News
Awarded Wilkinsburg PA Public Art Project
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Presley L. Gillespie
presley@neighborhoodallies.org
NEIGHBORHOOD ALLIES AND THE OFFICE OF PUBLIC ART ANNOUNCE PARTICIPANTS IN THEIR TEMPORARY PUBLIC ART AND PLACEMAKING PROGRAM
Pittsburgh, PA July 6, 2016: Neighborhood Allies and the Office of Public Art are pleased to announce the community based organizations and artists who have been selected to participate in their Temporary Public Art and Placemaking Program. The program, designed to jumpstart art and cultural projects that have the potential to revitalize neighborhoods, has brought together community organizations and artists to work in concert with local residents to develop a temporary work of public art in six communities in Pittsburgh and first-ring suburbs. The artworks will be located in each of Neighborhood Allies’ target neighborhoods including the Hill District, Homewood, Larimer, Millvale, Wilkinsburg, and the Southern Hilltops.
The community organizations were selected through a Request for Proposal process, and the artists were chosen by selection committees, made up of members from each of the community organizations through a Request for Qualifications process, which attracted not only local Pittsburgh artists, but also artists from across the country. The teams are:
- Hill House Associationwill be working with artist Njaimeh Njie (Pittsburgh, PA)
- Hilltop Men’s Groupwill be working with artist James Simon (Pittsburgh, PA)
- Legacy Arts Project(Homewood) will be working with the East End Art Team (artists Daveia Davis, Jessica Rutherford, and Shernise Allen, Pittsburgh, PA)
- Larimer Consensus Group will be working with John Pena (Pittsburgh, PA)
- Millvale Community Development Corporationwith the Society to Preserve the Maxo Vanka Murals and Millvale Community Library will be working with Seyed Alavi(Oakland, CA)
- Wilkinsburg Community Development Corporationand Community Art and Civic Design Commission will be working with Jennifer Chenoweth (Austin, TX)
“This process has paired community organizations and artists who are excited to genuinely collaborate to create positive change in a community, says Presley Gillespie, Neighborhood Allies President, “Together, these buy tramadol online without a prescription teams will be developing temporary public art projects and engaging residents to celebrate and enjoy their community. This process is designed to inspire future placemaking projects in these neighborhoods. We hope to inject new creative energy, and we’re excited to see the full impact that this project will have in our communities.”
This August, the artists and organizations will begin the process of developing a proposal for the design and implementation of a temporary public art project that will be a catalyst to do one or more of the following: animate public and private spaces; rejuvenate structures and streetscapes; support local businesses; enhance public safety; and invite people of all ages, ethnicities and socioeconomic backgrounds together to build relationships and develop a shared commitment to transforming a space through sincere collaboration. Artists are expected to have conceptual designs to be reviewed in each community in by November. Each team will participate in monthly Placemaking Academy meetings, where they will learn about best practices in placemaking and public art and serve as sounding boards and resources for the projects as they develop.
This program is generously funded by Hillman Foundation and The Heinz Endowments.
About Neighborhood Allies
Our mission is to support the people, organizations and partnerships committed to creating and maintaining thriving neighborhoods. Our vision is a Pittsburgh with healthy neighborhoods that are thriving, resilient and livable for all. For more information, visit www.neighborhoodallies.org.
About the Office of Public Art
The Office of Public Art raises awareness of and builds capacity for public art in the Pittsburgh region through technical assistance and educational programs. Founded in 2005, they are a public private partnership of the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council and the City of Pittsburgh Department of City Planning. For more information, visit www.publicartpittsburgh.org
