iamb takes its name from a poetic meter consisting of one unaccented and one accented syllable. Noted for its similarity to a beating heart, the tiny iamb is often considered the primary building block of Western storytelling. When repeated five times, iambic pentameter stretches to ten syllables—the average length of time a lung can last without inhaling. Though they use different media, all artists use their hearts and lungs to express universal truths, yet many do so without voicing a word. Consequently, Iamb is a gallery space that centers human experience and the unspoken stories that investigate when and where and how we live.
Spotlighting emerging, marginalized, and under-represented artists from the Pittsburgh/tri-state/ neighboring Appalachian region, the gallery’s purpose is to promote artistic expression in relation to experience and narrative; to foster dialogue between artists and audiences across race, gender, sexual orientation, geographic, and socio-economic boundaries; and to reinforce the vital bond between literature and art as part of the region’s cultural heritage.
Please see our detailed gallery specifications here.