Pittsburgh artist, Millie’s Ice Cream create frozen treat for Black History Month

Joanne Klimovich Harrop | Sunday, February 14, 2021 8:45 a.m.

Courtesy of Cue Perry

Artist Cue Perry of the North Side collaborated with Millie’s Homemade Ice Cream to create Blackout Brownie

The middle of winter isn’t when people generally think of buying frozen desserts.

Pittsburgh artist Cue Perry has whipped up a reason to embrace the cold.

Perry collaborated with Millie’s Homemade Ice Cream to create “Blackout Brownie,” a gelato, for Black History Month. Proceeds from the sale of pints of the tasty dessert benefit 1Hood Media, a collective of artists and activists who fight for social justice.

“Everyone loves ice cream,” Perry said. “And this is a good way to send a positive message for a good cause. I believe if you put out good energy, good energy will come back to you.”

The limited edition “social justice pint-for-a-cause” is dairy-free, vegan and gluten- free. It is described as “a melt-in-your-mouth dark chocolate experience, chock-full of gluten-free brownies” made by Wild Rise Bakery, a Black-owned bakery in Wilkinsburg.

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It can be purchased at Giant Eagle Market Districts in South Hills Village, Robinson, Waterworks, Pine and Shadyside as well as stores in Monroeville, Donaldson’s Crossroads in McMurray, East Hills and Shaler. More stores are coming on board next week.

It is also will be available at Millie’s brick-and-mortar locations in Shadyside, Lawrenceville, Market Square and on the Pitt campus in Oakland.

The first batch sold out quickly but will be replenished, said Lauren Townsend, who co-owns Millie’s with her husband, Chad. A pint is $7.99.

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Lauren Townsend said they ordered 10,000 pint containers and are open to making more if the demand continues.

“You will not sacrifice taste with this ice cream,” Lauren Townsend said. “We have known Cue for some time and are big fans of his. He is immensely talented, and when there were protests and the Black Lives Matter movement had a resurgence, he wanted to do something to help.”

A full-time artist, Perry, 35, said he has loved art his entire life. He has no formal training. One of his inspirations is Pittsburgh artist Baron Batch. Perry mostly paints with acrylics.

He met the owners of Millie’s when he did a painting for them. They talked about hosting an art show at their Lawrenceville location. The pandemic put that show on hold.

“There was so much racial tension and a lot of protests going on that I wanted to do something,” Perry said. “We originally talked about, at the art show, donating the proceeds to 1Hood because it is a local nonprofit that fights for social justice. But, then covid-19 hit.”

He came up with the combination when he was doing a tasting and happened to grab a piece of a brownie. It was the perfect pairing ingredient, he said.

“A lot of African Americans are lactose intolerant and as we age, our stomachs become more sensitive to certain foods,” the North Side native said.

Perry had an assistant for the package design: his 4-year-old niece, Kamryn. They experimented with spray paint in the back yard.

“She really liked the pink ice cream cone,” Perry said. “I added a few details. But she was my inspiration. She loves to paint.”