Photo Credit: Green Beacon Gallery Facebook Page
There’s a brand new gallery space coming to Greensburg! It’s owners (brothers Phil and Steve, and their “figurative brother,” Kevin) call Green Beacon Gallery “a hub for the creation and display of artistic expressions.” The space boasts a stage for live performances (which will be streamed online until audiences can safely gather), a gallery space to exhibit and sell visual art, a small shop with local handmade products, an audio recording studio, and a music rehearsal space. There will also be event spaces available for rent.
Green Beacon was inspired by the owners’ own interests in art of all forms: from music to stand-up comedy. The initial idea was for a live music venue which doubled as a film studio, but slowly changed into something more “all-encompassing” that captured their love of all art and media. The search for a commercial space to rent began in 2018. The owners found their dream location at 235 W Pittsburgh Street, but initially did not get the lease. Cue the COVID-19 shutdown. The business that did initially get the lease for the building closed, giving Kevin, Steven, and Phil a second chance and an opportunity they couldn’t pass up. Trying to open in the midst of a global pandemic certainly hasn’t been easy, but “doing something creative together has been years in the making for us.”
Green Beacon will be upholding every necessary measure to ensure safety, including prioritizing live streaming shows for the time being, so that people can enjoy music performances, spoken word, comedy, podcasts, and more from the comfort of their own home. They hope Green Beacon can actually be a “beacon” for people: “if we can’t physically gather and our doors are forced closed, we’ll leverage technology to come together and keep the doors of creation flung wide open.”
Kevin, Steve, and Phil see an opportunity to establish Green Beacon as an artistic destination downtown and hope it will attract more people to the area. They have many plans for the future of the Gallery, including integrating with the Cultural Trust’s Greensburg Music Festival and exploring virtual reality art and gaming with headset technology. Additionally, they hope to stream programming five nights a week, and later grow into a 24-hour interest channel reaching far beyond Greensburg. Overall, they are happy to add to the visual art exhibit spaces in Greensburg and want to do anything possible to help people engage with one another during these uncertain times.
Green Beacon was slated to open July 24th (7/24…Greensburg’s area code), but have pushed back their opening due to the pandemic. If possible, they hope to open in August, but will likely host their inaugural event online. The owners hope that artists will walk into the gallery and instantly feel like they’re in the right place and that others will appreciate the art: “It’s a fun, safe, positive, inclusive, and nonjudgemental environment where anyone can come and feel comfortable to enjoy or make.”
Like Green Beacon on Facebook, follow them on Instagram, and keep up with their website to stay updated on events and opening information!
Photo Credit: Green Beacon Gallery Facebook Page
Photo Credit: Green Beacon Gallery Facebook Page
It will be great to have you in Greensburg. Can’t wait!