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That's why The Salon was started. It was a reaction to the absence of a connecting piece: something that could tie together all of the beautiful, true, and brilliant things that women around Pittsburgh were doing.
We want to feel the kinetic energy of spontaneous creation in our space. We want to sit silent in a moment of collective learning. We want to grow in leaps and strides. Consider joining us.
Entrepreneurs, artists, academics, organizers, leaders, friends, family members, people—they're all welcome at The Salon. Our goal is to thrive through the creation of a diverse community.
Our intimate Salon Studio, designed by Colleen Simonds Design, provides a female-forward, vibrant and warm atmosphere. Colorful and cozy, bright and sophisticated, the Salon Studio is available for use by members by reservation. The entire space can also be reserved for your private event.
Co- Founder
Born and raised in Pittsburgh, Cathy Lewis Long founded The Salon in 2020 with a desire to create a new space for the city’s brilliant women to gather, collaborate, and grow.
Prior to starting The Salon, Cathy served as co-founder and Executive Director of The Sprout Fund for over two decades. Under her leadership, Sprout worked with regional and national philanthropic partners to make more than $7 million of community-decided investments in 1,100+ early-stage projects, organizations, innovators, and activities. Some of Western PA’s most notable nonprofits —Bike Pittsburgh, Bricolage, Tree Pittsburgh, and Assemble—got their start with support from the fund.At Sprout, Cathy was involved in the creation and implementation of all of the fund’s major programs. She oversaw the grant proposals and reports for nearly 50 major organizational gifts from 18 regional private, community, and corporate foundations, developing a keen interest in community building in the process.
After sunsetting the organization, Cathy joined her alma mater, Carnegie Mellon University, as an adjunct faculty member at Dietrich College to share her knowledge of cities and grassroots culture building. She has also presented on the topic at several national and international conferences.
Cathy is an active member of many of Pittsburgh’s civic and cultural organizations. She has served on the Board of Trustees of The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, and has formerly served on the boards of The Ellis School, Grantmakers of Western Pennsylvania, the Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, and other organizations.
She lives in Squirrel Hill with her family and her cat and dog, Sunny and Luna!
Co- Founder
janera solomon is a writer, cultural strategist, curator, and nonprofit executive based in Pittsburgh. Recognized for her entrepreneurial energy, janera brings passion and a wide breadth of experience to cultural projects locally, nationally and internationally.
Her work as a curator is driven by a keen interest in artists committed to the cultural and social questions and issues of our time. Curatorial projects include: exhibitions, performances and community engagement projects with bright stars — Kyle Abraham, Olivier Tarpaga, Alisha Wormsley, Sean Dorsey, Jaamil Kosoko, Angelica Dass, David Rousseve, Vanessa German, Tavares Strachan, Damon Young, Terrance Hayes and many more.
A recognized thought leader in cultural planning, janera has an extensive portfolio of projects with visual artists, independent spaces, and museums and performing arts centers. This includes collaborative projects with Toronto based creative and museum consultants, Lord Cultural Resources, including: Museum of the African Diaspora (San Francisco); Brooklyn Museum of Art; Ministry of Tourism in Ontario; and planning and project management for the August Wilson Center for African American History & Culture (Pittsburgh).
janera is a provocateur known for her passionate commitment to creative and cultural expression as powerful tools for dialogue, collaboration and social change. For more than a decade, janera served as the executive director of the Kelly Strayhorn Theater. She’s a 2020-2021 fellow with Policylink, a National research and action institute based in Oakland California.
Her far-ranging interests include: live performance, architecture and urban planning, contemporary art & curatorial practice; womanism and motherhood, and the cultural frameworks and artistic practices of African diaspora, and more. She is a 2021 Martha's Vineyard Creative Writing Institute Fellow. She’s pursuing a MA in Writing at Johns Hopkins University and working on her first collection of poetry and essays.
In 2022, she joined Cathy Lewis Long, as co-founder, The Salon.
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Special Projects Manager
Alexis spearheads Special Projects for The Salon, supporting co-founders Cathy and janera in strategy development, community management, partner outreach, and member recruitment.
A Pittsburgh native, she spent her twenties in New York City, pursuing a Master's degree in sustainable urban development and career as chief of staff for a global financial services firm. She initially returned to her hometown to quarantine during the pandemic, but appreciated the revitalizing city so much that she moved back permanently.
Alexis brings to The Salon a passion for Pittsburgh, organizational development, and, thoughtfully-constructed salads to the bi-monthly potluck. In her off-hours, she serves as a life coach and essayist, and enjoys running, design, and exploring the East End with friends old and new.
Where is The Salon?
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We are located in a corner studio on the 2nd floor of Field Day at the corner of Butler and 37th street in Lawrenceville, Pittsburgh.
Can I join The Salon?
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The Salon is an inclusive and diverse community welcoming to all. Our programming is designed for female and female-identifying, non-binary and gender non-conforming members.
Who should join?
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Are you looking for easy and frequent ways to connect and learn with new groups of women. Do you long for a spot to come and hang and learn and socialize and just be you? If you answered yes to one or more of the above, you should join!
Are men invited to be a part of The Salon?
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Yes, of course, men are welcome to join, though our female-forward programming and space might not be their thing.
Is The Salon open to the Public?
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Yes, we are always looking for ways to expand our circle! Members are welcome to bring guests of any gender. Prices for non-members for Salon events vary depending on the program. The public may rent our space for private events on a limited basis.
What kind of amenities does The Salon offer?
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As a part of Field Day, members of The Salon will also have access to: Gorgeous lounge/meeting space, private phone booths, large and small conference rooms (for fee), nursing and rest room, spacious kitchen, lending library, free wifi, coffee, tea, water service, and a directory of members.
Who leads The Salon programs?
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Drawing on the expertise of our membership and in the community, Salon program are lead by artists, innovators, entrepreneurs, educators and otherwise badasses in their field working at the edge of knowledge and practice. Salon members can stand-up their own peer groups and programs and invite like-minded peers to join in the dialogue.
How do I partner with The Salon?
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The Salon seeks to build relationships with regional women, leading in their fields to feature as speakers, panelists, moderators and workshop leaders on topics related to those specified themes. We hope to serve as a bridge between great minds, services, organizations, ideas and our active and engaged membership. We hope that partners will find a valuable network personally and professionally, with the mutual understanding that the intent of our programs is for education and dialogue, not sales of a particular service or product.
Shoot us a note and tell us a little bit about yourself and the program you propose. We’re always looking to work with amazing thinkers and doers who want to share their trade with a small engaged group of Salon members.