CDCP x The Future is Black x WCDC Present: Vania Evangelique

Opening reception: Saturday, July 25, 2026, 12-3 PM

On view: July 25, 2026 - October 17, 2026
Gallery hours: Every other Saturday 12-5 PM

CDCP, The Future is Black, and WCDC are thrilled to kick off the 2026-2027 season of Art All Over with a solo exhibition by artist Vania Evangelique. We’re excited to partner with The Future is Black for this upcoming season and are looking forward to the future of this program under their vision and leadership.

Light and language; what it illuminates and what it does not is the means in which I position my subjects, capturing an experience lived in a moment. I do this through the mediums of photography and writing where I purposefully seek out still moments that are found in nature, the environments in which I am placed, and the intimacy of my own home. And by doing so the mundane, transitional, and stretching processes of life are able to be fully expressed. The pursuit of still moments was born out of my upbring in Brooklyn, NY and the stark contrast of my later youth in Bethlehem, PA. I spent time analyzing and digesting the difference of feeling between grass and hot concrete on my feet, the smell of pollen versus car exhaust, the subtly of voices amongst the city to the insects singing to the evening night, and how looking into the night sky lent itself to city lights versus the vastness of the stars. This dichotomic rhythm of existing was one that required me to be attentive to environments that were transforming outwardly and inwardly. It’s in this noticing that I have become more present to the current moment where I now use place as an anchor, bringing with it an awareness of space. Both my photography and writing takes on a narrative approach that is often emotionally expository, revealing itself my deeper thoughts, feelings and observations of the world that I encounter. No matter the medium, my intention is to present an invitation to pay closer attention to the world we occupy; and create within it a space to appreciate the beauty found in the unlikely of places.

About Vania Evangelique:

Vania Evangelique (b. 1996) is a photographer and writer from Bethlehem, PA by way of Brooklyn, NY. Since receiving her BA in Photojournalism in 2018 from Point Park University, she has participated in residencies such as Brew House Arts as an artist and curatorial resident, exhibited with the Associated Artist of Pittsburgh and the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, and was a studio artist with arts letters & numbers in Albany, NY. Curatorially, she enjoys fostering the voices of artists and has since served as an art installer apprentice with Casey Droege Cultural Productions, photographed arts news events with nextPittsburgh, and illuminated the Pittsburgh art scene through artist reviews with the commercial gallery Wick Monet.

About The Future is Black:

Ahmed Tacumba Turner Jr. is a Pittsburgh-based multidisciplinary arts professional, curator, and community development strategist. As Founder and Creative Director of The Future Is Black (2019–Present), he has produced 10 exhibitions and showcases across Pittsburgh's cultural institutions, distributing $15,000+ in artist stipends, facilitating $5,000+ in artwork sales, and engaging over 2,000 attendees — building a sustained platform for BIPOC artists in the region.

Tacumba's curatorial practice centers the visibility, economic sustainability, and cultural power of Black artists. In 2025, he served as Guest Curator and Moderator for Being Seen at the August Wilson African American Cultural Center — the first exhibition at that institution to feature a local guest curator — presenting 38 Pittsburgh artists. He also co-curated Fruits of Seeing (Mavuno) at Sweetwater Center for the Arts as part of their 25th anniversary programming.

Beyond the gallery, Tacumba brings a systems-level perspective to cultural work. He serves on the City of Pittsburgh's 2050 Comprehensive Plan Community Working Group, and holds advisory roles with Upstream, the Vital Village Network, and the O'Connor Campaign Arts Advisory Council. 

WCDC's Lohr Gallery
725 Wood St.
Pittsburgh, PA 15221

Intuitive Watercolor Painting: Embracing Uncertainty Workshop

Intuitive Watercolor Painting: Embracing Uncertainty Workshop

Saturday, August 23rd
12-3pm
Free + All ages
WCDC’s Lohr Gallery

Join us on Saturday, August 23 from 12-3 pm at the WCDC's Lohr Gallery for a special workshop about tapping into your intuition to find expressive potential with the help of watercolor paints. In this WCDC workshop join artist Jessica Peña Heberle for a hands-on workshop that explores watercolor and mixed media as a tool for self-reflection and storytelling. Using watercolors, charcoal, colored pencils, and graphite, we’ll slow down and give form to parts of ourselves and memories by using color, texture, and organic shapes.

This free workshop is open to all levels and ages—no experience necessary, just a willingness to experiment! All materials will be provided. RSVP required to account for materials. Click the button below to reserve a spot.

CDCP x WCDC Present: Jessica Peña Heberle

CDCP x WCDC Present: Jessica Peña Heberle

Artist Reception: Saturday, June 28, 12-3pm

On view: June 28-October 4, 2025
Gallery hours: Every other Saturday, 12-5pm

We’re thrilled to have Jessica Peña Heberle as our exhibiting artist for CDCP x WCDC Present: Art All Over

Jessica Peña Heberle (b. 1981) is a multidisciplinary artist from Erie, PA. She lives and works in her home studio in Wilkinsburg, PA. She spent her twenties back packing across Europe, traveling and moving around the US before calling Pittsburgh home. Her art process
includes painting, drawing, comics, zines, art books, and found objects. 

