May 1, 2024 - Pittsburgh City Paper

COLIN WILLIAMS

JESS SIMMS

Editorial Intern JAMES PAUL

Circulation Manager JEFF ENGBARTH

Contributors KAHMEELA ADAMS-FRIEDSON, REGE BEHE, LYNN CULLEN, MEG ST-ESPRIT, MATT PETRAS, JORDANA ROSENFELD, JORDAN SNOWDEN

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ABOUT-FACE

Artists of color say Pittsburgh has “perfected racism.” What would real progress look like?

BY COLIN WILLIAMS // CWILLIAMS@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

On paper, Pittsburgh looks like a vibrant arts city. It also looks like a city with serious racial inequities. Artists of color say it’s both. They likewise say this doesn’t need to be the case. The city’s institutions adopted sweeping diversity, equity, and inclusion policies following the 2018 killing of Antwon Rose Jr., a scathing 2019 report detailing a deadly gulf in pre- and postnatal health outcomes for Pittsburgh’s Black women, and the 2020 murder of George Floyd. Sometimes rounded out with accessibility and social justice policies, these formed the many acronyms now often labeled (as in this article) “DEI.” As with critical race theory (CRT) and LGBTQ rights issues, this acronym has recently been co-opted as a racist dog whistle by many on the right, but facilitators and supporters of DEI work say it’s still desperately needed.

The problem in Pittsburgh, artists say, is how it’s been implemented.

Some artists argue that what looked like a sea change in 2020 and 2021 now looks more like a shift in language at many organizations. They say their work was frustrated by white leadership, entrenched racism, and institutional inertia. A few have departed — or were fired from — their roles. A few have shifted focus. And a few have left Pittsburgh altogether.

BOOM Concepts co-owner J. Thomas Agnew says Pittsburgh’s arts scene reflects the city’s broader inequities. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic forced hard conversations about which organizations had the resources to survive a prolonged shutdown.

It quickly became clear, Agnew says, that when it came to larger organizations, the focus on inclusion got lost, adding “they were just trying to really get back into the program.”

“There was like a larger arts group that was

kind of coming together and trying to figure out how to work through COVID,” Agnew tells Pittsburgh City Paper. “And they weren’t necessarily saying anything about the Black people who were being killed by police.”

“We called that out and really were just talking to them about how they should be figuring out efforts to support more Black, brown, queer, femme artists, and organizations here in Pittsburgh,” he says.

Eventually, that pressure resulted in grant opportunities from funders and nonprofits directed at both arts funding and DEI work. One of those projects, the Visual Arts Coalition for Equity (VACE), sought to give its smaller member organizations access to core members of the coalitionand equity resources that could help them with their independent work.

Kemuel Benyehudah was a member of the

WHERE THE PAINT MEETS THE CANVAS

2021 VACE cohort. He’s currently a Ph.D. student at the University of Pennsylvania and researches institutional inequity at arts organizations.

“When I joined VACE, my assumption was that the city wanted to move in a different direction,” Benyehudah says. However, a lack of tangible results in the cohort — as well as a brief tenure in a community engagement role at the Mattress Factory, where he says his advocacy for deeper engagement with the North Side’s Black community created tension between him and the museum’s white leaders — led Benyehudah to leave Pittsburgh altogether. He says his experience adds to what he encounters in his research, namely museums using their work with artists of color as a façade over ongoing systemic issues.

he art covers up the racism,” he says. “It’s literally the makeup on the face of the organi ation ” David Oresick, the Mattress Factory’s executive director, says he cannot comment "on individual perceptions or experiences regarding relationships," but pushed back on the idea that the museum’s staff was resistant to implementing farreaching DEI measures.

CP in an email, “[a]cknowledging that our current staff composition — pre dominantly white — does not accu rately represent our region’s demo graphics ” Oresick cites the diversity of artists the museum has collaborated with (“60% BIPOC, 40% Black, and 20% identifying as LGBTQ since ” and says of the attress Factory’s after-school program participants, all of whom were North

“THE ART COVERS UP THE RACISM. IT’S LITERALLY THE MAKEUP ON THE FACE OF THE ORGANIZATION.”

“We recognize the challenges involved in developing a workforce that mirrors the rich diversity of the communities we serve,” Oresick told

accu-

iders in , identified as Black or African American.

“Any suggestion of resistance within our teams to these D I efforts

CP PHOTO: MARS JOHNSON Omid Shekari poses for a portrait on the University of Pittsburgh's campus.

does not reflect the reality of our collective and ongoing work,” he says.

Tara Fay Coleman (who, full disclosure, has previously written for CP) says her experience at the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust in a curatorial role soured after she spoke up about perceived inequities.

having her back, she alleges the institution went out of its way to appease the artist. Coleman began to feel like she was being “undermined."

“When you allow artists to act this way and treat people this way, it reinforces that that behavior is acceptable, and I shouldn’t be subjected to

“IN ORDER TO ACTUALLY GET TO DIVERSITY AND CREATE AN EQUITABLE PLACE … YOU NEED TO TRANSFORM THE WHOLE STRUCTURE.”

“I went in pretty optimistic because it was my first big-girl arts job,” she says. The early optimism she felt faded after Coleman says a white artist she was working with spoke disrespectfully to her. Instead of

that,” Coleman says. She requested a mediated talk with the manager of DEI and human resources to discuss ways to prevent future friction.

