2023 has been a record-breaking year for Radiant Hall in many ways. This fall, we reached a milestone of 300 artists hosted in our studios! We also had one of our highest retention rates ever (over 85%!) with artists on average maintaining an active studio membership for 3.2 years. We’ve seen our studio inquiries double over previous years, resulting in a waitlist of over 120 artists. This signals that Radiant Hall is seen as a valuable ongoing investment for many local artists.
However, we’ve also noticed a more troubling statistic this year–we’ve received more requests for emergency financial assistance and dues subsidies than ever before.
According to Springboard for the Arts, the last few years have illuminated that “there is little to no safety net for most individual artists [...] our ecosystem for artists and creative workers needs more investment to be equitable and sustainable.”
This is why our 2024-2026 Strategic Plan renews and strengthens our commitment to local artists—preserving access to affordable space and shared resources, and cultivating a community that enriches and sustains their studio practice.
We continue to subsidize ALL of our studios so that artists pay no more than half the cost. In 2024, we are slated to underwrite over $250,000 in costs to artists through grant funding and individual community support. We have also allocated over $20,000 specifically for additional subsidies through our residencies and need-based dues discounts. We are grateful to have the generous community support that makes this crucial investment in artists possible.
Here are a few highlights from this year:
112 artists were served through our subsidized studio program. Of these, 10 received fully subsidized space through our BIPOC/Queer-focused residency opportunities. We’re looking forward to continuing our residency partnership with BOOM Concepts in 2024 with support from AE&E!
We coordinated six Pop-Up Markets in partnership with Attack Theatre, Lawrenceville Corp, Boys & Girls Club, and Lawrenceville United, each featuring over 40 local art and vintage vendors. To date, 240 artists have participated in our Pop-Up Markets. These markets have provided a valuable entry point to the Radiant Hall community, as the majority of both artists and attendees are engaging with us for the first time.
We hosted a number of public exhibitions this year, including our Residency Showcase Event at Trace Brewing, featuring 13 current and alumni artists. We also hosted the JADED Pgh (AAPI artist collective) Lunar New Year exhibition, an exhibition by Kathy Mazur on ASL in abstract art, and a show featuring work by the staff of our local Artist and Craftsman Supply. We also exhibited Radiant Hall artists’ work in partnership with mossArchitects during UNBLURRED on Penn Ave, and the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust during the Downtown Gallery Crawl.
We led studio tours with members of the Warhol Portrait Society, the Diller Teen Fellowship (a leadership program for Jewish teens), students from Manchester Craftsmen's Guild, the BGC Greenspace Youth program, and a group from Evolve Coaching (an organization supporting Autistic and other neurodiverse adults through education, employment, and the arts).
We completed our first ever fiscal sponsorship project with long-time studio member Gavin Benjamin. Last year, Gavin received funding from AE&E, Opportunity Fund, and the Henry John Simonds Foundation to support the catalog for Break Down and Let it All Out at the Westmoreland Museum of American Art. This year, we are honored to serve as fiscal sponsor for Dafna Rehavia and David Hanauer's project Invisible Wounds: A Curated Exhibition on Generational Trauma, made possible by a grant from Staunton Farm Foundation.
In addition to our programmatic achievements, we completed a robust strategic planning process guided by consultants Kate Sphar and Kate Freed to map out three-year strategic priorities. The methodology included conducting surveys and interviews with internal and external stakeholders. We also engaged Diaz Inclusion Consulting to provide Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEA) expertise and ensure that these principles were fully integrated into the strategic planning process. One of the elements of this engagement was an IDEA audit, evaluating Radiant Hall’s internal operations, policies, and practices.
With funding from RAD, we launched a website accessibility project in collaboration with AAP and Brew House, working with Krakoff Communications as a consultant.
We are proud to have maintained our W.A.G.E. (Working Artists and the Greater Economy) certification through our ongoing commitment to pay artist fees on a fair wage scale calculated in relation to our total operating costs. We are also thrilled to be able to add retirement benefits to our compensation package for ALL staff members in 2024!
