Funded Projects beginning with B

Baby Promise
$50,000, 2011 Spark project support

Baby Promise, a project of the Kingsley Association, was an interactive literacy program that connected underserved families with educational resources to teach literacy to children aged 6 years and under. The program also provided technological literacy education to parents and care providers and enabled them to create new learning experiences for children as they transitioned into formal schooling.

Back to School Bash 2016
$500 » Lawrenceville United, 2016 Remake Learning sponsorship

Back to School Bash 2016, an event of Lawrenceville United, was an annual event celebrating creativity, curiosity, and 21st Century learning through family friendly, hands-on activities and a backpack giveaway at Arsenal Park in Lawrenceville.

Back to School Bash and Maker Party
$4,300 » Encounter Church, 2015 Hive sponsorship

Back to School Bash and Maker Party, a project of Encounter Church, was an event at Arsenal Park that promoted a healthy start to the school year for families in the Lawrenceville community and surrounding neighborhoods. At the event, 400 backpacks filled with school supplies were given away to families in need. Over 30 community organizations helped to provide fun and educational activities at the event for families to engage in as well as provided information about upcoming opportunities.

Back to School Bash / North Side Partnership Project
$1,050, 2015 One Northside project support

Back to School Bash, a project of North Side Partnership Project, hosted a free, fun-filled event helping more than 150 families get ready for school with health screenings, inspirational music and speakers. Every child that attended received a backpack filled with school supplies, clothes, and dental supplies.

Back to School Fitness Walk
$1,050 » Porsha Humphries, 2016 One Northside project support

Back to School Fitness Walk, a project of Porsha Humphries, encouraged local families to adopt a healthy lifestyle by offering a fitness walk around the neighborhood. Additionally, the project put children and their families in a positive frame-of-mind for the start of the school year.

Backstage
$5,000 » Virtuous Academy, 2016 Remake Learning project support

Backstage, a project of Virtuous Academy, was an after-school program designed to provide academic support while providing hands-on S.T.E.A.M. activities. Backstage engaged and supported students in developing academic excellence, artistic expression, self-discipline, and self-motivation. Virtuous Academy partnered with Asset Inc. to provide professional development, curriculum, and materials that exposed underserved students to real world S.T.E.A.M. lessons and reinforced classroom lessons.

Bald Eagle Education Portal
$12,000 » Audubon Society of Western PA, 2015 Spark project support

Bald Eagle Education Portal, a project of Audubon Society of Western PA, was an education web portal that connected Western Pennsylvania classroom students to the Bald Eagles nesting in nearby Hays. The project provided classroom teachers with downloadable lesson plans along with the ability to schedule and stream one-hour virtual programs with ASWP’s professional educators. A pilot phase was used to thoroughly test the technologies of the education portal in 5 classrooms, reaching approximately 100-120 K-5 students, along with thousands of students engaged by their teachers via the downloadable information from the portal during this time.

The Banjo Club Documentary
$1,050 » Allegheny City Society, 2016 One Northside project support

The Banjo Club Documentary, a project of Allegheny City Society, spotlighted The Banjo Club, a local organization that came together every month to celebrate the community and the banjo. The documentary showcased the variety of opportunities and experiences available on the Northside, and promoted a positive image of the Northside on social media.

barebones productions
$5,000 » barebones productions, 2004 Seed Award project support

barebones productions, a project of barebones productions, used theater as a vehicle for discovery not only of its subject, but also of the location of its performance. Each show premiered in an unlikely local space and focused on simple and evocative production values in intimate venues. By combining theater with other art forms—whether oratory, visual, or broadcast—barebones united different audiences and made each show an occasion for art and community building.

Basic Mechanics and Biofuels for Women
$5,000, 2007 Seed Award project support

Basic Mechanics and Biofuels for Women was a beginners’ auto mechanics and alternative fuels workshop for women in Pittsburgh. Participants received a basic, hands-on overview of the processes involved and built the foundations of a working mechanical knowledge.

Baytree Community Garden
$1,050 » Observatory Hill Inc., 2016 One Northside project support

Baytree Community Garden, a project of Observatory Hill Inc., transformed an overgrown vacant lot, which served as a neighborhood gathering spot, into a community garden. The project added raised garden beds to grow fresh vegetables for a local food bank.

Be There One North Side
$1,050, 2015 One Northside project support

Be There One North Side, a project led by Debra Smallwood, engaged community members through the creation of “Little Free Libraries” installed throughout the Mexican War Streets and the surrounding blocks of the Central Northside. With collaborators including students from Brashear High School, Repair the World, the Carnegie Libraries, and Neighborhood Learning Alliance, the project kicked off a summer of reading and learning helped by the placement of 40 Little Free Libraries throughout the community.

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.

Be Well! Pittsburgh
$5,000, 2008 Community Connections project support

Be Well! Pittsburgh, improved uninsured Pittsburghers’ health through education about available health care resources. The project distributed booklets and fliers on targeted health topics, gave presentations at related events, and made its resources available online.

