Local Artists Featured in Sunday Event

A photographer, a ceramic artist, a painter, a multi-media artist and two jewelry artists have all had “real” jobs — by coincidence, four in medical research— but their hearts are in their art.

They are the six artists featured in this year’s Holiday Arts Party at the home of Hope Alcorn in Squirrel Hill from 1 to 5 p.m this Sunday.

In the past, Alcorn has assembled a coterie of her favorite local artists — some of whom are close friends — for a laid-back afternoon of art and refreshments on a Sunday afternoon. 

“We have interesting women making great art,” said Alcorn, who, in addition to creating intricate beaded earrings and other bejeweled accessories, has had a varied, 20-year career in nursing, including hospice work, teaching, and (currently) medical research. She is also an abstract painter whose colorful work will be on view. 

Ceramic artist Jane Freund, of , worked for years as a photographer and marketing consultant, and still freelances. But she is happiest when creating whimsical handbuilt pottery that combines clay with recycled materials such as china, glass and metal. She will bring both ceramics and photography to the sale. See her work at http://www.janefreundceramics.com.

Linda O’Toole, an abstract minimalist painter from , recently opted out of a successful career as a UPMC research coordinator to paint full-time. On summer Saturdays, she can often be found displaying her work on the sidewalk in Regent Square. O’Toole’s current series, Wide Open Spaces, explores mountain, sea and skyscapes

“Through it, I hope to express meditative and spiritual concepts of things absent of man and not bound by limits," she said.

Her portfolio can be seen at http://skyblue7gallery.com.

Marina Moshayeva moved to the United States in 1998 from St. Petersburg, Russia to pursue a research position in a Dallas research laboratory, however, her inner artist eventually prevailed over the doctor of biology and she now works full time at her home studio in Point Breeze.  

Moshayeva creates intricate paper cuts — a technique she learned in Russia and has explored over the past 25 years — as well as pencil sketches, pastels, acrylics, monotypes and mixed media. She will be showing new prints at the holiday sale.

View her work at http://www.pittsburghartistregistry.org/mm.

For many years, Ginnie Farnsworth of  worked in the world of banking and investments, but in her free time was a serious student of photography who traveled around the world — most recently Japan — with her camera and her great sense of adventure. She continues to snap away and add to her portfolio of beautifully composed images in both color and black & white. 

Regent Square resident has a master’s degree in global health and most recently worked in HIV prevention research at UPMC. Her current passion is the Japanese energy healing technique of Reiki. In addition to her private Reiki practice, Shah is a creator of Reiki-infused jewelry made of silver, semi-precious stones and lava rocks. After the jewelry is made, Shah conducts a ceremony in which each piece receives its own healing energy — often tailored to the specific needs of the recipient.  

A major attraction of this holiday art sale is Alcorn’s house itself, designed by Peter Berndtson, a student of Frank Lloyd Wright. The  artists will display their work in the open-air living room, which reflects the “organic” architecture employed by Wright at Fallingwater and his other custom homes: expanses of windows, built-in seating, red tile floors and natural wood finishes.

This event is free and is being held at 5139 Penton Road in Squirrel Hill (15213). For more information, call 412-682-0621.