A motivated initiative to connect with the local Pittsburgh art crowd within a setting one would never consider to be an asset: our driveway. Framed as a yard sale for artists, this small, grassroots gallery aimed to contribute to the vital role galleries play in fostering community and amplifying the voices of artists. We created this space to provide a platform for emerging artists to showcase their work outside traditional gallery structures.
This gathering encourages dialogue, collaboration, and cultural exchange within the community in an effort of making art more accessible and inclusive. By drawing attention to underrepresented art forms, we created a sense of belonging and identity for small artists like ourselves. In this space, everyone is considered a titan of their craft.
How it started
My husband and I are constantly giving the other credit for the birth of this idea; a testament to the efforts in collaboration that it took to make this a reality. It is no secret that working in Corporate America will drain you of any creative juices; the lack thereof will leave you feeling unmotivated, lost, and uninspired. Despite my career as a graphic designer, both him and I felt this overwhelming lack of artistic enterprise in our daily life — thus was the catalyst to this endeavor.
We had played with the idea of submitting an art piece to a gallery, but the Pittsburgh art scene, though thriving in the underground, maintains an elitist approach on the surface. This makes it difficult to incorporate oneself amongst the snobs, and the underground scene felt sparse in the opportunities to participate.
One day, as we were walking about, minding our business, reminiscing on childhood memories, we started talking about petting zoos. We cannot remember who said what to who to lead who to what idea, but it is in this conversation that it was uttered, “What if we had an art gallery with a petting zoo?”
And so it began. A back and forth of inspiration, a gallery, a gallery with a petting zoo, a gallery with a petting zoo of goats, a gallery of goats, a goats gallery. The Goats Gallery. But where? Our driveway. But when? On a weekend. But how? We’ll figure it out. It felt so easy, so simple, so within our reach. Why weren’t others doing this? Let’s show them it is doable.
We gathered our resources: our network of artist friends, social media, and our savvy in cutting financial corners. One logo, an arsenal of printmaking supplies gathered over the years, a good friend from the print department at my place of work, OSB board, and nails. Lots and lots of nails.
We made our announcements, we created incentives, “We are putting on a gallery in our driveway. It is open to the public, and everything is free. Come enjoy free food, free drinks, free merch.” And we did just that. August cooked for masses, built the gallery wall, and concocted libations. I designed, advertised, and incentivized the public to join us.
The Goats Gallery 2024: The pilot
The months of preparation were riddled with outreach, networking, and meeting new acquaintances. There was a surprising amount of interest in our little idea, and we were overwhelmed by the amount of support we received not only from friends and family, but the overarching community!
With a total of 16 formal submissions, 5 informal, and many last minute additions, we found a spot for everyone and hung the extras on the side of our house; improvisation was our greatest ally. It has to be said, we have yet to procure a petting zoo of goats; this is a work in progress.
With a turnout of approximately 40 people — some familiar to us and some total strangers — we celebrated this crowning achievement and could barely contain ourselves as we planned for the next one into the wee hours of the night.
Artist of the month
We had found ourselves dealing with the daily demands of life in between galleries, which dominated our attention, leaving the gallery to fade to the back of our minds. A lovely memory, yes, but it felt as though there was nothing more we could do but put on another. Somehow, that didn’t feel like enough. How long would it be before this dream of a collective became just another mark on the calendar? This prompted a simple and obvious idea: Goats Artist of the Month.
With so many talented artists participating in last year’s Goats Gallery, it only felt right to reminisce on this relationship we built by putting them in the spotlight! You can find the full series here on our instagram page. One quick questionnaire was all that was needed. Visually playing with the artists’ answers, nesting their words within their artwork, and showcasing it to our followers has been an absolute honor — we’re over the moon with the response it has been receiving!
One idea leads to the next, which leads to the next, which leads to the next, and so on and so forth.
What we thought would be a year’s worth of work has spiraled into what we hope to be a lifetime. We encourage viewers and wanderers to stay in the loop with us, we think you’re going to like where this is going.
Margaux Furter Design 