Jessica’s paintings depict figures in dialogue with the natural world—bodies of water, forests, and rock formations. These environments serve as emotional landscapes where figures drift between intimacy and detachment, engaged with their incorporeal selves, personal narratives, and the charged spaces they inhabit. Themes of anxiety, loneliness, physical trauma, and the influence of the unconscious mind thread through her work. These emotional states are not illustrated directly but emerge through gesture, posture, and atmosphere.

In the studio, Jessica embraces a process of uncertainty. Each piece begins without a fixed plan, evolving intuitively through layered experimentation. She works with various mediums, including watercolor, gouache, inks, colored pencil and graphite. Layering multiple mediums creates texture and movement within each piece and is a key component to her studio process. It is a vulnerable, creative practice where curiosity and obsessive mark making guide the form and feeling of each painting.

The show will be open to the public every other Saturday from 12-5 pm on the following dates:

June 28
July 12
July 26
August 9
August 23
September 6
September 20
October 4

WCDC's Lohr Gallery
725 Wood St.
Wilkinsburg, PA 15221

The Poet Artist, The Artistic Poet: a workshop led by Naomi Chambers

The Poet Artist, The Artistic Poet: a workshop led by Naomi Chambers

Saturday, May 17th, 12-3pm
WCDC’s Lohr Gallery
Free

Join us on Saturday, May 17th from 12-3pm for a workshop inspired by Charlotte Ka's work led by WCDC Creative Lead Naomi Chambers at the Lohr Gallery. In this workshop, we draw from Charlotte Ka's intertwined writing and art making practice to create an artwork that flows from a poem OR a poem that crawls from a 2D artwork. Whether you are an artist or a writer, let's definitely be both. We will have watercolors, collage materials and mark making tools on hand AND of course PAPER to capture both modes of expression.

This is a free event, please register at the button below to reserve a seat.

CDCP is seeking an exhibition attendant!

Exhibition Attendant Position 

Casey Droege Cultural Productions (CDCP) 
Wilkinsburg Community Development Corporation (WCDC) 

Location: Lohr Gallery, 729 Wood Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15221 
Hours: Temporary (November 2024–June 2025), Part time (12–5pm Saturdays) 
Starting Rate: $15/hr 

CDCP is an artist-run/woman-owned business dedicated to building the Pittsburgh arts community by offering accessible, quality art experiences that connect the local and the global, encourage the growth of a local arts economy, and build a diverse arts audience. 

The Art All Over program is a collaboration between WCDC and CDCP to transform the WCDC headquarters in the newly renovated Lohr Building into a gallery-level display space. Launched in 2020, the initiative will celebrate and promote the many accomplished artists who live in the Wilkinsburg area. 

Position Description: 

CDCP is seeking an attendant to help oversee gallery space and welcome visitors to special exhibitions. The position has a specific schedule of Saturday shifts from 12 – 5pm, beginning November 2024 through June 2025 (except for scheduled holiday closures). We are looking for candidates who will help to create a warm and inclusive art space. Some contemporary art knowledge is appreciated along with an interest and involvement with community engagement. Additionally, excellent people and communication skills are necessary, as well as the ability to work independently. 

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to the following:  

• Greet customers when they walk through the door and ask if they need assistance  

• Supervise artwork in the space and maintain a clean and safe environment 

• Support events and programming in the space 

• Learn basic biographical information about the artists and their work; actively engage with visitors to answer questions and provide additional information about CDCP, WCDC, or the work in the space 

• Day to day administrative tasks as assigned  

• Operate the Square Point-of-Sale app for any artwork sales 

• Stay attuned to visitor experience and create a welcoming environment 

Knowledge and Skills Required:  

• Strong interpersonal and verbal communication skills. You will interact with both the public and artists on a regular basis and should feel very comfortable talking with people 

• Hard-working, responsible, punctual, flexible to last-minute changes, disciplined and self-motivated, able to take direction and learn new skills 

• Able to work independently 

• Demonstrated accuracy and strong attention to detail 

• Ability to move and lift artworks up to 40 lbs 

• Experience with Square Point-of-Sale is a plus 

Position is open until filled. To apply, please send the following to CDCP Finance and Operations Director Candace Opper at candace@caseydroege.com

• Letter of interest 

• Resume 

CDCP x WCDC Present: Mo'Ney Thomas

CDCP x WCDC Present: Mo’Ney Thomas

Artist Reception: Saturday, November 2, 12-5pm

On view: November 2, 2024-February 15, 2025
Gallery hours: Saturdays 12-5pm

We’re thrilled to have Mo’Ney Thomas be our second exhibiting artist for the ‘24-’25 season of Art All Over.

Mo’Ney Thomas aka Majestic Mo is a Pittsburgh-born and raised professional photographer, artist, creative director, and founder of Majestic Moments. After being introduced to photography at the young age of 5 years old, Mo’Ney has used the medium for therapeutic as well as commercial purposes and believes it has the power to heal. Inspired by Claude Monet and Teenie Harris, Mo’Ney’s photography combines vibrant colors and surreal imagery with candid moments of everyday life.

WCDC's Lohr Gallery

725 Wood St.
Pittsburgh, PA 15221