As they wrap up Brew House Arts’ Distillery residency in Pittsburgh, Adjunct Professor Alli Lemon and alums Ajunie Virk and London Williams offer insight into their exhibition, “On the Edge Of,” on view April 17–June 7, 2025.
Capping off a year of dedicated studio practice, the seven artists in Brew House Arts’ 2024-2025 Distillery Program have brought their work together in this spring’s culminating exhibition, On the Edge Of — on view April 17 through June 7, 2025. Housed in the historic Duquesne Brewing Company building (once one of the largest breweries in the country) in Pittsburgh’s South Side neighborhood, the residency provides studio space and professional development to emerging Pittsburgh artists. Among this year’s cohort are three artists from our own School of Art community: adjunct professor Alli Lemon and alumni Ajunie Virk (BHA ’23) and London Williams (MFA ’24). To mark the occasion, we checked in for a lightning round of reflections on what’s been brewing in their studios.
Alli Lemon
What’s one detail visitors should look for in your work?
Alli Lemon: When you get close to my bigger works, there’s a lot more variation in color than when you stand back.
London Williams: The sense of light. Look for where the light carries throughout the story. It is its own character.
Ajunie Virk: The same glowing mushrooms found covering the wall can be spotted somewhere in the video piece!
You’re currently on the edge of:
Lemon: Summer (thank god).
Williams: A world in my imagination that I have only had glimpses of my whole life.
Virk: My seat.
Where’s your South Side go-to?
Lemon: I reeeeally love the South Side: Carson St. Deli, Acacia for a cocktail, Thai Me Up, Benny Fiero’s… I could go on. I’ll miss being over there so often.
Williams: Three Rivers Vintage. I love looking for inspiration from the garments.
Virk: I’ve drawn one too many storyboards and had one too many coffees at Big Dog.
What has this residency helped you unlock in your practice?
Lemon: I’ve been able to bridge a lot of different ideas and methods. My work feels genuinely “distilled.”
Williams: As a creator I have always been self assured. This residency has helped me unlock a new level of self reliance, independence, and faith. If no one else believes in me, I know that I have complete faith in my ability and the message in my work.
Virk: Patience.
If your studio was something brewed, it would be:
Lemon: A sleeping potion 🙂
Williams: The TEA is … the Storytelling through the thoughts and desires of a contemporary Butch Queen.
Virk: A potion.
Photography by Kitoko Chargois.