How-To – Be an Artist in Pittsburgh

 

 

        Congratulations!  You have decided to stop complaining about Pittsburgh’s lack of artistic opportunity and actually do something about it.  This quick and easy how-to guide will assist you on your artistic pursuit, replete with visuals and a quick five step guide that will parallel the creation of ModernFormations by Jen Quinio and Devin Russian, so that you, too, can have your hand in transforming the artistic landscape of this city instead of just talking about moving away some day.  You can do it!  You’ve already completed the first step by picking up this manual, so let’s continue!

 

Step I: Grow your idea, but be prepared for change.

 

        Beginning any kind of artistic pursuit is always a challenge.  The best way to begin undertaking a project is to formulate an idea of what you want to do, and then adapt to the changes in the initial concept as they present themselves.  When Jen and Devin first began conceiving the idea of an arts venue, it was very different from the ModernFormations we know today. 

"The running joke at the time was that we were going to buy a Winnebago and just travel city to city, collecting and exchanging art, and just do that."   The Winnebago, Jen thought, would be cheaper than owning her own gallery, something she had always dreamt of doing.  It remained a running joke until the day Tom Sokolowski, director of the Warhol, heard about their idea and told them to check out the Penn Avenue Arts Initiative, who would eventually provide the two with a list of available properties.

 

Step II:  Start turning your ideas into tangible objects.

 

        One of the most difficult challenges an artist faces is how to turn the ideas in their head into actual, physical things.  This is, in essence, the determining point that dictates who continues on with their project, and who becomes frustrated and quits.  The best way to confront this problem is to begin creating your project and to adapt to the challenges it presents.   After using Tom’s advice to check out the Penn Avenue district, Jen and Devin found the space that ModernFormations currently inhabits.  Transforming this new space into their idea of how they wanted their gallery to look proved to be the next obstacle.  Not knowing anything about running a small gallery, Jen and Devin took to foot throughout the East End, checking out galleries in Shadyside and Squirrel Hill.  They found what Jen describes as "White walls, very stale, unwelcoming, very expensive.  As soon as we walked in the door, they knew immediately that we didn't have any money.  We were not welcomed."  From those experiences spawned the ideas that would eventually come to fruition in ModernFormations.  White walls?   How about purple.  Stale?  We'll have live music.  Unwelcoming?  Couches.

 

Step III:  Look to friends and family for a supportive audience.

 

        Once you have started turning your ideas into the initial stages of work, you are going to need support and advice from the people you care about most.   Who better to show your work to than your friends and family, the people that know you the best and will provide sound and positive feedback?  Once Jen and Devin had their space on Penn Avenue, they only needed two more things:  a name for their project and some art to hang on the walls.  Once again, they got a little help from their friends.

Coming to a consensus that the name should be based around the word 'mofo,' a common pseudonym Jen used to call her fellow gallery attendants, she and Devin hung a list of five possible names in the lockers of the attendants which they could vote on.  'Modern Formations' won the vote, but the pair liked the way the words looked together, with both the 'M' and 'F' capitalized.  These same voters provided ModernFormations with the first couple of shows.  "The gallery attendants we worked with were all really good artists who were working very hard and were trying to get shows in galleries.”  Jen says.  “So we thought, 'we already have a handful of artists, we can have a show right here and offer them their first exhibit.'  These artists deserve a chance to be seen.  Their opportunities aren’t out there right now, so we'll give them a chance." 

This opportunity is always extended to artists and students in the Pittsburgh region.  Jen wants to see young, artistic people stick around and give Pittsburgh a shot, just as she and Devin did six years ago.  ModernFormations, for many young people, is the forum for seeing and exhibiting work, be it painting, film, poetry, dance, plays or belly dancing, all of which have been featured by the gallery.

 

Step IV:  Take challenges in stride, evolve with the times.

 

        Over the course of your artistic pursuit, many challenges and changes will occur.  It is best not to keep your head down and drive forward with your initial concept, but rather to keep your eyes wide and adapt with the challenges life presents.  After six successful years of operating ModernFormations, Jen has seen many differences in the Pittsburgh landscape, as well as her professional career.   Admittedly she sometimes doubts if ModernFormations will be around six more years down the road, but she will do all that she can to keep the space evolving and relevant to the arts scene in Pittsburgh, more specifically to Garfield.  "I'm afraid that we might have hit a plateau, or that it was just a fad.  The future is so uncertain in my mind.  But there are a lot of people doing a lot of work to keep the area the way it is, with the original goals in mind: being a community, and artist’s initiative, a gallery district." Although Jen and Devin have parted ways, Jen is still excited about what she is doing after all of these years.  ModernFormations continues to be one of the premier venues for emerging artists and musicians in Pittsburgh, and is a favorite for touring musicians.

 

Step V:  Use the knowledge you attained from your artistic journey to help

others with their projects.

 

        Over the course of your artistic fruition, you will gain invaluable knowledge and wisdom simply by completing the steps it takes to follow through with an artistic creation.  DO NOT let this information simply sit in your mind!  Use it to help others complete their pursuits.  Use it as a didactic tool when talking with others about art.  Use it anyway you can!  What excites Jen the most is the opportunity ModernFormations gives her try and change the way people relate to art.  "I want people to understand that it's ok if you don't understand it.  I don't understand it myself a lot of the time, and that's what we're going to get through together.  That's why there are couches in here, that's why the walls are purple.  We want you to feel comfortable, at home.  People can come and just sit and stay and not think that we are going to run them out because they don't have any money.  We don't care if you don't have any money, but you can stay and look at it, you can question it.  But if it gives you some reaction that's good.  You don't have to like it, and I want them to know that they don't have to like it and that's what's great

about it.  So we are just going to try and change some people's minds about art."

 

 

 

 

ModernFormations is located at 4919 Penn Avenue in Garfield, and is open Thursdays from 6-9pm, Saturdays 1-4pm or by appointment.  Check them out at www.modernformations.com