According to Coleman, this experience and friction with a white

manager eventually culminated in a performance improvement plan (shared with CP) that Coleman refused to sign off on, and Coleman’s subsequent dismissal earlier this year.

“Me requesting a conversation about my experience as a Black woman in this organization was completely invalidated,” she says.

In a statement, Trust CEO Kendra Whitlock Ingram told CP, “As a biracial Black woman who’s served in leadership positions at arts organizations across the country, I can personally underscore the importance of continued progress on DEAI initiatives.” Ingram provided CP with a detailed list of the Trust’s DEI programming, including the organization’s work with Diaz Inclusion Consulting, a cross-departmental DEAI committee, and the employment of a dedicated DEAI manager.

The Trust likewise declined to

CP PHOTO: LAKE LEWIS

Thomas Agnew and DS Kinsel of BOOM Concepts

comment on confidential personnel matters.

Both Benyehudah and Coleman speak of “tokenization,” “tone policing,” and the potency of white staff’s reported fear. “Tears get weaponized,” Benyehudah says. He and Coleman also say DEI initiatives and human resources officers, including those with BIPOC identities, are not the backstop they seem to be on paper.

Omid Shekari, an artist and faculty member at the University of Pittsburgh, says the situation looked similar at Pitt and a Cleveland arts nonprofit where he served on the board. He stepped away from a DEI

committee at the university after several job openings went to white candidates despite the committee’s recommendations. “I think there are some big issues with these committees in general,” he says. “The need of having a committee to address diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, accessibility — that first tells us that we don’t have any of those things.”

“What I found in the past few years,” Shekari says, “is that [these] committees usually sit around and talk about finding language rather than actually changing these issues.”

Dominique Chestand, who served as the VACE coordinator in 2021 and

CP PHOTO: MARS JOHNSON

Tara Fay Coleman poses for a portrait.

currently works as the operations manager at Shiftworks ( formerly the Office of Public Art , says the city seemed open to new ideas when she started working for the coalition. “I was hired specifically because I said that I’m willing to say the things that most people aren’t willing to say,” she recalls.

After promising early meetings, Chestand says inertia set in quickly.

“I think in the generative phases of that organization when we were building the language that would represent the coalition, everything was hunky dory,” she says he adds that, when it came to turning that language into action,” she was met with a lot of tension, a lot of pushback” from some members of the group.

A lot of the time, that D I language is not practice,” Chestand says “The way that organizations execute their programming, e ecute their other initiatives, it’s ust something that doesn’t really stick ”

Agnew says BOO Concepts was part of VAC but dropped out when it became clear that BOO had different needs than the other member organi ations Benyehudah, meanwhile, says he’s unsure what ultimately became of VAC ’s research here’s the data ” he wonders Like other initiatives from the time, VAC has an attractive website that’s still live owever, the program’s Resources and Calendar pages are mostly empty, and the ellowship still reflects the cohort of which Benyehudah was part

It’s so easy to ust come up with these numbers and put it out, but it’s all about the actions,” Agnew says And can you consistently do that And can you consistently show up for other people that don’t look like you ” CP reached out to the Associated Artists of Pittsburgh and Brew ouse Arts to in uire whether VAC initiatives still informed their work but did not hear back by press time

BEYOND LANGUAGE

implementing

Brown, a sculptor who pre viously worked at Pitt, says several factors prevent arts leaders from implementing D I initiatives more fully, but one of the biggest is pay and how it’s distributed Pittsburgh is rich in foundation funding, but it’s distributed in a way that she says can e acerbate ine uities he worries giving money to individual artists without community buy in can lay the groundwork for gentrifying the city’s neighborhoods Pittsburgh funding is great in terms of it giv ing artists opportunities,” she says At the same time, I don’t see that funding helping communities as a whole ” hen it comes to D I initiatives, Brown says, I believe in it It’s the last thing we have because affirmative action is gone ” But, Brown muses, he problem with Pittsburgh is that Pittsburgh has really perfected the craft of racism, especially liberal racism ”

CP PHOTO: MARS JOHNSON

Tara Fay Coleman poses for a portrait at White Whale bookstore.

Several artists interviewed for this story, including Shekari, said liberal values often cover for a lack of willingness to radically rethink institutional models. “Liberal politics requires pacifism, neutrality, and, in general, maintaining the status quo,” he says. “In order to actually get to diversity and create an equitable place, which is inclusive [and] accessible … you need to transform the whole structure.”

Everyone interviewed for this article says change needs to extend beyond equity language — otherwise, the resources necessary for change remain concentrated in legacy organizations.

“The problem isn’t actually DEI,” Benyehudah says. “Rather, the problem is that DEI initiatives are terribly underfunded, understaffed, and misaligned with the community’s concrete needs … Funders, artists, museum practitioners, and communities need to work more closely together to critically discuss and implement solutions which can most benefit those who the DEI initiative is supposed to be targeting.”

Agnew says change needs to happen at the top, especially at foundations and within boards (he currently serves on two). Without pressure in the C-suite, he says initiatives like DEI get lost in short-term grant funding cycles.

“[W]hen you have white-led organizations who are getting the majority of the money, and they’re hiring the people, and they’re still working within the same cycles as they would any other grant,” he says. “When that cycle is over, people are getting fired, or people are getting laid off, or they’re not putting that much effort into the work.”