Read on for more 2023 accomplishments from the Radiant Hall community…
Kisha Patterson (alumni) had an installation, Home Values, at the Burchfield Penney Art Center, and was part of the group show Spring Break at 50 Fountain Plaza in Buffalo, NY.
Hilary Schenker (Homewood) and Tresa Varner (alumni) had work included in GROWTH at Associated Artists of Pittsburgh.
Laura Krasnow (Homewood), Dafna Rehavia (Homewood), Evan Rumble (McKees Rocks), Hilary Schenker (Homewood), and Blaine Siegel (alumni) had work on view in Balanced Response at Robert Morris University.
Peggi Habets (McKees Rocks) had a 3-page spread of her work in the Spring 2023 issue of Watercolor Artist magazine, had a piece accepted into the 4th Annual Women in Watercolor International Juried Competition, while another piece received an Award of Merit from the American Watercolor Society. She will have a collection on view at Pittsburgh Botanic Garden this spring.
Brent Nakamoto's (alumni) painting Donald Yamamoto, La Selva Beach, 1948 was purchased by the University of Maryland Art Gallery. He also had work included in Transcendental Arrangements, AAP's 109th Annual Exhibition.
Rell Rushin (Homewood) received a Creative Development Award from The Heinz Endowments, and had a solo show, Reflections, at StopWatch Gallery & Studio.
Gavin Benjamin (Lawrenceville) had an exhibition at Artists Image Resource. His "Break Down and Let It All Out" exhibition at the Westmoreland Museum was featured in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. He was also part of a three person exhibition, PLAYLIST, at Parlor Gallery in Asbury Park, NJ. One of his pieces was also shown at Prizm during Miami Art Week.
Christine Bethea (Homewood) was appointed as a member of the Pittsburgh Art Commission's new Public Art Committee, and was one of 16 artists named Creative Development Awards grantees in 2023 by The Heinz Endowments.
Kathy Mazur (McKees Rocks) was selected for the Artist in Residence program at Nemacolin for the second year.
Heather Heitzenrater (Homewood) led a "Curate Your Own Art Show" workshop at Ketchup City Creative.
Margot Demody (alumni) had a solo show, The Way of Peace, Forward and Back, on view in the lobby of the Joseph F. Weis Jr. U.S. Courthouse, and was included in the publication Artist, Mother, Proud & Serious.
Lataya Johnson (McKees Rocks) had a piece exhibited as part of a fundraiser for First Lady Michelle Gainey's community initiative, the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Project, at the August Wilson House.
Oreen Cohen (Homewood) was selected for the Joan Mitchell Center artists in residence cohort for Fall 2023.
Gavin Benjamin (Lawrenceville) and Evan Rumble (McKees Rocks) were included in the 2022-2023 Featured Artists Exhibition at Associated Artists of Pittsburgh.
Jessica Gaynelle Moss (Homewood) and Khadijat Yussuff (alumni) were selected for the 2023 BLK ART LAB Residency Cohort at Protohaven.
atiya jones (Lawrenceville) and Jameelah Platt (alumni) were involved in the creation of the Garfield Coloring Book, a project of BOOM Concepts and the Bloomfield Garfield Corporation.
Sukeshi Sondhi (Lawrenceville) and Dafna Rehavia (Homewood) were featured in GPAC's member spotlight series for Women's History Month.
Rona Chang (Lawrenceville) was one of the recipients of the 2023 Grow in Fiber Grant from the Fiberarts Guild of Pittsburgh. She also opened a new storefront on Butler St.
Samira Shaheen (Homewood) and Dafna Rehavia (Homewood) had work on view in the Working with Paper group show at Boxheart Gallery.
Dafna Rehavia and David Hanauer (Homewood) were awarded a Mercator Fellowship for their creative and academic work on trauma in relation to atrocities such as the Holocaust.
Rell Rushin (Homewood) was selected for a residency at Nafasi on Centre.
Jameelah Platt (alumni) and Ashanté Josey (Homewood) were selected for the 1Hood Media 2023 Artivist Academy cohort.
Alumni Jameelah Platt, Zim Syed, and Paige Tibbe were part of the 2023 Distillery Artist-in-Residence Group Exhibition, Rip, Repair, Repeat, at Brew House.
