Pittsburgh is a place where we all belong.

In the wake of the presidential administration’s changing immigration policy, The Sprout Fund created the Belonging Community Art Project to celebrate the spirit and creative energy of the people who have made Pittsburgh their home, built communities here, and contributed to our shared future.

Sprout collaborated with the Office of Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto and 14 local organizations that promote unity and dialogue and serve immigrants and refugees. Through this initiative, local youth and adult artists created artwork expressing their concept of “belonging” and advocating for a welcoming and united Pittsburgh and Allegheny County.

Nearly 250 submissions of artwork were received, including many from local youth. Winners were selected through a combination of juried art processes and online voting that drew more than 14,000 votes.

The overall winner received an honorarium of $3,000, and the winning design was produced as yard signs and posters that were distributed for free across the region. An additional 17 works of art appeared on a “Community Voices” poster, and these winning artists each received a $100 honorarium.

Yard signs and posters with winning designs were distributed by the City of Pittsburgh, Citiparks sites, all 19 branches of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, coffee shops, community centers, and all partner organizations’ sites.

Program In Brief