Community engagement and social justice
2-D art, including murals, mosaic, photography, etc.
Pittsburgh Creative Corps Artist Directory
Ruby Waldo
Primary Discipline
Artistic Practice
Social practice/participatory art
Painting/works on paper/printmaking
Site-specificity determines materials used
to soothe, to strengthen: an herbal medicine workshop, 2025. The workshop centered around apple mint and stinging nettle, two abundant herbs in the General Sisters garden. Participants were led through a reflection guide inspired by the two herbs and their ability to soothe tension and strengthen tissue. After the workshop, envelopes of the mint & nettle tea blend were mailed out to folks across the United States in return for a donation to Just Harvest.
A Guide to Navigating Lighting at Night, 2022. A broadsheet zine on public lighting in Baltimore City. The newspaper shared lighting insights and experiences from community members as well as resources to advocate for changes in lighting conditions. Listening sessions and community walks accompanied the publication of the zine.
Community Light Walks, 2022. Series of guided walks to encourage residents to notice the patterns and qualities of light in the neighborhood. Participants shared insights from past experiences and real time observations throughout the walk. Together, participants also reflected on what they value in regards to lighting in public space.
A Pattern Language, 2023. Series of risograph printed envelopes that guided participants in building a relationship to a place of their choosing. Each envelop prompt was concerned with a pattern of behavior such as noticing, listening, caring for, remembering, and returning. Participants received five envelope prompts over the course of five weeks.
Worksheet Workshop, 2019-2020. Series of workshops held at a local gallery and urban farm. The workshops activated the risograph printed worksheets as participants filled them out and discussed their responses. The worksheets shown above assessed the relationship between fermentation and the built environment.
About the Artist
Ruby Waldo is a pedestrian in Pittsburgh, PA. Her work is concerned with the body and the built environment, the landscape she lives in and the rhythms that shape it. Her projects range from newspapers and mail to walks and workshops and are informed by her experience as a caregiver and educator. In the studio, Ruby is often gathering, arranging, or redistributing materials such as archival imagery, architectural salvage, and found choreography. She holds a BFA in Interdisciplinary Sculpture with a concentration in Social Practice & Sustainability from The Maryland Institute College of Art. In 2027, she will graduate from the Vermont Center for Integrative Herbalism with her certification as a clinical herbalist. For now, Ruby works in the children’s department of the public library.
Photo by Emma Honcharski
Web
Provides Fabrication Services to Other Artists
No
Teaching Artist
Yes, all ages
Joined the Directory
May 2026
Related
PROJECT
Pittsburgh Creative Corps
Designed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Pittsburgh Creative Corps initiative engages artists and creative workers to activate the public realm while providing economic opportunity.
“I find that moments of embodied observation and close attention in public space encourage a deep sense of connection to one’s environment. I aspire to make work that holds and sharpens these moments.”
Ruby Waldo
Contact the Artist
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Related
PROJECT
Pittsburgh Creative Corps
Designed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Pittsburgh Creative Corps initiative engages artists and creative workers to activate the public realm while providing economic opportunity.
