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 Association will be working with artist Njaimeh Njie (Pittsburgh, PA)
- Hilltop Men’s Group will 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 Corporation with the Society to Preserve the Maxo Vanka Murals and Millvale Community Library will be working with Seyed Alavi (Oakland, CA)
- Wilkinsburg Community Development Corporation and 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 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. Thank you for your support!
