Funded Projects from 2006
Academy of the Southside
$2,480 » The Academy of the South Side, 2006 Seed Award project support
Academy of the Southside, a project of The Academy of the South Side, was a studio classroom for classical oil painting methods, techniques, and professional instruction. The Academy of the Southside offered workshops, classes, and hard-to-find resources to oil painters. The school also brought in prominent national artists to give demonstrations, lectures, and critiques.
American Soundways
$3,000 » American Soundways LLC, 2006 Seed Award project support
American Soundways, a project of American Soundways LLC, was an hour-long radio program that educated and entertained listeners with the great musical stories of America, town by town. In each episode, host Tripp Clarke revealed the rich and unique musical heritage of each locale, as well as the history, anecdotes, facts, and folklore that define it.
The Appalachian School
$7,000, 2006 Seed Award project support
The Appalachian School supported, consolidated, and exported Pittsburgh’s independent art, music, and cultural scenes. Working in conjunction with established artistic and cultural institutions in the city, the project established a collaborative platform to leverage international connections and export a positive, creative image of Pittsburgh to the world.
ARTICULATE
$7,500 » ARTICULATE; Pittsburgh Creative Network, 2006 Seed Award project support
ARTICULATE, a project of ARTICULATE and Pittsburgh Creative Network, was as an online networking hub to connect various groups within the Pittsburgh arts community. Using web technology, ARTICULATE bridged gaps between artists, galleries, arts organizations, and the art-viewing public.
Autumn House Young Poets Series
$6,500 » Autumn House Press, 2006 Seed Award project support
Autumn House Young Poets Series, a project of Autumn House Press, was a sequence of workshops, readings, and events that connected young emerging poets with the established poetry community in Pittsburgh.
Be Well! Healthcare Options for the Uninsured
$8,000, 2006 Seed Award project support
Be Well! Healthcare Options for the Uninsured was a zine-format guide to health insurance alternatives for young adults without coverage. The guide compiled information on local social services and health care organizations and included testimonials from local citizens who had utilized these services without insurance.
“Bessie” Giant Inflatable
$1,500 » Steve O’Hearn, 2006 Giant Inflatables honorarium
Steve O’Hearn created “Bessie” as part of the Pittsburgh Roars Giant Inflatable Art Project. His design was 1 of 10 selected for full-scale reproduction as a giant inflatables, which were sited at locations across the Pittsburgh region as part of the year-long coordinated marketing campaign.
“BLAM!” Giant Inflatable
$1,500 » Shannon McMullen, 2006 Giant Inflatables honorarium
Shannon McMullen created “BLAM!” as part of the Pittsburgh Roars Giant Inflatable Art Project. Her design was 1 of 10 selected for full-scale reproduction as a giant inflatables, which were sited at locations across the Pittsburgh region as part of the year-long coordinated marketing campaign.
Bricolage Staged Reading Performance Series
$7,500 » Bricolage, 2006 Seed Award project support
Bricolage Staged Reading Performance Series, a project of Bricolage, was a sequence of six dynamic plays, presented over six months. At the end of the series, audience members chose one of the staged readings for Bricolage to perform as a full production.
“Celestial Weaving Girl” (2006)
Lucas Stock, 2006 Community Murals mural
Celestial Weaving Girl adorns a prominent wall of the Midwife Center for Birth and Women’s Health—a comfortable and safe place to welcome new life, which has delivered nearly 3,000 babies since first opening its doors in 1982. It is the only independent birth center in Southwestern Pennsylvania and plays a prominent role in the lives of many local women. The community wanted to focus on the Midwife Center’s commitment to women’s health, as well as the vitality and diversity of the Strip District. Lucas Stock’s mural celebrates womanhood with a scene of vibrant, unbridled vitality, with life literally following in the path laid by this new mother. The mother figure is derived from the Mayan legend of the “Celestial Weaving Mother” who was supposed to have given birth to the forebears of the human race. Behind the figure of the Celestial Weaving Girl is a stylized vision of Pittsburgh seen as a land ripe with fertility and rich with natural magnificence. The mural reflects the variety of women the Midwife Center has served, with the open-armed eternal mother in the center welcoming all visitors to the community.
Craft Congress
$10,000 » Handmade Arcade Organizing Committee, 2006 Seed Award project support
Craft Congress, a project of Handmade Arcade Organizing Committee, was the first national gathering of independent organizers of fairs, websites, magazines, and grassroots groups that work in the DIY craft medium. With contributors from Pittsburgh and a variety of cities across the country, the Craft Congress united the most forward thinking DIY craft leaders in Pittsburgh.
