A note from the President
Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Pittsburgh, PA Permit No. 3001
It is hard to believe, but the fall season is upon us! The spring and summer months were unlike any others we have ever experienced downtown. The move of the Trust’s EQT Pittsburgh International Children’s Festival brought new families into Pittsburgh’s Cultural District and the Trust’s Dollar Bank Three Rivers Arts Festival marked an unprecedented year in attendance, including a notable increase in visitors from other national cities. The performance of El Gran Combo, generously supported by the Allegheny Conference on Community Development and Fifth Third Bank, shined an international light on the Cultural Trust’s Pittsburgh JazzLive International Festival bringing nearly 15,000 to the heart of the Cultural District for one distinct and phenomenal performance of the Salsa legends.
Volume 6 | Issue
Tuesday, December 9
Downtown Rooftop Shindig
Member’s Holiday Happy Hour
Enjoy live music, handcrafted food, and specialty libations under the stars on the top level of the Theater Square Parking Garage (667 Penn Avenue) beginning at 6:00pm. At dusk, catch a screening of The Big Lebowski with Pittsburgh Filmmakers— bring your chairs! Visit downtownpittsburgh.
Take a moment to pause during the bustling holiday season, breath in the crisp air and celebrate in the festive Cultural District. Appetizers, cocktails and good company surely await! This complimentary
com for more info on this FREE event.
Friday, September 26
Gallery Crawl in the Cultural District Celebrate the 10th year anniversary during this free quarterly showcase of art and entertainment in the heart of the Cultural District. All events take place at a variety of galleries and spaces that are FREE and open to the public from 5:30-10:00pm. Friday, October 3
THE BOOK OF MORMON Cast Party They’re back! Join your fellow Trust members following this evening’s outrageously hilarious performance for light refreshments and beverages. Unwind from the onslaught of humor with the cast and crew of THE BOOK OF MORMON. This
event is open to all Members.
Wednesday, December 31
NEWSIES Cast Party Stop the presses! Keep the energy flowing after the show during this opening night romp with the cast and crew of NEWSIES. This complimentary event is open to all Members.
For questions about your membership, please call Jennifer Schooley at 412-471-3518.
Highmark First Night® Pittsburgh Celebrate New Year’s Eve with the Trust! For more information on these Trust events, email members@TrustArts.org or call 412-471-3518. An evite will be emailed with more information prior to the Member events.
ARTS DAY OF GIVING Adoringly called ArtsDOG, the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council will sponsor an Arts Day Of Giving in partnership with The Pittsburgh Foundation on Thursday, October 2. All gifts contributed via pittsburghgives.org on this day from 6:00am-11:59pm will be partially matched by The Pittsburgh Foundation.
S tretch yo u r dollars on O ctober 2!
complimentary event is open to all Members.
Tuesday, November 25
COSMOPOLITAN PITTSBURGH Host Committee members
D AY OF 2 G IVING OCT
the PITTSBURGH
lution. gh’s bicycle revo ur b ts it P of t on e forefr markings and The Trust at th bollards. No Public art, a convenience changes to Penn for bicycle commuters, Avenue parking an effort to promote will occur, and green transportation – Liberty Avenue and or all of the above? In Fort Duquesne Boulevard will absorb any additional late August, the Trust unveiled five artist-designed bike racks displayed vehicular traffic. Plan accordingly for the modifications before your next visit to the Cultural District. throughout the Cultural District.
Cosmopolitan Pittsburgh Host Committee Co-chairs Michael McCallister, Laura Seifert, and Katherine Leech Vollen with Allegheny County Council Member Tom Baker
Wednesday, September 10
CULTURAL TRUST
DE I R D N A T E M L GRAB A HE members of A newsletter for
As we approach the launch of the PNC Broadway Across America-Pittsburgh season, the Trust is thrilled to present the first national tours of Disney’s NEWSIES and MOTOWN the Musical. The season will open on September 23 with the return of the Broadway Blockbuster, THE BOOK OF MORMON at Heinz Hall. In addition to Broadway, the Dance Council will present the Pittsburgh premiere of Michael Clark Company’s work featuring the music of 1970s rock legend David Bowie and this year’s Trust Cabaret Series is not to be missed featuring Linda Eder, Brian d’Arcy James and other Broadway showstoppers. Thank you for your continued support!
2 :: Fall 2014
The final countdown of 2014 has begun with just under four months left to reach 8,000 Trust Members by year’s end. Thanks to you and the generosity of the Richard King Mellon Foundation, the Trust remains on track to reach 10,000 members by 2015, but we need your help to reach this goal! Please continue to renew your annual membership and encourage friends, family and colleagues to support the Trust! Renew online at TrustArts.org/support.
