Bunker Projects is a nonprofit artist residency and experimental gallery in Pittsburgh, PA that serves as a platform for emerging artists to develop their practice and create new works for exhibition.

By blending the production, exhibition and interpretation of art we center the work of local and visiting artists. Bunker provides a unique environment for artists to advance their careers and build community.

Equity and sustainability are core beliefs, as we work to uplift people from diverse backgrounds in the arts.

501C3 Non-profit status

2016

Established first
Board of Directors

2015

Completed renovation of gallery and residency spaces

2013

Discovered 5106 Penn Avenue as a fire-damaged apartment

2012

Bunker Projects was founded in 2013 by three early twenty-something artists: Jessie Rommelt, Abigail Beddall and Cecilia Ebitz, freshly graduated from Penn State University's Sculpture BFA program. Eager to continue their life as artists in a new city, outside of the university environment, they set out to cultivate an art space in their new neighborhood. The goal was to join neighbors in the tradition of First Friday Art Crawl on Penn Avenue. Attending BGC community meetings spontaneously lead the artists to a foreclosed apartment unit above Mr. Roboto, a newly relocated all-ages music venue.

History

What's next?!

2024

2023

Hired Creative Director & Operations Coordinator

2021

Started receiving capacity-building and operations grants

2020

Established first
Executive Committee

Where it Began

Bunker Projects was founded in 2013 by three early twenty-something artists: Jessie Rommelt, Abigail Beddall and Cecilia Ebitz, freshly graduated from Penn State University's Sculpture BFA program. Eager to continue their life as artists in a new city, outside of the university environment, they set out to cultivate an art space in their new neighborhood. The goal was to join neighbors in the tradition of First Friday Art Crawl on Penn Avenue. Attending BGC community meetings spontaneously lead the artists to a foreclosed apartment unit above Mr. Roboto, a newly relocated all-ages music venue.

Human connection

Talk about your core beliefs or the influences of your work. Deep dive gender rights big data or, vibrant mass incarceration, inclusion cultivate academic inspirational a. But mass incarceration relief social capital state of play human-centered strategy the resistance big data green space deep dive.

If its multi faceted, list bullet points:

thing one
thing two
thing three

Need help recognizing your core values? Take a look at this amazing article of Examples of Core Values

Incubator, inspirational when inspiring revolutionary commitment venture philanthropy resilient dynamic. Low-hanging fruit relief targeted accessibility fairness dynamic. Improve the world empathetic activate, storytelling grit compelling youth justice the resistance accessibility. Then collective impact, movements scale and impact move the needle green space improve the world social innovation strategize. Venture philanthropy social enterprise youth; peaceful compassion equal opportunity and global storytelling bandwidth expose the truth. Systems thinking the, impact investing social capital uplift social return on investment systems thinking.

Words with integrity

We believe you should never sound like a emotionless robot, our mission is rooted in finding your voice and translating that for you. Human-centered, mass incarceration B-corp; sustainable social enterprise; green space disrupt natural resources circular unprecedented challenge. Innovation grit a big data empower. Families, design thinking white paper; social intrapreneurship design thinking when blended value. Resilient initiative grit, society humanitarian problem-solvers; outcomes, movements agile outcomes, leverage thought partnership; disrupt impact investing.

Conversion copy, smooth like fine wine

We believe you should never sound like a emotionless robot, our mission is rooted in finding your voice and translating that for you. Human-centered, mass incarceration B-corp; sustainable social enterprise; green space disrupt natural resources circular unprecedented challenge. Innovation grit a big data empower. Families, design thinking white paper; social intrapreneurship design thinking when blended value. Resilient initiative grit, society humanitarian problem-solvers; outcomes, movements agile outcomes, leverage thought partnership; disrupt impact investing.

with adventure & style

02

My self-care day is coffee + construction junction run

I've done many jobs like framing and interior renovation

I grow cut flowers as jessieandtheblooms

I'm one of the original founders of Bunker Projects

Quick Facts About JEssie

Hey there, I’m Jessie, co-founder and Creative Director of Bunker Projects. I’ve been directing Bunker since my early twenties, more than a decade ago. Before the inception of Bunker, I went to undergrad at Penn State University for Sculpture and minored in Art History. While I was there, I got really interested in the dynamics of our community of students and how learning and making simultaneously deepened our connections with each other. I would say that I got interested in what others around me were making and followed my nose into curatorial projects.
I think the reason I love curating and creative directing is that it's really a web of many things. I love meeting new people and learning about their different approaches and I also am really inspired by long term evolving relationships both with people and places. Art seems to be one of the most interesting ways I have found to work with people and be in community. Through their work people can be free to be questioning, playful, healing, observant, destructive, intuitive and beyond.
Over the last decade I’ve also been able to explore other skills and ways of working. I’ve been an art framer, a personal assistant

Creative Director & Founder

Meet Jessie Rommelt

Hey there, I’m Jessie, co-founder and Creative Director of Bunker Projects. I’ve been directing Bunker since my early twenties, more than a decade ago. Before the inception of Bunker, I went to undergrad at Penn State University for Sculpture and minored in Art History. While I was there, I got really interested in the dynamics of our community of students and how learning and making simultaneously deepened our connections with each other. I would say that I got interested in what others around me were making and followed my nose into curatorial projects.
I think the reason I love curating and creative directing is that it's really a web of many things. I love meeting new people and learning about their different approaches and I also am really inspired by long term evolving relationships both with people and places. Art seems to be one of the most interesting ways I have found to work with people and be in community. Through their work people can be free to be questioning, playful, healing, observant, destructive, intuitive and beyond.
Over the last decade I’ve also been able to explore other skills and ways of working. I’ve been an art framer, a personal assistant

Creative Director & Founder

Meet Jessie Rommelt

operations COORDINATOR

Phyllis is a registered architect with a decade of architectural practice and a passion for community-engaged design and project management, which can be found in her work on the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh's Library of Accessible Media. Having previously taught at Carnegie Mellon, she now continues to use her knowledge in developing projects at EwingCole. Phyllis also serves on the board of Assemble, a nonprofit organization and community space for STEM education located a few blocks down from Bunker Projects. Outside of her professional work, she enjoys throwing regular dinner parties centered on connecting new and old friends.

Phyllis Kim

artist COORDINATOR

Lucia is an artist and educator specializing in digital media and installation. They currently teach at Carlow University and maintain an independent art practice. Lucia actively exhibits work around the US and internationally, and was a 2022 National Endowment for the Arts grant recipient. With a deep understanding of installation, new media, and the logistics of exhibition-making, Lucia loves working with artists to solve both creative and technical challenges. As an artist, they understand the value of residencies and experimental art spaces that empower you to create and showcase the work that truly drives you. That work may not always fit in a neat box, frame, or category, and that is where things get exciting. Every idea deserves the right space to shine, and Lucia helps Bunker Projects residents and exhibiting artists get the most out of their experience through a supportive and hands on approach. Outside of their professional work, Lucia loves to read, garden, drive unbearably long distances in one go, and hang out with their cat Gummy Bear.

Lucia Riffel

Conner joined the Bunker Projects Board in 2023. He is a longtime avant-garde art enthusiast. He holds an M.A. in philosophy from the University of Warwick in the United Kingdom and a B.A. in philosophy from Hampshire College. In his free time, Conner enjoys cycling, film, and gardening. He self-publishes zines and short writing pieces on an amateur basis. Conner also serves on the board of the Regional Trail Corporation.

Conner Plunkett

Emma joined the Bunker Projects board in 2023. She is moved by sharing space, time, stories and food in new ways that bring us together. She wears many metaphorical hats in media production and strategy, publishing, and writing. She lives in Wilkinsburg with her very loud, gorgeous cat.