Beatty Street Bicycle Co-Op
$1,000 » PULSE, 2015 Grand Ideas project support

Beatty Street Bicycle Co-Op, a project of Pittsburgh Urban Leadership Service Experience (PULSE), was a “do-it-yourself” educational workshop in a small garage space in Highland Park where residents were given the space to learn about bicycle repair and fix their own bicycles. This bicycle co-op was modeled after Free Ride in Pittsburgh and Chain Reaction in Goshen, Indiana. It served a hyper-local audience of East Liberty, Garfield, and Highland Park residents, promoting bicycling as an affordable, healthy, and green mode of transportation and educating riders with repair and maintenance skills.

Beautification and Celebration of Arch Court Senior Program
$1,000 » Catherine Drabkin, 2017 One Northside project support

Beautification and Celebration of Arch Court Senior Program, a project led by Audrey Woods, engaged seniors at Arch Court and their neighbors in street-scaping workshops. Artists designed outdoor low relief concrete planters for seasonal plantings in the courtyard garden and street-scape. Community volunteers helped to fabricate and install the relief sculptures and a community-wide celebration showcased the project activities while raising awareness about senior living at Arch Court.

Beaver County River-Town Community Walking
$5,000, 2008 Community Connections project support

Beaver County River-Town Community Walking encouraged each town to see itself as a member in a family of communities as each of the maps also included a smaller county map showing each town’s location to its adjacent neighbors. In doing so, the project coordinators instilled the “family of communities” idea within the minds of all the residents.

Beechview Community Greenspace
$1,000 » New Sun Rising, 2016 Grand Ideas project support

Beechview Community Greenspace, a project led by Pretty Up Beechview and fiscally sponsored by New Sun Rising, transformed a vacant lot into a public green space for Beechview residents. The lot featured picnic tables, a natural play area for children, and local art. The project enabled the lot to be used for community events and performances that brought neighbors to mix, mingle, and celebrate the diverse cultures in Beechview, breaking down barriers among residents. The lot is maintained by community volunteers organized through Pretty Up Beechview.

The Beechwood History and Future Project
$10,000 » Pittsburgh Public Schools, 2015 Spark project support

The Beechwood History and Future Project, a project of Pittsburgh Public Schools, was a school-wide plan for students, staff, and the community to investigate and celebrate the history of Beechwood School. The information gathered as students investigated the history of the school through six grade level STEM projects was used to build a new vision for the school’s future. The projects were planned with input and ideas from students with technical support from teachers, an Apple Educator, and community partners such as Pittsburgh Center for the Arts, Carnegie Science Center, Pittsburgh History and Landmark, and Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh.

Belonging Artist Commission for “You Belong”
$3,000 » Bob Ziller, 2017 Belonging honorarium

Bob Ziller’s Belonging design was inspired by the ancient Sri Yantra designs of India, which connoted cosmic unity. I’ve given the old design a modern, folky twist. The background was made with oil pastels on tarpaper, and the lettering was made by cutting origami papers of yellow and deep blue. The “You Belong” lettering was inspired by a handmade font created by the artist Rick Bach. Selected for its artistic merit from nearly 70 finalist submissions, the design was produced as yard signs and posters freely distributed throughout Pittsburgh and Allegheny County in 2017.

Belonging Community Events
$1,600 via 4 grants » Casa San Jose, Northern Area Multi Service Center Refugee Resettlement, Squirrel Hill Urban Coalition & United Somali Bantu of Greater Pittsburgh, 2017 Belonging sponsorship

Belonging Community Events, a project of Casa San Jose, Northern Area Multi Service Center Refugee Resettlement, Squirrel Hill Urban Coalition, and United Somali Bantu of Greater Pittsburgh, facilitated art-making that met the submission requirements for the Belonging call for art, directly engaging immigrants, refugees, and those who wanted to show their support for these communities in the greater Pittsburgh region. Building upon the concept and successes of Sprout’s 100 Days of US initiative, the Belonging public art project empowered artists and residents to advance their vision of a community that is one of the most welcoming and culturally vibrant cities in America.

Belonging Honorable Mentions
$1,700 via 17 grants, 2017 Belonging honorarium

Beloved Communitees: Holding Space. Spreading Love. Building Community.
$1,000 » Union Project, 2016 Grand Ideas project support

Beloved Communitees: Holding Space. Spreading Love. Building Community., a project of Union Project, created conversation-sparking t-shirts that promoted a model for compassionate discourse on contentious topics. The shirts were used to start intergenerational conversations by working with 8th grade students at Environmental Charter School and adults involved with Creative Conversations at the Union Project. A project website was used to document, promote, and share the activities with the broader Pittsburgh community.

“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.

Big Data & Data Analytics Course for High School Students
$5,000 » Bethel Park School District, 2015 Hive project support

Big Data & Data Analytics Course for High School Students, a project of Bethel Park School District, was the development and piloting of a semester long course at Bethel Park High School that enabled youth to gain exposure to the field of big data and data analytics through interdisciplinary classwork, fieldtrips, guest speakers, and projects. Students learned basic background information regarding data analytics and then applied the knowledge to their areas of interest, working directly with local companies to identify possible opportunities where data analytics could be applied.