As part of the Trust’s continued commitment to promote the creation of innovative artworks for public appreciation, the new bike racks also expand into the realm of eco-friendly transportation. Nearly two years ago, the Trust announced a call for Pittsburgh-area artists to design and develop functional bicycle racks for permanent usage around the Cultural District. A selection committee accepted five submissions under the parameters that the racks would be fabricated from aluminum, powdercoated stainless steel or galvanized steel in order to minimize maintenance concerns and adhere to sizing and other accessibility standards. Thanks to a generous grant funded by the Colcom Foundation, each artist received a stipend to cover the cost of design, fabrication and ultimately installation. In a close collaboration with Bike Pittsburgh and Stephen Patchan, Bicycle/Pedestrian Coordinator for the City of Pittsburgh, the Trust established the racks’ locations and acquired the appropriate permitting. Coincidentally, these plans align with the City’s recent announcement of Pittsburgh’s role in a national campaign to establish protected bike lanes throughout the city with one traversing directly through the Golden Triangle. Penn Avenue traffic downtown now flows one-way, inbound only, with a dedicated two-way bike lane on the southern (left) side of the street, which is separated by pavement
These positive changes will be a hot topic at the 18th annual Pro Walk/Pro Bike/Pro Place conference at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center on September 8-11, drawing over 1,000 city planners, transportation engineers, elected officials, community leaders, and professional walking and bicycling advocates. Furthermore, future proposals include the launch of a bike-share program in 2015, which consists of bicycles on-demand available for rental from a system of unattended locations citywide. In light of the City’s intensifying focus on bicycling, the Trust’s bike rack endeavor seems more than a public art project and serves a functionality with purpose. The uptick in city dwellers, as well as suburban residents who either commute or recreationally bicycle in and around the city, will feel a real impact on the community. These bike racks will not only distinguish and prompt visits to the Cultural District, but may also encourage a change in behavior, transforming motorists into bicycle commuters. Stay tuned for more details on plans to create many more bicycle racks! For more information on the Trust’s visual arts programming, visit TrustArts.org/visualarts.
1 Bicyclist’s viewpoint on Penn Avenue courtesy of Bike Pittsburgh 2 Iconic bridge bike rack rendering by artist Will Schlough 3 Finished product designed and built by Will Schlough 4 Bike rack designed by Colin David Carrier being installed outside of the Trust’s SPACE gallery 5 Bike rack designed by Carin Mincemoyer 6 Contrails bike rack by Toby Fraley, concept and finished product
J. Kevin McMahon President & CEO
Institutional Development Staff
THE H T I W P I H S MEMBER RKS! E P S T I S A H T R U ST
Nick Gigante Vice President of Development Lauren Brant Development Associate Jenniffer Burke Director of Foundation and Corporate Giving Kelly Conger Assistant Manager of Foundation and Government Giving Myra Falisz Development Assistant Heather Masterson Director of Individual Giving
Mark your calendars for these upcoming PNC Broadway Across America-Pittsburgh member presale dates available to Sponsoring Partner ($250+) members and above! A promo code will be emailed to you on each presale date. If you would like to inquire about upgrading your membership to receive this terrific benefit that also applies to many other shows in the Trust Presents lineup, please contact Jenn Schooley at Schooley@TrustArts.org.
Aimee J. Plotz Assistant Manager of Donor Relations Jillian Schepis Development/Marketing Intern
PERFORMANCE
PERFORMANCE DATES and VENUE
MEMBER PRESALE DATE
Jennifer Schooley Assistant Manager of Individual Giving
ANNIE
Oct. 28–Nov. 2, 2014 Benedum Center
On sale now!
IRVING BERLIN’S WHITE CHRISTMAS
Nov. 18–23 Benedum Center
Sept. 11, 2014
NEWSIES
Nov. 25–30 Benedum Center
Sept. 25, 2014
Joy Deborah Robison TRUSTOvations Design & Layout
MOTOWN THE MUSICAL
Dec. 30–Jan. 4 Heinz Hall
Oct. 13, 2014
Photo credits: Bike Pittsburgh, Jason Cohn, Myra Falisz, Joey Kennedy, Aimee Obidzinski, Renee Rosensteel
PIPPIN
Jan. 20–25 Benedum Center
Oct. 30, 2014
THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA
Feb. 18–March 1 Benedum Center
Nov. 13, 2014
DISNEY’S BEAUTY AND THE BEAST
March 31–April 5 Heinz Hall
Nov. 20, 2014
DIRTY DANCING
April 7–12 Benedum Center
Jan. 29, 2015
Denice Shilling Assistant Manager of Corporate Giving Sadie Treese Development Systems Coordinator Cassandra Williams Development Systems Assistant
Member presale dates subject to change.
