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Who We Are
Bunker Projects is a nonprofit artist residency and experimental gallery in Pittsburgh, PA that serves as a platform for emerging artists to develop their practice and create new works for exhibition. Bunker Projects was founded in 2013 by a group of fresh college graduates from Penn State who were eager to continue their art practice outside of the academic environment, but who didn’t see themselves fitting into Pittsburgh’s established, mainstream arts ecosystem. By blending the production, exhibition and interpretation of art we center the work of local and visiting artists. Bunker provides a unique and productive environment for artists to advance their careers and make new interpersonal connections. Equity and sustainability are core beliefs, as we work to uplift people from diverse backgrounds in the arts. Bunker Projects provides an immersive live-work-exhibition space alongside intimate cultural programming. We seek to foster a spirit of innovative support, connecting artists at all stages of their careers with Pittsburgh’s active and growing arts community.
Since 2013 We Have…
Bunker Projects is a nonprofit artist residency and experimental gallery in Pittsburgh, PA that serves as a platform for emerging artists to develop their practice and create new works for exhibition. Bunker Projects was founded in 2013 by a group of fresh college graduates from Penn State who were eager to continue their art practice outside of the academic environment, but who didn’t see themselves fitting into Pittsburgh’s established, mainstream arts ecosystem. By blending the production, exhibition and interpretation of art we center the work of local and visiting artists. Bunker provides a unique and productive environment for artists to advance their careers and make new interpersonal connections. Equity and sustainability are core beliefs, as we work to uplift people from diverse backgrounds in the arts. Bunker Projects provides an immersive live-work-exhibition space alongside intimate cultural programming. We seek to foster a spirit of innovative support, connecting artists at all stages of their careers with Pittsburgh’s active and growing arts community.
Since 2013 We Have…
- Hosted 51 emerging contemporary artists in our 4 month live/work/exhibition residency
- Presented 160 site-specific exhibitions in our gallery
- Collaborated with more than 150 individual artists
- Published dozens of pieces of writing & artistic discourse in our online publication, Bunker Projects Review of Contemporary Art
- Facilitated dozens of artist talks, workshops, and special events featuring experimental music and performance art
Our Space
Our Audience
We welcome approximately 250 people into our First Friday openings each month. That’s upwards of 21,000 visitors since we opened our doors in 2013.
Staff
Jessie Rommelt, Founder, Creative Director.
Jessie received her BFA in Sculpture from Penn State University in 2011 with a minor in Art History. She has curated various exhibitions and advised on numerous arts projects and programs in the Pittsburgh region. Her work at Bunker has been covered in national publications including Maake Magazine, Jenesis Magazine, and Vice's Creators Project.
Anna Mirzayan, Operations Coordinator.
Anna is an arts writer, poet, researcher and holds a PhD in Theory and Criticism. She is currently based in Pittsburgh, PA, where she is the editor-in-chief of the Bunker Review . Her poetry chapbook, Donkey-girl and Other Hybrids, was published in 2021 by Really Serious Literature. You can find some of her writing at art-agenda, Square Cylinder, and Hyperallergic.
Board of Directors
Tara Fay Coleman, Tara has been a member of the Bunker Projects team since 2016. She is a curator and conceptual artist. Tara works closely with artists in residence and supports special projects.
Nina Friedman, Nina joined the board in 2018 and is an arts administrator with a passion for contemporary art. Originally from Boston, she moved to Pittsburgh after completing her Bachelor’s Degree in Art History from the University of Vermont. Nina has worked at a wide array of institutions such as the Andy Warhol Museum, Carnegie Museum of Art, and the Mattress Factory Museum of Contemporary Art. She is currently working on a Masters of Arts Administration at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
Harrison Kinnane Smith, Harrison joined the Bunker board in 2020, serving as co-editor-in-chief of the Bunker Review and editor of the Review's Hand-Off essay series. His artwork has been covered by NPR, Hyperallergic, and Bloomberg CityLab.
