Featured Stories

 The first person to be awarded the Exposure Tongue River Artist/Activist Residency, a program of The Pittsburgh Foundation’s Exposure Artists Program, is Jasmine Green. The 28-year-old, who describes herself as an “artivist” (a portmanteau of artist and activist) from Pittsburgh, is a gifted painter who draws from on lived experience for her artwork under the moniker Black Girl Absolute. During her stay in Dayton, Wyoming, she plans to work on her book, “A Field Guide for Blue Girls.”

“It’s a mix of art and poetry centering on how Black girls navigate mental health,” Green says. “I want to pass along my own experiences as a survivor of mental illness and, it being a field guide, I hope it will give insight to others who are navigating unfamiliar areas.”

Sponsored by The Pittsburgh Foundation and Tongue River Residency, the Exposure Tongue River Artist/Activist Residency is a partnership guided by a shared belief in the need to support artists from varying backgrounds and to advocate for racial justice in the arts community.

"This residency is an opportunity for us to inspire positive change while also elevating the work of artists and activists,” says Jeanette Schubert, who is an artist herself and co-founded the Tongue River Residency with her husband, Doug Gouge, in 2019. “The arts make such a huge impact in communities but, historically, the arts and artists have not been well-funded, especially artists of color. We want to address that lack of equity.”

Schubert and Gouge split their time between Pittsburgh’s East End, where they have lived most of their lives, and Wyoming.

Green will head to Dayton, Wyoming in July. Schubert and Gouge provide the quiet, comfortable living and studio space, living expenses and support for the artistic process. The residency does not require the presentation of a fully realized work, instead providing artists an opportunity for rest, reflection, creation and exploration of their artistic vision. The residency will award one $10,000 grant for artistic work and provide a quiet, comfortable living and studio working space for three to four weeks in Dayton, Wyoming in the month of July, where artists can reenergize, experience the natural beauty of the American West and develop their work. 

Green has never been out west and will be heading to a place nothing like Pittsburgh. Dayton has a population of approximately 1,000 and is at the foothills of the Bighorn Mountains in northeastern Wyoming. The largest town, Sheridan, population 18,000, is 21 miles away. Schubert and Gouge will be nearby and will provide any support that might be needed. The residency itself is in its fourth year, but this is its first year in partnership with The Pittsburgh Foundation.

“If the artists want to venture out, there is public art to enjoy as well as museums, galleries and other artists living in the area who are supportive,” says Schubert, with Gouge adding “it’s a different world out here and I can imagine this experience will change Jasmine’s life.”

Having worked with other artists, the couple said they have noticed that the residency has brought about healing. The fresh air, open space, privacy and complete creative freedom have had that impact, which even the artists themselves didn’t anticipate.  

And healing is something Green knows about.

“This experience will give me insight into what it means to be a guide in someone else’s journey. Everyone has their own trek as they work toward mental wellness, but I can pass along what I’ve learned.”

The Exposure Tongue River Artist/ Activist Residency is part of the Foundation’s Exposure Artists Program, in partnership with The Opportunity Fund. Exposure is a new arts funding initiative at The Pittsburgh Foundation. The multiple-part program aims to elevate the work of artists through activities that create/generate/enhance visibility for the creative process, artwork and societal issues of our time. Residency nominations were accepted through an invitation-only process open to Pittsburgh-based artists from a variety of disciplines. Green was selected by a panel of Foundation staff and residency founders.

Earlier this year, Exposure awarded its first round of grants. The 12 awards total $215,000 and include support for individual artists and collectives, transformative justice grants to BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) artists working at the intersection of art and activism, and to artists who have never received foundation funding before.

City Theatre’s Lester Hamburg Studio Theatre has been renamed the Lillie Theatre.

City Theatre has paid tribute to the legacy of Kuntu Repertory Theatre founder and artistic director Dr. Vernell Audrey Watson Lillie by renaming its studio theater in her honor.

The former Lester Hamburg Studio, the 102-seat black box that is part of City’s South Side campus, is now the Lillie Theatre, a tribute to the award-winning Pittsburgh educator, artist, advocate and Black theater leader, who died on May 11, 2020. 

The announcement noted that Dr. Lillie “was a co-founder of the Black Theatre Network and served as a mentor, director and inspiration to countless artists through Kuntu and as a long-time professor at the University of Pittsburgh.”

City Theatre founder Marjorie Walker consulted with Dr. Lillie on the company’s formation in the mid 1970s, and Dr. Lillie went on to assist on more than a dozen City productions. 

A steering committee was formed after her death to explore ways to formally honor and celebrate her, City’s press release said, and the theater was renamed with the unanimous support from its board of directors,

“With the naming of the Dr. Vernell Audrey Watson Lillie Theatre at City Theatre, we honor her legacy of excellence and accomplishment, and recognize the critical and transformative impact she had on African American artists and lovers of theater nationwide,” said City Theatre co-artistic director Marc Masterson, who knew and worked with Dr. Lillie for more than 20 years. “Dr. Lillie was an inspiration to me and so many others and she made the world and community a better place through her art and her influence. We are so honored to memorialize her legacy for generations to come.” 