Frances Metcalf (McKees Rocks) and Hilary Schenker (Homewood) had work included in the 3rd Annual Member & Student Exhibition at the Pittsburgh Center for Arts & Media, curated by Judy Barie (alumni).
Clara Kent (Homewood) was hired as Artist Outreach Coordinator at the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council. She also released her latest album, THE FOUR WINDS: EAST, included in the Best Soul roundup on Bandcamp, and performed at the Benedum Lot Stage for Light Up Night.
April Friges (alumni) had a solo show, In Absolute Space, at Silver Eye Center for Photography.
Noa Mims (McKees Rocks) was hired as the Arts Coordinator at Focus On Renewal Sto-Rox Neighborhood Corporation, and also led a series of ceramics workshops, presented by their collective Act Up.
Lizzee Solomon (alumni) and Joe Perry (Lawrenceville) were in a group show, Bite Sized, at Pullproof Studio.
Marina Balko (Executive Director) and Liz Rudnick (alumni) were elected to the Board of Directors at Associated Artists of Pittsburgh.
Shanae Phillips (Managing Director) was selected for the SVP Fellowship Program's 2023 cohort at the Equity Impact Center.
Frances Metcalf (McKees Rocks) completed a two-week encaustic residency at Touchstone Center for Crafts.
Teal Fitzpatrick (McKees Rocks), atiya jones (Lawrenceville), Joe Perry (Lawrenceville), Paul Roden (alumni), and Lisa Marie Jakab (alumni) had shows at Scratch + Co.
Zoe Welsh (Homewood) graduated with a Master's in Art Therapy from Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College, was interviewed for Space On Space Magazine, and was featured in a documentary, Point of Beginning, by David Bernabo.
Kathy Mazur (McKees Rocks) was a featured artist at Exposure Gallery in Sewickley, and had two pieces accepted in the NOËL NOIR exhibition at Vestige Gallery.
Christopher Boring (Homewood) had work in the Spring Salon at Canal Street Art Gallery in Bellows Falls, VT, and had a solo show, Flight, at Colo Colo Gallery in New Bedford, Massachusetts. He also had a piece selected for the Nature exhibition by Light Space and Time.
Teal Fitzpatrick (McKees Rocks), Annie Heisey (Lawrenceville), Zim Syed (alumni), and Kennedy Deen (Homewood) were included in the TRAF Juried Visual Art Exhibition: Taking Up Space.
Njaimeh Njie (alumni) had a solo show, Flight Plans, at the Carlow University art gallery.
Alumni Natalie Miczikus, Casey Connelly, and La Verne Kemp were all part of the AAP New Member Exhibition.
Hannah Altman (alumni) was selected as a finalist for the 2023 Aperture Portfolio Prize, had exhibitions at Abakus Projects in Boston and Silver Eye Center for Photography, and received Virginia Commonwealth University's 10 Under 10 Award. She was also a recipient of an Innovate Grant, open to visual artists and photographers, both US and international.
MarySue Flick (alumni) and Gina Beavers (Board Member) were part of a group show, The Gemini Project, at Fr. Ryan Arts Center.
Sean Carroll (Lawrenceville), atiya jones (Lawrenceville), Liz Rudnick (alumni), Tom Sarver (alumni), Blaine Siegel (alumni), and Alisha B Wormsley (alumni) were part of the Trash Bash Art Auction at the Mattress Factory.
Nicole Renee Ryan (alumni) was in AAP's Grandeur of Power, Art & Light's 17th Anniversary show, and a solo show at Hoyt Art Center.
Crystal Latimer (alumni) had a solo exhibition, FINE HOUSE, at Paradigm Gallery + Studio. She was also curated onto Artsy's Women to Watch list.
Ashley A. Jones (Homewood) and Ashanté Josey (Homewood) had work on view in Seen & Heard at 707 Gallery.
Michael McDevitt (Homewood) had a solo show on view at CURIO Art Gallery.
Reggie Raye (alumni) was selected to create Homewood-specific, artist-driven furniture for ECO:Homewood.
Ben Schonberger (McKees Rocks), Jessica Alpern Brown (McKees Rocks), and Paul Roden (alumni) were featured artists at AAP.
