Next Steps in Collaboration Between Pittsburgh’s Public Art Agencies

Pittsburgh, PA — The Office for Public Art (OPA) and the City of Pittsburgh’s Public History, Art and Design (PHAD) division (formerly Public Art and Civic Design), have released draft recommendations for creating a framework for collaboration between the two entities. Together, the organizations are inviting public comment on the recommendations from artists and community members.

Members of the public can review the recommendations and provide comments on them via the Pittsburgh Public Art Counts! Next Steps survey at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/YDL633Q. Comments on the recommendations close Wednesday, February 15, 2023.

The Collaboration Framework is structured around four key goals that were identified through the process. Together, OPA and PHAD will work towards creating:

• A public realm that is inclusive of the realities of Pittsburgh’s communities and the people who live here;
• Opportunities for Pittsburgh area artists to shape the public realm beyond traditional public art commissions;
• Opportunities for artists to build their capacity for public art; and
• Profitable economic opportunities for artists in and around the Pittsburgh region.

Each goal is supported by recommended conditions and outcomes which will need to be met to achieve the goal. The Collaboration Framework identifies several strategies that can and should be employed to reach the desired outcomes.

Funding for the project is provided by The Heinz Endowments.