Charisse R. Lillie, speaking on behalf of her sister, Dr. Marsha (Hisani) Lillie-Blanton, and their families, said in a statement, “Our mother was the ultimate mentor, mother-figure, consultant, confidante, and even a source of financial support for her students, and sometimes their families. She loved her students, the Black Theatre Network, and Kuntu Repertory Theatre – which we used to joke was her third child and for which she dedicated her heart and soul. She viewed Black theater as a tool for educating, elevating and uplifting the African-American community which would, in turn, educate, elevate and uplift the nation and the world. We are very grateful to City Theatre for this wonderful gift they are giving our family.” 

“Dr. Lillie was a pioneer. She created a path, she created opportunities – specifically for Black artists and Black people who didn’t realize that they were artists until they tapped into that strength inside of them,” said City  co-artistic director Monteze Freeland, who first worked with Dr. Lillie in a production of August Wilson’s Radio Golf in 2010. “Dr. Lillie was an encourager; she taught me – and told me – that I needed to love myself and she led by example: No one else was going to knock her down.” 

A ceremony that was to unveil the new Lillie Theatre name and signage on May 22 was postponed due to rising Covid-19 concerns, and will be rescheduled for this fall. Prepared remarks for the postponed event from Charisse Lillie and Dr. Lillie’s long-time colleague and collaborator, Eileen J. Morris, are available at CityTheatreCompany.org/LillieTheatre. The company welcomes additional remembrances of Dr. Lillie which will be shared online and on screens in the City Theatre lobby.

Source: onStage Pittsburgh

 The Pittsburgh Playhouse at Point Park University has been approved for a $30,000 Grants for Arts Projects award from the National Endowment for the Arts. The grant was awarded to support a portion of the Pittsburgh Playhouse’s “Shaping the Arts:  Black Women and Femme Artists and Creators” program.

“Shaping the Arts: Black Women and Femme Artists and Creators” will be a focal point of the Pittsburgh Playhouse’s 2022-2023 season. The programming includes the work of Urban Bush women; Terri Lyne Carrington; and Toshi Reagon’s genre-defying Parable of the Sower. The goal of this series is to center the incredible work of these artists, unite diverse performance communities, and proactively heal while delivering a message of unity and creativity.

“We are honored to receive this grant of national distinction that supports the excellent programming of Point Park University’s Pittsburgh Playhouse,”  “said Don Green president of Point Park University. “This award acknowledges the Playhouse’s commitment to excellence and reinforces the University’s commitment to equity and inclusion.”

The Pittsburgh Playhouse’s Shaping the Arts:  Black Women and Femme Artists and Creators” is among 1,125 projects across America totaling more than $26.6 million that were selected during this second round of Grants for Arts Projects fiscal year 2022 funding.

According to Garfield Lemonius, dean of the Conservatory of Performing Arts and artistic director of the Pittsburgh Playhouse, “We seek to celebrate the creative achievements of Black women and femme creatives, create dialogue around our shared values, and consequently, better connect us to each other. We are immensely gratified that the NEA recognized our efforts.”

Since its founding in 1933 at its original home on Craft Avenue in Oakland, to its current location on the campus of Point Park University in Downtown Pittsburgh, the Pittsburgh Playhouse has nurtured the careers of many outstanding students and graduates.  As Pittsburgh’s newest arts center and the artistic laboratory for Point Park’s prestigious Conservatory of Performing Arts (COPA),the Pittsburgh Playhouse is consistently ranked among the Top 10 colleges represented on Broadway.

“The National Endowment for the Arts is proud to support arts and cultural organizations throughout the nation with these grants, including the Pittsburgh Playhouse at Point Park University, providing opportunities for all of us to live artful lives,” said NEA Chair Maria Rosario Jackson, PhD.

For more information on the Pittsburgh Playhouse, Conservatory of Performing Arts and Point Park University, visit www.PointPark.edu. 

Dr. Michael Forbes earned his B.S. Degree in Chemistry and his Medical Degree from the University of Pittsburgh in 1986 and 1990 respectively.  An Akron Children’s Hospital April 21, 2022 press release indicated that Dr. Forbes was named “…chief academic officer, a new position that will oversee and align the hospital’s research and medical education strategies.  The position is an endowed chair made possible by a $1 million gift to the hospital’s Rebecca D. Considine Research Institute by former president and CEO William Considine and his wife, Rebecca. … In his new position, Dr. Forbes is responsible for the overall execution of the medical education and research strategy for Akron Children’s, and engaging with university partners to foster collaborative efforts to advance the academic mission across organizational boundaries…”

On May 5th, 2022, Becker’s Healthcare released its "150 Top Places to Work in Healthcare 2022" list which highlights hospitals, health systems and healthcare companies that promote diversity within the workforce, employee engagement and professional growth.”  The rating system also considered the institutions’ missions as they related to “volunteerism and giving back.”  Akron Children’s Hospital was on the list of 150.

The University of Pittsburgh provided Dr. Forbes with an opportunity to succeed at the collegiate level when it admitted him via the University Community Education Program (UCEP), a special program for “disadvantaged” students.  Given his spectacular academic and professional success since then, I asked Dr. Forbes to summarize how a Black child from Brooklyn managed to become a chief academic officer, a holder of an endowed chair, and a physician with a focus on pediatric critical care.  He explained as follows:

“Growing up in downtown Brooklyn in the 1970s and early 1980s, my Jamaican family fully embraced the American Dream. I witnessed my Mom, a single parent of 8 boys and 2 girls, work as many as 4 jobs at a time to make ends meet. She stressed personal responsibility, academic excellence, and has lived an incredible life of resilience. She was a 3D example of the belief that hard work and faith will ultimately make your wildest dreams come true. My Mom never quit!

