We've Got a Mural!at 301 West Main Street, the old Rome Hardware Building
We've Got a Mural!Picture something on the side of this building, pictured above...it's so visible from all over town, and not only will we see it ever day, but so will many visitors and commuters.
Please review the information below, especially the "Timeline" section. Notice how much community participation is expected for this project, and please join us at any time you can.
We've had one brainstorming session already with our preliminary committee of six, but we want feedback from many more people. We will be holding several more meetings as we move toward approving the design and the artist, and as many as we can fit are welcome to the meetings.
Next Meeting Tuesday, April 19 at 8:00 p.m., Southwest Ballet
Results of April 11 Brainstorming Session
Public Support for Murals in Carnegie
Our Specific Mural Sites
Community Eligibility
What we needed to provide
Timeline
Letter of Support from Carnegie Renaissance
About the Sprout Fund Public Art Program
MEETING AT SOUTHWEST BALLET, 8:00 P.M.,
TUESDAY, APRIL 19
Virginia Nichol, owner of Southwest
Ballet, was on our preliminary committee and offered to hold the
next meeting--if we could wait until she's done teaching for the
day! All of us businesses have to accommodate each other, but
the meeting shouldn't be any longer than 90 mintues. Our purpose
is to refine our idea for the mural, so we will discuss the ideas
we began at the brainstorming session. We will return the notes
from this meeting to the Sprout Fund for them and their qualified
artists to review, and our next meeting will be to review artists.
NOTES FROM OUR BRAINSTORMING SESSION
Sprout Public Art Community Murals
Project 2005
Carnegie (car-Neigh-ge) Brainstorming Notes
Compiled by Mark Hoffman and Angela Vincent
4.12.05
What each member feels is special about
the community.
Bernadette: ARTS & CULTURE Our perception of ourselves. Invite
the rest of Pittsburgh here. "Open for business" post
flood. Invested in ourselves.
Judy: ENERGY & SPIRIT. Sunsets behind the mural site are amazing.
Explosion of color.
Sue: Strong, Businesses & Charitable Community
Virginia: LIVING FOR ART, production, Carnegie was blooming…then
flood. Invigorated. Vision of the community dancing under the
mural.
Marcella: MAIN STREET INSIE. West Main Street.
David: FIND OUR IMAGE, little Pittsburgh, now clean.
Mural Subject Matter
Sturdy Oak "growing," new life.
They're to stay.
Lost everything, but it brought everyone TOGETHER.
Dancing, celebrating we survived! Dancing around a bonfire, saying
yes, we survived.
Same feeling when industry left.
Unplugged Ghost Town.
Molten Steel flowing into Celebratory…"
Theaters.
Businesses working together.
Get back on our feet.
Moving ahead.
Holding on together, HANDS pulling UP.
Encouragement from community.
Somebody looking out from a window witnessing all of this out
of a frame.
Flowing Words.
Church domes.
Description of community.
Friendly.
Phoenix, rebirth.
Bright
Historical.
Victorian era, still today.
Early industrial.
2 towns merge.
Build a library and we'll name the town after you.
Immigrants, Eastern European, awesome churches, 31 in all. Still
an influx.
Railroad brought people.
Steel
TODAY, listed as 1 of the 100 USA ART TOWNS.
40's style nightclub. Cefalo's Old Huge Church.
ARTS-Every kind, miniature buildings. Furniture, visual, dance.
We're a small town, not very urban.
Evolution.
Industry to Arts. John Adams once said, I was a soldier so my
son could be a businessman so his son could be a poet.
Smells: Pasta, pizza, Eastern European foods.
SOUNDS: TRAINS, Blues Festival, Arts & heritage Festival in
September, Church Bells.
SIGHTS: Old Buildings, People on Bikes, Walking, it's OPEN (not
congested) short buildings, BRIGHT, colorful, planters.
What's unique about Carnegie?
Convenience to Pittsburgh.
Central to Rural Communities.
Accessible to 79 North and 279 North, to surrounding communities.
Knits the south & west.
OPEN, Flat - it's a floodplain.
A wonderful town
Ethnic pockets.
Walkabale & bikable.
#Of Artists who live here and come here to perform.
Library & Music Hall, patterned after Carnegie Hall.
Old time Post Office.
3rd & 3rd Mini Cultural District.
What do you not want to see in the
Carnegie Mural?
Please NO Nudity, bars, drunks, oppressive colors, disco lights,
cityscapes or urban scenes.
What sort of mural style would you
like to see?
"Flowing."
Motion
Definite subject matter.
Open to photorealism, mosaic, figurative, folk art, and abstraction
with another style, perhaps photorealism.
Please NOT too abstract or modern and NO tributes.
PUBLIC
SUPPORT FOR MURALS IN CARNEGIE
I haven't heard a discouraging
word about the mural idea from anyone I've spoken with, so public
support for this is immense. Carnegie Borough Council voted to
approve the application pending approval of the final design.
