kyoto, Japan, before coming to the United States. Made of black locust wood, its is set on natural rock boulders. Another more rustic bench by the artist is in a small meditation garden along a garage wall. A bike rack made of enameled steel is in the Butler Street sidewalk near the front entrance.
Inside, new galleries are spread over 2,500 square feet. A natural wooden ceiling grid hung over the galleries supports light exhibition partitions that can be rearranged and reused for new shows. The wood was salvaged from Contemporary Craft’s former location.
In the visitors’ lounge, light comes from “Sea Dreams,” a sculptural fixture in the shape of a boat by artist Steve Whittlesey. Made of salvaged pine, it also came from the organization’s former location.
The lounge includes an L-shaped, upholstered maple bench made by Kelsey Henson and Zak Kruszynski. A reception desk and two lighted jewelry cases were made of spalted maple by Joe Kelly of Kelly Custom Furniture & Cabinetry. Above the reception desk are hand-blown light fixtures created at the Pittsburgh Glass Center by Jason Forck and Christopher Hofmann.
Large windows provide natural light and window display space in the 1,800-square-feet space devoted to studios. A skylight cut into the building adds more natural light.
The Store, which sells the work of established and emerging artists, occupies 1,100 square feet. Staff offices are on the ground floor and mezzanine.The $5.5 million project was overseen by GBBN Architects and built by Jendoco Construction.
Marylynne Pitz at mpitz@post-gazette.com or on Twitter:@mpitzpg
First Published: September 3, 2020, 6:34 p.m.
