Stay up-to-date on what’s coming, going, and changing in the Northside business community with The Northside Chronicle’s monthly Northside Business Briefs. This month’s briefs feature Gallery Closed, Huntington Bank, and the North Side/Shore Chamber of Commerce.

By Ashlee Green

Photo: Gallery Closed, a new experimental project space in Troy Hill, is housed in a former inclined railway station. Courtesy of Gallery Closed

Gallery Closed, Troy Hill’s new art project space, premieres first exhibition

Artists Phillip Andrew Lewis and Lenka Clayton have joined forces to create Gallery Closed, an experimental project space located at 1733 Lowrie St. in Troy Hill.   

“Conceived during the pandemic, the gallery is designed to be permanently ‘closed,’ yet at the same time continuously open,” it is stated on the Gallery Closed Instagram page. “All exhibitions are accessible 24 hours a day by peering through two street facing windows.”

According to the artists, the 120-year-old building that the gallery resides in used to be the top stop of an inclined railway station: They have one historic plaque to prove it.

But 27 artists will take part in the unveiling of a second plaque, “Historic Site,” at the gallery’s opening event on Sept. 18 at 2 p.m.

“Historic Site” is a creative take on the building’s original plaque, which documents just 12 years of the building’s existence. The new one, on the other hand, is eight feet and 1200 words long. It serves as “an addendum to the existing [plaque], that shares all the other things we could find out that happened on this one site over the last 600 million years or so.” Artist John Carson will sing all of the new plaque’s words in the form of a traditional Irish ballad at the gallery’s opening event.

For more information on Gallery Closed and for more details on its first exhibition, visit galleryclosed.org.

Huntington Bank raises money for cancer research, opens new branch

The Huntington National Bank is hosting Night at the Races (N@TR) on Friday, Oct. 1, 2021 at Pittsburgh’s Grand Hall at The Priory Hotel in Historic Deutschtown. The event benefits Pelotonia, an organization founded in 2008 and dedicated to accelerating cutting-edge cancer research. According to its website, Pelotonia directs 100% of the money its participants raise to this cause.

“Everyone has been affected by cancer in one shape or form and I am proud to do my part to help,” said Huntington Branch Manager Marie Lubbers in an email. 

Huntington plans to open a new branch at 1800 Smallman St. in the Strip District this fall, catering to Northsiders who are looking for nearby banking options. A ribbon cutting is planned for Sept. 15. 

North Side/Shore Chamber of Commerce honors 11 local businesses at 2021 Awards Luncheon

Over 200 attendees gathered at the Nova Place Outdoor Plaza on July 28 to recognize the efforts of businesses throughout the community over the past year.

In a break from the traditions of years past, each of this year’s 11 nominees also won an award.

“Each of these nominations is a beautiful example of working together for the community’s benefit,” this year’s selection committee explained in a note. “We found it extraordinarily difficult to determine the award winners. So, in a year where nothing has been normal, we decided to break tradition and provide awards to each nominee.”

Nominee-winners were as follows: Carnegie Science Center, Counseling & Wellness Center, Danielle Graham Robinson of eXp Realty, Humane Animal Rescue of Pittsburgh, Light of Life Rescue Mission, Northside Christian Health Center, Professional Graphic Communications, Rivers Casino, Scratch & Co., Tech Elevator, and Urban Impact Foundation.

Wayne Alling of the Alling Agency was named this year’s MVP, or Most Visible Professional. The MVP award goes to the person who attends the most Chamber events in the past year.

Emcee for the day was Joe Klimchak, In-Game Host for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Music for this year’s awards luncheon was provided by Lee Robinson and ISKA and food by Bistro To Go.