28 March 2016

Enlightenment by Eugenio Pedon

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This sculpture is part of a larger sculpture that once graced the top of the old post office building in downtown. There were two identical sculptures originally, and each was comprised of three figures. As a group they are known by several titles - Stone Ladies, Ladies of Stone, and Stone Maidens. Individually, they are Enlightenment, Industry and Navigation.

We believe this particular copy of Enlightenment was once located outside of a restaurant on Mt Washington. It was relocated to this corner in front of the Rite Aid in 1997. The other copy of Enlightenment still has her right arm, but whatever it originally held has been broken off.

Two of the figures (Navigation and Enlightenment) are now located on the Northside. Industry is by itself at one location, and with the second copy of Navigation at another location in Station Square.

Ladies of Stone by Eugenio Pedon

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Two of three figures from a sculpture that once topped the old post office building in downtown. Together the three figures are known by several titles: Stone Ladies, Stone Maidens, and Ladies of Stone. Individually these two are Navigation and Industry.

Navigation was depicted holding a rudder - which is mostly broken off on this copy. Industry is holding a mold. A mold of what, we have no clue, but some sort of industrial mold.

There were two copies of that original sculpture, so six individual stone ladies when the old post office building was demolished. Two of them are now together on the Northside, one is on Mt Washington, and the other copy of Industry is at a different Station Square location.

Stone Maidens by Eugenio Pedon

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The metal placard on the base of this sculpture identifies it as Stone Maidens, but this is an incomplete sculpture. There should be three figures here instead of just two, and there are multiple titles for the grouping. These two individual figures are titled Navigation and Enlightenment. The Smithsonian Institute keeps an inventory of public artwork, and they list this piece by four different titles: Navigation, Enlightenment, Stone Maidens, Ladies of Stone, and Stone Ladies. Whatever you call it, it is two thirds of a sculpture originally created to top the Federal Building (which became the Post Office building) downtown in 1889. Rescued from demolition in 1966 this duo now grace the entrance to the Children’s Museum at the corner of W. Commons.

There were actually two identical sculptures that topped the old post office. The six individual figures from those two sculptures were all saved, but they were divided and spread out around the city. Why they were separated we don’t know, but the third figure in the grouping (Industry) is now at Station Square. In fact you can find Industry by itself, and Industry along with the second copy of Navigation, at two locations in Station Square.



The description in the Smithsonian inventory has the seated figure (Navigation) holding a rudder and the standing figure (Enlightenment) holding a lamp. When we look at Enlightenment, we think there is something missing from her raised arm, (perhaps a torch?), but since it appears that she has the lamp (or lantern) in her other hand we really don't know what else she might have been holding. We have been unable to locate a photo of the original trio before they were damaged. The other copy of Enlightenment is currently up on Mt Washington, and her raised arm is completely broken off on that copy.

The figures appear to be out of proportion because they were designed to be viewed standing on the street looking up at the Post Office roof.


The sculpture is part of the artifacts collection of the Pgh History and Landmarks Foundation.

Industry by Eugenio Pedon

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This lady is one of six ladies that began as part of the decoration on the old downtown Federal Building built in 1889. They adorned the roof of the building, which later became the old Post Office. In 1966 the building was demolished and these sculptures were saved, though not as originally displayed. Originally there were two identical sculptures that were comprised of three ladies. In the course of the demolition most of the figures became separated and are now displayed in four different locations.

As a group of three, the sculpture is titled Stone Ladies, Stone Maidens, or Ladies of Stone. The Smithsonian lists all three titles and we don't know which is the correct, original title. Separated, the ladies have titles of their own. This one is Industry, and she holds an industrial mold of some sort.

You can see the other ladies at other locations around the city. The second copy of Industry is placed with one of the copies of Navigation at a different spot in Station Square. The second copy of Navigation is still attached to Enlightenment on the Northside, while the second copy of Enlightenment is up on Mt Washington by herself.

20 March 2016

Bill Mazeroski Sculpture by Susan Wagner

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There are four sculptures around PNC Park that pay tribute to some of the Pittsburgh Pirates greatest players. Three of them were created by Susan Wagner between 1994 and 2010. Those include Roberto Walker Clemente, Willie Stargel, and Bill Mazeroski. The fourth, Honus Wagner, was done back in 1955 by Frank Vittor. His brother Tony Vittor did the relief work on the base of the Honus Wagner sculpture.

