BOOM Concepts and the Frick Environmental Center are pleased to present The Long Walk, a collection of new artworks by artist and creative entrepreneur D.S. Kinsel. The Long Walk explores themes of texture, tranquility, and immersion in nature. The exhibition had a soft opening on July 9th and is on view until September 26, 2026 during regular building hours (10am-4pm | Sun-Sat)
Through a series of encaustic landscapes inspired by Kinsel’s walks through Frick Park and his various residency travels, the exhibition poses a single reflective question:
How do we return to nature?
Kinsel addresses this question through intimate, impressionistic landscapes depicting serene fields, meadows, rolling hills, and open pastures. Created through a process of deliberate observation, the paintings offer moments of stillness and connection to the natural world. The works in The Long Walk are created using encaustic painting on glass panels, a technique that lends each piece a rich sculptural quality. Free from human presence, the landscapes emerge from the artist’s imagination, presenting idealized moments of solitude. Created through a layered encaustic process on glass, each painting possesses a physical depth that blurs the boundaries between painting and sculpture. Wax, pigment, texture, and light combine to create surfaces that feel both ancient and immediate. The resulting works invite viewers to slow down, linger, notice small details, and immerse themselves in moments of tranquility. Kinsel’s layered and sculptural approach to encaustic painting draws inspiration from artists including Janise Yntem and the Pennsylvania Impressionists.
“This body of work is a reflection on nature as a place of rest, imagination, and ultimate return.” — D.S. Kinsel
DS Kinsel is an award-winning creative entrepreneur, artist, and cultural agitator. His multidisciplinary practice spans painting, collage, performance, street art, and curatorial work, exploring themes of space-keeping, hip-hop culture, informalism, and cultural re-appropriation. His work has been featured at institutions such as the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, August Wilson African American Cultural Center, The Dirt Palace, AS220, and RedDot Miami.A former AmeriCorps Public Ally, Kinsel has received numerous accolades, including Pittsburgh Courier’s Fab 40 & Men of Excellence, Pittsburgh Magazine’s PUMP 40 Under 40, Pittsburgh Tech Council’s Creative of the Year, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s “Top Ten People to Meet,” and The Incline’s “Who’s Next.” He serves on the board of the Artist Communities Alliance and has held various board roles at the Pittsburgh Center for Creative Reuse, PearlArts, Shadylane School and more.
About The Frick Environmental Center: The Frick Environmental Center (FEC) is a welcome facility, education hub, and gateway to Frick Park. Free and open to all, this cutting-edge facility enhances the visitor experience and inspires learners to discover one of Pittsburgh’s largest parks. Classrooms and meeting spaces in the FEC are fully accessible, including gender-neutral family restrooms on all three levels in the building as well as outdoors. There is one single-occupancy, ADA-compliant restroom with an adult changing station located on the lower level of the building. This restroom is accessible during regular business hours by taking the elevator to LL (Lower Level) or by using the automatic door with a push button located on the gravel trail below the building. The FEC is a project of the City of Pittsburgh and Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy.