Trust CEO Ingram says the organization has focused on recruiting and retaining more diverse leadership. “The Trust has increased the diversity of its leadership team and Board

significantly in recent years,” Ingram says. “The 14-person leadership team includes six individuals identifying as BIPOC, for example.”

Coleman sees a throughline in hiring practices — she says many institutions, despite adopting more inclusive language, still offer too many positions that are part-time, poorly compensated, or require a degree despite being entry-level. “I think that speaks to the optics of uplifting Black artists but not giving them sustainable opportunities,” she says.

Brown says one solution is for artists of color to own their work and where it’s displayed. “The art institutions and some of the educational institutions are predominantly white because they want to be,” she says. “We need to own our spaces.”

Agnew says education is key. “Being able to buy your own property, your own land, that is highly important,” he says. “But … who’s also educated enough to go through that process alone?”

BOOM Concepts is in the early stages of identifying a building to purchase, and Agnew says the process is complicated. He says local funders and policymakers should do more to educate artists and the community more broadly on the ins and outs of buying property. Agnew is leaning on community groups and other artists as BOOM seeks a forever home.

Shekari doubts that large local institutions will change but sees transformative power in building a community. He and other artists are in ongoing discussions about what it would look like to form a collective “vessel” that starts with a nucleus of artists and grows to address shifting community needs.

“One thing about Pittsburgh that is unique is that the art community is small enough that people know each other,” he says. “It’s small enough to create a dialogue that impacts the whole city.” •

NOT WRITTEN OFF

It’s been a tough few years for literary publishing. Supply chain snarls and inflation drove up printing costs, adding strain to already tight budgets. Considering many small publishers were overworked and underpaid (or unpaid) even before 2020, the recent flood of closures isn’t surprising. Several Pittsburgh-area publishers that existed in 2019 are now defunct, among them poetry journal 5AM and chapbook publisher Hyacinth Girl Press. Others, like BatCat Press out of Midland, Pa., haven’t officially folded but are on indefinite hiatus.

While the loss of these publishers is unfortunate, it has also cleared the way for new independent publications to bring fresh voices and opportunities to the local literary landscape.

PHOTO: CHRIS UHREN

(L to R) Carolyn Pierotti, Emma Riva, and Aletheia attend the Petrichor Magazine launch party at Mixtape

PHOTO: CHRIS UHREN

Emma Riva (left) and Leo Hsu view artwork by Anthony Angelilli and Grant Catton at Mixtape.

The end of a publishing project isn’t always a bad thing, either.

Creative Nonfiction , arguably Pittsburgh’s most prestigious literary publication, announced a hiatus in January 2023. But while technology and cost concerns were part of this decision, founder Lee Gutkind had a deeper motivation. He founded the magazine to provide an outlet for what was then a new and controversial storytelling genre and, after 30 years, believed that mission “had been accomplished.“

“Creative nonfiction has become an integral part of the literary world — the undisputed fourth genre,” Gutkind says. “We went into hiatus so that we had time to decide what our next act would be.”

So far, that next act has involved a new partnership with Narratively and plans to release an anthology through Belt Publishing in the fall. In this case, the hiatus wasn’t a closure, but a springboard into a new chapter.

It’s also worth noting that publishers closing is nothing new and, like with Creative Nonfiction , these closures aren’t always permanent. Between 2000-2003, the local zine yawp Magazine published five issues — time constraints forced its founders to pause the project, but they never fully laid yawp to rest, and, in early 2024, announced a new open call.

This iteration of yawp is associated with Poetry Lounge, a Millvalebased bar and venue opened by the magazine’s co-founder, Sean Enright. Enright expresses excitement over the level of interest literary events have garnered since he opened the venue in the space formerly occupied by a bar called Whisper Nest.

During yawp’s initial run, Enright says, “It felt like we were an outlier community that often struggled to get participation in our events.” By contrast, Poetry Lounge’s Open Mic Tuesdays series is “by leaps and bounds our best attended weekly event,” Enright says, and, since

opening in September 2023, they’ve hosted a plethora of well-attended book launches, workshops, and other literary happenings.

Enright is optimistic about the future of publishing in Pittsburgh, citing new opportunities like online print-on-demand that didn’t exist when yawp first started. “And with establishments like Poetry Lounge, a venue where they can host events and sell those books alongside their online shops, publishers don’t have to invest a large amount of money into upfront publishing costs.”

Other new local publishers are taking advantage of these options.

In April, Poetry Lounge hosted the official launch of Last-Picked Books, a new small press whose founder, Daniel Parme, was inspired to start it after seeing the literary community fracture during the pandemic. (Full disclosure: The author has previously published a story collection through Last-Picked Books.)

kinds of books, too, so why not try to put them out there?”

Sharing the billing with LastPicked authors at the launch was Halsey Hyer, founder of the new chapbook publisher Death Drive Press. As a member of the Big Idea Bookstore collective, Hyer has firsthand experience navigating a project that funds itself but isn’t focused on profit and wanted to extend that concept to small publishing.

“We live in a time verging on a complete monopoly in contemporary American publishing,” Hyer says. “I think now more than ever we need to take matters into our own hands, especially in the age of mass production and commercialization.”

