Brew House Arts Exhibition Rental Program

About the Gallery at Brew House: 

Exhibitions are the widest reaching of Brew House Arts’ (BHA) programs serving approximately 3,500 individuals each year. Located in the former home of the Duquesne Brewing Company, BHA’s unique 2,700 sq. ft. post-industrial gallery is one of Pittsburgh’s largest visual art galleries boasting twenty-five-foot ceilings and a rugged interior that can accommodate the exhibition of large-scale visual art and multifaceted performances. With six to eight shows per year, the Brew House Gallery features a mix of exhibitions organized both in-house as well as welcoming proposals from the community. Admission to Brew House Gallery exhibitions is always free of charge.

Renting the Gallery: 

The Gallery at the Brew House supports collaboration with independent artists, local artist guilds, or other organizations or associations  that are seeking exhibition space. 

Gallery rentals are open to individual artists, artist collectives, collaboratives, and non-profit organizations. Strong candidates for an exhibition rental include parties with prior experience producing exhibitions, a clear exhibition concept, a strong alignment with BHA core organization values, and the time and resources available to follow through on all required commitments. Proposals should be feasible within the time frames and constraints described. Emerging artists or curators who may be in need of additional guidance and support on how to produce an exhibition, or may be looking to complete an exhibition for the first time should explore BHA residency programs (Distillery & Prospectus).

Rentals of the Brew House Gallery for exhibitions include the following supports provided by BHA (totaling $4,000 of in-kind support for a one-month exhibition period): 

• 2,700 sq. ft of gallery space including three movable walls ready for hanging artwork
• SORAA lighting system including 40 individual spot lights & custom lighting capabilities
• 99% UV Protective Blinds on West facing windows 
• Access to a selection of pre-fabricated pedestals and display materials 
• ADA compliant space & gender neutral accessible restroom
• Gallery coverage for 15 hours per week during exhibition run (Thursday, Friday, Saturday)
• 1 Opening Reception or Similar Event ( Thursdays, 5:30- 8:00 pm)
• Tracking of Gallery Attendance throughout exhibition 
• Up to four working days of gallery access for installation (9-5pm) 
• Up to three working days of gallery access for deinstallation (9-5pm) 
• Paint and patching materials for gallery wall repairs
• Promotional support including: 
  1. 1 feature of exhibition on BHA E-Newsletter 
  2. Social Media Feature on BHA Instagram 
  3. Exhibition & Opening Reception featured on BHA Website

Pricing & Fees: 

Rental Fees help BHA to offset costs associated with administering exhibition support and keeping the gallery space open & accessible to visitors during your rental period. 

*BHA can make recommendations upon request for independent contractors available for hire for additional support for installation support, photography, catering and other needs. All additional contractors should be organized and paid for independently by the renter. 

BHA encourages all renters to reference the VACE Pay Statement for additional guidelines on equitable pay structures for arts workers. 

Responsibilities of the Renter:

• Rental Fee 
• Installation of artwork
• Deinstallation of artwork and return of gallery to original state
• Catering of Opening Reception including a designated bartender
• All printed materials including promotional materials, labels, and wall text for the exhibit 
• List of exhibited works including all artwork titles, artist, medium, dimensions and price 
• Agreement to & Completion of Exhibition Rental Agreement 
• Agreement to adhere to BHA Community Guidelines 

To Apply: 

Brew House Arts is currently not accepting applications for gallery rentals.

Assessment & Selection: 

Exhibition proposals must be completed by the deadline (5:00pm, December 15, 2023) and submitted via email to nsweet@brewhousearts.org with subject line “2024 Exhibition Proposal: NAME.” Late submissions will not be considered. 

Proposal should consist of the following information and should be compiled into a single PDF document not to exceed 5 pages in length total. 

• A Cover Letter of Intent that includes your name, contact information (Email & Phone number), proposed exhibition title, dates for which you are applying for exhibition, and a statement that confirms your adherence to BHA’s Community Guidelines if selected for participation. 
• Exhibition proposal stating the concept, prospective artists, and other notable information about the exhibition. Include reference links when possible. Strong exhibition proposals will be clearly defined and will be feasible to accomplish on the proposed timeline. 
• Biographies of key individuals including applicants and any noted artists, curators, or other important collaborators.
• Reference images of proposed artwork.
• A statement on consideration of BHA Core values (connection, representation, mentorship, livability, practice) and how one or more values are considered through your exhibition proposals. BHA Values can be found on our About page. 

Applications are open to individual artists, curators, guilds, or other collaborative groups. For collaborative proposals, please select one primary point of contact to submit an application. 

*If you are only applying for one slot, please note in the application otherwise applications will be considered for either exhibition period.

Review Criteria: 

Exhibition proposals will be reviewed by a rotating jury of local artists, art administrators, curators and other experts in the field who will review proposals based on the following criteria: 

Exhibitions proposals should provide opportunities to nurture the artistic, business, and collaborative growth of professional artists. Exhibitions will be assessed for alignment with BHA’s core values amd through the following objectives: 

• Presenting new, current, and original artwork that demonstrates artistic merit.* 
• Exhibiting regional & emerging artists alongside national & international artists. 
• Honoring flexible and adaptive ways of working, experimentation, and creative risk-taking.
• Increasing social awareness through representation of justice oriented and non-mainstream perspectives.
• Providing opportunities for the creation & presentation of new and original artwork.

*BHA assess artistic merit through the following:

•  Artist demonstrates strong technical skills and craft in the execution of their work.
• Self-awareness of the artist is communicated in their response to application questions.
• Work reveals something about the world, communicating unique perspectives, inviting the viewer to question, discover, explore new ideas—the storytelling is compelling. 
 
• Opportunity represents an artistic challenge or stretch, there is risk involved 
 
• Exploration feels relevant and deeply considered. 
 
• Artist has an authentic relationship/connection to the content and community involved in their work. 
• Artist shows a current commitment to working in this form. 
 
• Combination of aesthetics, technical skill, and delivery is engaging emotionally, intellectually, or spiritually. 

Note – the following materials are restricted from entry: live or dead plant materials, organic materials such as food products that will decompose during the exhibition, any material that shows evidence of insect infestation or mold growth, and toxic or hazardous material.

FAQs:

How many artworks can the gallery accommodate?
Due to ranging scale of artworks it is hard to give an exact number of works. However most exhibitions include between 20-40 works of art at various scales including wall work and 3D pieces on the floor or pedestals.

Do you have a floor plan?
Yes! Download here.

Does BHA have pedestals I can use?
BHA does provide access to our pre-fabricated pedestals for exhibition available in a range of sizes.

Will BHA provide hanging devices?
Renters should plan to bring all works ready to hang including all hanging hardware. For installations or artworks that require time-intensive set up please contact BHA staff directly to consult.

I’m not based in Pittsburgh, can I still apply?
The exhibition call is open to US based applicants including those outside the Pittsburgh area. Renters must be able to uphold all Responsibilities of the Renter as listed above and will be responsible to cover their own housing accommodations and all shipping/ handling expenses of artwork to and from the gallery.

For any other questions about the application, please contact info@brewhousearts.org