The International Sculpture Center, a global advocacy organization for sculpture with 4,000 members across 40 countries, has officially relocated its headquarters to Pittsburgh's Lawrenceville neighborhood. The nonprofit organization, which began its move from New Jersey last year, celebrated the grand opening of its new headquarters and first-ever gallery space with a free public event on Thursday, November 6.
The ISC has been a prominent force in the sculpture community since its founding in 1960 at the University of Kansas, initially serving as a resource for sculptors specializing in metal-casting. Over the decades, the organization has expanded its mission to support artists, patrons, writers, educators, and anyone involved in contemporary sculpture. The center is perhaps best known for publishing Sculpture magazine, a full-color publication launched in 1979 that appears six times annually with a print run of 20,000 copies per issue. The organization also hosts annual conferences that bring together sculpture professionals from around the world.
"It's exciting and new for us and gives us a lot of visibility that we didn't have before, and so we're delighted," said longtime Executive Director Johannah Hutchison. The newly opened ISC Gallery, located in a two-story building at 5126 Butler Street, represents a significant milestone for the organization as its first dedicated gallery space. The facility includes a spacious storefront gallery and offices for the organization's 12-person staff, many of whom work remotely.
Hutchison's decision to relocate to Pittsburgh was influenced by the organization's positive experience hosting its 2016 annual conference in the city. After spending several years visiting and building local connections, she became convinced that Pittsburgh was the ideal location for the ISC's future. "I just fell in love with it. And I fell in love with the people, and I said, 'Oh, if we could ever move the organization, this is where we should be,'" Hutchison explained. "This is like a vibrant hub. It's affordable for artists. This is what our organization is about."
The post-pandemic period provided an opportune time for the organization to reimagine its future and establish a physical presence that would foster greater community engagement. The ISC plans to collaborate with local organizations on exhibitions and projects, creating what Hutchison describes as "a dialogue between Pittsburgh artists and international artists." This collaborative approach was already evident in the organization's first Pittsburgh project, a 2024 juried exhibition of sculpture by international students held in a former Burlington Coat Factory space downtown, organized in partnership with the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership and McKnight Realty.
The November 6 opening event served a dual purpose, also marking the closing reception for the gallery's inaugural exhibition, "SOFT Launch," a cleverly titled show featuring fiber-based artwork. This exhibition was developed in collaboration with several local organizations, including the Fiberarts Guild of Pittsburgh, Contemporary Craft, and Brew House Arts, in conjunction with Fiberart International 2025. The juried show featured artists from across the nation and Pittsburgh, including local artist Cheryl Capezzuti, who is well-known in the region for her giant puppets, including those featured in downtown's First Night parade.
Following "SOFT Launch," the ISC Gallery is preparing to open "Welcome Blanket" in December, a community-engaged art project that exemplifies the center's commitment to meaningful artistic collaboration. This Pittsburgh iteration of a project originally created in 2017 by Los Angeles-based architect Jayna Zweiman aims to connect longtime U.S. residents with newcomers to the country. Previous versions of the Welcome Blanket project have been exhibited in museums and galleries nationwide, including a notable installation at Los Angeles International Airport.
The Pittsburgh Welcome Blanket project represents a broad community collaboration involving the ISC and numerous local organizations, including the Fiber Guild, Contemporary Craft, Pittsburgh Botanic Garden, Protohaven, the Knit Pitt Yarn Club, and the Waldorf School of Pittsburgh. These partners worked together to identify artists who would contribute handcrafted blankets measuring 40 inches by 40 inches. Each blanket includes a paper tag where makers can write "a brief story meaningful to my family's history about immigration, migration, and/or relocation."
The project's impact extends beyond the gallery walls, as all blankets will be donated to immigrants and refugees through local partner organizations Hello Neighbor and Jewish Family and Community Services of Pittsburgh after the exhibition concludes in March. "People arrive, they get something, they're cared about," Hutchison explained. "And the idea is that as we're working together, making these blankets... we talk about our own story of how we came here, or how our families came here. In sharing that narrative, we realize that we all came here and that we should welcome new people." This approach reflects the ISC's broader mission of using sculpture and art to build bridges and foster understanding within communities.