Toward this end, Death Drive Press focuses on limited-run printings— and building a community is a major goal of theirs, too. “We want to bring words to the people by making literature happen where you might least expect it,” says Hyer.

“WE WANT TO BRING WORDS TO THE PEOPLE BY MAKING LITERATURE HAPPEN WHERE YOU MIGHT LEAST EXPECT IT.”

“Then things started to get back to ‘normal,’ but that disconnection remained. Starting the press is my way of reconnecting,” Parme says. “There are so many wonderful little groups here but I’ve always found the lack of interaction between them confusing. Pittsburghers are notorious for not wanting to leave our own little neighborhoods, and unfortunately the same goes for our various literary hamlets.”

Parme hopes Last-Picked Books can provide a home for manuscripts that otherwise get overlooked “because they don’t fit neatly into a box of marketability,” adding, “Those kinds of weird, out-of-the-box stories are usually my favorites to read. I figured other people must like those

not easy to sustain. Many publishers are financially break-even-at-best, run by a small, sometimes one-person volunteer team. The burnout rate is understandably high. If it’s so difficult to keep a magazine or press going, why do people keep starting them? The answers are as diverse as the outfits. Program collective Write Pittsburgh added their publishing branch to provide a platform for young local writers. As publishing director Sheena Carroll says, “There are less of these opportunities available for youths as compared to adults. This is a shame because young writers also have a lot to say.”

Write Pittsburgh’s publishing efforts started in 2018 with the Oeuvre anthology featuring participants in their youth writing workshops. In 2022, they expanded this into a biannual online journal, Starry False Lily, which published two issues in 2023 and is currently accepting submissions for its third. “As Starry False Lily grows, Write Pittsburgh hopes that it will become recognized as an accessible and fun space for young writers to share their voices,” Carroll says.

The next goal for Death Drive Press? Strategically placing “Vending Ma-zines” throughout the city to give readers easy, affordable access to DIY zines. This distribution approach can help to solve what Hyer sees as the biggest challenge facing Pittsburgh’s independent publishers today: increasing costs.

Hyer sees building community as one solution to this problem, saying, “Many of us are working in ramshackle conditions if we’re not already established. It’s my dream for small presses in Pittsburgh to have a coalition of sorts — maybe one day this will be on our agenda, too.”

Hyer’s comments and yawp Magazine ’s story highlight an inescapable fact of small publishing: it’s

For Petrichor Magazine founder, Emma Riva, the idea of an art magazine had been percolating for a while. “I really wanted something for Pittsburgh that was by and for the city but didn’t lean into this sort of kitschy, hyper-local aesthetic that leans on Yinzer stereotypes, sports, and steel,” she says. “I know from being a journalist in the city that there just aren’t a lot of outlets for more narrative or experimental types of criticism and arts writing … I see Petrichor filling a niche that’s sort of like Chicago’s Newcity but for Pittsburgh.”

Riva sees Pittsburgh as “a great city to start your own thing in.”

“The affordability and flexibility for traveling and working here is great for a creative person,” says Riva. “We already see so many tech people flocking to Pittsburgh, and the same mindset of entrepreneurship can be

applied to the arts … I listened to an interview with [New York Times columnist Ezra Klein] where he said that now is actually the best time to start your own media outlet because the big papers and bigger outlets are kind of starting to eat each other.”

In Pittsburgh, even those bigger outlets have been limited. While the city boasts several well-regarded writing programs, as Gutkind notes, “none of the prestigious creative writing programs have literary journals that make a national impact … We publish a lot of poetry here, all to the good, but precious little fiction and creative nonfiction ” hile this gap can be seen as a negative, it’s also left space for independent publishers to fill that void

As a fiction writer and ournalist, Riva has a unique perspective on Pittsburgh’s creative scene — in her view, that scene is growing, and the sometimes clique-y niches she and Parme noted are starting to coalesce into a more unified community I think in the long run, we’re going to

see Pittsburgh’s profile rise as an arts hub,” Riva says.

Of course, this doesn’t mean the new ventures noted here won’t face challenges.

“Visibility is a hurdle for many literary journals, and Starry False Lily is no exception,” says Carroll. Write Pittsburgh is working to raise awareness of the journal but this isn’t easy, in part, Carroll says, because “the literary landscape of Pittsburgh is massive—there are several different writing and publishing scenes here.”

This sentiment was echoed across the board: Pittsburgh’s creative community is large and vibrant but fragmented, and the city’s new publishers want to unify it. With so many new outlets working toward this same mission, Hyer believes there is ample cause for optimism about the future of Pittsburgh publishing.

“We are fortunate to live in a place with such a rich history and camaraderie. I think, overall, we are all thriving,” says Hyer •

BREAKING BREAD

BY GRACE DELALLO

Urban sociologist Ray Oldenburg coined the term “third space” in the 1990s, but these places have existed about as long as organized society. Wherever masses gathered, third spaces followed — people just may have not been aware of them.

CP PHOTO: GRACE DELALLO

Third Space Bakery’s owners and members of the Bloomfield-Garfield Corporation celebrate the bakery’s opening.

But one Garfield bakery, co-op, and teaching kitchen has that intentionality at the forefront of their business model.

Beth Taylor, Erika Bruce, and Chole Newman are the founders and owners of Third Space Bakery — the first bakery to grace Penn Ave. in nearly 35 years, according to Rick Swartz, executive director of the Bloomfield Garfield Corporation.

