Sewickley Gallery Walk Bigger than Ever

Art is in the air and this year the fifth annual Sewickley Spring Gallery Walk promises more art exhibition venues than ever before.

Curators Tim Hadfield and Ingrid LaFleur of the Sewickley Arts Initiative organized the upcoming Gallery Walk along with co-chair Nicole Felice Lopez. A prequel to the walk is set to begin Wednesday when SAI presents the first of two lectures at Sweetwater Center for the Arts in conjuction with this year's Gallery Walk.

At 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 20, Eric Shiner, acting director of the Warhol Museum, will lecture  on Andy Warhol and his vast influence on contemporary art.

Th second lecture will take place at 7 p.m. April 27. Prominent art collectors and professionals in the Pittsburgh area will host a panel discussion to share their perspectives on the basics of collecting contemporary art.

LaFleur, the SAI director, said the lectures are intended to complement the upcoming Spring Gallery Walk.

“I’m very excited about this year’s Gallery Walk. I think it’s going to be a huge success,” she said.

SAI will be curating exhibits in vacant store spaces, featuring in-depth solo exhibitions for the first time. LaFleur said they look forward to filling every space in the business district with contemporary art created by some of the most talented artists in the region.

The Gallery Walk runs Friday, April 29 and Saturday, April 30.

LaFleur said the event includes local artists from the Pittsburgh area, including student art works from and .

A Community Affair

The self-guided gallery walk provides the public an opportunity to visit exhibitions and learn about artists without feeling intimidated by prices or lack of knowledge about art.

The art exhibitions will be located in the heart of Sewickley’s business district, on or adjacent to Broad and Beaver streets.

In all, LaFleur said, 25 businesses are participating in this year’s Gallery Walk. Venues range from galleries to retail shops. Stores will be open for sales during the walk.

“It’s a way of helping boost business … as well as celebrating local artists and supporting them,” LaFleur said.

Many of the exhibitions run through Saturday, May 7, to coincide with the 46th annual Sewickley May Mart, a fair that features plants and garden accessories supplied by local garden clubs and vendors.

Sewickley Borough and the Sewickley Chamber of Commerce are sponsoring the Gallery Walk.

Borough Manager Kevin Flannery said Monday the event would include music, along with security from the police department.

"It'll be a good night in town," Flannery said.

LaFleur said the Gallery Walk is a great affair for the entire family.

“I’m excited,” LaFleur said. “The Gallery Walk is a lot of fun,” she said.

Exhibitions

Some of the exhibitions include "The Tropics" at and "Side Show Collectibles" at . 

LaFleur said Fine Art Gallery partnered with the Gallery Walk to do an exhibition that coincides with Arbor Day, which the walk happens to fall on this year.

Starting on April 29, Élan Gallery, with Fern Hollow Nature Center, will present “Treelines,” artists with roots in southwestern Pennsylvania offering perspectives on trees in a variety of styles and media. 

Élan’s exhibition will be on display starting Friday, April 29, at 427 Broad Street in Sewickley. On Saturday, April 30th, Élan will offer gallery talks featuring Fern Hollow and selected artists. The exhibition will remain through May 28. Gallery hours for the month-long event are 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday and Friday, and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, or by appointment.  

Mark Your Calendar:

• The Gallery Walk runs Friday, April 29, and Saturday, April 30, with the opening receptions taking place from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday, April 29, and from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, April 30.

If You Go:

• Free parking will be available after 4 p.m. Friday, April 29, and Saturday, April 30, in Sewickley’s business district. Both sections of Division Street will be closed to traffic to accommodate pedestrians and feature musical entertainment.

A list of exhibitions:

• Sweetwater Center for the Arts, 200 Broad St., “Remnants Revisted,” by Joyce Werwie Perry
• Élan, 427 Broad St., “Treelines” Group Exhibit
• International Images Ltd., 514 Beaver St., “Beautiful/Gritty: Nature/City,” Photographs by Rafaelo Kazakov, “Flora Lunatica,” and “landscapes,” by Michel Hersen.
• Clearview Federal Credit Union, 510 Beaver St., Paintings by Joseph C. Cirelli
• Nickelodeon Mall, 431 Beaver St., “Master Drawings, Paintings, and Photographs” from Sewickley Academy
• Orr’s Jewelers, 532 Beaver St., Sculptures by Dan Pelusi
• Big Bang Comics & Collectibles, 437 Broad St., “Side Show Collectibles,” by Pat Olliffe
• Otto Building, 541 Beaver St., RMU Media Arts program
• Sewickley Gallery & Frame Shop, 549 Beaver St., “Elgin Park or Sewickley,” by Michael Paul Smith
• Sewickley Confectionary, 600 Beaver St., “Sewickley Photos,” by Rebekah Ragan
• House of Two Sisters, 509 Beaver St., Gallery Artists Group Exhibition
• The Penguin Bookshop, 420 Beaver St., “Paintings,” by Sarah Zeffiro
• Carly M, 415 Beaver St., “Paintings,” by Dianne Very Stetzer
• Starbucks, 425 Beaver St., Paintings by Local Artists
• Yarns Unlimited, 435 Beaver St., in “Celebration of the Royal Wedding – fiber arts from the British Isles,” by the staff and friends of Yarns Unlimited
• Sewickley Arts Initiative, 419 Beaver St., Paintings by Brian Brown
• Café Des Amis, 443 Division St., “Photographs of Corsica,” by David St. Jacques
• Cuttings, 524 Locust Place, "The Tropics," by Cathy Kelly
• No Good Riding Hood, 559 Beaver St., “The Journey Back From the Curb, Trash to Treasure Furniture,” by April Meredith and Mia DiBattista
• Vita Hair for Life, 421 Walnut St., “Eclectic paintings,” by Deborah McLaren
• Former Travelwares Store, 429 Broad St., “Quaker Valley Middle School: After-School Art Program”
• Sewickley Arts Initiative, adjacent to Clearview Federal Credit Union, “Bending the Rules – an Installation of Modified Games,” by Andrew Y. Ames
• Robinsons Home & Garden Center, 527 Blackburn Ave., “Prints from Adorable Animals, Big Bell Laughs, Creative Critters: An ABC book of funny animal limericks,” by Trish Elliot-Marcrum
• Habitat, 519 Locust Place, “Paintings: Spring Things,” by Claire Hardy
• Sewickley Library, 500 Thorn St., “Illustrations from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post and other publications,” Mark Brewer, and “Children’s book and magazine illustration,” Nora Thompson.

(Note: The Sewickley Arts Initiative exhibitions will remain open until May 7.)

For more information visit the Sewickley Arts Initiative or for a complete list and street map of the exhibitions click here.