Here’s how we teamed up with Brew House Arts to create a strategy for building their archive—a resource that will boost community relationships, increase brand value, and drive engagement.

*The former Duquesne Brewing Company building in Pittsburgh, PA that is home to Brew House Arts, 2025. Photo by Bright Archives.*

Introduction

Client

Brew House Arts

Industry

Nonprofits and Arts

Services

Assessments, Strategic Planning

Brew House Arts provides space and support for people to connect and expand their relationship with the arts.

Brew House Arts is known for its innovative programs, including the Distillery Emerging Artist Residency, the Prospectus Curatorial Residency, its Cluster Artist Studios, and its Exhibition Rental opportunities.

It also has deep roots as an artist collective, originally established in the early 1990s in a multi-story building that once belonged to the Duquesne Brewing Company on the South Side of Pittsburgh. More than 30 years later, Brew House Arts remains a vibrant part of that historic space and the larger Pittsburgh arts community.

Today, they’re working toward becoming a nationally recognized arts center that enables creatives to experiment, exhibit, and connect directly with communities in Pittsburgh.

To learn more about Brew House's history and current work, visit https://brewhousearts.org/.

Primary Goal

Ultimately, Brew House Arts wanted to better organize their materials, reduce the physical footprint of their archive, find ways to manage their day-to-day records, and make more effective use of their archival assets. By bringing their unique and inspiring history to the forefront, they hoped to make admin tasks easier, connect more deeply with their community, and spark engagement.

Our Solution

We worked together to create a phased plan they could take on at a pace that matched their available resources. In Phase 1, we completed a comprehensive archives assessment, which laid the foundation for a strategic plan for the archive.

*Brew House Association, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, May 2, 1993. Image courtesy of Brew House Arts.*

Brew House Arts reached out to Bright Archives to explore ways to engage with their own history and bring new life to their archival assets. They were excited about the possibilities of their archive, but unsure where to start when it came to preserving, sharing, and—most importantly—accessing the valuable information it holds. They also needed to be strategic about how they used resources for the project.

So we worked with them to map out a thoughtful, multi-phase plan for reaching their goals for the archive. This approach gives them the flexibility to tackle specific tasks and processes over time, based on their budget and available resources.

We completed Phase 1 in 2025. It involved a comprehensive assessment—a crucial first step for any archive. We reviewed their archival assets, evaluated existing conditions, and gathered valuable input from their community on their needs, goals, challenges, and big-picture dreams. We then analyzed both the archival records and the interview data to develop targeted recommendations across key areas of archives management.

*On the Edge Of: 2025 Distillery Residency Exhibition opening at Brew House Arts in Pittsburgh, PA, 2025. Photo by Bright Archives.*

The Results

Brew House Arts now has a clear roadmap and strategy for developing their archival assets in a way that fits their needs and available resources.

The primary result of the Phase 1 assessment was a detailed 25-page archives strategy. It outlines how to better organize their records, enhance storage conditions, create practical policies and workflows, prepare for risks like pest infestations and water damage, and plan long-term for access, sustainability, and preservation of digital records.

As part of the assessment, we also documented their archival assets. We delivered a 19-page assessment form detailing the current state of their records, including provenance, quantity, formats, and condition. It also included a complete box list of the archive.

Sample pages from the Archives Strategy developed by Bright Archives for Brew House Arts, 2025.

Conclusion

Looking ahead, the archive will serve as a valuable tool to boost their community relationships, strengthen brand value, and drive engagement.

The key takeaway from this case is the importance of planning for archives development. Because Brew House Arts took the time to create a roadmap and an archives strategy, they are much more likely to be able to reach their ultimate goal of creating a functioning archive that will be a valuable tool in the future.

Once completed, the Brew House archive will serve as a significant resource to boost their reputation and drive engagement with the organization. It will give them a unique way to connect with their community and stand out, leveraging their historical assets to strengthen their relationships. By showcasing their history and streamlining their administrative records, it will open the door to new opportunities, collaborations, and growth.

According to the roadmap we created together, future phases will focus on processing the archive (getting it ready for use and long-term storage), expanding collecting-related activities, conducting interviews with community members, and more.

It's been a pleasure working with the team at Brew House Arts throughout this journey!

Do you want to start your own archives journey?

Archives and historical records can be complex, but with the right planning, they become valuable resources for building strong community relationships. We’re here to answer any questions and help you get started.

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