He spoke to a crowd of around 30 people at the ribbon cutting ceremony on April 12.

Taylor said they chose the neighborhood because “there is so much going on and a great vibe here — an art scene, people, great craft beer.”

Alongside its proximity to the lively, walkable business district on Penn Ave., the bakery borders Bloomfield, lies a few minutes up

even more limited.

“I don’t drink, so I really appreciate open spaces where I don’t feel uncomfortable and can still be social,” Horan said. “For people who are underaged … bakeries and cafes and such offer really cozy, welcoming areas.”

Nil-Jana Akpinar, of Friendship, views third spaces as places “where you can spend time without spending money, without being expected to consume. [It’s] a community space.”

While most people entering Third Space’s doors are spending $3 to $9 on a treat, Akpinar’s comment reflects a problem Oldenburg warns of in his writing and research: living becoming more expensive when we don’t have access to public spaces that exist outside the confines of private ownership and mass consumption.

“I LOVE SEEING AT THE END OF A CLASS PEOPLE SITTING DOWN AND BREAKING BREAD TOGETHER OVER THIS MEAL THAT THEY’VE MADE.”

from Shadyside, has Lawrenceville down the road, and Friendship a few streets over.

Jane Voros, of Shadyside, said she appreciates the bakery’s convenient location when she visited the grand opening.

“Garfield is amazing,” Voros told Pittsburgh City Paper. “Pittsburgh[ers] tend to stay in their neighborhoods, so to get out is great and good for the community.”

The accessibility of Penn Ave. brings additional hope to what this proud third space can offer the community, aside from Europeaninspired pastries, cakes, and sourdough bread.

Jillian Horan, another Shadyside resident, notes that, for those who don’t drink alcohol, third spaces are

Take, for example, the decline of home economics due to school budget cuts, Taylor said. That’s created a growing population with less than basic culinary knowledge, and therefore a reliance on pre-made store meals and fast-food chain options that prioritize efficiency over quality. These options may seem momentarily economical, but, in the grand scheme, they’re costing more to your wallet and health, as well as distancing people from the food they eat.

At its best, a third space offers reprieve from the bustle of life’s obligations and designates an accessible space for creativity, relaxation and sociability. But what makes this third space different from others?

Dr. Michael Glass, an assistant professor of sociology and director

mental appreciation on the part of the workers and management about what these third spaces should really be designed to do,” said Glass.

And so far, that aspect is being celebrated by customers.

“I’m always ready to support a co-op,” Maris Wilson of Shadyside told City Paper.

And while cooperatives embrace a different environment compared to those of corporate-owned businesses and chains, it’s an avenue less taken due to obstacles.

“The history of co-ops, for ages, has been agricultural co-ops … but worker-owned is a little newer to Pennsylvania, and that’s been a challenge,” Taylor said. “Even identifying as a co-op, we had to jump through

The Keystone Development Center, a nonprofit that helps establish cooperatives in PA, reports 707 cooperatives in the state — yet only 50 of those have been established since 2000. And of the 707 businesses, only 15 are food cooperatives and 48 agricultural.

Meanwhile, as of 2022, 39.5% of Pennsylvania small businesses were owned by women.

Third Space Bakery took these numbers as a challenge to do their business differently. They’ve sought to lay the groundwork so other businesses can follow suit.

“All of us, having worked under other people, wanted to collaborate more together, as well as give our workers an opportunity to be a part

food-related businesses get up and running, Taylor, Bruce, and Newman didn’t have to navigate the tedious system independently. Nearly two years after they dreamed up this idea, they are ready to bring people as patrons and participants.

Third Space Bakery sports a teaching kitchen, offering a multitude of cooking and baking classes that will only increase with time, varying from cooking recipes from a Persian cookbook, to a two-part class on how to bake sourdough, to a course on how to work with choux pastry — a vision originating from Taylor’s ardent instructional enthusiasm.

“In my heart, it’s always very important that people learn to cook and to cook for themselves for a

ticity translates to those entering through the business’ doors.

“That focus on community is what makes the teaching portion really important to me,” Wilson said. “It’s like, let’s build up these skills together.”

And what better forum for Pittsburghers on the East End, and possibly those across the city, to gather in than one centered around something we all share in common?

Glass says the model offers an opportunity to share timeless traditions and form authentic community.

“Name a culture that doesn’t have some sort of baking-based heritage,” he said. “It seems like an incredibly democratic way to move forward.” .

CP PHOTO: GRACE DELALLO

Chloe Newman and Erika Bruce prepare baked goods in Third Space’s kitchen.

