Welcome to the Pittsburgh Society of Illustrators!
Welcome to the official website of the Pittsburgh Society of Illustrators (PSI), one of the largest illustrators' societies in the nation. The Society brings local illustrators together to facilitate artistic and professional growth, advocacy for artists’ rights, and the comaradarie and promotion of our collective Pittsburgh talent. With an enthusiastic volunteer base, PSI maintains a lively schedule of regular meetups and special events designed to educate, engage, and inform working illustrators, buyers, the public, and students alike.
All PSI members and interested prospects and the public should click on the EVENTS icon above to stay informed on our busy calendar of events! New programs, presently being organized by our Board, will be announced once the dates are confirmed and will be available in person and/or on zoom.
COMING UP SATURDAY DECEMBER 13, 2026! SATURNALIA-SATURNALIA-SATURNALIA—THE 28th ANNUAL HOLIDAY PARTY!
SATURDAY DECEMBER 13, 2025 5 to 10:30PM
CHURCH OF THE REDEEMER SOCIAL HALL-5700 Forbes Avenue PGH PA 15217—same parking area as Saint Edmund's Academy
Members are encouraged to bring family (including kids!), friends, clients, and new member prospects.
Once again scheduled for the Church of the Redeemer social hall, PSI will host its 28th Holiday Party from 5pm to 10:30pm on Saturday evening December 13, 2025. This event space is conveniently located at 5700 Forbes Avenue, PGH PA 15217. Pull into the parking area and the social hall is accessed through a red back door behind the church. Set-up will take place 5-6pm and cleanup will happen 10-10:30pm. PSI will provide some finger food dinner basics and attendees are encouraged to bring sides, desserts, treats of all kinds, and beverages. Feel free to contact President James Mellett (jim@melart.com) to report in on what you are bringing or to ask questions. Members are encouraged to bring family, friends, clients, and new member prospects.
Winter/spring socials will start after New Years. Feel free to welcome friends, non-members, prospective members, and bring work, works in progress, promos, questions and ideas for future programming—this is YOUR society!
Second Tuesday Winter/Spring Socials and our Annual Holiday Party--SATURNALIA
Second Tuesday socials will resume the second Tuesdays of the month at J. Gough's, 4213 Murray Avenue PGH PA 15217 in Squirrel Hill . Socials at J Gough's start at 6:30pm.
TUESDAYS JAN 13, FEB 10, MAR 10, APR 14, May 12, 2026 6:30-9:30pm
PSI needs YOUR input for programming. Come to the socials to propose who you want to come speak, programs you would like to see, topics you want to pursue--it's your Society! Much discussion every meeting about our 30th anniversary Heinz History Center exhibition 'My America: An Illustrated Experience.'
Appetizers are provided by PSI as individuals pay for their own beverages.
All reminders will be announced on our Basecamp site and on this website as they are confirmed. READ MORE
Upcoming Events
Heinz History Center MY AMERICA: AN ILLUSTRATED EXPERIENCE PSI 30th Anniversary Show now open!
This nationally recognized exhibition will run from October 11, 2025 to September 8, 2026:
MY AMERICA: AN ILLUSTRATED EXPERIENCE in the Barensfeld Gallery of the HHC is open 10am to 5pm every day of the year. This Pittsburgh Society of Illustrators exhibition at the Heinz History Center's Barensfeld Gallery will commemorate America’s 250th Semiquincentennial in 2026 and PSI’s 30th Anniversary. Through individual illustrations created by PSI members, the exhibit will help public audiences reflect upon American ideals such as freedom, resilience, democracy, independence, equality, rights, liberty, opportunity, diversity, self-government, and justice. PSI will help Heinz History Center patrons appreciate how these ideals have been advanced throughout the course of American history through the actual exhibition and in a public series of presentations that will be scheduled to run throughout the show year. An aggressive educational set of programs will commence after New Year's.
THURSDAY JANUARY 22, 2026. MY AMERICA: AN ILLUSTRATED EXPERIENCE Donors Reception 4:45-8:30pm. The top donors to the HHC, exhibitors, jurors, and donors over $100 to PSI will be invited to this reception. This reception is important for exhibitors to meet the donors of HHC and encourage sales and commissions. Gallery tours, awards presentation, remarks from HHC board, PSI Board, Jurors. Hors d'ouerves and beverages served.
PROGRAMS FOR ALL FULL AND AFFILIATE MEMBERS
Programs for 2025 have been completed and planning has begun for 2026. All our members need to consider what programs and speakers we need to present in 2026. Contact anyone on the Board (Jim Mellett, Wintis Gibson, June Edwards, or Fred Carlson) asap with your ideas or come to the socials to discuss. Program ideas could be: a speaker (a member or talent from out-of-town), a program about a trade topic (marketing, retail ideas, etc), or a panel on an aspect of our industry (narrative realism, social media, online usage, pricing, negotiating, etc). Come one come all! We need your input!