Big Idea Community Curation
$4,940 » The Big Idea Cooperative, 2011 Seed Award project support

Big Idea Community Curation, a project of The Big Idea Cooperative, created community curated sections as a way of reaching out and establishing formal connections with other local activist organizations, as well as providing educational resources and events that better fill the needs of their supporters. The Community Curation Program spread the word about other local organizations doing good work, while continuing to promote ideas of community and social justice as they had for the past decade.

Big Idea Infoshop
$1,000 » The Multi-Tool, 2004 Grand Ideas project support

Big Idea Infoshop, a project of The Multi-Tool, was a community meeting place that served as the headquarters for an affiliated volunteer base and provided the services of an independent progressive bookstore. The shop sold music, books, and pamphlets and facilitated socio-politically oriented events.

The Bigger Picture
$3,700 » Silver Eye Center for Photography, 2010 Seed Award project support

The Bigger Picture, a project of Silver Eye Center for Photography, provided Pittsburgh artists with the knowledge, training, and resources needed to take their professional careers and creative visions to the next level. The project offered monthly workshops organized around three tracks-acquiring new business and communication skills, optimizing digital technologies, and stretching creativity and vision-to help visual artists attain their creative and entrepreneurial goals. Classes were offered at introductory, intermediate, and advanced levels at The Silver Eye Center for Photography in the South Side and elsewhere, including Pittsburgh Filmmakers, Robert Morris University, and the 91.3 WYEP-FM Community Education Center.

Bigshot Photography Workshop
$2,500 » Mad Science of Pittsburgh, 2014 Spark project support

Bigshot Photography Workshop, a project of Mad Science of Pittsburgh, was a summer camp for 4th graders at Pittsburgh Public Schools’ Summer Dreamers Academy that let children explore the science of photography as they built their own camera, and then took, edited and printed photos. By giving campers access to a digital camera, along with the skills to build and use it, Big Shot Photography provided a tool for self-expression not only through art but through electrical engineering, computer science and mechanics as well. At the end of the camp, the students’ photographs were part of a two-day exhibition open to friends and family.

Bike Friendly Employer Program
$25,000 » Bike Pittsburgh, 2008 Root Award project support

Bike Friendly Employer Program, a project of Bike Pittsburgh, engaged Pittsburgh region employers by challenging them to work towards Bike Friendly Employer certification at both the local and national level. The Bike Friendly Employer program (BFE) provided local employers with a turnkey approach to supporting commuting by bike, while also providing Bike Pittsburgh the opportunity to earn revenue through corporate membership sales. The inaugural class of Pittsburgh’s first Bike Friendly Employers included Google, Highmark, Chatham University, Whole Foods Market, and 7 others. These BFE-certified employers were encouraged to apply for the national Bicycle Friendly Business standard established by the League of American Bicyclists, America’s longest-running cycling organization. This model of local support to cultivate nationally-certified Bicycle Friendly Businesses was unique in the U.S. at the time of support and was lauded as innovative and significant by leading bicycling advocates in New York City and Portland, OR.

BikeFest
$8,500 » BikePGH, 2005 Seed Award project support

BikeFest, a project of BikePGH and Free Ride! Recycled Bike Program, established an organizational framework for hosting community events, activities, and promotions to celebrate bicycling as a fun, healthy, and environmentally friendly way to get around town.

BikeFest 2013
$500 » BikePGH, 2013 Sprout Sponsorship sponsorship

BikeFest 2013, a project of BikePGH, was an annual celebration of all things cycling in the city. Beginning on Friday, August 9th, the festival continuesd for 15 days and encompassed more than 80 events and activities all over the city. In its ninth year, BikeFest continued its work in making cycling and cycling advocacy a visible and integral part of city life in Pittsburgh through impromptu bike tours, the BikeFest Party, and Car Free Fridays, which touched thousands of residents during the course of the two-week long festival.

BikeFest 2014
$500 » BikePGH, 2014 Sprout Sponsorship sponsorship

BikeFest 2014, a project of BikePGH, was an annual celebration of bike culture in Pittsburgh. The festival included dozens of events and activities, including bike tours, Pedal PGH and a Bike PGH Party, bringing out hundreds of cyclists and bike lovers from around the city. BikeFest 2014 took place from August 8 through August 24th all over the city and reached an approximate audience of 3500 people.

Biking 101
$1,000 » Bike Pittsburgh, 2017 Sprout Sponsorship sponsorship

Biking 101, a project of Bike Pittsburgh, was an updated version of a bicycle commuting guide originally created in 2007 and catalyzed by a Sprout Seed Award. Bike Pittsburgh published a fully revised and updated Biking 101 and distributed 20,000 copies throughout Pittsburgh and Allegheny County in 2017 and 2018.

