2025 was a great step forward for BOOM. From career development sessions to hosting national artists through our residency program, BOOM continued dedicating its time to supporting the local and national arts ecosystems with more critical growth opportunities for artists.
Here’s a few highlights from last year:
We introduced BOOM’s new permanent home which will be at the Rotunda on N. Negley Ave! Renovations are underway and you can read our latest up date HERE. BOOM will continue to operate its home base at 5139 Penn Ave but is running tours on First Friday’s which started in November.
BOOM has has continued its partnership with Emerald City to host its exhibitions and in 2025 had two group showcases, “Group Hang” with Radiant Hall (featuring Sandra Gould Ford, Richena Brockinson, Rachel Equity and Imani Batts) and “Processions, Parties and Parades” (featuring Dominick McDuffie, Charlese Dawson, Henry Malone-Dinkins, Evangeline Mensah-Agyekum, Nate Smallwood, Bekezela Mguni, Emmai Alaquiva, and Charlotte Ka). We will be exhibiting more work in the space in 2026.
BOOM Concepts paid out $22,000 in artist fees and contracts supporting 120 artists with opportunities to grow creative careers and strengthen art programming & creative output.
BOOM joined the National Performance Network as a new partner organization. Pittsburgh now hosts 3 partner orgs that includes Kelly Strayhorn Theater and another new partner org Rainbow Serpent. BOOM has has extended its partner relationship with the McKnight Foundation via Artist Communities Alliance for a 4th year and will host two artists from Minneapolis in 2026.
BOOM completed our arts and culture field building program, Artists Taking Care of Artists, in which we registered 102 individuals across Allegheny, Westmoreland, Armstrong, Beaver, and Fayette Counties, provided attendance $50 stipends, peer to peer mentorship hours, free resource material and connected attendees with 18 different art & development professionals during 5 different career sessions.
BOOM Concepts connected with national partner Music To Life to deliver the Pittsburgh Musician Changemaker Accelerator Workshop and the Music Changemaker Showcase Open Mic held at Community Forge. The partnership brought hands-on training for Pittsburgh-based musicians to create and deliver sustainable, music-driven social change programming. The workshop was held at Emerald City.
Continue investing in BOOM Concepts by becoming a $25 monthly contributor!