The organizations that have written support for the murals are:
--Carnegie Renaissance (of course)
--Historical Society of Carnegie (Marcella McGrogan has had this
idea for the Main Street Bridge for years)
--Carnegie Rotary Club
--Carnegie Borough
In addition, each of the two murals had a 25-signature petition to complete, and with a visit to a few businesses, a Carnegie Rotary Club meeting and Marcella McGrogan taking the petition in hand and cruising Main Street, signatures were not a problem.
OUR
SPECIFIC MURAL SITES
Main Street Bridge: We have long wanted to make this bridge in the
center of town a gathering place, and the long low walls of this
bridge easily accommodate a timeline mural on both inner facing
walls. Our application describes one of the walls to feature a
collage of our cultural heritage from the first settlers in the
valley, and the other wall to feature our industrial and business
heritage. (The Main Street Bridge will see some repairs this summer,
so this mural may not happen this year. The application will be
kept on file for next year.)
Rome Hardware Building: The north-facing wall of this building has such visibility from streets and neighborhoods all around town that it's a natural for a mural. Our application describes a colorful flower garden on this wall, perhaps even using the upstairs window as part of the design. Building owner Leonard Czarnecki has agreed to prepare the wall for the mural.
COMMUNITY
ELIGIBILITY
Community applicant eligibility: Any organization with a physical presence within
the community of the proposed mural
site or an individual who is a resident of that community that
has met all criteria and delivered a complete application to the
Sprout office no later than 5 pm on Wednesday, March 16, 2005
is eligible to be considered to participate in the
Sprout Public Art program.
Community site eligibility: The proposed mural site must
be within Allegheny County. The surface of the proposed
mural site should be as smooth as possible and devoid of any peeling
paint, cracks or leaks. A community applicant may only apply for
one site. Please contact Sprout for advice on choosing a site
or questions regarding wall condition.
WHAT
WE NEEDED TO PROVIDE
A complete application
must be received no later than 5 pm on Wednesday, March 16, 2005
and must include:
.. Contact information, including:
Full name of primary contact person, organization (if applicable),
mailing address, email address, and phone number
.. 25 member signed petition (download available on Sprout website)
supporting the proposed mural
.. Photograph or digital image of the proposed mural site visually
indicating the dimensions and mural surface area
.. Preliminary letter of intent (download available on Sprout
website) from the property owner of proposed wall/site
stating permission to use the wall/site for the installation of
permanent public art
.. Answers to the questions below (using no more than 1500 words):
1. Describe the proposed mural site and specific wall. What is
the address and cross streets? Is it visible to traffic?
Is it a private home or business? Who is the property owner? What
direction does it face? What are the
measurements and composition (brick, stucco, etc)? Remember that
the wall integrity must be sound, with no
visible cracks, peeling paint or leaks.
2. Describe the level of community commitment and support. Are
you able to organize a minimum of two community
meetings during the month of June? How will you publicize the
meetings and where will they take place? How will
you encourage maximum neighborhood participation?
3. If applicable, please describe the level of organizational
support for the project. What is the mission/goals of your
organization or group? What is its history and role in the community?
How many people are involved with this
project?
4. Briefly describe the community’s capacity to maintain
the mural site after completion. Have you identified
community organizations and individuals who will assist with the
mural project and maintain the mural and its
surrounding site in the future? Please provide names and contact
information.
5. How do you anticipate that the mural will benefit your community?
What would the significance be of having a
mural at this location?
6. Are there currently any other works of public art within your
community? If so, what impact have they had on you
and/or your neighborhood?
7. Briefly describe the theme, imagery or subject matter your
community envisions for the mural.
8. Although it may not be possible, would your community prefer
to work with an artist who is a resident of your
community? (yes/no) No community is guaranteed to work with an
artist who is a resident of the community. This
information is used in placing artists in competition for communities.
TIMELINE,
updated April 17, 2005
January-March 16: Information Sessions
March 16: Artist and Community Applications Deadline
March 29: Artist Selection Jury meeting
March 30: Facilitator Training at Carnegie Mellon University
April 6: Communities selected by the Sprout Advisory Board
April 7: Communities notified of selection decision
April 7-9: Juried artists interviewed by Sprout staff
April 12: Brainstorming Session, Heinz History Center,
3rd floor multipurpose room, 5:30pm to 8pm:
Selected communities gather with facilitators to brainstorm and
hone their ideas for the subject matter of their murals. Communities
express preferences for specific artistic styles, themes and whether
or not they wish to work with an artist who is a resident of their
communities
Brainstorming notes typed and emailed to Sprout by 9:00am, Thursday,
April 14
YOU ARE HERE! The above tasks are complete, below is the upcoming list.
