Kamau Ware Kamau Ware captures the creative side of Pittsburgh in the show "Bridge City," including black-and-white images of dancer Kyle Abraham Click photo for larger image. 'Bridge City' Where: Urban Space: A BridgeSpotters Gallery, 709 Penn Ave., Downtown. When: Through April 8. Gallery hours 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays. Information: urbanspace@bridgespotters.com

I t's dancer Kyle Abraham crouched on the Sixth Street Bridge with his boom box. It's Kuntu actor Nathan James in black leather posed in front of a Downtown marquee. It's singer Phat Man Dee looking prayerfully contemplative in a head scarf. But, with her dark eye shadow and brilliant lipstick, is she embracing religion or mocking it?

It's black and white and provocative.

It's "Bridge City."

A collection of 46 photographs meant to show a contemporary snapshot of creative Pittsburgh, "Bridge City" springs from the mind's eye of Kamau Ware, local photographer and founder of BridgeSpotters, a collective of inner-city young adults hoping to broaden a narrow-minded world through art, music and poetry.

"Pittsburgh can be a city where you find all these firewalls on the arts," said Ware, while putting the finishing touches on his exhibit. "But they're coming down, and this is a celebration of people who make it happen."

For this show, Ware strips down the color to work with white light and silver, and his aim is to exaggerate light and shadow, purpose and environment and people and perception.

At times technically underwhelming -- some shots are grainy and dark -- the show's power is in its message, which reflects young Pittsburgh's view of the artistic leaders poised to change the image of Steel City as being only defined by its steel history.

The scene here is "pre-puberty," said Ware. "But things are ready to be popping up all over."

The exhibit is an unabashed homage to youth. Ware gives props to the artistic ancestors -- August Wilson, Stanley Turrentine, Vernell Lillie. But they don't make the show.

Most of those who do are under age 40 or are leaders of arts venues that are less than two decades old. Who's on the wall? Andy Warhol Museum staff (smiling in the rain), Sprout Fund leaders, young authors, Pittsburgh Filmmakers.

Why Bridge City? Far too often, said Ware, a city is defined by its skyline. But, he said, if you were to knock buildings down, the imaginative, creative people -- the artists -- who do things that are equally visual and cultural should be a part of what's used to define a town.