Heather Heitzenrater (Homewood), Dafna Rehavia (Homewood), Ben Schonberger (McKees Rocks), Jessica Brown (McKees Rocks), Sukeshi Sondhi (Lawrenceville), and John Burt Sanders (alumni) had work for sale in the AAP 109th Annual Exhibition online store.
Alumni Casey Connelly, La Verne Kemp, and Natalie Miczikus, were included in the AAP New Member Exhibition.
Andrew W. Allison (alumni) was in a group show, Six in an Open Field, at IUP.
Lizzie Solomon (alumni) was selected for the '23-'24 season of collaborative shows with Casey Droege Cultural Productions and the Wilkinsburg CDC.
Meg Prall (McKees Rocks) was selected as a Bunker Projects resident artist for 2023-2024.
Frances Metcalf (McKees Rocks) had work in shows at Glen Arbor Art Center in Michigan, the 3-D Art Gallery in Ft. Collins, CO, Descansos Gardens in Los Angeles, Mark Rengers Gallery in Sewickley, and the Episcopal Cathedral in Sacramento, CA. She also graduated from the Creative Business Accelerator’s First Leap Program, a 10-week intensive training for small business owners.
Juliet Phillips (Lawrenceville) had a solo show, Get Out From Under the Rock, at Pullproof Studio.
Dafna Rehavia (Homewood) had work included in Innovations in Painting, presented by Pittsburgh Seen.
Lisa Marie Jakab (alumni) and Tim Engelhardt (Homewood) were part of an Art on the Walls exhibit at the US Steel Tower.
Jacquet Kehm (alumni), Julie Lee (Lawrenceville), and Andrew Allison (alumni) were part of a group exhibition, Eschaton, at the Center for Civic Arts.
Emi Driscoll (McKees Rocks) had a solo exhibition, Acute Apparitions, on view at studio 4.
Ivory Eddins (Homewood), Shawn Atkins (alumni), and Zim Syed (alumni) had features on the BOOM Concepts blog.
Alisha B. Wormsley (alumni) was selected for the The National Museum public art project commissioned by the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust. She was also appointed Assistant Professor of Social Practice at the Carnegie Mellon School of Art.
Deavron Dailey (McKees Rocks) and Janet Watkins curated In Life…, the 2023 Mavuno exhibition at Sweetwater Center for the Arts.
Alumni Andrew Allison and Laurie Trok had a show on view at the Union Hall.
Marilyn Narey (McKees Rocks) was selected as a finalist in the 2023 Martha’s Vineyard Drawing Prize, an annual competition open to artists across the United States and Canada.
Jacquet Kehm (alumni) had work included in The Art of Democracy, juried by Fran Flaherty.
Sophia Pappas (alumni) had work on view in Brew House Arts’ exhibition, Buttery Spread.
Andrew Allison (alumni) was among the artists featured in Platonic Solids curated by another alumni, Liz Rudnick.
Karen Howard (Homewood) co-chaired the 40th Anniversary celebration of the Western Pennsylvania Writing Project.
Julia Betts (McKees Rocks) was the Phillip C. Curtis Artist in Residence at Albion College, and had a solo exhibition, Contain and Release.
Samira Shaheen (Homewood) was included in the Pittsburgh Society of Artists 57th Annual Exhibition curated by Tara Fay.
Deanna Chilian (McKees Rocks) was a featured artist at Exposure Gallery in Sewickley.
Corey Carrington (alumni) partnered with Trace Brewing to present Softlife, an open format dance party focused on practicing self care.
atiya jones (Lawrenceville) and Margot Dermody (alumni) exhibited in Fluid at Mark Rengers Gallery.
Sukeshi Sondhi (Lawrenceville) was featured in The Row of Lights exhibition at Atithi Studios, and a solo show at mossArchitects.
Shawn Atkins (alumni) did an original illustration for the cover of City Paper.
Nisha Blackwell (Homewood) was recognized at the Pittsburgh Smart 50 Awards.
Sukeshi Sondhi (Lawrenceville) and Ashley A. Jones (Homewood) were part of the Art on the Walls exhibition at Allegheny Conference.