Small Mall was Casey Droege Cultural Productions’ concept art store that operated from 2018 to its closure in 2022.
Branching off from our CSA PGH program, Small Mall sold artwork by Pittsburgh artists at an affordable price point, with all art selling at $500 or less. Small Mall began as a pop-up in Pittsburgh’s Downtown Cultural District, then moved to a physical location in the Upper Lawrenceville neighborhood in 2018.
Photos taken by Porter Loves
Small Mall sold a range of artwork, including prints, ceramics, jewelry, original paintings and drawings, textiles, and more. Our selection would rotate each season, and we’d bring new work into the shop via invitation and an open call process. Each season would be marked with our event “Small Mall Overhaul” where we would revamp the shop’s interior to exemplify the shift. We also hosted a celebratory event where the public would be invited to toast the change and check out all of the new work in the shop.
In addition to its mission of selling affordable artwork, Small Mall’s aim was to get artists paid and engaged with the Pittsburgh community. We worked directly with artists to formulate programming and outreach efforts such as workshops, artist talks, and more. Through this we spurred our Tiny Talk series, where we invited a Small Mall artist to give a casual artist talk along with a pop-up, one night exhibition to coincide.