MUSIC • DOWNTOWN

SEVEN DAYS IN PITTSBURGH

THU., MAY 2

THU., MAY 2

FILM • MULTIPLE LOCATIONS

JFilm Festival Showtimes vary. Continues through Sun., May 12. Multiple locations. $5-180. filmpittsburgh.org

ART • GARFIELD

Each year, Silver Eye Center for Photography spotlights new artistic voices with an international juried competition. See the latest winners during the opening reception of Fellowship 24, a group show featuring six contemporary art photographers whose works cover themes ranging from religious iconography and the Black experience to life in rural Kentucky. 6 p.m. Continues through Aug. 3. 4808 Penn Ave., Garfield. Free. silvereye.org

THEATER • SOUTH PARK

Run for Your Wife 7:30 p.m. Continues through Sat., May 18. South Park Theatre. Brownsville Rd. and Corrigan Dr., South Park. $16-18. southparktheatre.com

MUSIC • MILLVALE

Minor Moon with Pat Coyle and 1000z of Beez. 8 p.m. The Funhouse at Mr. Smalls. 400 Lincoln Ave., Millvale. $15. livenation.com

SUN., MAY 5

MUSIC • LAWRENCEVILLE

Fund Abortion Benefit Show with Lylyth, Big Baby, Erica Scary, Kemistry, and Genital Shame. 9:30 p.m. Doors at 9 p.m. Spirit. 242 51st St., Lawrenceville. $10-25. spiritpgh.com

FRI., MAY 3

THEATER • EAST LIBERTY

Local artist Anna King Skeels combines fiber art and movement for unstitch, a developing work presentedas part of Kelly Strayhorn Theater’s Freshworks residency program. Described as a tour “through the organs of a soft and scarred body being torn apart at the seams,” the multidisciplinary show serves to capture Skeels’ experience as a “fat queer person.” The evening also includes a discussion. 7:30-9 p.m. Continues through Sat., May 4. Alloy Studios. 5530 Penn Ave., East Liberty. Pay What Moves You $10-25. kelly-strayhorn.org

The Temptations and The Four Tops 7:30 p.m. Benedum Center. Seventh St. and Penn Ave., Downtown. $48-149. trustarts.org

DANCE • DOWNTOWN

Dayton Contemporary Dance Company presents The Blackest Berry: Dancing the African Diaspora. 8 p.m. August Wilson African American Cultural Center. 980 Liberty Ave., Downtown. $45. 5678hdat.org

SAT., MAY 4

EXHIBITION • OAKLAND

Summer Flower Show: Under the Sea 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Continues through Sept. 8. Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens. One Schenley Park, Oakland. Included with regular admission. phipps.conservatory.org

FESTIVAL • POINT BREEZE

One of the longest-running festivals dedicated to plant-based diets celebrates a milestone at Rockwell Park. The Pittsburgh VegFest marks 10 years in operation with VegFair, a day-long event featuring a live DJ, familyfriendly activities by local organizations, and food galore. Sample meat-free cuisine from over 70 vendors and meet representatives from various animal welfare nonprofits. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. 7516 Meade St., Point Breeze. Free. pittsburghvegfest.org

PARADE • POLISH HILL

May Day Parade: Luminous Orbs/ Dawning & Fusion. 11 a.m. Parade at 12 p.m. 640 block of Melwood Ave., Polish Hill. Free. instagram.com/polishhillmayday

FESTIVAL • HIGHLAND PARK

May Day Picnic 12-8 p.m. Highland Park Rhododendron Shelter. Lake Dr., Highland Park. Free. instagram.com/pghdsa

GALA • DOWNTOWN

PAAR Teal Ball 6-11 p.m. VIP reception 5:30 p.m. Wyndham Grand Pittsburgh. 600 Commonwealth Pl., Downtown. Tickets start at $150. paar.net

FILM • DOWNTOWN

THEATER • NORTH SIDE

Prime Stage Theatre presents Witness for the Prosecution. 7:30 p.m. Continues through Sun., May 12. New Hazlett Theater. Six Allegheny Square East, North Side. $19-39. newhazletttheater.org

Forget Joaquin Phoenix and Jared Leto, a new Joker has come to town. Harris Theater presents screenings of The People’s Joker, an ultra-indie parody that reimagines the famed DC Comics villain as a trans woman trying to find her way as a comedian in Gotham City. Helmed by and starring Vera Drew, the film has generated plenty of buzz

CP PHOTO: AMANDA WALTZ TacoMania Block Party at SouthSide Works

PHOTO: COURTESY OF SILVER EYE CENTER FOR PHOTOGRAPHY

“Joelle” by Rachael Banks, part of Fellowship 24 at Silver Eye Center for Photography

SAT., MAY 4

for its fresh take on an over-portrayed character. 7:30 p.m. Continues through Thu., May 9. 809 Liberty Ave., Downtown $9-11. trustarts.org

SUN., MAY 5

FESTIVAL/WRESTLING • SOUTH SIDE

TacoMania Block Party with Enjoy Wrestling and Beers of the Burgh 2-8 p.m. SouthSide Works. 424 S. 27th St., South Side. Free, $14 for beer pass. beersoftheburgh.com

MAGIC • MUNHALL

Illusionist Rick Thomas: Mansion of Dreams. 8 p.m. Doors at 7 p.m. Carnegie of Homestead Music Hall. 510 E. 10th Ave., Munhall. $39.7579.75. librarymusichall.com

TUE., MAY 7

MUSIC • ALLENTOWN

Grocer with Blinder and Gaadge. 8 p.m. Doors at 7 p.m. Bottlerocket Social Hall. 1226 Arlington Ave., Allentown. $10 in advance, $15 at the door. bottlerocketpgh.com

MON., MAY 6

MUSIC • NEW KENSINGTON

He Is Legend with Codeseven and The Seafloor Cinema. 6:30 p.m. Doors at 6 p.m. Preserving Underground. 1101 Fifth Ave., New Kensington. $25-30. preservingconcerts.com

