Author: Emma Whittaker
Interning with the Associated Artists of Pittsburgh (AAP) this semester has allowed me to learn more about local artists and their work, as well as contribute to AAP's mission of supporting this visual arts community. I began my internship with a focus on programming and education but ultimately was able to learn about and engage with nearly every aspect of the organization's work.
While working with AAP, I had the opportunity to assist with the preparation and execution of several exhibitions that occurred this fall and winter. These include Centa Schumaker and Nicole Czapinski's Cutting Holes for Eyes, a collaborative exhibition created by two AAP members, and the juried exhibition Commence at Tomayko Foundation in Bloomfield. Most recently AAP hosted the 113 x 113 Winter Anniversary Exhibition, an annual event that allows artists to sell their artwork for $113 in celebration of AAP's 113th year. I was able to create informational flyers for potential buyers at the 113 x 113 buying events as well as sell and package pieces for purchase.
Most notably, I have been assisting with artist workshops and preparing materials for AAP's next exhibition in partnership with Creative Citizen Studios (CCS) beginning in January 2024.
Comprising the work of AAP fiber artists Leah Patgorski, Michelle Brown, and Tina Williams Brewer as well as a select group of artists from CCS, this exhibition will include experimental
pieces that artists collaboratively created over the span of several months in AAP + CCS artist workshops. Each week, I had the privilege of attending these workshops to meet the artists, learn about their work, and assist them in putting together all of the pieces that will culminate in the final exhibition. In the coming weeks, I will use the experience and knowledge I am gaining in these workshops to work with Communications Coordinator Isaac Pleta and finalize plans for the Fiber Arts Exhibition, including its content, arrangement, and installation.
During my internship I was also creating content for AAP's social media accounts. I specifically filmed videos for their Instagram series “Isaac Returns to Art”, as well as contributed to their new Tiktok presence. I am grateful for AAP's willingness to give me creative freedom in the video-making process and for my time exploring Pittsburgh behind the camera. I have found new places in Pittsburgh to discover visual arts and talked with professionals working in cultural institutions as part of this process. I engaged with arts educators at a local community center, as well as professional conservators restoring murals inside a local church. I began my internship wanting to learn about the world of art that surrounds me at Pitt, and I am coming out of my internship with an understanding and appreciation for the work AAP does to keep a community of artists alive.