BioShelter and Food Systems Center
$20,000, 2010 Spring project support

BioShelter and Food Systems Center, a project of the Garfield Community Farm, was a permanent greenhouse structure designed to extend the growing season located on the farm located in Pittsburgh’s Garfield neighborhood and to expand educational offerings at nearby Fort Pitt Elementary School. Outfitted with passive solar technology and permaculture design, the facility allowed a larger window of opportunity for students to experience the farm and learn about health and nutrition, biodiversity, ecology and gardening as it extended the growing season deeper into the school year while also allowing the farm itself to grow more diverse foods that required longer growing seasons.

“Birds Eye View” (2003)
Kristin Williams, 2003 Community Murals mural

Artist Kristin Williams worked as a bird illustrator at the National Aviary in the Northside for years, and brought her discipline to this highly detailed mural. By utilizing old aerial photos of Regent Square, Kristin was able to compose a stunning preliminary mural design that won the hearts of the community. As a testament to their tight-knit spirit, community members helped in the painting of the mural, lending their expertise to assure the design would be as accurate as possible when transferred to the wall. They also helped in the painting phase by painting solid-colored portions of the mural, with Kristin adding the finishing touches. The result is an extremely detailed and very accurate rendering of Regent Square as seen from above. Even the birds, which add a depth and flourish of color to this intricate design, are accurate: all are indigenous species to Regent Square and the neighboring splendor of Frick Park. The design is so intricate, in fact, that local residents can be seen portrayed in 1/100 scale, walking their dogs, doing roof repair, and window shopping in the business district. The combination of color, detail, and community involvement make this piece a true cooperative achievement with a lasting impact.

“Birds Not Words” (2005)
Stevo Sadvary, 2005 Community Murals mural

Stevo Sadvary went out on a limb with this mosaic mural—the first of its kind for Sprout Public Art—and went to the considerable lengths of designing its hundreds of pieces of stained glass himself. The jewel-like, three-dimensional quality of the piece illuminates a Northside street corner and renders the simple, common scene of birds on a wire in a beautiful and arresting way. Sadvary has said that he was compelled to create something simple, with “instant impact” that community members and visitors would have no trouble recognizing. Taking a note from the large open spaces in the Central Northside and nearby National Aviary, he chose to infuse the mural’s urban setting with a sense of nature thriving in the city. The result is a mural that packs quite a lot into a small space.

Black Box Series
$6,000 » Laboratory Company Dance (LABCO), 2004 Seed Award project support

Black Box Series, a project of Laboratory Company Dance (LABCO), provided a venue for a variety of Pittsburgh artists, including dancers, choreographers, painters, playwrights, actors, and musicians. Located in the South Side, LABCO functioned as both an adaptable performance space and a community center for networking. The Black Box Series brought audiences and artists together in order to promote artistic expression in Pittsburgh.

Black Forum Exhibition
$5,000 » Barrett Black, 2002 Seed Award project support

Black Forum Exhibition was a self-propelled collective of artists and performers that produced original art and music for the communities of East Liberty, Friendship, and Garfield.

Black Girls Do Bike: Pittsburgh
$4,750 » New Sun Rising, 2015 Seed Award project support

Black Girls Do Bike: Pittsburgh, a project fiscally sponsored by New Sun Rising, was an initiative to support and grow a community of Pittsburgh women of color who share a passion for cycling. This project encouraged all women, but especially those in African American communities, to utilize cycling to improve physical and mental well-being. Activities to help launch the initiative included organized rides, workshops, meet-ups, and active recruitment of new members.

BlackPittsburgh.com
$10,000, 2003 Seed Award project support

BlackPittsburgh.com was an online resource for the African American community. Compiling information on black-owned businesses, events, happenings, and news, the website was both a database and a virtual community center.

The Blacksmith Shop at Returning Home Farm
$1,000 » New Sun Rising, 2015 Grand Ideas project support

The Blacksmith Shop at Returning Home Farm, a project fiscally sponsored by New Sun Rising, was a community-based initiative that engaged residents of Penn Hills and surrounding areas in learning about and experiencing traditional, eco-friendly ways of life. The Blacksmith Shop used the DIY appeal of blacksmithing to engage people in ongoing conversations around issues of community, local production and commerce, and eco-friendly living. By offering introductory classes as well as “open shop” times when local blacksmiths and learners can gather, The Blacksmith Shop enabled those interested in blacksmithing to work on projects together and share knowledge in a community setting.

“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.

The Block Party
$25,000 » The New Hazlett Center for the Performing Arts, 2015 One Northside project support

The Block Party, a project of The New Hazlett Center for the Performing Arts, was a series of mini-arts festivals that called attention to and celebrated the valuable resources and local identities of the eighteen Northside neighborhoods of Pittsburgh. The project partnered with local social and creative organizations to develop a unique urban experience for each neighborhood, creating opportunities for Northsiders and Pittsburghers alike to connect with each other and find common ground as they enjoyed the space in which they lived and the stories they collectively shared.

