What Are We
ArtUp's mission is to build a language of peace through the actions of art.
The strength of the organization lies in its gritty stamina, keen inventiveness, and agile ability to adapt to new spaces and situations. ArtUp works with open-minded collaborators, respected risk takers, and passionately believes in the exploratory process.
The organization avidly believes in exhibiting well established artists with less experienced ones; embracing mistakes as learning tools that lead to new discoveries. ArtUp is not afraid to push boundaries and strives to investigate new channels of artistic communication.
The goal is to develop an experimental hub of artistic communication based Pittsburgh, PA. By working together with different organization and artists, ArtUp aims to create a global platform that will cross over metaphorical, physical, emotional, and psychological borders—stimulating dialogue and discovery.
History
In the Beginning: Artists Upstairs (now known as ArtUp) was first conceived as a multidisciplinary cooperative gallery and performance space to serve as a community experimental lab and studio. The Sprout Fund Seed Award made this possible in the fall of 2005. In July of '06 ArtUp could not renew the 2nd floor, 5000 square foot lease at the 911 Penn Avenue location because of a renovation project. Since the move, ArtUp has tapped into the organization's major strength: our community of artists, activists, volunteers, organizers and friends in the Cultural District and beyond—who support artist-driven projects.
From 2006-10: Thanks to the generosity and support of Cultural Trust and the Three Rivers Arts Festival, ArtUp was based out of the bottom floor of 937 Liberty Ave and curated up into the 1st, 2nd and 3rd floor of 937, out and into the streets, including 927 Penn Ave, 709 Penn Ave, 820 Liberty Ave and Market Square. The sharing of space and support of our neighbors was essential to ArtUp's growth in these four years.
Virtual and Rooted, 2010-13: The ArtUp vision continues to be the creation of a cooperative space where people can experience a unique artistic environment that is both innovative and full of curiosities. With this vision in mind, ArtUp is moving towards a virtual formula that is rooted in the community via exhibition space and programming.
Artists Upstairs
PO BOX 22133
Pittsburgh, PA 15222
