Art exhibit in West York pays tribute to fallen Officer Andrew Duarte

An art gallery has opened in the West York borough building in memory of fallen police Officer Andrew Duarte, and one of his photographs from a trip to Portugal is included in the collection.

“Drew would love this,” his mother, Nancy Duarte Matarese, told the visitors gathered for an opening reception on the evening of Jan. 22.

Andrew Duarte was an artist. His mother showed pictures that her son drew as a young child and keeps in her portfolio to this day. The two started taking photographs together when Andrew Duarte was an adult.

The mother and son took a photography tour during a vacation in Portugal in 2024. She and her son would snap pictures, and the photographer would look at them. “Do what he does,” the photographer advised her.

“He definitely had a very good eye,” she said of her son.

The photography helped her son in dealing with the stress of his daily work as a police officer, Nancy Duarte Matarese said.

His photograph of a streetcar in Lisbon hangs on the wall as part of the gallery. One of Nancy Duarte Matarese’s photographs of her son with a cat also is part of the collection.

The exhibit opened 11 months after Andrew Duarte was killed in the line of duty while responding to an active shooter holding healthcare workers hostage at UPMC Memorial Hospital.

The exhibit features 19 art pieces by 15 artists, said Mindy Christian, executive director of Creative York.

It will be expanding to a second floor in the building, borough manager Shawn Mauck said.

“We hold this gallery up as something that is a living piece and a living tribute to Andrew,” he said.

Some of the artists will be donating a portion of their sales, which will help with public safety efforts, Mauck said.

The borough continues to look for sponsorships for the collaboration.

Creative York also plans to offer a class for first responders who suffer from post traumatic stress disorder, Christian said.