Author: Toni Brayo
In the historic Mexican War Streets in the North Side neighborhood of Pittsburgh, a quaint art gallery occupies the corner of Monterey St. and Taylor Ave. Directed by Lexi Bishop, here, a contemporary art gallery with pop-up exhibitions opened its doors amidst the COVID-19 pandemic in the latter half of 2021. Since then, Bishop has held ten shows in this space, many of which have highlighted the work of women artists and those in marginalized communities, some even from the city of Pittsburgh. Recently, Pittsburgh local artist, Tara Fay Coleman, held a solo exhibition titled, Marginalia in which she explored her experience as a Black woman, mother, and artist by displaying prints of enlarged screenshots of text from her notes app. This semester, I worked at here as an intern, and I was able to attend the opening event for this exhibition, which was just the first impression I needed to gauge just how strong of an impact this gallery has already had on the Pittsburgh community. The gallery was busy throughout the whole evening, making evident the support for not just the gallery but the artist who was present to speak directly with guests about the work on display.
Working as an intern at here gallery has broadened my perspective on the contemporary art world. A typical day in the gallery includes keeping up to date on the current art in the surrounding areas, greeting visitors, and researching artists for upcoming shows. I was able to do this extensively for Martinez’s Labor. By conducting research on the artist’s biography, previous exhibitions, and press coverage, I was able to help set the foundation for the press here gallery would release about the upcoming exhibition. I also learned to interact with those who purchased works from the exhibitions by ensuring their art was packaged and ready for pickup.
On March 17, 2023, the gallery opened its doors to the most current solo exhibition, Labor, by artist Amanda Martinez. As the evening opening event kicked off, visitors trickled slowly into the space observing the show for refreshments until the whole gallery was filled with those eager to see Martinez’s new work. On white walls, her work was displayed, and her use of found materials composed works of large embroidered felt patterns, carved polystyrene, and woven reed patterns. These works reflect the labor-intensive process of hand making, but also the residual marks of the industrial period. This is evident through her use of shredded tires and upcycled wood. The patterns and forms of her artworks speak to Martinez’s ancestral ties to New Mexico with visuals that merge Indigenous, Mexican, and Spanish aesthetics. Martinez’s exhibition will be on view at here gallery until April 22, 2023.
Throughout my time at here gallery, I’ve been able to learn and experience first-hand what it takes to run a contemporary gallery, a woman-owned gallery at that. Nothing shy of inspiring, it has been an honor to observe and be mentored by someone as driven and committed to holding a space for current artists as Ms. Bishop. here is a gallery space in which artists can be vulnerable about their personal experience as well as shed light onto important global issues. From my experience, this space has unified and inspired the community, and it is “here” to stay for future shows.
Toni Brayo, Museum Studies Intern at here Gallery, Spring 2023