Assemble

Address: 5125 Penn Ave, Pittsburgh, PA, 15224

Contact: Nina Barbuto
Email: assemblepgh@gmail.com

Website: www.assemblepgh.org
Phone: 412-432-9127
Open Hours: 4-9pm weekdays, 12-4 Saturdays and special events

Assemble, a community space for arts + technology, is a place where one can engage their intrigue through hands on activities about art and technology. Physical and nonphysical social and creative connections are fostered through film screenings, happenings, workshops, lectures, and community activities.  Founded on the concepts of sustainability, community, science, architecture, new media, and lowtech/hightech art, assemble is a place for CREATION!

How is the project operated?
We are a 100% volunteer run non-profit, 501c3.

How long has it been in existence?
We opened our doors April 2011.

What was your motivation?
There wasn’t a space like this in Pittsburgh. I had experienced similar spaces in Los Angeles and San Francisco, but none had a kid focus as well.

We really aim to be a place where people can share knowledge in social settings through hands on activities. One that can be great for all ages and experiential learning. Assemble is an open physical space in an urban neighborhood in Pittsburgh. We unite artists, technologists, and makers with our neighbors of all demographics. Assemble provides a platform for experiential learning, opening creative processes and building confidence through making.

We have 12 people on our Board of Directors and even more volunteers. We about about 20 in total.

How are programs funded?
We have some grant funded programs, a lot is from donations. We aim to keep our programs affordable to the kids of our community, from free – $5. Some times we go up to $35 for a series.

Who is responsible for the programming?
The Activities Committee is in charge of the programing but we are open for others to volunteer and program the space as well!

Number and average duration of exhibitions/events per year.
We have events almost every day! We have new exhibitions every month . They open on the first friday and close on the last friday. They open for the gallery crawl on our street. The artists/makers/technologists featured for the month are also required to have an artist talk and or a workshop where the public can ask questions on how they made it, why they made it, how they could do it too, etc.

What kind of events are usually organized?
We have openings, workshops, movie screenings, learning parties, bands, and fundraisers. We are open to experimentation and interesting things.

How is your programming determined?
We are here to serve the community so we are here to give them what they want. We do after school programs for kids in our neighborhood because they are underserved and need them.

Do you accept proposals/submissions?
Yes!

What is your artistic/curatorial approach?
All shows need to be experiential and experimental. They should have some interactive aspect to the show.

What’s working? What’s not working?
We are not 100% financially sustainable to have employees. When we do, we will be able to have better metrics for our programs and events.

What kind of role do you hope to play in your local art scene or community?
Assemble envisions a diverse community that creates, connects, and learns through the experience of art and technology.

We hope to be a Seed Bed for ideas. We are a place for experimentation that is approachable and attainable for the public as well.

What idea are you most excited about for the future?
The new things that happen and future collaborations that come out of our space! 🙂

We also are excited that the kids that come out of our programs will be the teachers of tomorrow!