Community engagement and social justice
Digital / lighting / projection art
Site-specific and integrated art
Pittsburgh Creative Corps Artist Directory
Owen Lowery
Primary Discipline
Artistic Practice
Assemblage, including found objects, multimedia
Site-specificity determines materials used
About the Artist
I’m an interactive artist with a mission of creating situations that foster intrinsic curiosity. I prioritize Universal Design in my work, hoping all people—regardless of age, height, background, or accessibility situation—can engage meaningfully.
I see my art as existing within the situations I create rather than the artwork itself. The art arises in reflective moments when a person wonders, “Is there more to this?” before attempting an entirely new approach. It’s a piece of this curiosity that I hope people will take away with them.
Curiosity will always be central to my work. Those who are curious ask questions rather than assume answers. Those who are curious prioritize listening over talking. Those who are curious recognize they have biases and investigate the unfamiliar rather than fear it. Those who are curious welcome diversity, because embracing divergent perspectives always leads to more interesting outcomes.
Curiosity not only drives my process, it truthfully is my process.
My work tends to live in less traditional art spaces—hospitals, libraries, learning centers, maker spaces, botanical gardens. I’ve exhibited work in popular tech/art festivals such as Currents New Media Fest in Santa Fe and Ingenuity Fest Cleveland. Within Pittsburgh, my work can be found at The Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh, techPLAYground at Southside Works, the Mario Lemieux Sibling Center within Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, and the inpatient youth floor at UPMC Western Psychiatric hospital.
Photo by Vicky Kent
Web
Accreditations, Certifications, and/or Awards
- MFA in Communication Media Arts, 2020;
- Burning Man Global Art Grant, 2019;
- First Place Award for New Media, UFVA Conference, 2018
Provides Fabrication Services to Other Artists
No
Teaching Artist
Yes, ages 6 and up
Joined the Directory
March 2022
Related
PROJECT
Pittsburgh Creative Corps
Designed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Pittsburgh Creative Corps initiative engages artists and creative workers to activate the public realm while providing economic opportunity.
“To create interactive public art, I need to develop that artwork with the community it’s meant for. It’s a collaboration and succeeds when the community feels agency in the process and outcome. I believe my art should be changed by the communities I work with and so should I.”
Owen Lowery
Contact the Artist
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Related
PROJECT
Pittsburgh Creative Corps
Designed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Pittsburgh Creative Corps initiative engages artists and creative workers to activate the public realm while providing economic opportunity.
