Office for Public Art is now Shiftworks Community + Public Arts

Pittsburgh, PA — Office for Public Art (OPA) is now Shiftworks Community + Public Arts. First founded in 2005 as a partnership between the City of Pittsburgh and Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council, the newly established 501(c)(3) organization will continue its mission of catalyzing change through community-engaged artist projects in public space.

“Shiftworks speaks to how public arts, as creative work, can shift experiences, relationships, and systems,” says Sallyann Kluz, executive director for the organization. “In alignment with our mission to collaboratively shape public space, we aim to impact not only physical landscapes and cityscapes, but also shift perspectives and expectations for what is possible when artists, communities, and organizations work together.”

Throughout the organization’s nearly twenty-year history, Shiftworks has managed more than 70 temporary artworks, 30 permanent installations, and supported more than 20 artist residencies across 75 client projects and 325 events. Recent projects in the Pittsburgh region include:

• Collaborating with Pennsylvania Department of Transportation to commission two artworks as part of the Fern Hollow Bridge reconstruction;
• Working with the Allegheny County Chief Executive’s Office to commission a light-based artwork for the three Sister Bridges in Downtown;
• Designing and implementing the Pittsburgh Creative Corps in collaboration with Riverlife, which has engaged more than 100 artists from southwestern Pennsylvania; and
• A multi-year partnership with Neighborhood Allies to commission artists to work with communities in order to address critical public health issues exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Shiftworks’ Board of Directors is composed of leaders in the fields of art and community development, including: J. Thomas Agnew, creative entrepreneur and Co-Founder of BOOM Concepts; Shad Henderson, Director of Equity and Inclusion for Neighborhood Allies; Sarah Long Holland, strategic fundraising consultant; Shaunda McDill, Managing Director of the Pittsburgh Public Theater; Rachel Rearick, Executive Director of Contemporary Craft; and Kyle Webster, Vice President of Housing and General Counsel for ACTION-Housing.

Shiftworks is financially supported through a mix of philanthropic grants, individual contributions, and earned revenue from client projects. Funding for the implementation of Shiftworks’ 2020 Strategic Plan, which includes the organization’s transition to an independent 501(c)(3), was provided by the Hillman Foundation, The Heinz Endowments, and the McCune Foundation.

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