“Bloom” (2007)
Gerry Tonti, 2007 Community Murals mural

While its beautiful, scenic view of the city defines Mt. Washington for most Pittsburgh residents, the area also holds local treasures that may come as a surprise to those who don’t live there. Shiloh Street is home to restaurants, shops, and a beautiful city park, but visitors to Mt. Washington rarely tread past the overlook area on Grandview Avenue. Residents of Mt. Washington saw a Sprout mural as an opportunity to not only make a beautiful contribution to their community, but also entice visitors to discover its full potential by venturing onto Shiloh Street. With this intention in mind, artist Gerry Tonti created a design with a focus on the wall’s upper-right-hand corner—the portion of the building that can be seen from Grandview Avenue—to draw viewers further into the community. For the scene itself, community members wanted a visually pleasing design that would reflect the idyllic calm of an evening spent gazing at the city skyline. The mural’s skillfully painted, delicate cherry blossoms and serene blue hues help to create this soothing feeling. Now, Mt. Washington residents and visitors alike can make a leisurely walk past this mural and onto Shiloh Street part of their relaxation routine.

Blue Slide Laboratory
$15,000 » Carnegie Mellon University, 2015 Spark project support

Blue Slide Laboratory, a project of The Frank-Ratchye STUDIO for Creative Inquiry at Carnegie Mellon University, was the development and piloting of a mobile toolkit to enable children to carry out experiments in real world settings. The mobile toolkit offered a range of activities where physics and math principles could be observed, documented, and tested by engaging young learners in experiences that connected the learning principles to imaginative play and interaction. Each playground scenario was motivated by a specific set of learning objectives and consisted of an activity involving a mobile phone, a child performer, and a child observer.

Book ’Em Branch Out
$1,000 » Thomas Merton Center, 2011 Grand Ideas project support

Book ’Em Branch Out, a project of Thomas Merton Center, was a collaborative art, fundraising, and public engagement initiative that created dialogue among local residents about how high levels of incarceration are affecting communities and contributed to building a sustained community driven response. The project increased the capacity and sustainability of the Book ‘Em Books-to-Prisoners project by finding allies and community members who were willing to invest in the project’s mission.

BOOM After Brunch
$1,000 » Bloomfield-Garfield Corporation, 2015 Sprout Sponsorship sponsorship

BOOM After Brunch, a project hosted by BOOM Concepts and fiscally sponsored by Bloomfield-Garfield Corporation, was an event series to connect and celebrate Pittsburgh creative and ‘solopreneurs’ through a series of Saturday Day Parties attracting more than 100 people to BOOM Concepts space on Penn Avenue in Garfield each Saturday in August 2015.

Borland Green Ecological Garden
$5,000, 2010 Spring project support

Borland Green Ecological Garden, a project of Pittsburgh Permaculture, implemented a permaculture garden on vacant land in Pittsburgh’s East Liberty neighborhood to restore a host of native plant species cultivated along permaculture design standards and provide a wildlife habitat, access to native edibles, and offer ongoing community programming.

Bots IQ 2015 Finals
$1,000 » Pittsburgh Chapter of the National Tooling & Machining Foundation, 2015 Hive sponsorship

Bots IQ 2015 Finals, an event hosted by The Pittsburgh Chapter of the National Tooling & Machining Foundation, was the final competition event for 80 student teams from 60 high schools to demonstrate and test their robotic creations in a tournament. The competition energized students to learn about STEM related concepts and career fields, providing direct application of classroom concepts to real world situations and building partnerships and mentoring opportunities with local industry and post-secondary institutions. The event attracted more than 1,000 students, 100 teachers, 200 industry advisers, and 500 parents and fans over two days.

Bots IQ 2016 Finals
$1,000 » Pittsburgh Chapter of the National Tooling & Machining Foundation, 2016 Remake Learning sponsorship

Bots IQ 2016 Finals, an event hosted by the Pittsburgh Chapter of the National Tooling & Machining Foundation, was the final competition of student robotics teams from 60+ regional high schools. More than 1,300 students participated from April 8-9, 2016.

Boys Build
$1,000 » Assemble, 2016 Grand Ideas project support

Boys Build, a project led by The Flower House and fiscally sponsored by Assemble, introduced a new generation to hands-on learning through building. The program encouraged young men from Bloomfield and Garfield to learn about the natural and man-made worlds that surround them while using a variety of tools and materials. The youth worked alongside male mentors who emphasized the importance of safety, respect, and creativity.

Bradford’s Kitchen Reconstruction
$5,000 » The Bradford House Historical Association, 2008 Community Connections project support

Bradford’s Kitchen Reconstruction, a project of The Bradford House Historical Association, constructed a small house/kitchen in the back corner of the Bradford House Gardens, helping to reestablish a lost piece of Washington County history. This structure allowed visitors of the Bradford House to travel back 200 years to the time of David Bradford and his family and experience life in 18th Century Western Pennsylvania, sparking interest in and teaching the surrounding community of the rich heritage of Washington County.

