Blue skies ahead for Contemporary Craft
If you've driven by 5645 Butler Street recently, you've likely noticed a transformation - the once-industrial exterior has been splashed with vibrant shades of blue and textural brickwork across the facade!
Soon, the large plywood boards will give way to massive street facing windows that will allow abundant natural light into the studios, gallery, and offices. Inside, new cement floors have been poured throughout the space and a framework of walls is beginning to give form to our new studios and redesigned Store. Perhaps more important than the walls are the many interior windows that will showcase artists at work in the studios from the Store and visitors lounge, bringing the work of amazing craft artists into conversation with work for sale in the store and gallery, for the first time.
As the project progresses, we will share more updates and behind-the-scenes peeks at the renovation as we approach the Grand Reopening in April 2020.
We are thankful for our donors. With recent grants from the Hillman Foundation and The Fine Foundation in support of this project, we have raised 78% of our $5.5M campaign goal! We are grateful for the support from the foundation community, our Board, individual donors, and the Commonwealth for the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program funding that has helped to propel the project so far in just the past year. These Contemporary Craft champions share our vision - and recognize the urgency of our situation - and have made all the difference in pushing us towards success.
As we acknowledge the one-year mark of our fundraising campaign, one champion in particular comes to mind. Arts superhero and late Board member Clark Nicklas was one of the earliest and most enthusiastic proponents of Contemporary Craft's relocation. He leapt into action at Allegheny Regional Asset District's fall 2018 public hearing, announcing his major personal gift for the relocation, which helped us move quickly to purchase the building at 5645 Butler Street.
Just a few weeks after we closed on the building and publicly announced our new location, Clark passed away unexpectedly. Clark had served on the Board of Contemporary Craft since 2014 and had been a staunch advocate and generous supporter of the organization from the beginning of his tenure. His generosity has made a lasting impact on Contemporary Craft, and we are proud to memorialize him as an integral part of the vision for our new facility.
Contemporary Craft's Strip District facility is currently closed to the public while we pack and prepare to move. However, you can still find us around town!
Crafting Conversations: A Call and Response to Our Changing Climate through Art is currently on view in our BNY Mellon Satellite Gallery in Downtown Pittsburgh (500 Grant Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15219)
Our Holiday Pop-Up Store is open at 5126 Butler Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15201. Visit our new neighborhood and start your holiday shopping with works by new artists, carefully selected ornaments, handcrafted art objects. Check the open hours here.
On the second Saturday of each month, find us at Construction Junction for an artist-led workshop. Coming up: December 14, A Little Home for the Holiday with Holly Dobkin.
It's never too early to mark your calendar for our Grand Opening Celebrations! Contemporary Craft's Grand Opening Gala will take place on Saturday, April 18, 2020, followed by the Grand Opening Day on Saturday, April 25, 2020. Please consider joining our Host Committee for this once-in-a-lifetime occasion. For more details, contact donorsupport@contemporarycraft.org.