April 15-21:
Artists rank their community preferences
April 15-21: Community Rank Order of Qualified Artists
Location and Time TDB by facilitator and community
Rank order meeting. Communities are shown slides of the pool of
artists that are qualified by experience and meet the communities'
other criteria. Communities rank these artists by order of preference
Rank order is DUE to Sprout by 10:00am Thursday, April 21
April 22: Artists are sent their preliminary design assignment
April 22-May 6: Artists have two weeks to complete a fully
painted preliminary design inspired by the ideas and subject matter
expressed by the community
May 6: Preliminary designs due to Sprout Public Art
May 13: Preliminary design exhibition at Artists Image
Resource, 518 Foreland St., in Central Northside: Artists, communities
and facilitators are invited to attend and view the potential
muralists work
May 13-18: Artist Selection
Location and Time TBD by facilitator and community
Using the preliminary designs, each community selects the one
artist who will execute the mural in their neighborhood
May 19: Artists are notified of final muralist selection
May 23-June 24: Dialogue Sessions (at least 2)
Locations and Times TBD by facilitator and community
Artists and communities go into dialogue sessions to refine and
finalize the preliminary mural designs
June 24: Final designs are due to Sprout to prepare for final presentation to the City's Arts Commission
June 18: HOTHOUSE 05, Sprout's annual fundraiser and showcase event, at the new Blackbird Lofts and Artist Studios in Lawrenceville
June 29: Presentation
of final mural designs to Arts Commission
Presentation is Wednesday, June 29 at 2:00pm, 200 Ross St., Downtown.
Open to the public: artists, communities and facilitators are
invited to attend and see their City's process in action
June 30-July 8:
Mural installation begins with kick off events
July-September: Mural painting period
Early September: Communities and artists participate in
mural dedication ceremonies
October: Program Evaluation/Debriefing occurs
CARNEGIE RENAISSANCE LETTER OF SUPPORT
The Sprout Fund
Sprout Public Art 2005 Application
4920 Penn Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15224-1609
Date: March 16, 2005
RE: Carnegie Community Applications for Murals
In addition to the two mural applications submitted, on behalf of the supporting organizations, citizens, businesses and Carnegie Borough, I'd like to add a brief statement about what these murals would mean to our community.
Carnegie was always a lovely little community, the central hub of the surrounding largely rural and suburban communities. We survived a major economic downturn in the early 80s with the closing of the steel mills, which were the main employer in town; in this downturn, much of our infrastructure began to fail until the 90s when we began to renovate and beautify our Main Street and the surrounding community. Today that process continues, and we had just reached a point of economic stability, growth and visual attractiveness when the flood nearly destroyed all of Main Street and much of our downtown area on September 17, 2004.
While we're clean on the outside we took a temporary step backward in our economic strength, and outsiders are still dubious about visiting town, businesses hesitant to consider Carnegie a viable community in which to open. Any progress, especially so visible as a public mural, can be a greater asset in our recovery than I can define. Visitors to town would see that we have faith enough in our strength and continued existence that we would contract murals in public areas, that even in the face of such great loss we still have the visionary confidence to plan ahead and welcome a growing family, an entrepreneur, a young professional looking for a progressive community in which to make a difference.
In addition, we position ourselves as a community in support of the arts and artists with four galleries, two dance schools, a music school, two long-standing resident theater companies, our own Andrew Carnegie Free Library and Music Hall, and a community of artists who regularly show and work together in and around town. A mural would, literally, point the way to many of these community assets.
I realize that the Main Street Bridge will be under construction in 2005 and that this mural is probably not a possibility for 2005, but since I understand that this type of mural is not the standard issue, I hope that we can continue to plan and consider it for next year. The mural proposed for the Rome Hardware Building is central, highly visible, and would point the way to what we call our "corner of 3rd and 3rd, our mini-cultural district" at the corner of Third Street and Third Avenue where art, music, theater, yoga, and many more cultural activities take place.
I look forward to hearing from you as you consider our applications.
Sincerely,
Bernadette Kazmarski, Director
cc: Marcella McGrogan, Historical
Society of Carnegie PA
Scott Venetti, President, Carnegie Rotary Club
Dorothy Kelly, President, Carnegie Borough Council
(also to be posted on Carnegie Renaissance's website)
ABOUT
THE SPROUT FUND PUBLIC ART PROGRAM
Sprout Public Art improves the
image of the region by enhancing the visual landscape of neighborhoods
in Pittsburgh and the surrounding communities of Allegheny County
by creating high quality public art. The program encourages dialogue
on public art between the community and the artist, contributes
to community and neighborhood development and raises awareness
about the important role that local artists can have in shaping
communities. Sprout Public Art addresses three key issues: disconnect
between visual culture and day-to-day life, level of leadership
and personal investment in the region’s neighborhoods and
need to support the ideas and creativity of people living in the
Pittsburgh region.
You can see murals sponsored by Sprout all over Pittsburgh. Visit their website for more information: www.publicart.sproutfund.org