The Distillery Program
$4,500 » Brew House Association, 2006 Seed Award project support
The Distillery Program, a project of Brew House Association, offered young Pittsburgh artists viable ways to connect with, and contribute to, the local arts community by supporting their studio practice and providing career development opportunities. Participants met for studio visits, workshops, peer critiques, and discussions with guest curators, critics, and artists. A culminating exhibition of new works was held at Brew House Space 101, in conjunction with a series of artist lectures.
“East Carson Street Treasures” (2006)
David Hawbaker, 2006 Community Murals mural
As with the 2005 Southside mural, East Carson Street Treasures by artist David Hawbaker highlights the many faces that the Southside has worn throughout its history. The Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation approached The Sprout Fund with a strong desire to commemorate the architecture of the Southside as well as its role as a central hub of activity to Pittsburghers of the past, present and future. Known now as a shopping destination, for everything from designer clothes to rare artifacts to playful knick-knacks, the Southside was once home to steel and glass works and the men and women who kept these industries running. Both worlds merge in this mural with young people noting the historical architecture of Carson Street and the ghost of a steel worker looking on from the far right.
Faces of Democracy
$10,000 » Humanities Center, CMU, 2006 Seed Award project support
Faces of Democracy, a project of Humanities Center and Carnegie Mellon University, brought some of the best films in contemporary world cinema to Pittsburgh. The festival screened award-winning shorts and features concerned with civil, ethnic, and human freedoms.
Find the Rivers! Words, Music, Art!
$8,500 » Hill House Association, 2006 Seed Award project support
Find the Rivers! Words, Music, Art!, a project of Hill House Association, was a community-driven urban design vision for expanding economic development in the Hill District. Capitalizing on a strategic location, green spaces, and stunning river views, the project showcased visual, musical, and performing arts in the community.
FREE-STYLE
$5,000, 2006 Seed Award project support
FREE-STYLE was a free one-day festival of hip-hop music, art, and culture. The first local festival of its kind, the event featured Pittsburgh-based music groups, performers, graffiti artists, and dancers. Designed to showcase the collective potential of an often-maligned art form, FREE-STYLE hosted a roster of talent to represent the potential within Pittsburgh’s hip-hop community.
From Intolerance to Understanding
$6,000 » Pittsburgh Filmmakers, 2006 Seed Award project support
From Intolerance to Understanding, a project of Pittsburgh Filmmakers, was an art exhibition and community conversation project. Images produced by photographer Lynn Johnson documented the impact of intolerance and hate crime within city communities and advocated for overcoming barriers of difference. The project included a symposium discussion and a presentation to students and members of Pittsburgh Filmmakers.
“Green Monster” Giant Inflatable
$1,500 » Brian Holderman, 2006 Giant Inflatables honorarium
Brian Holderman created “Green Monster” as part of the Pittsburgh Roars Giant Inflatable Art Project. His design was 1 of 10 selected for full-scale reproduction as a giant inflatables, which were sited at locations across the Pittsburgh region as part of the year-long coordinated marketing campaign.
“GRRR!” Giant Inflatable
$1,500 » Fabian Winkler, 2006 Giant Inflatables honorarium
Fabian Winkler created “GRRR!” as part of the Pittsburgh Roars Giant Inflatable Art Project. His design was 1 of 10 selected for full-scale reproduction as a giant inflatables, which were sited at locations across the Pittsburgh region as part of the year-long coordinated marketing campaign.
Haitian Film and Art Cultural Event
$500 » The Thomas Merton Center, 2006 Grand Ideas project support
Haitian Film and Art Cultural Event, a project of The Thomas Merton Center, shed light on the plight of Haitians in their own country and here in Pittsburgh. Hosted by the Haiti Solidarity Committee and the Thomas Merton Center, the event tackled issues of politics, the AIDS epidemic, poverty, and voodoo in a day-long showcase of documentaries and short films and an exhibition of Haitian art.
“Houndstoothy the Squirrel” Giant Inflatable
$1,500 » Sylvia Kay, 2006 Giant Inflatables honorarium
Sylvia Kay created “Houndstoothy the Squirrel” as part of the Pittsburgh Roars Giant Inflatable Art Project. Her design was 1 of 10 selected for full-scale reproduction as a giant inflatables, which were sited at locations across the Pittsburgh region as part of the year-long coordinated marketing campaign.
