Office of Public Art and Riverlife Bring Summer Programs to the Allegheny Overlook

Pittsburgh, PA – The Office of Public Art (OPA) and Riverlife today announced the Pittsburgh Creative Corps schedule of summer programming to be held at the Allegheny Overlook Pop-up Park, a new temporary park created by the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership (PDP). Community classes, workshops, artist residencies, and a variety of free public programming will take place throughout the summer from June 25 through September 30, 2021. Information about the programming can be found at PittsburghCreativeCorps.org.

The Pittsburgh Creative Corps is a partnership between OPA and Riverlife, in collaboration with PDP. The program was developed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and designed to engage arts and culture to help rebuild the city’s relationship to its public and civic spaces, and to reconnect community members to each other. The Pittsburgh Creative Corps is supported by an advisory group of arts and culture leaders from the region who participate in project development and inform decision making.

“People are returning to Downtown and Pittsburgh Creative Corps is ready to welcome them back with a vibrant slate of programs,” said Matthew Galluzzo, Riverlife president and CEO. “Allegheny Overlook Pop-up Park has been a big success in attracting people to the riverfront to enjoy art, culture, and sweeping views of the North Shore. It’s the perfect home for a summer of Pittsburgh Creative Corps programming.”

The Pittsburgh Creative Corps Studio will serve as a home-base for artist residencies and public programs through September 2021. The Studio is a retrofitted shipping container, located at the Allegheny Overlook at Fort Duquesne Boulevard and Sixth Street. The public can stop by to learn more about upcoming programming, pick-up copies of OPA’s Art in Public Places public art guidebook, and see artists at work.

During summer 2021, artists Maritza Mosquera, Curtis Reaves, and Lindsey Peck Scherloum will be featured as artists in residence at the Allegheny River. Each artist will spend three weeks in residence at the river, and will be based out of the Pittsburgh Creative Corps Studio. Artists will gather narratives from Downtown’s community members, with a special focus on the riverfronts. These collected narratives will inform future programs and projects for the Pittsburgh Creative Corps and its partners, including the development of self-guided walking tours, and other public programming.

Outside the Studio, the Pittsburgh Creative Corps will host a series of classes and workshops with local dance and yoga studios, writers, and artists. Sessions will be held on Fridays and Saturdays throughout the summer. Class sizes will be limited to ensure social distancing and masks will be required for all participants. All events are free and open to the public; registration is required in advance. Dance classes will be led by Flamenco Pittsburgh and Shambhavi Desai with the Group of Sanskruti School of Indian Dance and Music; community yoga classes will be led by Alecia Dawn of YOGAMOTIF; and walking and writing tours will be led by author Sherrie Flick. OPA will also hold in-person office hours at the Studio for artists interested in learning more about opportunities to work in public art. For more information, including the full schedule of events and registration, please visit PittsburghCreativeCorps.org.

In addition to the classes, workshops, and residencies, the Pittsburgh Creative Corps is commissioning Pittsburgh-area artists for different temporary public art opportunities throughout the summer and fall. Projects include: AR-t in the Public Realm, a series of geolocated Snapchat filters by Pittsburgh visual artists; a temporary mural on the exterior of the Studio; and other projects to be announced.

Funding for the Pittsburgh Creative Corps is provided by the Richard King Mellon Foundation, the Henry L. Hillman Foundation, Riverlife, Office of Public Art, and the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership.

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