Welcome to the Pittsburgh Society of Illustrators!
Welcome to the official website of the Pittsburgh Society of Illustrators (PSI), one of the largest non-profit groups of illustrators 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 on zoom.
Summer socials are being announced at present. One in the North Hills, one in the South Hills. These are rotated around to member studios. 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!
JULY: Tuesday, July 15 2025 at 7pm at the home/studio of Frances Halley, 407 Sylvania Drive, PGH PA 15229. Bring a beverage or food to share. Only minutes off 1-279 north.
AUGUST: Friday, August 15 2025 at 7pm at the home/studio of Frank Harris, 349 Parkway Drive PGH PA (Mt Lebanon) 15228. Bring a beverage or food to share.
In the fall, socials will resume the second Tuesdays of the month at J. Gough's, 4213 Murray Avenue PGH PA 15217 in Squirrel Hill (September 9, 2025 is our next one). Socials at J Gough's start at 6:30pm. Much discussion about our 30th anniversary upcoming Heinz History Center exhibition 'My America: An Illustrated Experience' will occur at each social as well as other program planning. This is YOUR Society-come and hear what's happening and how your involvement enhances your career. PSI needs YOUR input for programming. Appetizers are provided by PSI as individuals pay for their own beverages.
Summer socials will be announced on our Basecamp site and on this website as they are planned. READ MORE
Upcoming Events
2025 PSI program planning continues:
PLANNED/DATE TBA: Scott Mason, Fashion and Event Illustrator hailing from London, UK. Tara Zalewski is working on this program with the PSI Board. Scott would be open to lecturing to PSI on his art and Live Illustration work in an hour long Zoom with lecture/demo for 30 - 45 min and Q&A at the end. PSI would plan a group meeting at Tara's studio in Monroeville and members who couldn’t make it could join in on Zoom. Stay tuned for final scheduling of this presentation.
BREAKING NEWS:
MY AMERICA: An Illustrated Experience Exhibition News
JURYING WAS COMPLETED SATURDAY APRIL 12, 2025. 51 PSI members submitted 117 works and statements to the jury. After a day-long process, 59 pieces by 35 members were pulled together for this exhibition. Members have been notified; awards have been decided but will be announced later in the year.
The PSI Board and Exhibition Team thank everyone who assisted with the check-in, art moving to the 5th floor, jury assists, taking artwork back to exit site, and handling all kinds of tasks during the day. This was truly an impressive volunteer achievement. Our jury of Chris (CF) Payne, Clayton Merrell, Paul Schifino, Anne Madarasz and Jeffrey Brodie were impressed by the teamwork.
Please contact Kathy Rooney me@krooney.net with questions about the scheduling. The HHC design staff is busy over the summer creating the environment ion the HHC's Barensfeld Gallery for the show. Illustrators will be notified immediately when the HHC decides the date they need framed juried work returned to the HHC for installation. Tentative show opening dates appear to be Press Preview October 9 and Public Opening October 11, 2025.
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. The exhibit will open in the Fall of 2025 and run for at least 15 months through 2026. 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. Relevant items from the HHC collections may be displayed next to some of the respective artworks.
