The Artists
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Stevo Sadvary has “A passion for art and pleasing clients.” That’s what makes Stevo so Stevo-licious. Whether dreaming up whimsical weavings or piecing together magnificent mosaics, Stevo is the rare artist who manages to be both highly creative and very accessible. Like the artist himself, Stevo’s work is fun, yet stylish. Creative, yet professional. His joy in creating distinctive pieces is always balanced by his sensitivity to clients. These qualities, bring Stevo closer to his self-confessed goal: “Making the world a happier place.”
Robert Isenberg has written about the Pittsburgh arts scene since 1999. An avid photographer, his work has appeared in City Paper, The San Diego Reader, and numerous other publications. He maintains a photo-blog of his journeys.
Lori Hepner received her MFA in Digital Media from the Rhode Island School of Design in 2005 and her BFA in Fine Art Photography from Rochester Institute of Technology in 2003. She has exhibited her work in solo exhibitions at Duke University and at the Melwood Gallery at Pittsburgh Filmmakers. She has also shown work at the Houston Center for Photography, Houston, TX; Silver Eye Center for Photography, Pittsburgh, PA; Museum of Art of Calda, Manizales, Colombia; the Krannert Art Museum at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL; the Haggerty Gallery at the University of Dallas, Irving, TX; the Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh, PA, and at Descubrimientos PHE 2010, PHotoEspaña 2010, Madrid, Spain, among others. In 2009, Hepner was commissioned to create new work from the Status Symbols series for the Brooklyn Museum’s @1stfans Twitter Art, where she was featured for the month of December. She currently teaches at the Greater Allegheny campus of Penn State University as Assistant Professor of Integrative Arts and lives in Pittsburgh, PA.
Rachel Enright is a Pittsburgh artist and a Art Dimensions member who resides in Mt Lebanon. Rachel has always had a passion for creating art. “I just love the idea of putting my imagination to use and creating one of a kind pieces of art, its an exciting feeling.” Some of her work has been shown in Mt Lebanon art galleries as well as art galleries and museums in Erie, Pennsylvania. Rachel studied fine arts at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, where she had an opportunity to work in many mediums although using paint to create her works of art has become her focus. She hopes that her art will be enjoyable to others and that they will always keep art in their hearts.
Melissa Ott is a freelance graphic designer and illustrator by day, painter by night. Her career as a creative initially started as a toddler when she exclaimed, “I want to be a singing dancing chef!” Her passion for the arts never faded, though they did morph into an actual trade. A 2009 graduate of the Art Institute of Pittsburgh with a Bachelors Degree in Graphic Design, Melissa now resides in Mt. Lebanon where she works on design-based projects for clients like Fluhme and the Green Building Alliance. She uses painting as a purely creative outlet where she only has one client to please: herself. Her paintings incorporate bold colors, fun patterns and a unique use of gravity and ink. Of her work she says, “I have fun doing what I do for a living, and I hope those around me are able to pick up on it and have a little fun themselves.”
Rob de la Cretaz is a Lawrenceville resident, full time polymath, thinker of thoughts, creator of words, and maker of things to look at and use. When asked why he takes pictures of things, the multi-talented de la Cretaz replies, “As much as I can say that photography is a representation of reality while other mediums, such as painting, tend to be an interpretation, I feel that how true that statement is, is left up to the eye of the beholder. There is a lot of under-appreciated bits of reality all around us and I try to bring that to the surface as much as possible. Everything around us, manmade or not was created out of some sort of intention and in that intention is where I find my muse.”
Kahmeela Adams is a driving force in the local cultural community. At age 4, Kahmeela’s mother, DeAnna Adams, put a camera in her lil hands and a love of photography began. In 1985, DeAnna formed ADD Love Productions and The Positive Force Performers. This family business taught Kahmeela and her sister, Kahleela, the ins and outs of stage and event production and performance. After studying Broadcast Communications and Photography at The University of Toledo for two years, Kahmeela decided to move on to The Art Institute of Pittsburgh for Video Production. At AIP, Kahmeela fell in love with the art of video/film editing and still holds on to the dream of wanting to make movie trailers. Since graduating in 2000, Kahmeela has developed RuggedAngel Productions as a video, photography, and event planning service. Kahmeela is an owner of ArtDimensions Pittsburgh and also serves as Pittsburgh Producer for The 48 Hour Film Challenge.