I lived through utilities being cut in the winter, forcing us to sleep in a single bed to stay warm. It was as if my mother’s two arms were capable of embracing all 10 of us. We knew we were loved by her, loved by God, and were given individual destinies here in America. She encouraged me to attend a college prep program at NYU. I loved it and set my sights on NYU as my ‘school.’  I realize today that the program provided me an opportunity –an exposure to possibilities. I didn't know it then, but that program was an opening to the huge world I could access beyond downtown Brooklyn. 

During my high school senior year, I was challenged by my girlfriend's sister, a Christian, to trust God with my future. After a series of heartbreaking losses, including the death of my brother during a military exercise in Baumholder, West Germany as well as  friends killed in gang warfare and other forms of violence, I gave my life to Christ and was determined to follow Him. This spiritual relationship gave me the necessary lens to process what I now know as ACES, the aggregate impact of adverse social determinants of health. 

High school was painful, and, truthfully, boring. I found myself repeatedly in my Guidance Counselor’s office due to disruptive behavior. I graduated in the bottom quartile among 652 seniors from Clara Barton High School for Health Professions. I was furious and knew I could do better. I had let my Mom down and I knew why: delinquent behavior is incompatible with academic success. 

After high school, my application was rejected by NYU, but Pitt gave me an opportunity through UCEP. In UCEP, I was surrounded by Black and Brown students as well as teachers. I was taught mathematics by Samuel Johnson, the 1st Black man I ever met who taught math. I was inspired by my teachers and, frankly, was motivated by Black professionals who believed I could succeed. I finished my freshman year as a member of Phi Eta Sigma, a national freshman honor society. During my 2nd year, I became a math, chemistry and physics tutor. In UCEP, I met my wife Yolanda who was also a multi-science tutor, premed major, dynamite student, and gorgeous. We would marry in the summer of 1986, right before I started medical school.

During my junior year at Pitt, I had exhausted my financial aid after taking 18 credits during a summer session and I  faced the prospect of returning to Brooklyn. I talked with Renee Frazier, UCEP’s program coordinator, who directed me to you, Dr. Jack Daniel. I told you about my financial situation and my dream of becoming a doctor since my childhood. You asked me a single question: ‘Are you good academically?’ I replied, ‘Sir. I’m in Phi Eta Sigma and am planning on dedicating my summer to studying for the MCAT. I only want to take it once.’ You told me you would ‘see what you could do.’  Because of you, I received notice that my tuition gap had been ‘handled.’  I was so happy, praised God, and thanked you, Dr. Daniel, for the opportunity. 

My life has been a series of challenges, opportunities, big dreams and possibilities. I am determined to make the most of what has been given me. I am constantly reminded by my Mom’s voice telling me ‘he who has been loved much, forgives much, and to whom much has been given much is required.’  I have dedicated my life to serving critically ill and injured children and their families and am grateful to have personally participated in miracles.

One of the reasons I came to Akron was the hospital leadership’s commitment to the community and our employees. Before I came here in 2006, I had heard of the closure of Tod’s Children’s Hospital, about one hour east of Akron in Youngstown, Ohio. It was a sad milestone for the Mahoning Valley families and their children. The leadership at Akron Children’s decided to partner with folks in the Valley and build a new free standing Children’s Hospital to continue providing care to children and families.  The journey has been rocky, but extremely rewarding as we have partnered in the Valley and elevated child health. Over a decade later, we continue to grow, expand and elevate child health in the Valley. We continue our mission to seek and serve the underserved while believing every child within our reach deserves the highest level of pediatric care needed to live their best lives. 

Personally, I was fortunate to participate in my church’s efforts presenting ‘One Minute Health Tips,’ a series of brief, hard hitting videos that address common and uncommon, simple and complex health issues that disproportionately affect underserved communities. In my role for the past 15 months as Interim Chair, I was fortunate to interact with our Northeast Ohio Medical University School of Medicine (NEOMED) students. In my new role as chief academic officer, I intend to facilitate even more academic growth at Akron Children’s through strategic recruitment that celebrates human diversity and leverages scientific curiosity. Can the next decade of service, connection, and opportunity creation at Akron Children’s be even better than the last? I am convinced our academic profile and service impact will be even greater in 2032 than today!”

Jack L. Daniel

Co-founder, Freed Panther Society

Contributor, Pittsburgh Urban Media

Author, Negotiating a Historically White University While Black

May 22, 2022

 Carnegie Mellon University senior Andrew Thompson has a way of making life a little sweeter for others. He is paying forward the assistance he received when he arrived at CMU by setting them up for success.

As a high school junior, Thompson got his first taste of college during CMU's Summer Academy for Math and Science, which provides opportunities for students from underrepresented communities to explore STEM-related fields. The experience left him wanting more from CMU, so he returned for college.

"One of the things I liked best about my classes here is that there was always collaboration. At some schools, students don't get to work in groups until their junior year," said Thompson, who will graduate with a double major in civil and environmental engineering and engineering and public policy. "At CMU, we were working together in groups from the very beginning."

Thompson has embraced his time at CMU and made it better by being involved in and out of the classroom. Thompson said his own start at CMU was a little rocky, but the warm welcome he got from First-Year Orientation counselors helped to ease his anxiety and reassured him that he would find help when he needed it. As did professors, academic advisers and fellow students.

