Sean Derry
Sean Derry’s work includes installations and participatory projects. Through his installations, Sean seeks to affirm the importance of resilience at a moment of increasing cultural conflict and ongoing environmental damage. He has exhibited his work in solo exhibitions at the Arlington Arts Center, Gallery 709, Das Klohäuschen, Goggleworks Center for the Arts, The Sculpture Center, and the International Gallery of Contemporary Art among other venues. Sean’s participatory public projects explore the lived experience of a place and investigate alternative strategies for inhabiting these environments. Sean is the co-founder of Alloy Pittsburgh, a recurring, site-based temporary exhibition at the Carrie Furnaces National Historic Landmark; and Local X Change, a non-profit organization that prioritizes collaboration and civic engagement as a tactic to build agency and strengthen communities. Sean has developed projects for the Office of Public Art, Rivers of Steel Heritage Area, Trust for Public Land, Art in Action, and Remake Learning. He has completed public commissions for the University of Alaska, the City of Indianapolis, and Indianapolis Cultural Trail. Derry’s practice is supported by funding from regional as well as federal agencies and foundations. Sean Derry currently lives in Western Pennsylvania and is the area head of sculpture at Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
Ruthann Farinacci
Ruthann Farinacci is a graduate of Edinboro University with a degree in Art Education. She has taught for several years in Texas and Pennsylvania and is a member of the North Hills Art Center, the Butler Spinners and Weavers Guild, and the Three Rivers Fiber Focus Group. She is presently a board member, teaching weaving classes at the North Hills Art Center and at Old Economy with the Three Rivers Fiber Focus Group. She has exhibited and won several awards in and around the Pittsburgh area, developing and specializing in Landscape Weavings.
Barbara Westman
Ms. Barbara Westman moved to the US from Poland in 2002. She completed her education in her home country, dual BFA and dual MFA in Printmaking and Fiber Art. She spent a few years living in London, UK. Ms. Westman is a Professor of Fiber Art and Printmaking at Slippery Rock University. She engages students in creative activities stressing openness to the world beyond the studio walls: active participation in exhibitions, community projects, conferences and educational travel. In her studios she teaches students interdisciplinary approach to artmaking and looking into science, one’s personal experiences and knowledge gained in other studios. Barbara Westman’s artworks reflect interest in natural and man-made world where the richness of textures, structures and forms in our environment are her constant inspiration. Over the past years she has participated in many juried national and international shows, group shows, solo shows and presented at national and international conferences. She also was a juror for regional, national and international art exhibitions.
www.barbarawestman.com