Leaving his hometown of Philadelphia in 2013, Shikeith Cathey, professionally known as Shikeith, came to East Liberty with a dream to create. But how does a Black youth make a dream come true — especially so far from home? The Bunker Projects, an East Liberty nonprofit artist residency, was the catalyst. His passion for photography and filmmaking soon earned him the Advancing Black Arts grant through the Pittsburgh Foundation and funding from the Heinz Endowments, which officially launched his career. The support sponsored his first solo exhibition, Somewhere Over The. It led to his breakthrough documentary, #Blackmendream, which aired on NPR.
Shikeith Cathey’s Journey From East Liberty Artist to National Creative Voice
Shikeith, who earned a Master of Fine Arts in sculpture from the Yale School of Art, uses his artwork and filmmaking to explore the emotional as well as psychological experiences of Black men. Through the historical lenses of racial oppression, systematic inequality and spiritual endurance, his art investigates Black men’s being. Moreover, it seeks to examine the impact of societal factors on their lives.
Speaking of his newest artistic endeavor, Project Blue Space, Shikeith wrote, “This project explores the layered relationship between Black life and water. Proximity to ‘blue space’ is often associated with improved mental health. However, water also carries complex histories for Black communities. It holds memory and trauma alongside healing, renewal and spiritual practice. Using Pittsburgh’s rivers as a starting point, I am interested in bringing forth how Black communities have lived in and around these waterways … I hope that by doing this, I invite a broader dialogue about history, space, and belonging.” The Mellon Foundation’s Humanities In Place division awarded the initiative $250,000.
Exhibitions, Public Art, and Growing Recognition
Locally, Shikeith — in his studio above — has had exhibitions at the Mattress Factory and Pittsburgh Glass Center. His work is also in the permanent collections of the Carnegie Museum of Art and The Westmoreland Museum of American Art. An inaugural Arts Landing artist, he will soon debut his first public sculpture, Hold, following his Three Scores in Blue lighting commission for the Sister Bridges. With a footprint extending from NYC to London, Shikeith continues to bridge Pittsburgh’s local scene with global success.
Story by Valerie Parm