“Interpretations of Oakland” (2006)
Jonathan Laidacker, 2006 Community Murals mural
Artist Jon Laidacker composes pictures within pictures in Interpretations of Oakland, located at the heart of the Oakland community on Forbes Avenue. The first layer of this piece is a depiction of the Strand Building, the very site of the mural as it would have been seen in the 1930s. Superimposed on this black and white image are the portraits of two of Oakland’s key historical figures: Fred Rogers and Mary Schenley. The prominent image of Fred Rogers, better known to the world as Mister Rogers, occupies the center right portion of the mural. From 1968 to 2001, Mister Rogers broadcast his legendary children’s television program from PBS station WQED located on Fifth Avenue in Oakland, only a short distance from the mural. In 1889, Schenley bequeathed a large portion of her family estate overlooking central Oakland to the City of Pittsburgh; it is known today as Schenley Park. Finally, a collection of snapshots give us a view of contemporary Oakland and its varied residents and attractions. From the businesses lining Forbes Avenue to the Carnegie Museums, the universities and the restaurants—Oakland has it all, and it’s all here in the mural.
Jewels: Directory of Women of Color
$2,500 » Office of Diversity Initiatives at Carlow Univ., 2006 Seed Award project support
Jewels: Directory of Women of Color, a project of Office of Diversity Initiatives at Carlow University, featured professional women who are educators in diversity, multicultural initiatives, and race relations. Connecting talented individuals in Pittsburgh, the printed directory created opportunities for collaboration and served as a historical tribute to the diversity efforts championed by women of color in Pittsburgh.
“Like a Lionfish Out of Water” Giant Inflatable
$1,500 » Alison Zapata, 2006 Giant Inflatables honorarium
Alison Zapata created “Like a Lionfish Out of Water” as part of the Pittsburgh Roars Giant Inflatable Art Project. Her design was 1 of 10 selected for full-scale reproduction as a giant inflatables, which were sited at locations across the Pittsburgh region as part of the year-long coordinated marketing campaign.
Looking In, Looking Out
$7,500 » Ninth Level, 2006 Seed Award project support
Looking In, Looking Out, a project of Ninth Level, was a live installation art project that promoted downtown living to young people in Pittsburgh. Artist Richard Melvin lived in a glass-fronted mock apartment downtown and produced paintings inspired by his experiences at street level.
MapHub
$10,000 » Carbon Defense League, 2006 Seed Award project support
MapHub, a project of Carbon Defense League, was a collaborative online map of Pittsburgh that allowed organizations and individuals to share information and interact with their city in a uniquely meaningful way. Marking everything from favorite coffee shops to wireless Internet access points to houses for sale, MapHub geographically connected people with information.
Mapping Pittsburgh
$5,000 » The Andy Warhol Museum, 2006 Seed Award project support
Mapping Pittsburgh, a project of The Andy Warhol Museum, was a participatory work of public art driven to create a dynamic, artist-led resource that combined online information, mapping, and visual material to document the Pittsburgh arts scene. The project emphasized community building among artists and organizers.
The Mobile Museum
$4,000, 2006 Seed Award project support
The Mobile Museum was a traveling space for dialogue about the collections housed in Pittsburgh’s museums. The project collected viewer feedback and insight at various locations and served as an artistic forum for students, educators, and the public at large.
“Monongahela Monster” Giant Inflatable
$1,500 » Blaine Siegel, 2006 Giant Inflatables honorarium
Blaine Siegal created “Monongahela Monster” as part of the Pittsburgh Roars Giant Inflatable Art Project. His design was 1 of 10 selected for full-scale reproduction as a giant inflatables, which were sited at locations across the Pittsburgh region as part of the year-long coordinated marketing campaign.
On Beyond Ethology
$1,973 » Ingram Clockworks, 2006 Seed Award project support
On Beyond Ethology, a project of Ingram Clockworks, created robotic versions of several species of waterfowl native to southwestern Pennsylvania. Using natural, electronic, and toy-like materials, the robots floated via blown-out eggshells and rowed with oars that had feathers for blades. The robots used sensors to navigate to the middle of Westinghouse Pond in Schenley Park and replicated species-specific interactions, including a courtship dance.
The Paper Riot Project
$975, 2006 Grand Ideas project support
The Paper Riot Project was a community event that brought together aspiring writers from Pittsburgh’s colleges and universities. The Paper Riot Project urged young writers to “Write a Riot,” using their words for action and inciting social awareness and change.
Pittsburgh Art Review
$5,000, 2006 Seed Award project support
Pittsburgh Art Review was a website containing critical dialogue related to Pittsburgh’s visual art scene. The Pittsburgh Art Review solicited, organized, and presented reviews of art exhibitions throughout the city.
Pittsburgh ByCycle
$3,500, 2006 Seed Award project support
Pittsburgh ByCycle was an online planner for bike routes within the city. The site, styled loosely after Google Maps, directed users to bicycle routes, depending on user location, needs, and abilities.
