RELEASE: Exhibition Practices of Holding Opens at KST Gallery on February 4, Honoring Ancestral and Living Matriarchs
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Features members of Sibyls Shrine, curated by Jessica Gaynelle Moss
Photo Credit: Lor Lor, Matriarch of Sasha-Loriene McClain.
East Liberty, PA — From Wednesday, February 4 to Sunday, June 14, 2026, Kelly Strayhorn Theater (KST) is pleased to present the exhibition Practices of Holding, featuring members of Sibyls Shrine, a national network, residency program, and collective of Black artists who m/other. The exhibition at the KST Gallery honors ancestral and living matriarchs for the many ways they hold us, beyond traditional definitions of gender or familial hierarchy.
Participating Sibyls Shrine artists include Elizabeth Burden, Tiara L. Burtin, Lisa Brown, Dail Chambers, Lish Danielle, Cheré D. Gordon, Olivia Guterson, sarah huny young, Miracle Jones, Melike Vivastine Konur, Sasha-Loriene McClain, Zllen McCollum, Victoria Ramlalsingh-Hinton, and Anqwenique.
Curated by Jessica Gaynelle Moss, Practices of Holding positions “matriarchy” as a practice, and according to Moss, “to ‘hold’ is not simply to support but to endure, to witness, to listen, to teach, to carry”. It is a large-scale, salon-style installation, comprised of portraits of ancestral and living matriarchs, written reflections, memory work and collective altar-building.
Moss speaks to the intentions behind her curation: “I’m intentional about creating safe spaces for an audience that is often unsafe in public spaces. As the Sibyls Shrine Managing Director and Curator, I am guided by the needs of our members, constantly navigating how their safety and sense of belonging can be embedded into institutional use and design. Working with KST, an institution recognized for its longstanding commitment to accessibility and inclusive practices, provides an opportunity to practice this work with a higher level of clarity and accountability.”
Sibyls Shrine was founded in 2019 by artist Alisha B. Wormsley at a time when the city of Pittsburgh’s Gender Equity Commission released a white paper finding Pittsburgh as the worst place for Black women to live. According to Moss, [Sibyls Shrine started] out of “a severe need to serve a demographic and a population that was not being served across the field,” and specifically with Black mothers in mind. Moss shares that, “[Sibyls Shrine] offers residencies, employment and exhibition opportunities, institutional access, financial care, professional development, childcare, opportunities to rest, and access to a network of over 150+ other Black artists who m/other.”
The Pay-What-Moves-You opening reception on Wednesday, February 4, 6:00 pm – 8:00pm, includes catering from Chef Robin of 3 Yellow Roses, live music by 16-year-old DJ Amiel, a cash bar, and a series of local organizations present as community partners, sharing their offerings with the public.
Jessica Gaynelle Moss (front-facing) hugging/holding Jasmine Hearn. Photo Credit: Beth Barbis.
Practices of Holding is curated in conjunction with artist Jasmine Hearn’s upcoming performance Memory Fleet: Stay in the Circle on Friday & Saturday, April 24 – 25 at KST that names the work/rest and past/future of Black people who mother and mentor.
Practices of Holding | Wednesday, February 4 – Sunday, June 14 | Opening Reception: Wednesday, February 4, 6:00pm – 8:00pm
Gallery Hours with Performances
Kelly Strayhorn Theater | 5941 Penn Ave.
Tickets for Practices of Holding are Pay What Moves You, $0 – $20 per attendee, and can be reserved here.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Sibyls Shrine is a national network, residency program and collective of Black artists who m/other. It was created in 2019 by Alisha B Wormsley, developed with Jessica Gaynelle Moss, in partnership with Shiftworks Community + Public Arts. Sibyls Shrine now boasts over 150+ members across 19 states and 26 cities. Since the program’s inception, the small team of 3 has curated 11 exhibitions, 32 residencies and 80 public programs from our member Network, in partnership with 16 local and national organizational partners.
Jessica Gaynelle Moss (Curator) is an artist who supports other artists through her curatorial work, consultancy and custodianship. Recent curatorial projects include Melike Konur: Women I’ve Been (2025) Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, The Vault: Exhibiting the Private Collections of Black Collectors (2023) Mint Museum, TEMPLE (2022) PRIZM Miami Art Week, SHRINE (2022) Mattress Factory, Sibyls Shrine: Taking Care (2021) Silver Eye Center for Photography. Jessica holds degrees from Carnegie Mellon University(09); School of the Art Institute of Chicago(15); and University of Pittsburgh School of Law(18).
ABOUT KELLY STRAYHORN THEATER
Named after 20th century entertainment legends Gene Kelly and Billy Strayhorn, both natives of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Kelly Strayhorn Theater (KST) is a home for creative experimentation, community dialogue, and collective action rooted in the liberation of Black and queer people. We welcome our home to all who uplift Black, Indigenous, people of color, and queer voices.
KST is an institutional arts anchor in Pittsburgh’s East End that has served the community for more than two decades. Since launching KST Presents programming in ’08, KST has been Black-led, fostering radical imagination for Black and queer arts, culture, and community in Pittsburgh by cultivating BIPOC and/or queer artists, entrepreneurs, and arts administrators, developing their careers, and shifting narratives around Black possibility.