PennWest California will partner with the Mattress Factory Contemporary Art Museum in Pittsburgh to host the SWPA Art Bash on Wednesday, April 29 – transforming Vulcan Hall into a daylong regional celebration of creativity, collaboration and community engagement.
The free event, open to all ages, will run from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on the California campus and feature hands-on workshops, live demonstrations, alumni meet-and-greets, art exhibitions, local vendors, live music and an afterparty designed to connect artists, students and community members from across southwestern Pennsylvania.
The SWPA Art Bash builds on the momentum of PennWest California’s 2025 Open Studios event, expanding the university’s community arts programming through a new partnership with the Mattress Factory and support from the EQT Foundation.
“This event is about creating opportunities for people to experience art in an accessible, interactive and community-centered way,” said Melissa Kuntz, assistant chair of the Department of Visual and Performing Arts.
Throughout the day, participants can engage in hands-on creative experiences including screen printing, blacksmithing, mosaics, puppet making, blackout poetry, stage combat, beadwork and metal enameling. All workshop materials will be provided free of charge.
The event also will feature 17 participating vendors representing a wide range of creative disciplines, including ceramics, photography, printmaking, sculpture and food vendors. Artists and makers from Allegheny, Fayette, Greene, Washington and Westmoreland counties are expected to participate.
Student artwork and regional exhibitions will be highlighted throughout the event, including award-winning work from the Avonworth High School art program.
Organizers say the Art Bash is intended to celebrate all forms of creative expression while strengthening connections among artists, educators, students and the broader community.
“Art has the power to bring people together, spark new ideas and strengthen communities,” Kuntz said. “We’re proud to open our campus to artists, makers, students and families for a day that celebrates imagination in all its forms.”