North Hills Arts Center Show Features Instructors

The North Hills Arts Center is featuring work by several of its instructors. The nonprofit center has provided a showcase for local artists, classes and instruction and a gift shop to the area for more than 50 years.

The current show started in late spring and will run through August, according to Liz Tafel-Hurley, the center's office manager.

“We have six or seven of our instructors with art up right now,” she said, “It’s a nice way to see what they are doing and become acquainted with the various mediums.”

The North Hills Arts Center offers around 20 art classes each semester, serving more than 500 area residents through a combination of classes, studio space and time and instruction for Scouting troops and birthday parties.

Some of the more popular adult classes are Painless Painting, Raku, Beginning Pottery, Beginning Drawing, and Watercolor, Tafel-Hurley said. Popular children’s classes include Fun with Clay; Lions, Landscapes and Ladybugs; and Art for Children.

“We have classes for children as young as 5,” said Tafel-Hurley.

The instructors for some of these classes are the ones whose work is display in the current art show.

June Kielty, a self-taught artist, is showing a few pieces of Batik, a form of dyed material. Kielty, who teaches the Creative Batiking class at the center, has more than 30 years of experience with this medium. “Tree of Life,” is one of her pieces on display. 

Visitors who enter the center will be drawn to a large oil painting of an octopus. Instructor Kim Freithaler, who teaches the Painless Painting, Back to Basics and Drawing the Figure classes, is the artist behind this piece of work. She has a few other paintings in the show as well.

Other artists/instructors include: pastel artist Diana Grguras; painter Laura Hilston; weaver Ruthann Farinacci; potter Diane Pontoriero; and Eva Pontoriero, a student at the University of Pittsburgh who helps with the classes and teaches a recycling and environment-focused class for children – Go Green, Animals in Your Trash.

Also exhibiting are instructors Silvia McGavin, an artist who works in several mediums; Matthew Pontoriero, a photographer who also draws, and Elaine Bergstrom, whose work features several watercolors. Much of the artwork is for sale.

The center is a member-driven organization with two part-time workers, including Tafel-Hurley and a bookkeeper. Ruthann Fariancci, one of the artists and instructors, serves as the president of the center board.

Tafel-Hurley is quick to point out the benefits of membership in the arts center, including discounted classes and the opportunity to display artwork in one of the Center’s shows.

“Our next show will be one featuring member’s works,” she said.

The Center also offers private art classes and a gift shop where members can sell their artwork.

“We have a holiday show that is very popular and open to the public and other vendors,” said Tafel-Hurley.

There is still time to enroll in summer classes.

“Some of our classes start in mid-July and some are in August, plus we have workshops,” said Tafel-Hurley.

The center is located at 3432 Babcock. Blvd. For more information, visit www.northhillsartcenter.com or 412-364-3622. The Center is open from noon to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday.