Join us Saturday, July 27th, 11AM-12:30AM for Living Objects: Passionate Perspectives in Collecting, a panel discussion exploring the evolving nature of collections, the stories behind them, and collector-artist relationships. Moderated by program partner Brian Lang with collectors Yvonne Cook, Rachel Rearick, and Brian and Susan Sesack, Living Objects is the first in a three-part collectors series presented by Contemporary Craft and Brian J. Lang Fine Art Advising. Upcoming programs in this series include studio visits with regional artists Tadao Arimoto, Dan Brockett, and Thaddeus Mosley.

Free; registration required.

Coffee and light refreshments provided.

About the speakers:

Brian Lang, moderator

With more than 30 years of experience in the visual arts, Brian’s career has included managing fine art galleries, independent and corporate curatorial work, collection management, nonprofit management and private collection advising. Through his work in both the private and corporate sectors, he has collaborated with arts institutions across the country. In Pittsburgh, Brian serves on the art advisory committee of the Pittsburgh International Airport, and the art committee of the Sports & Exhibition Authority, as well as partnering with artists and nonprofits to encourage a growing creative community.

Following a tenure of more than two decades curating the collection of a Fortune 500 financial services company, Brian J. Lang Fine Art Advising was established to guide both individual and institutional collectors through all stages of a thoughtfully planned and executed collection strategy. His current work affords him the great privilege of building relationships with amazing people who share his passion for art.

Yvonne Cook, panelist

Yvonne Cook has served as the Highmark Foundation’s president since 2003. In this

position, Ms. Cook is responsible for the management, vision and thought leadership in

the foundation’s focus area of health; fiscal and program success of foundation goals

and evaluation of grantmaking. She makes decisions about priorities and strategies;

working collaboratively with other private and/or public funders and grantees for greater

social impact; and developing strategies for shaping agendas and decision-making of

other external stakeholders. She also is responsible for the development,

implementation, administration and evaluation of innovative and effective community

and health initiative activities, as well as the exploration and evaluation of marketplace

needs.

Cook is also Vice President for Community & Employee Engagement where she

designs and executes on programs throughout the Highmark Health enterprise

impacting over 40,000 employees. Employee engagement programs include the United

Way annual campaign, Volunteerism, Matching Gifts, Highmark Bright Blue Futures

Walk for a Healthy Community, and other programs.

In the space of the arts, Cook is an avid art collector, patron, supporter and promoter of

artists and the arts. She once served as a program officer at The Pittsburgh Foundation

providing grant support for the visual and performing arts. Cook was responsible for

overseeing the Multicultural Arts Initiative (a joint initiative between The Pittsburgh

Foundation and The Heinz Endowments) and other grantmaking to small to large art

organizations. In her collecting practice she is passionately engaged with many art

galleries and artists around the world and museums throughout the United States. In

her business practice, Cook is determined to increase the number of Black collectors

and ensure art is available for public view.

Rachel Rearick, panelist

As the Executive Director of Contemporary Craft and an active printmaker, it goes without saying that Rachel has a passion for handmade objects.  When it comes to her personal collecting inclinations, she often chooses additions from contemporary artists with whom she has had a professional relationship.  As with all of Rachel’s work, her collection is intentionally inclusive and represents many women, queer artists, and artists of color. Along with her wife Katie, Rachel has built a home that is a mix of functional ceramics and fine art, and they each have an extensive handmade jewelry collection.

Rachel received a Bachelors of Fine Arts from Edinboro University with a concentration in printmaking and Minor in art history before receiving a Masters in Public Administration with a focus on organizational leadership, from Gannon University.  She currently serves as the President of the Board at Shiftworks (formally the Office for Public Art), is on the Art Advisory Committee for the Sports and Exhibitions Authority, and is an adjunct faculty member at Carnegie Mellon University.

Brian and Susan Sesack, panelists

Susan and Brian Sesack met in the summer of 1977, dated while attending Duquesne University, and married in 1982. They relocated to Connecticut, where Susan earned her PhD from Yale University in 1988 and Brian worked in Pharmaceutical Manufacturing at Pfizer while earning an MBA from Fordham University. The couple then moved to New York City so Susan could complete postdoctoral training at Weill Cornell University School of Medicine. They returned to Western Pennsylvania in 1992 when Susan accepted a faculty position in the Department of Neuroscience at the University of Pittsburgh. Brian transferred his Pfizer expertise to the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) as Manager of Operational Effectiveness. 

Fast-forward many years, Brian finished his UPMC career as Pharmacy Operations Manager at the Hillman Cancer Center and is now in his third act as a fine art black and white photographer. He also teaches as an Adjunct Faculty at Duquesne University.  Susan is a Professor of Neuroscience at the University of Pittsburgh and was recently appointed as the Research Integrity Officer for the institution.