Behind the Scenes & On Display
January 2026
Now that we are halfway through January, The Novelty Collective team is eager to drop some exciting news about our plans for 2026! Over the past few weeks, we’ve been meeting with artists, consulting with advisors, & spending time in prayer to prepare for what’s ahead. We still have a lot to do & figure out, but here are several solid programs & initiatives for you to look forward to!
NEW! NoCo Insiders
In our November newsletter, we announced a new initiative to deliver in-depth, “street-level” stories about the people impacted by our programs & events. NoCo Insiders is an exclusive mailing list for mission partners committed to monthly giving. We want to thank our regular donors by sharing stories made possible by their generosity. You can get in on it, too!
If you believe in our vision & see the value of the work we do in Pittsburgh (as well as a few other places across the Midwest), we are asking you to consider committing to give as little as $10 per month to The Novelty Collective. Givebutter makes it super easy to donate! When you subscribe to an automatic withdrawal plan, you can “set it & forget it.” Giving monthly to any of our campaigns qualifies you for Insiders. Both of our main campaigns are accessible from the link below.
When Givebutter notifies us that you’ve submitted your first donation, you’ll be signed up for NoCo Insiders! Once per month, you’ll receive a new story about real people in the NoCo community & the difference your giving made in their lives; every quarter, NoCo Insiders will feature a video message from our team. We will also include a couple of interactive bits, as well!
We are ecstatic to share this first impact story about our biggest event of 2025, from the perspective of a dear friend & talented creative. You do not want to miss this! Issue One will be published on Tuesday, January 20th. Subscribe to a monthly plan on Givebutter before the end of Friday, January 23rd, to catch this story.
🔔 Follow the link to our fundraiser campaign page & become a monthly mission partner to be subscribed to NoCo Insiders.
The COVE After-break
As much as we have enjoyed our time off in January to regroup & map out these next twelve months, we sincerely miss having the students around. Our first official day of Afterschool in 2026 will be on Monday, February 9th! We are excited to engage in more art lessons—featuring new guest teachers from the NoCo creative community—& we cannot wait to jump back into The Mystery of Mark: our exploration of the astonishing life & ministry of Jesus.
Are you interested in joining us? It’s a new year, & a new chance to give back to your community! If you have ever considered volunteering at Afterschool, we offer several ways to get you involved, with varying levels of commitment. Find out more & start an application by visiting the Volunteer page:
Parents
We want to encourage local parents with middle school & high school students to check out the Afterschool page for more information about the program, get in touch with our team to plan a visit, & engage your own creativity while you’re here! Tap on the link below to send us a direct message.
Open Studios
You are cordially invited to create with us in 2026 by dropping by The COVE Art Center during Open Studios! We welcome you to come work on that art project you’ve been putting off, make time to practice & hone your skills, or discover new ways to transform your unique ideas into material beauty.
🔔 The first Open Studios of the year is scheduled for Saturday, February 14th.
If you are looking for something to do on Valentine’s Day, plan to be here! Here are some ideas to consider for making the most of it:
Make it a date! Bring your significant other & collaborate on an art project, or create handmade gifts for each other.
Come alone to work on a card or a gift to surprise your significant other; receive help or inspiration from one of the other artists in our community!
All romance aside, it’s a great day to hang out with friends & try something new!
Attend our first Open Studios Workshop of 2026…
Workshops
The Novelty Collective exists to eliminate barriers & establish new thresholds of opportunity for creative expression. Our goal is to provide you with more pathways to learn, grow, connect, & collaborate. Since The Novelty Collective community is already teeming with talent, we have devised a plan to include guided workshops at every Open Studios throughout the year.
Our first workshop will be taught by painter, jewelry-maker, & mixed media artist Rachel Casper, aka Gwen Strange Art. Rachel will be teaching an hour-long class on the basics of painting floral elements. Brushes, palettes, paints, & other materials are supplied by NoCo. All you have to do is show up ready to learn!
Please consider joining us for Rachel’s workshop, “Painting From the Heart: An Intro to Abstract Flowers,” on February 14th.
🔔 The workshop starts at 1:00pm & ends at 2:00pm.
Remember: you don’t have to attend a workshop to enjoy Open Studios. All our guests are free to engage in whatever manner they choose. No one is obligated to participate in group activities—or even create at all! Attending simply to hang out with friends is completely acceptable & encouraged.
📣 NOTE: Open Studios will take place on the second Saturday of every month, from 11:00am - 5:00pm. Find out more & add the next Open Studios on your preferred digital calendar (Google, Apple, Outlook, etc.) here:
NEW! First Friday
We are thrilled to announce that The Novelty Collective has been invited to take part in this monthly event, activated by Bellevue Forward. First Friday is an opportunity for local artists to display their work in participating venues, restaurants, churches, & businesses along Lincoln Avenue in Bellevue, PA.
For those unfamiliar with our area, Bellevue is a vibrant historic neighborhood with small-town energy along the Ohio River, just outside of downtown Pittsburgh. Our main street is home to a plethora of independently-owned cafés, restaurants, & other unique shops, as well as a beautiful park & public library. Its charm & accessibility make it an ideal location to host an “art crawl,” & we are honored to be included in the festivities.
Our first, First Friday gallery at The COVE Art Center will feature none other than Rachel Casper, aka Gwen Strange Art. “This exhibition invites you to see the joyful playfulness of the natural world in an up-close abstract riot of color, texture, & sparkle!”
One of our leading goals for the year is to develop deeper-rooted connections between the creatives we platform & the population we care for. As we invite different artists to exhibit their work in our gallery each month, we recruit them to serve one of NoCo’s other programs by teaching a workshop. Galleries will enhance visibility & elevate credibility for both the featured artist & our organization, while workshops will expand opportunities for kids & adults to access the arts through Afterschool & Open Studios, respectively.
This exchange has immense potential for far-reaching impact, & we cannot wait to share the outcomes with you in future newsletters. Please check out First Friday on the Bellevue Forward website.
🔔 NoCo’s First Friday gallery at The COVE Art Center will be held on Friday, February 6th, from 6:00pm - 9:00pm.
Hopeful Expectation
This summer will mark ten years since Founder & Executive Director Brittany Hartman-King opened The COVE Art Center. God granted her a clear vision long before she entered the space or acquired the resources to make it possible. In faith, she prayed & believed that God would make good on His word. Today, The COVE exists as an idyllic sanctum for artists of every age, interest, & skill level to find fresh inspiration, renewed passion, & community support. It’s a safe space to learn & grow without judgment, both in the arts & in conversations about faith. We get to serve scores of middle school & high school students, hundreds of starting artists & professional makers, as well as countless others in our own backyard & beyond.
We’ve come along way. God is faithful. We trust in Him to shape the future of The Novelty Collective, just as we trust in Him to mold us more & more into the image of Jesus. Sometimes the growth comes slowly, & the changes can be painful, but these things are temporary & pale in comparison to the greater glory that awaits us. It’s all because of Him that we get to do this, & it’s all for Him. Thank you for believing & praying with us. We look forward with hopeful expectation that 2026 is going to be an amazing year for us all.
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy & peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”
– Romans 15:13“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. Let us consider how to stir up one another to love & good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, & all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”
– Hebrews 10:23-25
Blessings,
Jordan & Brittany
Article written by Jordan A. King