Liz Rudnick, Liz is an artist, curator, writer, and creative strategist who was born in Herlev, Denmark in 1989. She holds a BFA in painting from Carnegie Mellon University (PGH) and completed her graduate studies in Business at Columbia University (NYC). Rudnick has exhibited her artwork with institutions including SilverEye Center for Photography, The Andy Warhol Museum, and the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, and is a member of the Associated Artists of Pittsburgh and Pro Arts Jersey City, where she served as co-Vice President from 2020 - 2021. From 2021 - 2022, she acted as Press Liaison for Susan Inglett Gallery, a contemporary art gallery in NYC representing artists including Beverly Semmes, William Villalongo, and Robert Kobayashi. Currently, Rudnick heads the marketing department at Kelly Strayhorn Theater, a performing arts organization whose mission is to be a home for creative experimentation, community dialogue, and collective action rooted in the liberation of Black and queer people.
Kim Beck is an artist who works with drawing, installation, multiples and artists books. Her work has been shown in places as diverse as the Walker Art Center to billboards along I70 and parking lots in Buffalo. She is based in Pittsburgh, PA, where she coordinates the periodic exhibition program Flotilla Flotilla, and where she is an Associate Professor in the School of Art at Carnegie Mellon.
- Second and third floors of 5106 Penn Ave in the heart of Penn Ave Arts Corridor
- Two resident apartments, two large studio spaces, kitchen, bathroom, lounge
- Flexible white wall gallery space
Our Audience
We welcome approximately 250 people into our First Friday openings each month. That’s upwards of 21,000 visitors since we opened our doors in 2013.
Staff
Jessie Rommelt, Founder, Creative Director.
Jessie received her BFA in Sculpture from Penn State University in 2011 with a minor in Art History. She has curated various exhibitions and advised on numerous arts projects and programs in the Pittsburgh region. Her work at Bunker has been covered in national publications including Maake Magazine, Jenesis Magazine, and Vice's Creators Project.
Anna Mirzayan, Operations Coordinator.
Anna is an arts writer, poet, researcher and holds a PhD in Theory and Criticism. She is currently based in Pittsburgh, PA, where she is the editor-in-chief of the Bunker Review . Her poetry chapbook, Donkey-girl and Other Hybrids, was published in 2021 by Really Serious Literature. You can find some of her writing at art-agenda, Square Cylinder, and Hyperallergic.
Board of Directors
Tara Fay Coleman, Tara has been a member of the Bunker Projects team since 2016. She is a curator and conceptual artist. Tara works closely with artists in residence and supports special projects.
Nina Friedman, Nina joined the board in 2018 and is an arts administrator with a passion for contemporary art. Originally from Boston, she moved to Pittsburgh after completing her Bachelor’s Degree in Art History from the University of Vermont. Nina has worked at a wide array of institutions such as the Andy Warhol Museum, Carnegie Museum of Art, and the Mattress Factory Museum of Contemporary Art. She is currently working on a Masters of Arts Administration at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
Harrison Kinnane Smith, Harrison joined the Bunker board in 2020, serving as co-editor-in-chief of the Bunker Review and editor of the Review's Hand-Off essay series. His artwork has been covered by NPR, Hyperallergic, and Bloomberg CityLab.
Liz Rudnick, Liz is an artist, curator, writer, and creative strategist who was born in Herlev, Denmark in 1989. She holds a BFA in painting from Carnegie Mellon University (PGH) and completed her graduate studies in Business at Columbia University (NYC). Rudnick has exhibited her artwork with institutions including SilverEye Center for Photography, The Andy Warhol Museum, and the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, and is a member of the Associated Artists of Pittsburgh and Pro Arts Jersey City, where she served as co-Vice President from 2020 - 2021. From 2021 - 2022, she acted as Press Liaison for Susan Inglett Gallery, a contemporary art gallery in NYC representing artists including Beverly Semmes, William Villalongo, and Robert Kobayashi. Currently, Rudnick heads the marketing department at Kelly Strayhorn Theater, a performing arts organization whose mission is to be a home for creative experimentation, community dialogue, and collective action rooted in the liberation of Black and queer people.
Kim Beck is an artist who works with drawing, installation, multiples and artists books. Her work has been shown in places as diverse as the Walker Art Center to billboards along I70 and parking lots in Buffalo. She is based in Pittsburgh, PA, where she coordinates the periodic exhibition program Flotilla Flotilla, and where she is an Associate Professor in the School of Art at Carnegie Mellon.
If you have any questions or just want to get in touch, email us at bunkerprojectsinfo@gmail.com
