Out & About: Greensburg artist presents Black History Month exhibit

Greensburg artist Pamela Cooper said she was fascinated by bridges when she was a child.

“When we traveled, I loved going over them,” she said.

That fascination continued into adulthood, when bridges became the subject of a painting series. One of the bridges was among works Cooper exhibited during a Black History Month show at the YWCA Westmoreland County.

Cooper talked about her work during a Feb. 4 reception at the Y’s Huff Mansion headquarters in Greensburg.

Bridges are more than just a way to get from one point to another, she said. In her paintings, they are a metaphor for both separations and connections.

“My art has a message that I hope will resonate with other people,” she said. “My destiny is to minister through my art.”

Cooper also talked about her blind contour line drawings, a form that has interested and challenged her in recent times.

The technique involves the artist looking at a subject while slowly drawing its contours in a continuous line without looking at the paper. The artist may also look at a subject and then draw it from memory with eyes closed, Cooper said.

On a lighter note, she said, another artistic challenge is to “come up with a title that will grab somebody.”

Cooper’s show was the first of several Black History Month programs at the YWCA, including a show and sale of African fashions, an evening of conversation, a paint party and another artist demonstration.

Reception guests were welcomed by YWCA Executive Director Carol Palcic, while Marketing Diversity Equity and Inclusion Director Michele Steward added a footnote, saying she and Cooper met as children singing together in their church choir.

Seen at the Y: Colen Brown, Theresa Rusbosin, Barbara Ferrier, Nancy Rusbosin, Carolyn Falcon, Catherine Caccia, Barbara Ogrodnik, Susan Pollins, Barbara McDonald and Kalona Foster.