"I had a great experience and was always able to find the tutors, mentors, help and the encouragement I needed," Thompson said. He added that he took advantage of his professors' office hours, got valuable guidance from academic advisors, and enjoyed many opportunities to work on group projects with his classmates.

The experience of wanting to be a role model for others led him to be an Orientation counselor for several years, where he mentored other counselors and served as a Head Orientation Counselor this fall, helping to plan and coordinate programming for incoming students.

His advice to new students: "It isn't how you start, it's how you finish."

Thompson was instrumental in the development of First-Year Orientation programming to promote the university's diversity, equity and inclusion values and ensure that new students felt they were being welcomed into the community. That work was especially meaningful to him because he said he saw how CMU and the College of Engineering have made commitments to advance diversity issues.

"There's still progress to be made, but the structure is now in place, and so much of it has happened just in the short time I've been here," Thompson said.

Julie Schultz, associate dean for First-Year Orientation and Parent and Family Engagement said that Thompson is the type of leader who inspires through his example.

"Others want to work with him because he makes work fun," Schultz said.

He keeps time for fun outside of work as well. Like learning how to swing dance. In the summers, Thompson interned with the U.S. Department of Energy and information technology giant, Accenture.

Thompson mentors other students through his work as a Tartan Scholar Ambassador, where he provides support for high-achieving student leaders from limited resource backgrounds, who receive support from the multi-faceted scholarship program. He has held various leadership roles with the American Society of Civil Engineers, and served on both the College of Engineering and Civil and Environmental Engineering Department's Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) boards.

He also was named an Andrew Carnegie Society Scholar, an award that goes to select undergraduate seniors chosen by the deans and department heads in recognition of their academic excellence, volunteerism, leadership and involvement in student organizations, athletics or the arts.

Looking ahead, Thompson recently accepted a job offer from Deloitte as a consultant, where he has been working as a strategy and operations analyst.

"I came into school and didn't know what I wanted my career to be," Thompson said. "However, I wanted to help people make better-informed decisions with technology that isn't intuitive and policies they aren't familiar with. Combining my passions of technology and policy was my No. 1 priority."

Source: CMU - College of Engineering

The Social Justice Institutes at Carlow University, guided and informed by the mission, history and traditions of the University as well as its founders and sponsors, the Sisters of Mercy, works to facilitate change by providing education for social justice. The Social Justice Institutes (SJI) also supports the University’s strategic plan by working with faculty research, securing partnerships for community-based learning and serving as a platform for community engagement.  The SJI strives to close educational, socio-economic and leadership gaps, especially those that disproportionately affect women. 

Dr. Ryan Scott, Executive Director of the Social Justice Institute tells us more about his focus and leadership in this role.   As the Executive Director, Dr. Scott provides vision, leadership, and strategic direction to four distinctive Institutes: the well-established Grace Ann Geibel Institute for Justice and Mercy, the Center for Community-Engaged Learning, the Center for Youth Media Advocacy, and the Educate for Justice Initiative.

The Social Justice Institutes at Carlow University aim to facilitate systemic change by informing practice and educating for social justice, how is this accomplished through the various programming offerings? 

Dr. Scott: This is done through programming events for faculty, staff, students and community, social-justice related trainings, the Presidential Lecture series, Grant funded Faculty and staff research projects.

The SJI supports the University’s strategic plan by serving as an incubator for faculty research, providing opportunities and securing partnerships for community-based learning, and serving as a conduit for community engagement. Tell us more about these endeavors.

Dr. Scott: ​This is done through our Grace Ann Geibel Institute for Justice & Mercy. The three goals of the Institute are to Address issues of justice and social responsibility through research and outreach projects led by Carlow faculty and staff Support faculty development that enhances woman-centered approaches to issues of justice and social responsibility.  Increase engagement with University faculty and students in community, corporate and cultural education efforts that address relevant issues.  We have had projects that range from high school to college programs for marginalized youth, to ensuring freshwater wells are up in running in Uganda.

What key upcoming events, programs or areas of focus.

Dr. Scott: The University has made a declaration to be an anti-racist institution, therefore the SJI is in support of this by facilitating programming around this notion. Some key events coming up are:

The Film Screening and Discussion with cast/crew members of "When George Got Murdered".

The Social Justice Training Institutes- A leadership development program designed for Carlow Students interested in Social Justice/Advocacy.

The SJI Book Discussion Group.

The Social Justice Institutes at Carlow University will be hosting When George Got Murdered, a film screening and talk-back with the cast and crew.  The SJI hopes this event will spark important dialogue about policing and police brutality, community engagement, and the strict definition versus the reality of justice.  “Social justice is in the DNA of Carlow since our founding by the Sisters of Mercy nearly 95 years ago,” said Dr. Ryan Scott. He added, “We believe in the power of conversation around social justice, and injustices, in a respectful and constructive manner, which we hope this film screening will evoke among all of us who care deeply about progress for Pittsburgh.” 

When George Got Murdered: Screening and Talkback  Tuesday, April 26, 2022 | 6:00 – 9:00 PM  Gailliot Center | Carlow University | 3333 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15219     What happens when the sentence is handed down? What happens when the media circus goes away? What happens when we’re forced to examine what justice really means? Filmmaker Terrence Tykeem attempts to answer these questions, and many more, with his new film, When George Got Murdered: Where Were You. Join the Social Justice Institutes for a live screening of the film and a talkback with the cast and crew including Terrance Tykeem, Montel Williams, Don Most, Robert Ri’chard, and Claudia Jordan. Moderated by SJI Executive Director, Dr. Ryan Scott     Film runtime: 65 minutes     Registration is required: https://carlowu.info/George-Floyd

 Artist Janel Young of JY Originals will begin a seven-month residency at The Westmoreland Museum of American Art on March 6. During her residency, she will be creating an installation within the Museum while also working on a public art project in the community. The Westmoreland’s Artist-in-Residency Program is part of an ongoing partnership with BOOM Concepts, which to date has provided residencies for five artists, including Young.

