If you’ve ever house hunted, you know the best part is gaining access to interior spaces which are typically inaccessible. Imagine gaining entry inside old buildings that reveal Pittsburgh’s rich history. Picture yourself standing on stage at Heinz Hall, smiling behind the Mayor’s desk for a photo opp or discovering a vault. Earlier this summer,…

The Steel City Fiber Collective (SCFC), winner of December’s $1000 Awesome Pittsburgh grant, will provide Pittsburghers the chance to rent space and equipment for knitting, crochet, dyeing, spinning, weaving, and fiber preparation. They also plan to host classes for the fiber art community. Says SCFC founding member Nora Swisher, “A mobile dyeing class will make…

During one of her personal volunteering stints, Tamara Whiting recognized an overlooked and under-discussed need of Pittsburgh women living in poverty: feminine hygiene products. Says Whiting, “Women living in poverty typically know where to find a safe place to sleep or a hot meal to eat. But when it comes to thinking about feminine care,…

Recent Awesome Pittsburgh grant recipient Steve Gurysh is the co-founder and co-director—along with Scott Andrew—of the Drift, an artist-run platform that creates temporary art while exploring the three rivers in Pittsburgh. H3O/OO3 is one in a series of single evening performances held beneath the Veteran’s Bridge along the north shore of the Allegheny River that…

Lest you think that black girls can’t or don’t or won’t ride a bicycle, this project is here to educate you otherwise. Note: it helps, when pronouncing this project out loud, to stress the word “DO” because this group wants you to know that black girls and women really DO bike. Seriously. Monica Garrison, founder…

Poetry Houses are bright, funky, fun, unexpected, Pittsburgh-specific, and in-your-face. Imagine as you walk through the city–on your way to work or during an evening out with friends—seeing a tiny wooden box on the sidewalk. Behind that box’s plexiglass door are four postcard-sized poems, free for the taking. Every two weeks, a brand new batch…

You may be hearing some soulful tunes emanating from a corner in Squirrel Hill in the near future, thanks to our latest grantwinner, Busk Street Stage. Eric Sloss is the man behind this idea; an artist, writer and creative strategist for Shift Collaborative, he started a busker advocacy program for buskers over a decade ago but…

Monuments interpreting the experience of the American soldier and sailor are typically designed and built by professional artists with no military experience. That’s why Operation Valor Arts’ grant-winning project struck a chord with the trustees this month. Operation Valor Arts: A Veterans Initiative is a new veteran non-profit in Pittsburgh wherein public artwork is produced by veterans, for veterans….