My America: An Immersive, Illustrated experience by Pittsburgh Society of Illustrators

Illustrations featuring Jackie Robinson (bottom right) and Ben Franklin (top center) at "My America: An Illustrated Experience".

What does America mean to you?

This thought-provoking question may be daunting for some. In brainstorming, one can come up with various qualities that represent the red, white, and blue's founding ideals: opportunity, liberty, freedom, etc.

Illustrators and artists at the Pittsburgh Society of Illustrators (PSI) gathered at Heinz History Center on Thursday, January 22 to celebrate what America means to them. The experience commemorates America's 250th birthday, also coinciding PSI's 30th anniversary. Throughout the exhibit, individual illustrations created by PSI members help public audiences reflect upon American values such as freedom, resilience, democracy, independence, equality, rights, liberty, opportunity, diversity, self-government, and justice.

Made in America, by James Mellett, featuring staples of American culture.

Made up of 147 members, the organization promotes artistic and professional growth, advocacy for artists’ rights, and the camaraderie and promotion of collective Pittsburgh talent. PSI is the second largest illustration society in the United States and is almost exactly equal female and male membership.

Visitors of the exhibit are met with dim lights and rich, vibrant pieces that almost jump off the wall, each representing different eras of American life. The works take form in multiple mediums: paintings, sculpture, illustrations, puzzles, projections, and more, each of which amplify, critique, and/or reflect on a pillar of American society.

Illustrators accepting their awards for their works at "My America: An Illustrated Experience".

Closely examining the different pieces, visitors can find a plethora of Pittsburgh icons and activists, and well as nationally beloved figures, spanning from jazz to former presidents to Jackie Robinson. President of PSI James Mellett described the experience in one word, "Detailed," said Mellett.

When doing research for his works, Mellett was enthralled by the history he uncovered about Jazz legend and Pittsburgh native Mary Lou Williams. "Not only is she excelling in a society that didn't want black people to excel, she's a woman doing it alongside the man. And she's better than all of them," said Mellett.

"She produced and wrote a Catholic Mass. I mean...every decade, as I'm reading through this... I'm reading on my computer going 'Listen to this. Oh, listen to this... listen to this!'"

After experiencing "My America: An Illustrated Experience", Mellett hopes visitors recognize "The variety and vast amount of talent... in this western Pennsylvania region. ... different styles, different techniques, different experiences... it's kind of cool to see what someone comes up with when you give them a project like this."

ASIP Rep and PSI member Ilene Winn-Lederer displayed one of her pieces, The Egg Buyers, at the exhibit, which also won an award. Winn-Lederer described the piece as "eclectic", explaining that the painting transports her back to her childhood on the West Side of Chicago, Illinois.

"At that time, when I was a kid, there was a street area called Maxwell Street, and it was where immigrants would gather with their food carts and sell their wares. Anything from clothing, to food, you know, tools... and it was just a wonderful gathering place for many ethnicities to socialize and make their living. So, there was a lot of noise. There was a lot of color."

The Egg Buyers, by Illene Winn-Lederer.

The Egg Buyers highlights that America is a melting pot, comprised of people from all walks of life. "It reflected a time in the United States where people were fresh off the boat, from Europe and Eastern Europe...could come and feel that they could breathe the free air and free to remake their lives, and free to think about creating a future for their children and their grandchildren and so on," said Winn-Lederer.

Winn-Lederer's work holds up a metaphorical rear-view mirror to the audience, asking them to reflect on the past. "Things have changed so much that I wanted to bring those subjects back into my work, to be able to remind people of what we once were... America is a country of mixed ethnicities...it was never meant to be for one or another."

Many Identities One Country, by June Edwards.

"I've lived long enough to see such major changes and... it's scary, and its heartbreaking, but we have those memories to remind us of what we could be once again." Said Winn-Lederer.

My America: An Illustrated Experience is open at the Heinz History Center until September 8, 2026. If interested in purchasing a piece or commissions, please visit Pittsburgh Society of Illustrators for direct inquires.