Known for a number of public installations and murals painted throughout Pittsburgh, Young completed three major projects in the past several years: New Space Spheres, Pathway to Joy, and Heroes on the Horizon. In collaboration with four additional artists, she curated New Space Spheres, a series of pandemic-inspired social distance artworks appearing throughout the city in 2020. Her Pathway to Joy, a large brightly-colored geometric asphalt mural, was created for the Allegheny Overlook pop-up park experience that kicked off the Dollar Bank Three Rivers Arts Festival in the summer of 2021, and Larimer’s Bakery Square features her Heroes on the Horizon, a permanent three-dimensional mural, which she created after working with students from local schools Lincoln K-5 and Urban Academy of Greater Pittsburgh.

Young has also achieved national and international recognition for commissions, including her canvas titled Be Open To… which was displayed at the 2020 U.S. Open tennis tournament in New York City, and for major companies, including Yahoo!, where Young was the first artist ever commissioned to design their Black History Month logo in 2021.

“I am thrilled to be expanding my practice into Westmoreland County and grateful for such a wonderful opportunity that BOOM Concepts and the Museum have put together. There is a lot to be excited about, and I’m looking forward to not just contributing, but learning and experimenting during my time there as well,” commented Janel Young regarding her upcoming residency at The Westmoreland.

“We are delighted to welcome Janel to The Westmoreland. Her work is vibrant and joyful, playful and poignant, and we are so excited to see what she creates during the residency,” said Erica Nuckles, Director of Learning, Engagement and Partnerships.

During the course of her residency, there will be opportunities for the community to meet and interact with Young through free public programs that will be announced at a later date on the Museum’s website: thewestmoreland.org/events.

The Westmoreland’s Artist-in-Residency Program, which features two to four artists annually, emphasizes the Museum’s commitment to engaging and supporting Black and marginalized artists, to promoting equity in the arts, and to sharing compelling and meaningful cultural experiences with the regional community.

The Westmoreland Museum of American Art Artist-in-Residency Program is presented in partnership with BOOM Concepts and made possible by generous support from The Pittsburgh Foundation and The New Sun Rising Arts | Equity | Reimagined program.

Learn more about the program at thewestmoreland.org/programs/artist-in-residency-program.

About Artist Janel Young
Celebrated painter and muralist Janel Young of JY Originals is a Pittsburgh native, now based in Chicago, who is on a mission to inspire through creativity and play. Young’s style of vivid colors and geometric designs have been recognized nationally and internationally, from Pittsburgh to the coast of Sydney, Australia.

Prior to pursuing art full-time, Young attended Schenley High School in Pittsburgh, PA as an International Baccalaureate student athlete and went on to study Business Marketing and International Studies at Penn State University as a Bunton-Waller Fellow. She relocated to NYC in 2013 to work in public relations as a Digital Content Strategist for industries, including healthcare, tech and non-profits for 5 years, before becoming a full-time artist in 2018.

After returning to her hometown in 2019, she completed an installation of Pittsburgh’s first art basketball court at McKinley Park in Beltzhoover. Called The Home Court Advantage Project, the mural was inspired by connecting with local kids and neighbors who participated in the design and painting process. Her community-centered effort had such an impact that the City of Pittsburgh designated October 23rd 2019 “Janel Young Day.” Inspired by this honor and further putting her mission into action, she established the annual JY Originals Scholarship for Creatives to support young adults pursuing the arts.

In response to the pandemic in 2020, Young led a project with four additional Pittsburgh artists to create social distance artwork throughout the city called New Space Spheres. Last year, she created her largest-led mural to date, Pathway to Joy, at the Allegheny Overlook pop-up park experience that kicked off then Dollar Bank Three Rivers Arts Festival, and her first three-dimensional mural, Heroes on the Horizon at Bakery Square, which was completed alongside a residency program with students from local schools, Lincoln and Urban Academy.

In addition to her work in Pittsburgh, she has also achieved national and international recognition for commissions, including her canvas titled Be Open To… which was displayed at the 2020 U.S. Open tennis tournament in New York City and for major companies including Yahoo!, where Young was the first artist ever commissioned to design their Black History Month logo in 2021.

Young is also active in the community in Pittsburgh, New York, and Chicago. As the Community Artist in Residence at UrbanKind Institute based in Pittsburgh, Young utilizes visual arts as a communication tool to connect people to equity and justice values and initiatives in Pittsburgh and Chicago. Young has also collaborated with youth-focused organizations to host in-person and virtual coloring events, where New York and Pittsburgh sponsors and non-profits donated her self-illustrated Color Your Crown natural hair coloring book to kids. Lastly, she continues to lead public art projects, youth workshops and speaking opportunities in different cities.

Recently, Young has received accolades for her work being named 2021 Person of the Year in Visual Arts by Pittsburgh City Paper and acknowledged as a finalist for the 2021 Carol R. Brown Creative Achievement Award. 

