Monmade Exhibition Links Regional Makers to Developer Collaborations

February 7 marks the opening of Monmade’s fourth annual design exhibition, Clearly New, its third held in Pittsburgh Glass Center's Hodge Gallery. Following tradition, the exhibition showcases regionally handmade and manufactured products. In 2020, Clearly New debuts Monmade’s refreshed catalog featuring standardized designs balancing form, function, and sustainability. 

Since 2016, Monmade and PGC held a close and important partnership. Monmade, a program of the Craft Business Accelerator (CBA) at Bridgeway Capital, supports a network of passionate designers, artists, and craftspeople from western Pennsylvania who create the products featured in its catalog and exhibitions. The PGC serves as an essential asset to these creative businesses, not only as a hub for making, manufacturing, and artistry, but also as a celebrated designer.

PGC's Penn + Fairmount glassware line has been featured in Monmade’s exhibitions since it debuted at Interiors with Impact in 2017. Proudly, this line of modern bar and tableware was featured in Architectural Digest's 2019 sourcebook article “The Best New Launches from NY Now and Shoppe Object" and is now sold in retailers across the country.

Monmade’s partnership with PGC goes beyond exhibition opportunities. Since Monmade’s infancy in 2016, PGC helped prove the business case for Monmade, which serves as a link between design and development projects and the creative economy of Pittsburgh. Seeking to harness the potential for local economic impact from these projects, a team from PGC made over 700 pendant lights and an overhead glass art installation for the apartments and reception area at the Eastside Bond development in Pittsburgh's East Liberty neighborhood. PGC proved creatives could participate in serious development projects, and Monmade continues to leverage that success in big ways.

Since then, Monmade helped the CBA realize over $5.2 million in direct economic impact for the regional creative economy. In part, the exhibitions celebrate the momentum first demonstrated in 2016, and inspire exciting new reasons to collaborate.

The year’s exhibition debuts new and standard products, including wall art systems, modular furniture, lighting, tiles, textiles, and tableware. Clearly New features glassware products from Broken Plates, Camp Copeland, PGC's Penn + Fairmount, and Salvadore Alane

Monmade is proud of what's been accomplished with vital strategic partners like PGC, but we're more excited about the emerging possibilities for creative economy growth and impact in the next decade.

By Julia Reynolds, Content & Exhibitions Specialist, Monmade

"Clearly New" opens Friday, February 7 at Pittsburgh Glass Center with a free open house and reception during our monthly Hot Jam from 6–9pm.

A reception for design and development industry professionals will be held Wednesday, February 12; RSVP online.