Pittsburgh Green Forum
$10,000 » Pittsburgh Urban Ecology Collaborative, 2006 Seed Award project support
Pittsburgh Green Forum, a project of Pittsburgh Urban Ecology Collaborative, was a conference held in response to Mayor Luke Ravenstahl’s call to “clean and green” the city. The conference, charged with catalyzing community pride and revitalizing the city’s neighborhoods, gave residents a chance to discuss creating community gardens, plant trees, renovate parks and transfer vacant lots to adjacent homeowners for private management. Providing a forum for community involvement, the conference increased residents’ sense of ownership, pride and investment in a large, citywide environmental movement.
“Pittsburgh Is the Zombie Capital of the World” Giant Inflatable
$1,500 » Jessica Jade Jacob, 2006 Giant Inflatables honorarium
Jessica Jade Jacob created “Pittsburgh Is the Zombie Capital of the World” as part of the Pittsburgh Roars Giant Inflatable Art Project. Her design was 1 of 10 selected for full-scale reproduction as a giant inflatables, which were sited at locations across the Pittsburgh region as part of the year-long coordinated marketing campaign.
The Pittsburgh Monologue Project
$1,000, 2006 Grand Ideas project support
The Pittsburgh Monologue Project, a project by Robert Isenberg, was a book companion to the performance series featuring monologues taken from actual conversations with Pittsburgh locals. A collection of stories, lives, bus rides, cold beers and lunchroom banter, the monologues occurred on Beltzhoover Avenue, Walnut Street and throughout the neighborhoods of Oakland and Arlington. The stories were then taken by 12 Peers Theatre to be dramatized and performed and, finally, collected in the Seed Award-funded book.
“Pittsburgh’s Painted Pachyderm” Giant Inflatable
$1,500 » David Edwards, 2006 Giant Inflatables honorarium
David Edwards created “Pittsburgh’s Painted Pachyderm” as part of the Pittsburgh Roars Giant Inflatable Art Project. His design was 1 of 10 selected for full-scale reproduction as a giant inflatables, which were sited at locations across the Pittsburgh region as part of the year-long coordinated marketing campaign.
“Present Tense” (2006)
Gerry Tonti, 2006 Community Murals mural
Bringing together the manmade and the organic, imposing an industrial scene in a residential context, Gerry Tonti’s Present Tense is imbued with the history of the community in which it resides–a borough that was once home to thousands of steelworkers, but now is brimming with a diverse array of residents of many backgrounds. Within the mural one can see in the distance the Edgar Thompson Steel Works, one of the last mills still in production in Pittsburgh. Framing the steel mill scene is the historic Westinghouse Bridge that connects East Pittsburgh to Braddock, the site of the mill. In keeping with the mission of The Sprout Fund and with the turning tide towards revitalization in Pittsburgh, Tonti also included a prominent display of day lilies to enliven the scene with color, and also to express a sense of vitality, rebirth and growth out of the past, with a keen eye to the future.
Puppets for Pittsburgh
$5,000, 2006 Seed Award project support
Puppets for Pittsburgh was a free service that lent puppets to area nonprofit organizations to add energy to their public events. Created by Cheryl Capezzuti and other young artists, these giant puppets were revealed at events throughout the region.
RealTalk
$9,500 » League of Young Voters Education Fund, 2006 Seed Award project support
RealTalk, a project of League of Young Voters Education Fund, was a nonpartisan, grassroots media, marketing, and web-based project to raise political awareness and mobilize voter turnout. The project targeted 18- to 35-year-old Pittsburgh residents, with special emphasis on student and minority populations, during the 2006 general election cycle.
Rustbelt Radio
$9,800 » Pittsburgh Independent Media Center, 2006 Seed Award project support
Rustbelt Radio, a project of Pittsburgh Independent Media Center, was an hour-long weekly radio show produced by an all volunteer collective and dedicated to “news from the grassroots.” The show highlighted the work of community activists and groups working for positive change and covered issues and events ignored, skewed, or misunderstood by corporate media outlets.
Sound Planet
$7,300 » Coro Center for Civic Leadership, 2006 Seed Award project support
Sound Planet, a project of Coro Center for Civic Leadership, involved national benchmarking and local market research. With the results of this research, Sound Planet created a nationally recognized music festival to engage a diverse audience, in Pittsburgh and beyond.