facebook.com/cultural trust twitter.com/cultural trust To purchase tickets visit
412-456-6666
By official Allegheny County Council Proclamation, as presented by Council Member Tom Baker, be it resolved, that Friday, July 11, 2014 was declared “Cosmopolitan Pittsburgh Day” in Allegheny County. Hosted by the Trust Partners Board and CONSOL Energy with presenting sponsors UPMC and UPMC Health Plan, the 8th annual Cosmopolitan Pittsburgh fundraiser wowed guests with
El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico performing at the Pittsburgh JazzLive International Festival in July. Festival–goers and VIP Members of the Trust’s Jammin’ JazzLive Club boogied to the world-renown sensation’s salsa-based music.
an array of entertainment and activities. Over 750 partygoers could choose from live music, comedy skits, games, an interactive art creation, urban dance exhibitions, karaoke or simply dancing the night away to the DJ—all of these events occurring simultaneously to keep guests on the go all evening. The move to the beautiful August Wilson Center for African American Culture this year
enabled party-goes to see and be seen by passers-by through a wall of stunning floor to ceiling windows, creating a real sense of a downtown metropolitan experience. Cosmopolitan Pittsburgh strives to celebrate our great city and all that the Trust encompasses within the Cultural District. Next summer will be here before you know it and we hope to see you at Cosmopolitan Pittsburgh 2015!
REAL ESTATE NEWS
Garden-fresh salads, wraps, and homemade soups will warm bellies as the weather turns cooler at the new SIMPLE INGREDIENTS takeout café located between the Harris Theater and the Trust Arts Education Center at 807 Liberty Avenue. Proprietor Michael Tarquinio also owns Sal’s City Deli, which opened next door to the Benedum Center in 2012 with great success. SIMPLE INGREDIENTS, a sister location to Sal’s, offers quick, healthier lunch alternatives for downtown residents, professionals and entertainment seekers. Hours are from 11:00am to 6:00pm weekdays and 11:00am to 4:00pm on Saturdays with extended hours during Trust Gallery Crawls and other special events.
FALL USHERS IN THE NEW TRUST SEASONS! As the Trust’s new presenting seasons of incredible productions open, we want to remind you of the official sources for purchasing tickets in order to avoid patronizing fraudulent outlets. Only purchase tickets from authorized sources: The official Trust website TrustArts.org and the collective website at CulturalDistrict.org offer guaranteed tickets at the best
connectOnline
TrustArts.org
THE PARTY OF THE SUMMER!
prices, as does buying in-person at the Theater Square Box Office at 665 Penn Avenue, and by calling 412-456-6666. Do not click on search engine ads when buying tickets online: Fraudulent and broker sites pay for legitimate-looking ad listings at the top of the screen, hoping to be selected instead of authorized ticketing merchants.
Patrons can be deceived into paying several hundred percent over the face value of our tickets from these scalping and resale sites that may even sell tickets that do not exist. Stay connected: Through our email list, Facebook site, and Twitter messages, stay in-theknow about what is coming to our stages and galleries. Happy theatergoing!
Distinct dining options throughout the Cultural District are quickly expanding and include: Butcher and the Rye on 6th Street across from Heinz Hall Grit & Grace on Liberty between Fifth Avenue and 6th Street Sienna Mercato on Penn between 9th and 10th streets Ten Penny Restaurant on the corner of Penn and 10th Sip, savor and enjoy your next evening in the Cultural District!
Education C orner
Staff
The Trust’s Education and Community Engagement Department hosted two ArtCity summer day camps in July that offered diverse programming for our region’s young budding artists, writers and dancers.
their development of critical thinking and self-expression. Additionally, the showcase was performed in front of an audience, allowing the students to experience a professional theater environment.
The two-week REED DANCE Summer Intensive hosted by Artistic Director, Greer Reed, and her company artists, instructed students in daily classes of modern and ballet technique, as well as master classes in African dance, hiphop, and acting for dancers. In addition to classes, the dancers rehearsed for a final showcase, featuring a piece entitled “We Are the Change,” that connected dance with an anti-bullying message which the students helped to choreograph. Challenging the dancers both artistically and emotionally through movement truly encouraged
Another week-long program titled Green Artists and Writers enabled students to let the creative juices flow via poetry and fictional writing in the mornings. Following lunch, the inspired youths delved into the world of visual arts by constructing sculptures, weavings, paintings and prints using recycled materials in combination with traditional artistic materials. Each student did their small part to save the Earth, simultaneously learning the importance of recycling while collaborating and experimenting together. Upcoming community programming includes Camp Broadway EXP on Saturday, Nov. 1, a one-day ANNIEthemed musical theater camp led by Broadway professionals for children ages 10-13 of all skill levels. For more information on the Trust’s educational programming, visit TrustArts.org/education.