TUE., MAY 7

MUSIC • GARFIELD

Sister Wife Sex Strike with Frog Legs, K9diet, and The Lady Grace. 7 p.m. The Mr. Roboto Project. 5106 Penn Ave., Garfield. $10 in advance, $15 at the door. therobotoproject.com

THEATER • DOWNTOWN

7:30 p.m. Continues through Sun., May 12. Benedum Center. Seventh St. and Penn Ave., Downtown. $35-109. trustarts.org

WED., MAY 8

LIT • BLOOMFIELD

Reading & Conversation: Jonathan Corcoran with Christa Parravani. 7-8 p.m. White Whale Bookstore. 4754 Liberty Ave., Bloomfield. Free. Registration required. Livestream available. whitewhalebookstore.com

MUSIC • STRIP DISTRICT

Hawthorne Heights: Behind the Tears Tour 7:30 p.m. Doors at 5 p.m. City Winery. 1627 Smallman St., Strip District. $35-45. citywinery.com

PHOTO: COURTESY OF ALTERED INNOCENCE

The People’s Joker at Harris Theater

PHOTO: BEKAH LYNN PHOTOGRAPHY

The Kite Runner at the Benedum Center

FINANCIAL

Struggling With Your Private Student Loan Payment? New relief programs can reduce your payments. Learn your options. Good credit not necessary. Call the Helpline 888-670-5631 (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm Eastern) (AAN CAN)

HELP WANTED

SENIOR LEAD - IT FINANCE AND BUSINESS SERVICES

Mylan Inc. seeks Senior Lead - IT Finance and Business Services (Canonsburg, PA).

Respnsble for day-to-day syst admin of Viatris Consolidation apps & tools, incl. supportng app ops & troubleshootng app prfrmnce, inspectng & resolvng syst prblms quickly & e iciently. Telecommutng permittd anywhre w/in the U.S. Reqts: Bach deg. or foreign equiv in CS, IT, Mgmt Info Systs, or a rltd field + 5 yrs exp in positn o ered or rltd. Send resume to Mylan Inc. at www.viatris. com/en/careers & ref positn title in subject line.

MARKET PLACE

HELP WANTED

SR. SOFTWARE ENGINEER

Proofpoint, Inc., a leading cybersecurity company has an opening in Pittsburgh, PA: Sr. Software Engineer (M085) Design & develop SW Endpoint DLP. $160K-$170K; Email resume to USimmigration@ proofpoint.com. Must include job title with ref job# to be considered.

PUBLIC AUCTION

Extra Space Storage, on behalf of its a iliates, Life Storage or Storage Express, will hold a public auction to sell the contents of leased spaces to satisfy Extra Space’s Lien at the location indicated: 3200 Park Manor Blvd, Pittsburgh, PA 15205 on May 15, 2024 at 1:00pm. 3094 David Orozco, 3149 Tyler Beatrice. The auction will be listed and advertised on www.storagetreasures.com. purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction. Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.

PUBLIC NOTICE

A petition for Involuntary Transfer of Ownership of a Vehicle has been filed by Wagner, Steven, Case No. GD-24-00086 for a 12/2002 Production Ford-Lincoln Aviator, Vin# 5LMEU78H837J13927.

A hearing is scheduled on the 16th day of May, 2024, at 11:15 a.m. before the Civil Division Motions Judge of Allegheny County.

PUBLIC AUCTION

Extra Space Storage, on behalf of itself or its a iliates, Life Storage or Storage Express, will hold a public auction to sell the contents of leased spaces to satisfy Extra Space’s lien at the location indicated: 141 N Braddock Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15208 on May 15, 2024 at 11:00am. 2002 Sunsune Bey, 3196A Trequan Thomas. The auction will be listed and advertised on www.storagetreasures.com. Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction. Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.

PUBLIC AUCTION

Extra Space Storage, on behalf of itself or its a iliates, Life Storage or Storage Express, will hold a public auction to sell the contents of leased spaces to satisfy Extra Space’s lien at the location indicated: 700 E Carson St, Pittsburgh, PA 15203. May 15, 2024 at 12:15 PM. Linda Johnson 122, Lady Carpenter LLC 166, Sydney Thompson 2105, Johannes Endres 2137, Ella Watson 3203, Heather Page 4106, JohNaya Horton 4128. The auction will be listed and advertised on www.storagetreasures. com. Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction. Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.

PUBLIC AUCTION

Extra Space Storage, on behalf of itself or its a iliates, Life Storage or Storage Express, will hold a public auction to sell the contents of leased spaces to satisfy Extra Space’s lien at the location indicated: 6400 Hamilton Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15206 on May 15, 2024 at 1:45 PM. 1019 Miles Weathers. The auction will be listed and advertised on www.storagetreasures.com. Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction. Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.

ESTATE NOTICE

ESTATE OF SMUTNY, BEVERLY J. DECEASED OF PITTSBURGH, PA

Beverly Joan Smutny, deceased, of Pittsburgh, PA. No. 022402189 of 2024.

Marcia L. Schweitzer, Ext. 5575 Beverly Court, Bethel Park, PA 15102.

PUBLIC AUCTION

Extra Space Storage, on behalf of itself or its a iliates, Life Storage or Storage Express, will hold a public auction to sell the contents of leased spaces to satisfy Extra Space’s lien at the location indicated: 111 Hickory Grade Rd. Bridgeville, PA 15017. May 15, 2024 at 12:30 PM. Maria Wisniewski 2173, George Yost 3204. The auction will be listed and advertised on www.storagetreasures.com. Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction. Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.

