Pittsburgh Cultural TrustGo to the home page

Curator Statement

“In 2019, I began making drawings and sketches of Pittsburgh neighborhoods. I made the works on site, attempting to capture the people and activity of each place. I wanted to show the gritty places, the overgrown lots, the decay, but also a sense of humanity in representing the variety of places where people live and interact.

In developing The Pittsburgh Left, I’m interested in how other artists think about the city and how it has influenced their work. I chose artists at various stages of their careers. Some I’ve reached out to for the first time, and some I have worked with over the years. Within this mix, I hope for unexpected dialogue. I don’t expect a very harmonious arrangement, but a quirky one that challenges the viewer to look closely at each artist’s point of view.”

-Tom Sarver

The Pittsburgh Left

The Pittsburgh Left. "A colloquial term for the driving practice of the first left-turning vehicle taking precedence over vehicles going straight through an intersection, associated with the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, area." – Wikipedia

Born of steel and grit, rusted out and then transformed into a city of culture and innovation, Pittsburgh continues to be a town full of determination and surprise. For many, there is a deep pride in the hometown feel of the city and its many idiosyncrasies. Pittsburgh loves Pittsburgh. On the flipside, there are those Pittsburghers left behind by the changing economy, those communities ignored or even destroyed by ‘development’. There are those who left and those who are left. Yet, we all still have pride in the steel and the grit. We put out a parking chair to claim our space but yield the right of way to our oncoming neighbor. Pittsburgh artists of today look at all these ideas with criticality, nostalgia, humor and hope.

The Pittsburgh Left is an exhibition of work by eleven artists whose practice is intrinsically connected to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Organized by artist Tom Sarver, the exhibition dives into a wide variety of themes and media, as participants present installations and collections of their work. Programming during the exhibition includes an Artist Reception, a Gallery Crawl, a Works on Paper Fair, and a Pittsburgh Stories event.

Featured Artists

Deavron "The Urban Explorer" Dailey – Splitting time between Pittsburgh and Detroit, Dailey often reflects on each place from a distance. He draws inspiration from exploration in each and realizes his visions in a wide variety of artistic media including ceramics, printmaking, drawing and painting. Artist Website

Kirsten Ervin - Kirsten Ervin is a Pittsburgh-based fiber artist and illustrator focused on building community and promoting joy. She will be presenting an installation of fibers, sculpture and illustrations narrating personal Pittsburgh stories. Artist Website

Tyler Gedman – Tyler Gedman is taking the local En plein air scene by storm with a prolific body of work. Inspired by American painter Edward Hopper, Gedman is “intrigued by the emotional response that the relationship between dramatic light and shadow can evoke in the viewer.” Artist Website

Chris Ivey – Filmmaker Chris Ivey is presenting We Are Here- Finding Beauty In The Raw, a multichannel video installation of several interviews wrapped in an immersive environment. Ivey’s history of hands-on, investigative work (East of Liberty documentary series, Grenfell Tower/Arconic engagement works) reveals and confronts racism and injustice both in Pittsburgh and internationally.

Chris Ivey's Director Online Reel At: www.hyperboyfilms.com
East of Liberty: A documentary series by Chris Ivey: www.eastofliberty.com

Kate Lundy – Painter Kate Lundy is creating an installation anchored by paintings that tells a story of her time in Pittsburgh. Each painting depicts a place important to her experience, and together they map out her journey. Artist Website

David Montano – Conceptual artist David Montano has been collecting Pittsburgh post cards for many years. Montano is interested in the people who hand-wrote messages to their loved ones. He is creating an installation in the window space alcove of the gallery.

Ramon Riley – Painter Ramon Riley studies the beauty of Pittsburgh bridge architecture. He is creating a series of large-scale works, investigating design with spiritual reverence. He aims to create a visual dialogue that reaches across barriers. Artist Website

Larry Rippel – Larry Rippel has worked in the Pittsburgh photographic community for over forty years. He will be presenting a multimedia retrospective installation that highlights his passion for Pittsburgh arts, culture and community.

Tom Sarver – Multidisciplinary artist Tom Sarver will present a series of pen and ink drawings and sketches done on location throughout the city. Artist Website

Mary Tremonte – Mary Tremonte is a Pittsburgh-based DJ, artist and educator. Printmaking is at the core of her practice, as she creates installations, wearable art, banners, zines and more. Artist Website

Kathleen Zimbicki – Kathleen Zimbicki has been at the heart of the Pittsburgh art scene for decades. Her Studio Z Gallery was a lively fixture on the South Side for many years. She will be showing a collection of large dreamlike watercolor paintings. Artist Website

About Tom Sarver

Tom Sarver is a Pittsburgh-based artist who creates social projects using a wide range of approaches and techniques including events, installations, performance art, puppetry and traditional drawing and painting. Tom Sarver holds a BFA from Tyler School of Art, Temple University, and an MFA from SUNY Purchase.

Sarver has presented several projects at Pittsburgh Cultural Trust Galleries including Obsessions (SPACE Gallery, 2014), The Occasional Market (707 Gallery, 2014) and The Sideways Museum (SPACE Gallery, 2015). His work was also featured at SPACE Gallery in My Space (2006), Crowdsourced (2013), and John Riegert (2016). He has created large-scale performance art and installation projects for the Three Rivers Arts Festival including Talking About the Weather (2005), Art Olympic Theatre (2008) and Sarver’s Bait & Tackle (2009). Website