Brainy Ball at Arlington K-8
$2,500 » Pittsburgh Public Schools, 2015 Spark project support

Brainy Ball at Arlington K-8, a project of Pittsburgh Public Schools, was a freestanding device that promoted kinetic movement while engaging students in reading, counting, and thinking. The curriculum design for Brainy Ball was created in partnership with Arlington K-8.

Braxton Plays Pittsburgh Plays Braxton
$8,000, 2008 Seed Award project support

Braxton Plays Pittsburgh Plays Braxton provided opportunities for local musicians to play alongside and learn from Anthony Braxton, a highly respected, Avant-garde jazz musician. Braxton performed with CAPA Antithesis at CAPA, with his group at Manchester Craftsman’s Guild, and with other local artists at the National Aviary. A series of recordings were released on CD and LP.

Brew Cinema
$500 » Friends of the Hollywood Theater, 2015 Sprout Sponsorship sponsorship

Brew Cinema, a project of Friends of the Hollywood Theater, featured screenings of four films, one per month from September through December, along with a featured local brewery and original screenprinted movie posters by local artists. Proceeds benefited a different local nonprofit at each screening.

BRICKS for Young Adults Cancer Awareness Booklet
$6,500 » BRICKS, 2009 Seed Award project support

BRICKS for Young Adults (YA) Cancer Awareness Booklet, a project of BRICKS, connected YA cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers to community resources. The booklet helped those involved manage their battles with cancer by presenting personal narratives alongside information on additional resources. The booklet also worked to reduce the isolation often felt by YA cancer patients and raise public awareness of the disease.

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.

Bridge to Broadway
$5,000, 2008 Community Connections project support

Bridge to Broadway revitalized the intersection linking Broadway, Pitcairn’s main street, to the Norfolk Southern Rail Yard. Features included a decorative fence, landscaping, restoration of the original cobblestone driveway, and the placement of 10 plaques erected throughout Pitcairn in places of historical significance.

Bridgespotters Installment I
$8,250 » BridgeSpotters Corp., 2002 Seed Award project support

Bridgespotters Installment I, a project of BridgeSpotters Corp., was an audio compilation of Bridgespotters’ poetry, theater, and music-both live and studio produced. The CD also included the art collective’s images and photography.

“Bridging the Generations of Bloomfield” (2007)
Monika McAndrew, 2007 Community Murals mural

In the Bloomfield community—known famously throughout the city as “Pittsburgh’s Little Italy,”—there’s a lot to celebrate: a thriving business district with Italian-themed shops and restaurants, a rich multicultural history, and the “Little Italy Days” street fair that began in 2002 and draws an approximate 20,000 attendees annually. Artist Monika McAndrew festively combines all of these elements in her Bloomfield mural by depicting a parade from the community’s past to present. The background consists of a true-to-life streetscape, complete with the area’s most iconic piece of architecture, the Bloomfield Bridge. George Washington and his men bring up the rear of the parade, harkening back to the area’s Revolutionary War era roots, when Washington provided its namesake by describing it as a “field of many blooms.” Next to take up the path are pairs of traditionally clothed German and Italian [or Polish?] immigrants, representing the waves of different ethnicities settling in the area. Finally, a present-day grandfather and granddaughter lead the parade and suggest the community’s multi-generational appeal today. The entire scene is framed by the outstretched hands of a romantic couple fit for classic Italian cinema, warmed by the glow of the sunset color palette chosen by McAndrew. Whatever brings you to the area next—be it a romantic dinner date, an ethnic festival, or a mid-day errand—make sure to include viewing this mural in your next Bloomfield experience!

Bright Bytes Regional Research Institute
$500 » Allegheny Intermediate Unit, 2015 Remake Learning sponsorship

Bright Bytes Regional Research Institute, an event hosted by the Allegheny Intermediate Unit, featured speakers including Kirsten Swanson, Will Richardson, and some of PA’s most innovative educators discussing the use of new information tools in education. The event took place at the Regional Learning Alliance.

Brighton Corridor Beautification Project
$1,050, 2015 One Northside project support

Brighton Corridor Beautification Project, a project led by Becky Coger, initiated beautification efforts on a three-block portion of Brighton Road by working with home owners, renters, and business owners as well as Propel School students to restore existing green infrastructure like trees, and add new features to improve the streetscape.

Brighton Heights Block Party
$1,000 » Emmanuel Christian Church, 2017 One Northside project support

Brighton Heights Block Party, a project of Emmanuel Christian Church, encouraged positive community interaction in order to help bridge the divide within the neighborhood. Building on past community events, the Block Party showcased local music groups, businesses, and organizations through a family-friendly event that encouraged all residents from Brighton Heights to take part.

Brighton Heights City Steps Revitalization
$1,050 » Brighton Heights Citizens Federation, 2015 One Northside project support

Brighton Heights City Steps Revitalization, a project of Brighton Heights Citizens Federation, worked with more than 30 neighbors to improve the walkability of Brighton Heights by painting the railings and clearing invasive plants away from five sets of city steps in the neighborhood that are often overlooked and underutilized.

