Stevo Sadvary

Stevo Sadvary is an established, full time mosaic artist with a studio in Squirrel Hill, Pittsburgh. He has created countless artworks ranging from small trivets to dozens of expansive public art pieces. It seems he can tile most anything: fireplaces, back splashes, house number plaques, mirrors, per portraits, lightweight wall art, murals, outdoor sidewalks, a dog house, a 7-foot tall sculpture and an outdoor fountain (both at Phipp’s Conservatory), floors, stairs, a shrine, and a life-sized crucifix placed on a 20-foot tall metal cross in a cemetery – oh, and a swimming pool.

He felt that the bigger than life-size fire truck mural in Stowe Township, done pro bono, was his greatest achievement until, in 2019, he completed the Great Train mural at The Ruins Project in Fayette County. The site is an abandoned coal mine turned into a mosaic museum just off the Great Allegheny Passage bike trail. The 66-foot long mural pays homage to all miners and railroad and steel workers responsible for building America. It is especially endearing to Stevo because he lost both his father and grandfather to mining accidents. Throughout his mosaic career people would ask Stevo what his most satisfying piece was that he had ever made. His go-to answer was that he released all of his pieces to be enjoyed wherever they ended up, and then he was on to the next mosaic. But since creating the huge Great Train mural, his response has changed.

Photo by Alex Jones