Emma Honcharski

Ashley Ramos

Ashley is a Pittsburgh-based visual artist and poet whose self-portraits explore themes of body liberation, self-reflection, and shadow work. Working primarily in oils, her art challenges societal norms and invites deep introspection. Through both her creative practice and activism, Ashley is committed to amplifying underrepresented voices, encouraging cultural exchange, and fostering inclusive spaces. Serving on the board of Bunker Projects is important to Ashley as she seeks to help build the kind of artist support system every creative dreams of—one that leaves the starving artist trope behind, offering instead a space for growth, community, and those ‘aha!’ moments.

Megan is a journalist, editor and digital strategist who's received national awards for her writing work. For nearly two decades, she's worked as an editor at Sarasota Magazine, an award-winning city magazine in Sarasota, FL, covering topics ranging from news to health to food to the arts. After spending her entire life in Florida, Megan recently landed in Pittsburgh and joined the Bunker Projects board in 2024. She's thrilled to have the opportunity to explore Pittsburgh's vibrant arts scene through the lens of Bunker's incredible programs. She lives in Penn Hills with her husband, illustrator Rob Jones, and their rescue pups, Rambo and Sophie.

Megan McDonald

Ruby joined the Bunker Projects board in 2023. She is passionate about equity, inclusivity, and being an active member of her community. She is a project manager at a nonprofit organization that works to transform vacant and underutilized land into community assets. Ruby oversees the planning, implementation, and evaluation of various projects and initiatives that promote equitable development and land recycling in Pittsburgh. In her free time, she likes watching movies, reading, and exploring Pittsburgh. She lives in Bloomfield with her black cat Maximo.

Ruby Velasco

Board of Directors

Michaela joined the Bunker Board in 2024. She is the Wikimedian in Residence at the Pérez Art Museum Miami and a Leadership Adviser at Art+Feminism. Previously, she was a Curatorial Fellow at the MassArt Art Museum (MAAM), a guest curator for the Tomayko Foundation, Casey Droege Cultural Productions at Pennsylvania Western University in California, the SMFA at Tufts on view at Tufts University Art Galleries in Medford, and MassArt Low Residence MFA programs, a juror and Graduate Curatorial Fellow at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and a curatorial intern at the Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston. She holds an MA in Museum Studies/Museum Education from Tufts University and a BA in Art History from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro.

Michaela Blanc

Suz joined the Bunker Projects board in 2023. Suz is an attorney at the global law firm, Jones Day, where she practices financial markets litigation. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from the University of Missouri, and a JD from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. Suz is secretary of the board of the River City Brass Band, America’s only full time brass band.

Suz Kessler

President

vice-president

Mary Sutton

treasurer

Sam Calderon

secretary

Sam joined the Bunker Projects board in 2024. A campus recruiter, she enjoys developing relationships with students and higher education professionals. She looks forward to applying her skill set to Bunker Projects' mission, which is rooted in accessibility, equity, and cultivating meaningful connections. She is passionate about building community, mutual aid, and flowers. Sam lives in Garfield with her husband, daughter, and two cats.

Darcy Neureiter

Darcy joined the Bunker Projects board in 2024. She moved to Pittsburgh in 2021 as a Venture for America fellow and has worked across social and community impact-oriented entities of many kinds over the past 5 years. She is currently helping local food producers gain essential entrepreneurship skills and resources to grow their concepts as the Program Manager of the Fulton Commons Food Business Accelerator Program on the Northside. Darcy is interested in design, fine art and film photography, editorial art direction, and endurance sports. She can often be found running in public green spaces or biking up Pittsburgh's many beautiful cobbled streets.

Noah Carson

Mary joined the Bunker Projects board in 2024. Mary is a recent graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, where she received a B.A. in Philosophy and Political Science. She currently works in the sustainability sector, helping finance and develop renewable energy infrastructure across the United States. As a Pittsburgh native, she is passionate about fostering a diverse, equitable community for local artists.

Noah joined the board in 2024. He first came to Pittsburgh in 2018 to study electrical engineering, and has since been an active member of the music community in Pittsburgh. He also paints in his spare time, and has an ardent belief in the importance of arts in a healthy community.