Lawrenceville’s 16:62 Design Zone is about the get even artsier.
The latest gallery to join the neighborhood’s thriving Butler St. commercial district is
Luke & Eloy. Named for the patron saints of painting and metalsmithing, the gallery is headed up by German-born jewelry designer Brigitte Martin.
Part of the continued revitalization of the eclectic corridor, the 400-square-foot gallery is located at 5169 Butler, near several up-and-coming businesses, including a pottery studio, spa and Big Brothers Sisters headquarters.
Combining Martin’s expertise in metalsmithing and passion for fine art, Luke & Eloy will feature new work by multi-media artists from around the globe. Opening Sept. 27, the gallery’s inaugural exhibition, Lost Spaces, features paintings and cardboard sculptures by German artist Artemis Herber. Martin will also sell her own line and offer custom jewelry services and jewelry design classes in the gallery’s workshop.
Martin, who lived in Squirrel Hill for six years before moving back to Germany, and then later to Cleveland, says settling down in Pittsburgh was always a top priority for her family. “We jumped at the chance to come back to Pittsburgh,” adds Martin, who used to work from her home in Mt. Lebanon. The designer, who regularly combs stores like Home Depot in search of unexpected materials, works with a wide range of precious and semi-precious metals, including gold, silver, brass, and aluminum.
“Everybody said I should check out Lawrenceville—things have changed so dramatically there since I left. I like the entrepreneurial can-do attitude and artsy atmosphere,” adds Martin, who is renting space from
Wylie Holdings. “The next big development surge is going to be in Lawrenceville. The business community is phenomenal and incredibly cooperative.”
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Jennifer BaronSource: Brigitte Martin, Luke & Eloy Gallery
Image courtesy Luke & Eloy Gallery