Andrea Shockling is a scenic designer, illustrator, educator and arts manager. She’s also occasionally a printmaker and painter, although far less often than she’d like. Locally, she’s designed scenery for Pittsburgh Public Theater, Pittsburgh CLO and the Jewish Theatre of Pittsburgh. Her illustration work has appeared in school textbooks and on numerous posters, and she is currently at work on a graphic novel. Andrea is the Education Programs Manager for Pittsburgh CLO. She is a member of the Leadership Academy Advisory Board for the Arts Education Collaborative and a consultant for Growing Theater, a performing arts mentorship program with Carnegie Mellon University. She lives with her partner Daniel and their son Avi in Highland Park, and looks forward to spending more time in the printmaking studio this summer.
Casey Tustin is a product designer at a Pittsburgh design firm, having spent nearly 4 years in the company – first as a Prototype Builder, then as a Client Designer before reaching her current position as Corporate Designer in the growing company. In this role, Casey looks after many aspects of her design projects, from conceptualization to the final packaged prototype sample. She is responsible for brainstorming an idea and then laying out the design plans that will be carried through by a team of specialized artists. She works closely with them to ensure creative results. She also attends meetings with corporate clients to discuss progress and offers evaluations of factory production samples. A big believer in teamwork, Casey supports her team and stresses the importance of good communication. She has been recognized in her company with several performance awards and lends her skills wherever needed. Casey is a qualified product designer who holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Design from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh ‘07. Casey is a health conscious individual who enjoys growing plants and cooking Mediterranean cuisine in her South Hills apartment. She is athletic, never missing a game of competitive volleyball for the Monroeville Sports Center women’s league. She also enjoys participating in community clean up and local food bank projects.
Hatched from a fire-and-ice comet hailing from the Orion Nebula, Rachel Arnold Sager crashed into the South Pole in May of 1981. Raised by wild penguins and escorted to civilization by a tusking of narwhals, Sager began her journey North in search of purpose and ultimate happiness. It was a perilous adventure – man-eating apes, the “lost” city of Atlantis (jerks), a time machine/WWII scenario, earthquakes sent by Vulcan (that guy, geeze) and a fire breathing kitty named Pebbles. She finally satisfied her quest by settling in the grand city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where she lives a quieter, although sometimes still dramatic, existence as a designer and illustrator. A card carrying member of Pittsburgh Society of Illustrators, she believes that Art, whatever the medium, is a story and should stir something inside the onlooker – and a giggle counts. You can follow Sager’s current adventures on her art blog.
Miss Cassie Staub, age 26, received her BFA in Photography from Edinboro University with a minor in Womens Studies in 2008. She also studied advanced photography in 2005 in Florence, Italy. Taking a hiatus from further education and with a desire to give back to the community, Staub joined Americorps in 2009. Relocating to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania she has been an art mentor and director for underprivileged children in a depressed area know as the Hill District. As an artist, she is as adventurous as she is hardworking. Her eye finds and reflects moments which strongly hold emotion or spirit. Her imagery often speaks to the confusion of youth and coming of age. Through use of light and richness of color she creates new environments in the ordinary and forgotten. Running alongside, as well as fighting against the digital age, Staub strives in all her work to evoke emotion from her viewers. She continues to strive, to learn, and to be true.
Robert Beckman and Ian Short are part of the core development team of the Artists Image Resource, which began in 1994 with a plan to create a “working studio” in Pittsburgh. AIR is an artist-run organization that integrates the production of fine art printwork with innovative educational programs that explore the creative process. AIR provides print and imaging services to professional artists and educators. Their goal is to maintain an active and vital imaging laboratory that supports artists and facilitates creative activity.
Laura Busony is an illustrator and a sculptor specializing in metal, clay and other organic materials. Once upon a time she wanted to be an actor, but then she realized that she liked making the things that actors held or wore or sat on more than being onstage herself. She’s currently doing the nine-to-five thing as a prototype model maker. When she isn’t spilling paint and glue all over herself at work, she’s chilling in Shadyside with her watchmaker boyfriend and their two dumb but cute cats. Laura doesn’t have a website, or a facebook, or a myspace, or a blog, or a twitter, but she does have e-mail! You can reach her at laurabusony@gmail.com. When she isn’t looking at shoes she can’t afford online, she’ll get back to you.
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