In spite of the many challenges it presented, 2020 has provided a chance to focus on what makes our studios truly valuable: a sense of community. We were humbled by the creativity, resilience, and generosity our artists displayed this year, all at a time when independent creatives are more vulnerable than ever. They have clearly demonstrated the immeasurable value they bring to our communities, even with the most limited resources. In response, Radiant Hall has worked hard to adapt to the new reality—finding ways to continue supporting artists and the broader community remotely, and stabilizing our finances so that our studios can endure as a vital resource for artists now and in the future.
Thanks to generous and flexible philanthropic support, we have been able to weather a global crisis while also responding to the ever-changing needs of our community. In the current environment, this means things like:
Adapting our programming to serve artists remotely until it is safe to gather again.
Addressing immediate community needs with projects like (mask)MAKERS PGH.
Keeping our spaces financially accessible, even as artists cope with increased economic uncertainty.
We were also able to make significant progress on several key initiatives:
We reached a milestone of over 200 artists served in the history of Radiant Hall (we’re now at 221 current and alumni artist members).
This fall, we launched the Knotzland Residency Program, developed by Nisha Blackwell. The program is designed to support BIPOC and other artists who are historically excluded from cultural opportunities by providing free space and professional development support to two artists per year.
In our efforts to continuously address inequities in our program delivery, we began an assessment and planning process to improve access to our studios for artists with disabilities.
We opened our newest studio location, Radiant Hall West, in McKees Rocks. The 22,000 sq ft facility offers the potential to nearly double the amount of studio space we are able to provide to local artists.
We expanded and increased the diversity of our board of directors. We’re thrilled to welcome six new board members, with a wide range of expertise, who will begin their board service in January 2021.
Read on for more 2020 accomplishments from the Radiant Hall community…
IMPACT STATS
ARTIST MEMBER MILESTONES
Karen Howard and Corey Carrington became the first artists to participate in the Knotzland Residency program at Radiant Hall.
Atiya Jones and Selima Dawson became the first ORIGINS Artists-in-Residence at Radiant Hall through Bridgeway Capital’s Creative Business Accelerator.
Atiya Jones launched a fundraiser that raised over $10,000 in one day for bail funds, Black-led arts organizations, and Black business relief.
Nisha Blackwell and her company, Knotzland, got a shoutout from none other than T-Pain as part of a performance series highlighting small businesses, with a focus on those run by women and people of color.
Atiya Jones, Nisha Blackwell, alumni Njaimeh Njie, and other local makers were featured in CMOA's exhibition, Locally Sourced.
Seth Clark and alumni Allison Blair and Njaimeh Njie were featured in the exhibition Counterpressures at CMOA.
Samira Shaheen and fellow members of the Invisibility Collective opened the exhibition "Seen x Unseen".
Judy Barie had a solo exhibition, Color Chorus, at Zynka Gallery.
Rona Chang won 1st place in Ascender's and the Creative Business Accelerator's Next Leap Program. Her company, Otto Finn, was also featured in the Fall issue of Table Magazine.
Margot Dermody was included in AAP’s 2020 New Member Exhibition, and was selected for an Idea Furnace Artist Residency at the Pittsburgh Glass Center.
Dafna Rehavia was included in The Immigrant Artist Biennial (TIAB) 2020 and Fiberarts Guild's 2020 Membership Exhibition. Dafna also began an artist residency at BOOM Concepts this December.
Oreen Cohen and business partner Alison Zapata unveiled a large public art project in the newly renovated Wightman Park in Squirrel Hill. Oreen was also among 37 artists awarded 2020 residencies at the Joan Mitchell Center in New Orleans.
Crystal Latimer and Seth Clark had solo exhibitions at Paradigm Gallery.
Gavin Benjamin and Annie Heisey had solo exhibitions at BoxHeart Gallery.
Blaine Siegel was one of the first grant recipients for The Heinz Endowments' new Just Arts initiative.
Heather Heitzenrater curated an exhibition of over 30 original artworks from local artists at Ketchup City Creative.
Zoë Welsh had solo exhibitions at the Union Hall and the Wilkinsburg Community Development Corporation.
Kathy Mazur had her work displayed in the first exhibition in the new art space at Eleven Stanwix.
Paige Tibbe had a solo exhibition at Martha Gault Art Gallery at Slippery Rock University.
Jerome D'Angelo was included in AAP’s exhibition, to the republic for which it stands.
Jennifer Schurman had an installation in the TRAF Juried Exhibition, Transverse.
TESTIMONIALS
“Radiant Hall has made a difference for me as a writer. My residency has provided me space to be creative and productive. I love the artist energy from the other artists. Having real space to practice my writing is a real gift. Radiant Hall has been a lifeline to me during this pandemic - the support of the other residents and administration has sustained me as a poet.” - Karen Howard (Knotzland Artist-in-Residence)
“My day job can be very stressful and sometimes you need to get away from it all - you really need to relax. I’ve found that art has helped me do that. I’ve never been trained in art, and I was quite intimidated by the talent in this building. I’m humbled every time I finish a piece and put it on the wall, but the feedback from everyone has been great - it’s just a great community. Radiant Hall is absolutely a phenomenal place to create.” - Phillip Anthony
“I came to Radiant Hall back in 2018 after graduating from art school and moving to Pittsburgh. As an emerging artist, Radiant Hall has been an invaluable community to be a part of. Radiant Hall has provided me not only with the space to continue making art, but has connected me with a network of artistic professionals and colleagues who have helped to cultivate an environment that engages artistic dialogue, challenges and inspires my practice, and has connected me with the opportunities to share my work with a broader audience.” - Zoë Welsh