Visit her website at janel-young.com.

UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital is honoring the late Dr. Morris Turner, OB-GYN, by hanging his portrait on the second floor outside the Birth Center beside his plaque. Dr. Turner made exemplary contributions to women’s health care in the city of Pittsburgh and was dedicated to bringing equitable care to women in underserved communities, focused on delivering healthy babies and making family planning safer.  

During his career, Turner served as president of the UPMC Magee-Womens medical staff and opened one of the first Black specialty OB/GYN practices in East Liberty— a densely populated Black neighborhood in Pittsburgh. Turner was also the medical director for the Magee-Womens outreach sites at Wilkinsburg and Monroeville. It’s coincidental but also befitting that Dr. Turner is being honored during Black History Month.  

Maternal mortality disproportionately impacts Black women in Pittsburgh and the state of Pennsylvania. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Health, Black women are twice as likely to die from complications during birth than White women.  

Today, the legacy of Dr. Turner’s work lives on in other women’s health equity advocates at UPMC Magee.

Turner family and painter Douglas Webster unveil Dr. Morris’ portrait during a dedication event at Magee

Jeaonna Hodges, CD-DONA, C.L.C, is one of the lead doulas of the Birth Circle at UPMC Magee. She has attended hundreds of births and believes that it’s important to listen to her patients.  

At UPMC Magee, community-based doulas provide free services and support to women at the same level of care as private doulas. The doula services range from assistance during birth to post-partum support.  

Jeaonna believes that diversity within health care systems can help lower women’s complications and anxiety during birth. “What would happen if the person that came to take care of me looked like me? That person would understand what I am going through,” she shared. 

Dr. Amaris Yandel is a clinical assistant professor and specializes in obstetrics and gynecology at UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital. Dr. Yandel is a member of UPMC’s Health Equity Now committee and sits on the UPMC Maternal Mortality Review Committee. She believes that some of the outcomes and mortality impacting local women are due to racism.  

“People feel unheard,” said Dr.  Yandel.  “Health equity means that it shouldn’t matter how someone comes to us, but we should work to make sure that the outcomes are good and equal.” 

“Finding a doctor who you can trust and have a good relationship with is important,” Yandel shared. 

UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital has launched UPMC Health Equity Now— a group led by UPMC employees— to serve as a voice for Black and Brown women.  

Source: UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital  

 The Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation is pleased to announce a grant of $41,378 from the African American Civil Rights Grant Program, through the Historic Preservation Fund administered by the National Park Service, Department of the Interior.

The grant will enable PHLF to design an educational program around the National Negro Opera House, that will not only highlight the history and significance of the building in African American history, but also the importance of its restoration and preservation. The program will be titled, A Legacy in Stone: Homewood’s National Negro Opera House and the Confluence of Pittsburgh’s African American Culture.

“We are delighted to receive this grant, which will enable us to not only deepen our understanding of the significance of the National Negro Opera House and its place in American history, but also tells the greater story of the African American experience in Pittsburgh in the first half of the Twentieth Century,” said PHLF President Michael Sriprasert.

As part of this program, PHLF will prepare and submit a nomination of the National Negro Opera House for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. This will include the creation of an educational component to explore the history of the building, bringing an understanding of the depth of Pittsburgh’s African American cultural legacy to a younger generation of students.

This grant is one of 53 projects in 20 states funded by a total of $15,035,000 from the National Park Service’s African American Civil Rights Grant Program.

“This grant makes it possible for us to work with educators in sharing the history of the National Negro Opera House with more students, helping even more people learn about and appreciate the significant African American history reflected in this landmark building in Homewood,” said PHLF Co-Director of Education, Sarah Greenwald.

Listed in 2020 as one of America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places, by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the Queen Anne-style house in the Homewood neighborhood of Pittsburgh, was once a place of prominence for African American entertainers, musicians, and sports figures.

It served as a lodging house and a community space for prominent African Americans visiting Pittsburgh during the era of segregation when it was not easy for African Americans to gain lodging in white-owned establishments. It is currently undergoing efforts to renovate and restore it by a group of stakeholders led by its owner Jonnet Solomon.

Our organization has been working with Ms. Solomon to help implement a strategy of restoration and renovation of the building. This includes an initial stabilization study to assess the feasibility of restoration and an ongoing engineering assessment of the building to analyze stabilization of the hillside behind the house and restoration of a historic wall along the property. 

 The Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh (URA) has closed on a $500,000 loan to 422 Foreland LLC, the owner of the former James Street Gastropub and Speakeasy at the corner of Foreland and James Streets in the East Allegheny neighborhood. They purchased the property in 2018 and are investing over $5 million total to revitalize the property and the loan from the URA’s Pittsburgh Business Fund will assist in funding gaps stemming from the pandemic.  

The 123 year-old, 18,700 square foot building formerly served as a neighborhood meeting place as well as drew music lovers from all over to enjoy the historic prohibition-era structure and live jazz and other music. The renovation will create a mixed-used commercial building including a restaurant, office space, apartment and the return of jazz.

“This is a historic property that transformed into a place where music lovers can come to hear good live music and build community,” said Mayor William Peduto. “When James Street closed its doors, the community was clear that they wanted music to come back and we promised we’d make that happen. I’d like to thank Jonathan Iams and his team and the URA for helping to fulfill that promise and bring jazz back to James and Foreland.” 