ESTATE NOTICE

ESTATE OF DEVERSE, ROBERT L. DECEASED OF GLASSPORT, PA

Robert L. DeVerse, deceased, of Glassport, PA. No. 2282465 of 2024.

Shawn DeVerse, Adm. 410 N. Monongahela Ave., Glassport, PA 15045.

Or to D. Scott Lautner, Attorney. 68 Old Clairton Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15236.

PUBLIC AUCTION

Extra Space Storage, on behalf of itself or its a iliates, Life Storage or Storage Express, will hold a public auction to sell the contents of leased spaces to satisfy Extra Space’s lien at the location indicated: 110 Kisow Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15205 on May 15th, 2024 at 11:15am. Michael Schwesinger 215. The auction will be listed and advertised on www.storagetreasures. com. Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction. Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.

MASSAGE

WATCH WHERE YOU’RE TYPING

18.

Look between U and P on your keyboard

20.

If everything bad that can happen, did

22.

Doing nothing

23.  Look between R and U on your keyboard

25.  Herd identification

29.  The “I” in “Reader, I married him”

30.

Abbr. on a tire

32.

Unsophisticated

33.

Like excellent bond rates

36.

Copy mindlessly

38. Where the Mountain Meets the Moon

YA author Grace

39.

Look between X and B on your keyboard

44.  “Get in touch,” initially

45.  Peace Nobelist Cassin who coauthored the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

46.  “I am having a shit day”

47.  Theme in emo

49.  Cringe-inducing person

51.  Dressing the wrong way?

55.  Capital of Dominica

57.  Look between A and F on your keyboard

60.  Oppositionist

62.  Snooze button hitter

63.  Look between H and L on your keyboard

67.  Single digit

68.  Not doing anything

69.  Eye piece

70.  Lit crit poem

71.  Thinking of others

72.  Put to the test

73.  Mic check action

DOWN

1.  As of right now

2.  Voting turnout problem

3.  “You’re going DOWN!”

4.  Avoid, as duties

5.  Very small

6.  Tablet alternative

7.  Letters from a college student?

8.  “Somebody else did it!”

9.  Battery part

10.  Chicago singer Peter

11.  The Finsteraarhorn, e.g.

12.  Baton Rouge sch.

NAME CHANGE

IN The Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania: No. GD-24-001832

NAME CHANGE

IN The Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania: No. GD-24-003851

NAME CHANGE

NAME CHANGE

13.  Achieved 19.  Russian ballet dancer Galina 21.  Like some headphones 24.  Totally busted 26.  Favor one side

New Balance rival

28.  It runs in the family

31.  Hosp. hotspot 34.  Scuba diving gear

35.  Big heart?

37.  “Are you sure about that?”

39.  Blacken on the outside

40.  “Yeah, forget about it”

41.  Floor plans?

42.  Spanish pronoun that’s also a girl’s name

43.  Country whose

tallest building is the Lokhandwala Minerva tower

48.  “Please be ___”

50.  Solution in eyecare

52.  Finish updating, as a computer

53.  To-do list

54.  QB’s command to his receiver

56.  New York city

58.  Nearly perfect scores

59.  “Café-Concert at Les Ambassadeurs” painter

61.  Words exchanged in front of weeping guests

63.  Youngestelected pres.

64.  Swiss canton

65.  John Fetterman’s title: Abbr.

66.  J and Dre

In re petition of Steven Anthony Cook for change of name to Steven Anthony Cook-McCray. To all persons interested: Notice is hereby given that an order of said Court authorized the filing of said petition and fixed the 8th day of May, 2024, at 9:30 a.m., as the time and the Motions Room, City-County Building, Pittsburgh, PA, as the place for a hearing, when and where all persons may show cause, if any they have, why said name should not be changed as prayed for.

In re petition of Justina Wegley, parent and legal guardian of Phoenix Nova-Enola Wegley, for change of name to Nova Harriett Wegley.

To all persons interested: Notice is hereby given that an order of said Court authorized the filing of said petition and fixed the 8th day of May 2024, at 9:30 a.m., as the time and the Motions Room, City-County Building, Pittsburgh, PA, as the place for a hearing, when and where all persons may show cause, if any they have, why said name should not be changed as prayed for.

IN The Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania: No. GD-24-004781, In re petition of Nandu Ranapaily, parent and legal guardian of Arpita Ranpal, for change of name to Arpita Ranapaily. To all persons interested: Notice is hereby given that an order of said Court authorized the filing of said petition and fixed the 24th day of May 2024, at 9:30 a.m., as the time and the Motions Room, City-County Building, Pittsburgh, PA, as the place for a hearing, when and where all persons may show cause, if any they have, why said name should not be changed as prayed for.

IN The Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania: No. GD-24-4337, In re petition of Lal Tiwari, parent and legal guardian of Edwin Eiswerth Tiwari, for change of name to Edwin Tiwari. To all persons interested: Notice is hereby given that an order of said Court authorized the filing of said petition and fixed the 22nd day of May 2024, at 9:30 a.m., as the time and the Motions Room, City-County Building, Pittsburgh, PA, as the place for a hearing, when and where all persons may show cause, if any they have, why said name should not be changed as prayed for.