Brighton Heights Security Cameras
$10,000 » Brighton Heights Citizens Federation, 2016 One Northside project support

Brighton Heights Security Cameras, a project of Brighton Heights Citizens Federation, promoted neighborhood safety and reduced crime in the community. The installation of security cameras helped to both apprehend and deter criminals in the business district. The cameras were installed on California Avenue, with Brighton Heights Citizens Federation as the main hub for the camera management.

Brighton Woods Greenway
$5,000 » Hollow Oak Land Trust, 2016 One Northside project support

Brighton Woods Greenway, a project of Hollow Oak Land Trust, formalized the woodland trail system connecting Brighton Heights to Riverview Park in Woods Run/Brightwood. The trail system served as an extension of Riverview Park, increasing its trail system by over 10%. A community stewardship plan for trails and invasive plant control was created in addition to wayfinding signage and a trail map. The project empowered community members to become greenway stewards, helping to coordinate trail maintenance through the development of an active volunteer program.

Bring the Beat Back
$1,000 » Blak Rapp Madusa, 2015 Open Engagement honorarium

Bring the Beat Back, a project of Blak Rapp Madusa, was a performance of new film score with Hip Hop/Jazz band Killor Be and a Q&A to open dialogue about the film at the Alloy Space.

Bringing the Bioneers to the Three Rivers
$10,000 » Pittsburgh Urban Ecology Collaborative, 2008 Seed Award project support

Bringing the Bioneers to the Three Rivers, a project of Pittsburgh Urban Ecology Collaborative, introduced Pittsburgh residents to the Bioneers, an organization promoting innovative solutions to environmental problems, before the group’s annual conference. The series of 11 warm-up events culminated in a Green March to create awareness about Bioneers and promote “Bringing Bioneers to the Three Rivers” in October 2009.

A Broken Landscape
$5,700 » Partnership for Minority HIV/AIDS Prevention, 2003 Seed Award project support

A Broken Landscape, a project of Partnership for Minority HIV/AIDS Prevention and organized by Action Aid USA, presented an international traveling photography exhibit in East Liberty that documented the impact of HIV/AIDS in Southern Africa. Exhibited alongside a number of community events, including a youth arts festival and national HIV Testing Day, A Broken Landscape shed light on what was often ignored.

Brothers and Sisters Emerging Digital Literacy Training and Career Enhancement Project
$10,000 » Brothers and Sisters Emerging, 2017 My Brother's Keeper project support

Brothers and Sisters Emerging (BASE) Digital Literacy Training and Career Enhancement Project, a project of Brothers and Sisters Emerging, prepared young African-American men for employment and training opportunities through peer mentoring, resume development, and interview skills training. B.A.S.E. obtained input from the young men in terms of the needs and interests through initial assessment surveys, peer mentoring groups, and training sessions. They also coordinated presenters to speak with participants about their experiences growing up in Garfield, the challenges they faced, and where they are now. Computer Reach provided 8 hours of Digital Literacy training over four sessions along with a digital literacy assessment.

Buddy Benches
$500 » Ellen Zissis, 2016 Change Machine project support

Buddy Benches for my Little Buddies, a project of 12-year old Hayden Zissis, painted and installed benches at the elementary schools in the Canon McMillan School District. The Buddy Benches were meant to encourage students to include their peers during recess, serving as a place for children to go when they don’t have anyone to play with. Hayden decorated the benches with handprints of students and the words “Buddy Bench” and went to the schools to teach the elementary students the purpose of the benches after they were installed.

Build the Global Switchboard
$500 » Amizade Global Service-Learning, 2013 Sprout Sponsorship sponsorship

Build the Global Switchboard, a project of Amizade Global Service-Learning, publically initiated the Global Switchboard, a shared workspace and complementary programming to increase global engagement visibility in the Pittsburgh area, cultivate young Pittsburgh-based nonprofit service organizations, and attract new resources to Pittsburgh for international collaborative projects. The event took place on October 26, 2013 at The Union Hall in the Strip District.

Build Your Own Desk Project
$5,000 » Holy Family Institute, 2014 Hive project support

Build Your Own Desk Project, a project of Holy Family Institute, allowed ninth grade students at Holy Family Academy to build their own desks to be used throughout their high school career. The project provided students an opportunity to develop hard skills (designing & building), soft skills (teamwork & communication) and dispositions (self-confidence & persistence), preparing students for high school with the skills needed to succeed - and a desk to do it with! The Build Your Own Desk Project partnered with the PA Carpenter’s Union, the United Way of Allegheny County and TechShop Pittsburgh, giving students a well-rounded, professional experience to kick off their educations at Holy Family.

