Lawrenceville's Vestige Concept Gallery's next art exhibition, entitled "Sunworn Waller" is debuting this weekend.
Starting on June 10 at 6 p.m., passersby can stop in and see the works of Pittsburgh native Joseph Noderer, which follow a theme of "hallicuino-hazey feelings that are interpretations of the experiences with people and places encountered in Western Pennsylvania," in the words of Vestige's owner and founder, Alexander Sands.
Folk expressive oil paintings created with warm pallets, geared towards a slow, mellow, lazy summer trip will be for sale, although seeing the work and visiting Vestige for all exhibtions is completely free.
Sands and his wife Kelsey opened Vestige Concept Gallery in January 2021, amidst a wave of the pandemic, which the gallery remained open for in-person walk throughs. Later, for those who didn't want to come visit in-person, the two created virtual 360-degree gallery shows published online, where audiences could 'walk through' the gallery virtually and select pieces they wanted to see for a 2D rendition of the work and a short excerpt explaining the piece and its price range.
These virtual tours are still available, but Sands encourages the community to stop in and experience Vestige in real life, and to not be discouraged thinking they couldn't afford a piece showcased in the gallery.
"People get the idea that art has to be extremely expensive to enjoy. Most people don't wake up and think they'll buy a painting that day," Sands said. "We try to put it out there that this work is in the realm of affordability. We do mixed shows a lot so there's something for everyone, and if we don't have a piece of art, we can find it for you."
The opening of Sunworn Waller marks the ending of another exhibition, the third annual 'New Appalachia' gallery, which showcased the works of young and up and coming artists of the region. Vestige has multiple exhibitions a year, each with a different theme and feeling the work is centered around, plus annual exhibitions, like "Primal Disposition", which comes to Vestige each fall and features edgier, darker works that mesh with the feelings of the season.
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Vestige Concept Gallery works with various artists; artists of different levels, different points in their careers, different mediums, and from different cities. However, working with local Pittsburgh artists brings a certain value to Sands and Vestige.
"There is a really strong artist scene here in Pittsburgh," Sands said. "Alienating locals is not the best. Local artists bring more people and more eyes to the exhibitions, like family, friends, and locals."
Besides showcasing others' work, Sands himself is an artist, and sells his own pieces at Vestige. He creates pop-art of classic rock "legendary heroes" he heard on the radio growing up, creating custom album art, logos, and more of musical artists like Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Jimi Hendrix, Queen, and more. Plus, he hand-makes jewelry boxes, continuing his childhood hobby and selling all of his work for affordable prices.
Stop by Vestige Concept Gallery located at 5417 Butler Street to see Noderer's work until July 9, when another exhibition with a different theme will come to the Gallery.
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