Artsmiths of Pittsburgh owner wants to see Carnegie become ‘destination for the arts’
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No matter what you’re looking for — from beaded jewelry to Butterbeer candles to totes made from recycled grocery bags topped with a seat belt as a handle — The Artsmiths of Pittsburgh has it all.
The art and cultural center, with its quality selection of handmade designs crafted by as many as 300 Pittsburgh area artists, opened in its new location on East Main Street in Carnegie in January.
The center, which previously operated in Mt. Lebanon for more than 14 years, includes a shop, gallery and classroom space meant to connect people with art in new ways.
“If you make it, especially if you’re from Pittsburgh, and I can find a way to put you in here, I will,” said executive director Kate McGrady.
“I’m trying to showcase that Pittsburgh artists are doing amazing things. They are in every genre, in every medium, and they’re very talented,” she said. “I would very definitively say that we are the largest representation of local artists in the state of Pennsylvania.”
McGrady, who founded The Artsmiths, is “very passionate” about art. She likes connecting people to it.
A CPA by trade with a background in finance, McGrady found herself trying to figure out what was next in her life after her third child made it to first grade.
“I said, ‘I’d like to do something that’s my thing and something very unique,’” she said. “I wanted to connect … and I felt it right from the very beginning.”
She wanted to give artists an avenue to get their products to market.
McGrady opened Cool Cat Designs nearly 15 years ago on Washington Road in Mt. Lebanon.
She started by featuring 20 artists’ handmade jewelry.
It grew from there.
Artists started coming to her wanting to be a part of this. It eventually outgrew its space.
McGrady partnered with the owners of Rollier’s Hardware and moved the center to a building they owned on McFarland Road. They renovated the space and for the first two years, what now is The Artsmiths, even featured a cafe.
There was a gallery and classrooms in the 10,000-square-foot space.
In 2016, the center started offering classes.
“As soon as we started doing it, the reaction was amazing,” McGrady said.
The Artsmiths serve more than 1,000 people a year with its programming.
However, the classrooms were downstairs, and it was hard to connect people entering the space with the classes.
McGrady also noticed that the majority of traffic came from the suburbs. She wanted to see outreach extended towards the city, as well, and offer classes to people who can’t afford them.
“I decided that education is a nonprofit activity,” she said. “If you really want to have a meaningful impact, then you’re not doing it for profit.”
At the same time as McGrady made this decision, Rollier’s was changing hands between family members and the building The Artismiths operated in was being sold.
McGrady loves Carnegie with its character and diversity.
McGrady learned of the open space that formerly served as a furniture consignment shop.
She began renting the space in October. The Artsmiths became a nonprofit in November and ran a pop-up shop at the location in December.
The Mt. Lebanon location closed Dec. 31 and The Artsmiths officially opened in Carnegie on Jan. 15.
Many of the artists featured participate in the Three Rivers Arts Festival and are names people around Pittsburgh will recognize.
The price points range from $3 for stickers to about $500. There are items that cost more, though.
The room that McGrady is most excited about is the classroom space.
While they already offer classes ranging from mosaics to embroidery, McGrady hopes to see all of that expand.
“Our goal is to teach classes that teach skills that open up someone’s mind to an art form,” she said.
As a nonprofit, she’s going to work to find funding to offer scholarships to those who can’t afford the classes.
Carol Huchel, 69, of Collier and her husband, Bob, were walking along East Main Street when they noticed The Artsmiths.
“This is my kind of stuff,” said Carol, who custom ordered a ring made by one of the artists.
“I like all of this stuff. Everything,” she said. “I like the style of the stuff.”
Customers come from walk-ins to those that received a gift from The Artsmiths and want to check it out.
McGrady is excited about the move to Carnegie.
“I want to see Carnegie really be a destination for the arts,” she said.
For details about The Artsmiths of Pittsburgh, go to artsmithspgh.org/.