Building a Better Robot: Ten Years of Roboto
$8,830 » Mr. Roboto Project, 2010 Seed Award project support

Building a Better Robot: Ten Years of Roboto, a project of Mr. Roboto Project, was a retrospective look at the Mr. Roboto Project, a cooperatively run performance venue and community space in Wilkinsburg. In ten years, the space hosted over 1,500 events; served as a hub for the Pittsburgh DIY punk, hardcore, and indie rock communities; and provided incubator space to other organizations such as Free Ride! and The Big Idea. Roboto shut down its original location on Wood Street shortly after its ten-year anniversary in preparation to move to a new space. This book looked back at Roboto’s first ten years in words and pictures, analyzing the successes and failures, and providing inspiration and insight to a new generation of activists and artists looking to create their own spaces.

Building Bridges
$1,050 » Community Alliance of Spring Garden -- East Deutschtown, 2015 One Northside project support

Building Bridges, a project of Community Alliance of Spring Garden - East Deutschtown, worked with neighborhood residents and local artists to decorate the chain-link fences on the Tripoli Street Bridge that spans I-279, the highway that divides Deutschtown into its historic core and the smaller area known to residents as East Deutschtown. Artist Oreen Cohen from the Neu Kirche Contemporary Arts Center located in the neighborhood created replicas of iconic Deutschtown buildings as part of the public art design.

Building Bridges Cultural Trip
$10,000 » Northside Oldtimers, 2016 One Northside project support

Building Bridges Cultural Trip, a project of Northside Oldtimers, connected the diverse communities on the Northside through a cultural trip to Washington, DC. Children from all over the Northside were exposed to new areas and opportunities for continued learning by visiting out-of-state cultural institutions. The trip is also helped to improve the quality of place on the Northside by helping the youth recognize, respect, and engage with people from other neighborhoods on the Northside.

Building Interest in Buildings
$5,000 » Brownsville Area Revitalization Corporation (BARC), 2011 Seed Award project support

Building Interest in Buildings, a project of Brownsville Area Revitalization Corporation (BARC), organized forward-looking narratives around a plethora of vacant buildings in Brownsville and presented over a thousand recently donated historic photographs of the community. Participants and area residents were invited to complete the sentence “I wish this were…” relative to the vacant buildings that will house a series of exhibits displaying the recently donated photographs. The event built community members’ exposure to buildings in Brownsville, renovated or not, and invited them to enjoy historic photographs while participating in a simple redevelopment ‘brain-storming’ activity.

Bulldogs on Bikes
$12,000 » The Neighborhood Academy, 2014 Hive project support

Bulldogs on Bikes, a project of The Neighborhood Academy, was a cycling program that allowed low-income, underserved students to participate in cyclocross activities that would be otherwise financially prohibitive. The program had both athletic and artistic aspects, not only teaching students about the cyclocross and other cycle racing, but also allowing them to design, build and decorate their own bike which they could keep at the completion of the program. In that, Bulldogs on Bikes promoted both physical and mental well-being, encouraging teens to be active in sport and in art.

Burgh Bees
$8,000 » Burgh Bees, 2009 Seed Award project support

Burgh Bees, a project of Burgh Bees, was an open beekeeping group that promoted honeybees as a vital part of Pittsburgh’s urban agriculture community.

Bus Stop Beauties
$1,000 » Autumn Williams, 2017 One Northside project support

Bus Stop Beauties, a project of Autumn Williams, brought a neglected flower bed at a Perrysville Avenue bus stop back to life. Since the City was no longer maintaining the flower bed, residents planted and maintained the flower bed.

Busk PGH
$6,000 » Pittsburgh Downtown Community Development Corporation, 2013 Seed Award project support

Busk PGH, a project of Pittsburgh Downtown Community Development Corporation (PDCDC), was a registration-based busking program housed in Port Authority T stations, designed to brighten the commute for more than 20,000 daily passengers and engage downtown workers in the city’s arts and music scene. The PDCDC leveraged partnerships with the Port Authority, the Market Square Merchants Association, Councilman Lavelle, Senator Fontana, Councilman Peduto, Morton Brown from the Office of Public Art, the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, the Monalloh Foundry, Touchfaster, and GPAC to professionalize public and competitive busking in the Cultural District. Busk PGH served as a revival of Busk Pittsburgh, a 2002 Seed Award recipient.

Busk Pittsburgh
$10,000, 2002 Seed Award project support

Busk Pittsburgh was an eight-week educational program that introduced and encouraged the historic tradition of busking, or street performance, in downtown Pittsburgh. The program provided a venue for artists to perform downtown and informed the public about the artistry and industry particular to street performing.

Butler Area School District Fine Arts and Beyond (FAB) Showcase
$5,000, 2008 Community Connections project support

Butler Area School District Fine Arts and Beyond (FAB) Showcase was a free annual cultural charity event in the Butler Area School District sponsored by the Golden Tornado Scholastic Foundation that showcased the artistic work of students and community artists who donated their time to provide live demonstrations. Student artwork and other items were auctioned to fund twenty $1,000 scholarships for graduating seniors. Student groups such as the Jazz Band and Strolling Strings provided free entertainment. The program tied generations of community artists and musicians together with the school community.