PIE 2025 Special Guest: Steph Neary!

PIE is thrilled to announce that Steph Neary will be a Special Guest for PIE 2025! Steph Neary is a self-taught artist who creates one-of-a-kind pieces using vintage and salvaged materials. Her work is neon and soft, huge and intimate, and always deeply human.

Steph’s artistic practice spans strange dolls and fabulous witches, zines on paper and fabric, worlds of drawings, and storytelling through quilts. Her work embraces the raw charm of heirloom-inspired design, blurring the lines between art and craft, honoring traditions of both to create her own visual language.

She has been a part of organizing the Pittsburgh Zine Fair, co-editor of Andromeda Quarterly (2010-2014), featured in nationwide anthologies and self publishing comix since 2008. Currently, she manages VaultArt Studio, a progressive art space in Pittsburgh’s Garfield neighborhood which supports and promotes the inclusion of artists with disabilities in contemporary art. She lives by the philosophy that "anything is comix" and creates artwork out of her home studio.

We first met Steph as table neighbors at the Pittsburgh Zine Fair. She was friendly and welcoming to us newbies, and we got to know the comics community through Steph’s memories and blurry phone photos. She has been an incredible mentor and advisor as we navigated the enormous task of planning a comics expo for the first time. We love how Steph’s work pushes the boundaries of what comics and storytelling can be, and we’re thrilled to have her join us as a special guest!

Images from artist website - StephNeary.com