“Squirrel Convergence” (2006)
Mary Tremonte, 2006 Community Murals mural
Large, swirling, iconic squirrels—the signature element of artist Mary Tremonte’s work—can be easily recognized in Squirrel Convergence, which adorns the side of a building that houses Elements and Julep, two locally owned boutiques. Amidst the swirling squirrels, Tremonte incorporates numerous postal stamps, each depicting a recognizable feature of Lawrenceville, including landmarks and other natural elements of the area. The postal stamps not only serve as an aesthetic addition to the lively composition, but also as a commemoration to the fact that the Lawrenceville zip-code was the first in Pittsburgh! This mural is part of a community initiative to beautify the Lawrenceville area by infusing the neighborhood with public art. Located down the street from Sprout’s 2004 mural, Wheeling Heliocentric Orrery, these Sprout funded murals join a concentration of other public murals, memorials, galleries, and a supportive art community.
Stand Up!
$9,700 » League of Young Voters Education Fund, 2006 Seed Award project support
Stand Up!, a project of League of Young Voters Education Fund, was a nonpartisan voter education, registration, and mobilization project aimed at college students and other 18- to 40-year-olds living in Oakland, the Southside, and Beltzhoover as part of City Council District 3.
“The Thinker” Giant Inflatable
$1,500 » Daniel Franke, 2006 Giant Inflatables honorarium
Daniel Franke created “The Thinker” as part of the Pittsburgh Roars Giant Inflatable Art Project. His design was 1 of 10 selected for full-scale reproduction as a giant inflatables, which were sited at locations across the Pittsburgh region as part of the year-long coordinated marketing campaign.
“A Tribute to Herbert Douglas” (2006)
Heather White, 2006 Community Murals mural
Printmaker-turned-muralist Heather White’s Tribute to Herbert Douglas commemorates the Hazelwood native, who was a bronze medalist in the 1948 Olympics. Recreating the nostalgia of old newspaper clippings, White created large stencils to reproduce the look and feel of the dot-matrix printing process in a large scale painting, and transferred her stencils to the wall, allowing for a separation of the colors and a very accurate recreation of the same method used in newspapers and comic strips. The mural reads like a magnified piece of newsprint; standing farther away will cause the image to appear more cohesive and focused. Although this 2006 mural is stylistically unrelated to the 2005 Hazelwood mural on Elizabeth Street, the position of the two pieces complement each other–acting as bookends to the central Hazelwood business district. These two murals as well as other community efforts have provided a true transformation of the visual landscape for the Hazelwood community.
Unicorn Mountain
$10,000 » Unicorn Mountain, 2006 Seed Award project support
Unicorn Mountain, a project of Unicorn Mountain, was a Pittsburgh-based artists’ collective. Unicorn Mountain created collaborative publications featuring independent comic art, literary nonfiction, and independent music. With the publication of Volume Two, Unicorn Mountain delivered a collection of cross-disciplinary art, including a CD compilation of numerous local acts.
“Urban Paradise” (2006)
Gregg Valley, 2006 Community Murals mural
Urban Paradise was created by Gregg Valley at Myriam’s in the Uptown community of Pittsburgh, a transitional housing refuge for women. Myriam’s and the community of Uptown asked for the mural to depict a bright, hopeful scene; something comforting for the clients and staff of Miryam’s that would also create a virtual oasis amidst a heavily blighted urban area. Valley proposed this stylized forest landscape design, which seemed to capture the visions of the community. This mural offers a sense of escape and renewal, hope and faith in the city, and a new way of “greening” within the harsh urban environment. Keeping with the tone he set with his 2005 mural in Carnegie, Valley succeeds in channeling the community’s vision of rebirth, health and vitality into a monumental work of art.
“Yesterday’s Tomorrow” (2006)
Brian Holderman, 2006 Community Murals mural
One of Sprout Public Art’s signature pieces, Yesterday’s Tomorrow by Brain Holderman, adorns the side of the Smithfield-Liberty Pittsburgh Parking Authority garage in Downtown Pittsburgh. The Sprout Fund funded and facilitated the creation of this striking piece, which has not only added to efforts of the Downtown community to revitalize this sector of the city, but become in a city landmark in itself. Holderman, a progressive artist and graphic designer, developed a design that captures the excitement of Downtown and reflects the busy, frenzied scenes of the Cultural District. In subject matter, attitude, and location, Yesterday’s Tomorrow is an example of how recent additions from the burgeoning local art scene are affecting the landscape of the Cultural District. The rich colors, unique composition, and sheer scale of this mural make it a landmark for Pittsburgh and a symbol of its reinvention as a city. Painted around the corner from 2005’s The Two Andys, by Tom Mosser and Sarah Zeffiro, Yesterday’s Tomorrow is the second Downtown mural created through the Sprout Public Art program.