The renovations are currently underway and the owner, Jonathan Iams, anticipates occupancy in February 2022. They have worked closely with the Northside Leadership Conference and East Allegheny Community Council and the project intends to bring professional and hospitality jobs, restore the historic building to a vibrant community asset and bring community life back to the building.  

”The James Street Tavern has been the home of jazz in Pittsburgh for more than half a century,” said owner Jonathan Iams. “I am excited to see the building thrive again as a place for the community to enjoy great food, music and art in an architecturally significant building.” 

The URA also assisted the new owners in applying for Enterprise Zone (EZ) Tax Credits through the state, an incentive program that provides tax credits to businesses investing in real property improvements such as rehab, expansion or physical improvements to buildings or land resulting in jobs created in designated areas. 

Pittsburgh Opera is proud to announce its 2021-22 Resident Artists:

• Maire Therese Carmack, mezzo-soprano
• Madeline Ehlinger, soprano
• Véronique Filloux, soprano
• Yazid Gray, baritone
• Jeremy Harr, bass
• Kaley Karis Smith, Stage Director
• Rohan Smith, Artistic Administration Assistant
• Andrew Turner, tenor

Pittsburgh Opera’s Resident Artist Program is one of the country's leading training programs for young singers. More than 500 applicants from around the world vie for just a handful of openings. After completing advanced education such as graduate degrees, Pittsburgh Opera’s Resident Artists further their careers under the guidance of the opera world's leaders and innovators, including master classes with opera legends. They study languages, diction, movement, and acting, while developing their vocal skills, expanding their repertoire, and performing on stage in Pittsburgh Opera productions.

New this season is the Resident Artist Artistic Administration Assistant position. The position is intended to be filled by an individual from a historically underrepresented group within the opera industry. “The Artistic Administration position is a natural next step for our Resident Artist program,” says Pittsburgh Opera General Director Christopher Hahn “For our industry to thrive, it needs a steady pipeline of not only singers and stage directors, but also artistic administrators. This new position will give talented individuals the skills and experience they need for a successful career in Artistic Administration.”

Pittsburgh Audiences will have multiple chances to see and hear the Resident Artists in person over the coming weeks. They will be performing at:

• The Market Square Farmer’s Market in downtown Pittsburgh, Sept. 23rd and 30th, between 11:30AM and 1:30PM
• The Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council’s Restart the ArtsMobile, Sept. 24th from 4:00-5:00PM at the Boys & Girls Club: Penn Hills, and Sept. 25th from 4:00-5:00PM at the Fox Chapel Community Day in McCahill Park
• Pittsburgh Opera’s Rising Stars Concert, Sunday, October 3rd from 6:00-7:30pm at Pittsburgh Opera Headquarters
• Pittsburgh Opera’s October Brown Bag Concert, Saturday, October 16th at noon at Pittsburgh Opera Headquarters

Pittsburgh Opera’s Resident Artist Program has fostered the careers of many singers that now perform on the world stage. Pittsburgh Opera’s Resident Artists have gone on to headline at the world's most prestigious opera houses, including the Metropolitan Opera. Notable alumni include:

• Marianne Cornetti
• Kevin Glavin
• Alexandra Loutsion
• Audrey Luna
• Sean Panikkar
• Craig Verm
• Rolando Villazón

Pittsburgh Opera’s Resident Artist program is made possible by the generosity of numerous sponsors. The 2021-22 Resident Artists, and their coaches on the Pittsburgh Opera Music Staff, are sponsored by:

• Hans and Leslie Fleischner (Maire Therese Carmack)
• Steven Seibert (Madeline Ehlinger)
• Michele and Pat Atkins (Véronique Filloux)
• John and Virginia DiPucci, and Alice Victoria Gelormino (Yazid Gray)
• Robert J. and Sharon E. Sclabassi (Jeremy Harr)
• John Battaglia, Dr. Athan Georgiades and Dr. Lydia Contis (Kaley Karis Smith)
• John and Nancy Traina, and Gene Welsh and Marty Healey (Andrew Turner)
• Susan Candace Hunt (Rohan Smith)
• The Hollinshead Family in memory of Sylvia Hollinshead and the glorious Pittsburgh Opera Chorus (Assistant Coach/Pianist James Lesniak)
• Eileen and John Olmsted, and the Hollinshead Family in memory of Sylvia Hollinshead and the glorious Pittsburgh Opera Chorus (Director of Musical Studies and Chorus Master Mark Trawka)

Pittsburgh Opera is profoundly grateful for these sponsors, who are helping to develop the next generation of opera stars.

 The City of Pittsburgh Department of Mobility and Infrastructure (DOMI) has announced a pilot program with Kiwibot to work with local businesses like Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, Wilson’s Pharmacy and Taquitos to provide free, equitable delivery of books, medicine and food to residents through personal delivery devices, commonly known as delivery robots. The pilot is funded by the Knight Foundation and will focus on bringing residents to the center of the conversation around this emerging technology.  

During the pilot, the City will explore how to increase affordable delivery options for local businesses, pharmacies and libraries for “last mile” deliveries, focusing the pilot in portions of the Bloomfield, Garfield and Lawrenceville neighborhoods. The City and local partners will focus on exploring opportunities to provide equitable access to food, education and medication while minimizing delivery cost for locally-owned businesses.

The pilot will also provide an opportunity for city officials to ensure that delivery robots, which were recently legalized in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, are deployed only in areas where they can operate safely among pedestrians, bicyclists and vehicles.  

