Pittsburgh's Arts Scene
Pittsburgh’s arts community has been an integral part of the city for years, with the legacy of former visionaries such as Andrew Carnegie and the Heinz family who invested in arts and culture, not to mention the legacies of artists like Andy Warhol and August Wilson.
As the city’s supporter and promoter for the arts, the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council keeps a pulse on the arts and culture community by way of advocacy, grant-making, professional development and research. Our city has more than 500 arts organizations of varying disciplines – museums and galleries, performing arts and theaters, music groups and venues, cultural institutions and much more.
Spending by Allegheny County's nonprofit arts and culture organizations and their audiences totaled $1.3 billion. In fact, according to the latest study, Arts and Economic Prosperity 6, in 2022 Allegheny County arts and cultural assets drive greater economic activity than the median in the comparative set.
While it’s clear that Pittsburgh is at no loss for major art institutions, it’s the independent artists that make these institutions and our neighborhoods shine. From writers to vibrant performing artists to visual and street artists who aren’t afraid to pair their practice to support social causes, Pittsburgh offers an incredible creative experience for those looking.
We invite you to explore the careers and work of some of Pittsburgh’s best emerging artists who continue to make their mark on the city and industry.
For more artist features, arts advocacy updates and more Pittsburgh arts content, follow the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council on Instagram at @pghartscouncil.
Meet an Artist
Brian Broome
Poet and screenwriter
Brian Broome, a poet and screenwriter, is K. Leroy Irvis Fellow and instructor in the Writing Program at the University of Pittsburgh, where he is pursuing an MFA. He has been a finalist in The Moth storytelling competition and won the grand prize in Carnegie Mellon University's Martin Luther King Writing Awards. He also won a VANN Award from the Pittsburgh Black Media Federation for journalism in 2019. His debut memoir Punch Me Up to the Gods: A Memoir, is available through Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and at brianbroome.com.
Brittney Chantele
Musician, visual artist, and activist
Not afraid to go deep, and not afraid to do the work, pop/hip-hop artist, visual artist, speaker and activist, Brittney Chantele uses a combination of art and action to inspire people to create positive change. Brittney's visual art reflects her personal experiences in the military and her growth from self-hate to self-love.
Monteze Freeland
Actor, director, and producer
I am just a boy from Baltimore who dared to dream in the face of oppression, adversity and a world that didn’t seem to understand me or my dreams. But, I persisted and believed in my artistic contributions in the areas of acting, writing, directing, producing and teaching with the tremendous support of my family and friends. Telling stories is my first (and possibly only) love. When I act, my goal is to entertain as I grow deeper within my craft. When I write, I listen to the voices of my ancestors and contemporaries who didn’t get a chance to tell their stories. When I direct, I get to create a playground for actors who I trust and believe in. When I produce, I am blessed with the position of fulfilling the artistic dreams and vision of the production team. And when I teach, I ultimately learn what it means to listen and extend grace. My life is not my art, but my art is a direct result of the life I have been blessed to live.
D.S. Kinsel
Visual artist and activist
D.S. Kinsel is an award-winning creative entrepreneur and cultural agitator. He expresses his creativity through the mediums of painting, installation, curating, action-painting, non-traditional performance and #HASHTAGS. Kinsel’s work puts focus on themes of space keeping, urban tradition, hip-hop, informalism and Cultural Re-Appropriation. D.S. is the co-founder of BOOM Concepts located in Pittsburgh, founded in 2014 and funded by The Heinz Endowments and The Pittsburgh Foundation. BOOM Concepts is a creative hub dedicated to the advancement of black and brown artists representing marginalized communities. BOOM serves as a space for field building, knowledge sharing, mentorship, and storytelling and consistently challenges artists and communities to find new and innovative ways to write their own narratives. D.S is a former AmeriCorps Public Ally member and serves on the advisory board for the Transformative Arts Process.
Mia Tarducci
Visual artist
Mia Tarducci was raised in Newport, RI and currently lives in Pittsburgh, PA. Studying Art History at the University of Siena, Italy and an art concentration at Georgetown University, Mia is known for working on a massive scale utilizing a color-driven abstract expressionist style, minimalist abstractions, and concept-driven works. Her work has been selected by jurors from the MoMA, Guggenheim, Brooklyn Museum, MoCA Cleveland, Carnegie Museum of Art, Andy Warhol Museums and Mattress Factory for exhibitions, which include both museum and gallery settings in Pittsburgh, London, Dallas, Miami, Palm Beach, Mexico City and New York City.
Cue “C.B.” Perry
Visual artist
A 2020 Pittsburgh Magazine nominee for best artist in the city, Cue Perry, also known as C.B.Perry, takes an unconventional view of social, political and cultural topics through his art. Perry deconstructs pop culture that visually represents the randomness present in daily life and promotes thinking outside of the box. He attended the University of Pittsburgh and majored in graphic design. But after his first year, Cue was uncertain about pursuing a career in the arts, so he decided to change his major and pursue other ventures. As he turned 30, Cue decided to pursue art once again, and in 2018 decided to devote himself to being a full-time artist. Perry has sold nearly 2,000 original paintings world-wide and has been nominated by Pittsburgh City Paper for best local visual artist four years in a row. His artwork has been seen and displayed all over the city, including the Mayor’s Office and the Pittsburgh International Airport.
Jessica Gaynelle Moss
Visual artist
Jessica Gaynelle Moss is an artist, independent curator and arts worker. She has an extensive background in production and fabrication, nonprofit leadership and the advancement of equitable development. Moss reimagines new frameworks and strategizes ways to build, maintain and sustain Black autonomous spaces devoted to the survival, resistance and healing of Black people. Her artwork is in the collections of The Institute of Contemporary Art Baltimore, The Joan Flasch Artists’ Book Collection and The University of North Carolina Charlotte. She is the recipient of grants from The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation (2017), United Way of Central Carolinas (2017), Foundation For The Carolinas (2019, 2020), The Arts & Science Council (2018, 2019, 2020), The Heinz Endowment (2020) and The Office of Public Art (2021). Jessica received a bachelors in Fine Art from Carnegie Mellon University; a masters in Arts Administration, Policy and Management from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago; and a masters in Studies of the Law from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law.
Seth Clark
Visual artist
Seth Clark is a painter and sculptor originally from Massachusetts, but has resided in Pittsburgh for over ten years. He was named Pittsburgh’s 2015 Emerging Artist of the Year by the Pittsburgh Center for Arts and has exhibited locally with the Pittsburgh Glass Center, Contemporary Craft, and the Westmoreland and Carnegie Museums. His work themed around architectural decay is shown in multiple galleries and fairs around the country.