See art in person again with new exhibitions at these three Pittsburgh-area galleries and museums

A number of museums and galleries closed their doors once again as COVID-19 cases spiked and heightened concerns about spreading the potentially deadly virus. Now, some Pittsburgh-area venues have reopened to bring unique and dynamic shows to the public. Here are some places to explore:

ZYNKA Gallery pop-up at Crazy Mocha Sewickley

417 Walnut St., Sewickley. zynkagallery.com

In addition to its on-site Violence in Eden exhibition featuring the works of artist Ashley Cecil, the Sharpsburg-based ZYNKA Gallery has partnered with Crazy Mocha for a special pop-up show at the coffee chain's Sewickley location. The café was converted into an art space for 20/20 Is Hindsight, on view Fri., Jan. 22 through Mon., March 1. The collection includes artwork from Atticus Adams, Mary Dorfner Hay, Josh Mitchel, Travis K. Schwab, Jonathan Shapiro, and Mia Tarducci.

A press release says the 37 works on display, all curated by ZYNKA owner, Jeff Jarzynka, represent "the challenges and triumphs of processing last year’s crises."

“In many cases, these works were created before 2020 but they nonetheless represent the many challenges we all faced,” says Jarzynka.
Jarzynka has also curated pop-up exhibitions at other Pittsburgh locations, including at local hotels and at the Frick Environmental Center.

All artwork is available for purchase and will benefit the artists. Crazy Mocha will also serve limited-edition coffees during the show.

“2020 was a tremendously challenging year for every single person in our community,” says Crazy Mocha general manager Kim Garrett. “We wanted this café to host a meaningful exhibition to give our community a space to process, heal, and be positively impacted while supporting the arts and other business owners who have been negatively affected by the pandemic.”

The Frick Pittsburgh

7227 Reynolds St., Point Breeze. thefrickpittsburgh.org

Beginning Sat., Jan. 23, The Frick Pittsburgh will welcome visitors back to its Point Breeze campus after a two-month hiatus. Visitors will be able to view The Frick Reflects: Looking Back, Moving Forward, described in a press release as a “critical look at The Frick Pittsburgh's permanent collection and institutional origin story” that examines “the social context in which the Frick family lived, the perspective with which Helen Clay Frick founded the organization, and the values and viewpoints the collection reveals, sometimes unwittingly.” It's free to visit, but registration is required. The Frick Reflects continues through Sun., Feb. 7.

Also included at the Frick is Bouke de Vries: War and Pieces, a special installation by Dutch contemporary artist Bouke de Vries that transforms recycled bits of broken glass into an “interpretation of an 18th-century tablescape with a sprawling assemblage of porcelain fragments resembling a nuclear wasteland.” War and Pieces continues through Sun., Sept. 5. Tickets are free, but registration is required.

The move to in-person art viewing at the Frick comes with restrictions, however, as occupancy will be capped at 6.25% to enable social distancing, timed tickets will be required for entry, and face masks will be required at all times on the Frick Pittsburgh grounds and in its buildings. Those who prefer to stay away from in-person events can still view and participate in Frick's Virtual Experiences offerings, including exhibits, artist talks, and more.

Westmoreland Museum of American Art

221 N. Main St., Greensburg. thewestmoreland.org

The Westmoreland Museum of American Art will reopen on Sun., Feb. 7 with the debut of Pattern Makers, an exhibition that tracks the “presence and meanings of patterns across a selection of over 60 works from The Westmoreland’s permanent collection,” according to a press release. It also focuses on “the visual effects of pattern and how artists have used patterns drawn from nature, created by the imaginative manipulation of geometry, or that reflect social, cultural and economic life.” Pattern Makers continues through May 9, and advance registration is required.

The exhibition resulted in Westmoreland Museum staff members collaborating with Alex Taylor, a professor in the Department of History of Art and Architecture at the University of Pittsburgh, to create Curatorial Practicum, a virtual, graduate-level course for students. The class, which took place throughout the Fall 2020 semester, offered students access to The Westmoreland’s permanent collection as a way to “discover new relationships between diverse works of different styles and periods,” and to develop a “practical understanding of exhibition development and interpretation for a public art museum.”
The students then submitted three exhibition proposals to museum staff, and Pattern Makers was selected.

“Inviting these students of art history from the University of Pittsburgh to really look at our collection with fresh sets of eyes has allowed us to explore new narratives,” says Westmoreland Museum chief curator Barbara Jones. “Additionally, I believe this exhibition will encourage our visitors to think more fully about the processes of exhibition-making, as well as the connections across the history of American art.”

Visitors can also enjoy a number of virtual programs related to Pattern Makers, including conversations with Jones and the students, as well as local quilters discussing how the Westmoreland's quilt collection fits with the theme of the exhibition.