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Play in peace
September 21, 2023 @ 12:00 pm–1:00 pm
FREE
Join the Office for Public Art (OPA) in celebrating World Peace Day and welcoming Little Amal to Pittsburgh.
OPA commissioned Pittsburgh Creative Corps artist Cheryl Capezzuti to design one of five distinct events that will welcome Little Amal to Pittsburgh. Capezzuti worked with various local partners to create an event that will take place on the North Shore Riverfront Park’s Great Lawn on Thursday, September 21, 2023 at noon.
Amal is drawn to a group of children who have gathered on the Great Lawn on the North Shore to celebrate World Peace Day. Under the gaze of Mister Rogers, Amal finds a warm welcome where she thought she didn’t belong.
About Cheryl Capezzuti
Cheryl Capezzuti has been making giant puppets and community-interactive public art experiences in Pittsburgh for more than 25 years. She is best known for the artist-made, people-powered First Night Pittsburgh Parade which features about 300 giant puppets, puppet-mobiles, musicians, pedicab puppets, and over 400 volunteers. Capezzuti has also been an Artist-in-Residence at the Pittsburgh International Airport, where she made parading puppets out of travelers’ discards, and she’s been commissioned by the City of Pittsburgh to tell its history using giant puppets for the Bicentennial Parade. She teaches at Falk Laboratory School at the University of Pittsburgh where her Giant Puppet Dance Club may be the most unexpected student program. Between parades, her puppets are housed at the Braddock Carnegie Free Library, one of Andrew Carnegie’s first libraries, and can be checked out by anyone with a library card for events, celebrations and just for fun. She is joined for this production by her long-time collaborator Kellee Van Aken, a writer, director and Dean of the School of the Visual Arts and Theater at Seton Hill University.
Learn more at www.puppetsforpittsburgh.com.
Directions and Parking Information
The Great Lawn, North Shore Riverfront Park is located between the Carnegie Science Center and Stage AE. The physical address is 393 North Shore Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15212.
Street parking is available in the area as well as paid public parking in several garages within walking distance.
If taking public transportation, there is a bus stop at Allegheny Avenue + Reedsdale serving routes 14, 18, 54; a bus stop at Sandusky + Isabella serving routes 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 8, 11 ,12, 13, 15, 16, 17, O5, P13; the Allegheny T Station serving the Red, Blue, and Silver lines; and the North Side T Station serving the Red, Blue, and Silver lines. For more information on public transportation, please visit the Pittsburgh Regional Transit website HERE.
Preparation
The cardigan sweater will play a significant role in the event and we invite all audience members to wear their favorite cardigan sweater on the day of the event, too!
Attendees are also invited to make a parade dove to carry a wish to Amal when she visits the North Shore.
Directions to make a Parade Dove
Videography and photography will be taking place during this event.
Accessibility
The Great Lawn is wheelchair accessible. To request additional accommodations, please contact the Office for Public Art directly at info@opapgh.org or by calling (412) 336-8182.
Production Partners
Suz Pisano
Falk Laboratory School at the University of Pittsburgh
Colonel Eagleburger’s Highstepping Goodtime Band
The Global Studies Center at the University of Pittsburgh
Sports and Exhibition Authority
Play in peace at the Great Lawn, North Shore Riverfront Park is produced by the Office for Public Art.
Amal Walks Across America is produced by The Walk Productions in association with the Handspring Puppet Company. U.S. Producing Partner THE OFFICE performing arts+film. Impact + Outreach The Soze Agency. Marketing Cause Lab. PR + Communications DKC.
Image Credit: Little Amal visits Brooklyn, New York, 2022; The Walk Productions; photo by Respective Collective