Preparations, planning and mapping for the pilot between DOMI and Kiwibot started in July and delivery robots are expected to be deployed later this week. Up to 10 delivery robots will be deployed, each remotely controlled by a human supervisor.  

The City will also be working with Assemble, a community space for arts and technology, to expand awareness about the personal delivery device technology and technology careers with local youth.  

Additional information can be found on the pilot’s EngagePGH website.  

The Richard King Mellon Foundation today announced that it has made a $500,000 gift to help save the former National Negro Opera Company House in Homewood – a once-proud national landmark that has been vacant 50 years and is dangerously close to collapse.

“This property once was the center of Black cultural life in Pittsburgh, and a national artistic destination,” said Foundation Director Sam Reiman. “The National Negro Opera Company – the first permanent African-American opera company in the nation – called it home. And it was a safe house for great musicians, such as Cab Calloway, Lena Horne and Duke Ellington, and for visiting athletes, such as heavyweight champion Joe Louis  and our own Roberto Clemente.

“But the property has been vacant for half a century, and now is dangerously close to becoming unsalvageable. The National Trust for Historic Preservation rightly has named it one of the most endangered historic places in the nation. Jonnet Solomon took the first and most important step, buying the property to save it from demolition. But now she needs help – and not just to save it, but to make it special once again, converting it into a self-guided museum, with powerful programming for disadvantaged young artists of today.

“The Foundation is hoping its initial gift will inspire other Pittsburgh community leaders – and leaders across the nation – to support Jonnet in this noble quest. Together, we can save a landmark before it’s too late. We can help young artists today to find a welcoming place again. And we can bolster Homewood’s ongoing efforts to return to its rightful place as a cultural and community hub.”

“This has been a 20-year, life-altering labor of love,” said Solomon, an accountant by profession who purchased the Queen Anne-style house, with the late Miriam White, in 2000. “And I’m more hopeful now than ever that we can preserve this historic house, and make it an artistic hub for the community once again. This gift is the catalyst that will inspire others to do the same.”

The house first rose to national significance in the 1940s, when opera singer Mary Cardwell Dawson rented space there for the National Negro Opera Company.  The company disbanded in the 1960s.

Solomon’s vision of saving the property and restoring it to new vital uses requires more than $2 million. Solomon has launched a website to tell the story of the home’s history and future vision, and to raise funds. The story has captivated national attention. But donations have been sparse.

So the Foundation stepped in to get things started.

Grammy and Emmy award winning mezzo-soprano Denyce Graves, along with her team and a network of singers, also have been highly instrumental in the attention being given to the National Negro Opera House. “I feel a great obligation to this important monument of American history that has been so long neglected,” she wrote in a fundraising appeal to fellow artists. Graves founded The Denyce Graves Foundation to support projects like this. Raising funds and national awareness for the National Opera House is the foundation’s first philanthropic project. 

The Richard King Mellon Foundation’s $500,000 grant will go through Pittsburgh Opera, which is assisting Solomon with the effort and serving as fiscal sponsor for the Foundation’s grant.

“Pittsburgh Opera is working as a key collaborator in developing the artistic programming that will be based in the renovated facility to celebrate the rich operatic history of our region and to fulfill the dream of Mary Cardwell Dawson by providing opportunities for children in Pittsburgh most affected by racial inequalities in education and the arts,” said Christopher Hahn, Pittsburgh Opera’s General Director.

Avis Williams has always loved to cook and share her culinary talents with friends and family. Now, anyone can enjoy the delicious comfort food she prepares by visiting Hilda’s Soul Food Kitchen in Homestead. The restaurant specializes in Southern hospitality and cooking that will “bring back memories of your grandmother’s kitchen” and “bring the South to Pittsburgh.” Opening the restaurant in July fulfilled a 10-year dream for Williams, who named the restaurant in honor of her mother.

After working in accounting and banking for many years, Williams prayed about making the change, and then “God started opening doors.” Although she previously helped to run a catering business, she had no professional training, so she decided to go back to school to learn how to manage a restaurant. Williams is graduating from CCAC’s Hospitality Operations Management program this year. Through the program, she learned every aspect of restaurant management—from maintaining food in the right order in the refrigerator, to becoming ServSafe certified, which is the industry standard in food safety training and is administered by the U.S. National Restaurant Association.

 “CCAC was a tremendous help,” said Williams. “Every class that I took was so beneficial. The whole setup of the program is exactly what someone needs if they’re looking to manage a restaurant.”

Although she was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Williams acquired a love of Southern cooking through her husband and other family members who are from the South. Hilda’s is definitely “filling a niche” by offering daily specials, such as meatloaf and gravy with rice and Southern creamed peas, BBQ ribs with mac ’n cheese and greens, smothered pork chops with two sides, or blackened salmon or chicken tossed salads. Fridays are fish FRYdays with crabcakes, salmon cakes and shrimp étouffée, and every Saturday features a Southern breakfast buffet. Patrons can also sample Southern specialties such as boiled peanuts and pimento cheese.

Customers have responded enthusiastically to the new restaurant, which is currently open for takeout and delivery. The restaurant has limited seating, and Williams plans to offer indoor dining in the future when health concerns about COVID–19 have lessened.

Hilda’s Soul Food Kitchen, located at 514 E. 8th Ave., Homestead, is open Tuesday to Friday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., with a Saturday breakfast buffet from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. For more information or to place an order, call 412.462.4220.

Source: CCAC

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