Bill Mazeroski – AKA: Maz

Done in 2010, this is the newest of the four sculptures. It commemorates not just a great player, but a single moment in the Pirates history that has thrilled fans for over 50 years. On Oct 13, 1960 at 3:36pm, Maz hit the home run that won the World Series for the Pirates against the NY Yankees. It was a 406 foot hit over the left field wall at the bottom of the ninth. The only time a home run has won game 7, it was a dramatic ending to the 1960 World Series.

Susan Wagner captured a moment as Maz ran the bases. He was on his way from second to third base when he held his arms out – his helmet in the air – in celebration.

Fans still meet in Oakland (where Forbes Field was) every year on the anniversary to listen to a recording of the game. Sometimes Maz joins them for a bit. In 2003 ESPN published the 100 Greatest Home Runs of All Time and this run was at the top of the list.

Maz had a long career with the Pirates. He’s still considered one of the best defensive second basemen of all time, holding the record for double plays at that position. Nicknamed The Glove he had many great moments, but this one is the one that Maz will always be remembered for.

Korean War Veterans Memorial by R. Allan Christianson

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Even though we knew this memorial was along the Northshore trail, (we ride past here all the time) when we went specifically to photograph it we had to stop to think about exactly where it was. Unlike the Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial and the newer WWII Memorial (which are both easily visible from across the Allegheny River) this monument is tucked into the landscaping.

You have to make more of an effort to see and appreciate the Korean War Veteran’s Memorial. The monument is cocooned within trees and shrubbery between the Riverwalk and the walkway behind the buildings along N Shore Drive. There is no direct access from the Northshore Trail into the monument space. A ramp leading from the trail passes just below the monument on the way up to Mazeroski Way. From there you would need to make a left turn onto the promenade that runs through the upper level of the park (behind Hyde Park Prime Steakhouse).

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There’s also an entrance to the memorial from the staircase that runs along the east side of the Water Steps. Even with the fountain full of kids, dogs, and big kids gleefully wading and enjoying themselves, the area by the monument has bit of a sheltered feel when the trees are all leafed out.

The centerpiece of the monument is visible from the trail, but there’s so much more to the memorial. A long wall is filled with the names of local veterans of this conflict.

The Korean War Veterans Association of W. Pa has installed several plaques with information about the War. One offers a brief history while four large plaques give a chronology of events.

On the plaque shown above, the architect gives his insight on the memorial. The following exert comes from that plaque.

This Memorial intends to symbolize and express the life spirit of those who served, directly and indirectly, in the Korean War. It is a reflection, in part, of just one who served. It is meant to signal remembrance of the breadth and pulse of their identity. And, it is a marker for the array of human qualities nurtured by the freedom we protect.

This Memorial is positioned and shaped to capture sunlight. As the sun travels the horizon, columns of light articulate, sequentially, aspects of human spirit, experience and feeling. Through solid and void, light and shadow, the sun traces a spectrum of individual and shared experience.

It is hoped this Memorial will become a welcome place; that it can evoke memory, emotion and vision through the eyes of each visitor. It is meant to be very personal.

The focal point of the monument is designed to use natural lighting to bring your attention to emotions and experiences from this war, one or two at a time. Of course you miss this if you visit on a cloudy day. We had to return when the sun was out in order to really see this effect.

Like Vietnam veterans, the Korean War veterans were largely unrecognized on their return home. Often referred to as the forgotten war, the Korean War involved around 26,000 Pittsburgh veterans. Calling it a conflict or police action didn’t change the affect it had on their lives. On this small piece of the Northshore they are remembered and honored for their service.

Environmental Themed mural series by students

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What would Pittsburgh’s landscapes and communities look like if they were part of a healthy, functioning ecosystem? That was the theme and the title for this series of five murals. Each panel offers an answer to that question. It was the idea of high school student Lucy Newman, of Pittsburgh Obama, who saw the five blank garage doors while she was working at Sylvania Natives, a local nursery. The owner of the nursery had suggested she create her own internship project, and she came up with the plan to do environmental themed murals on those doors.

Kathy McGregor, who owns the nursery, worked together with Lucy and others to develop the question that inspired the murals. As they were potting up plants, Lucy and Kathy would spend hours discussing how to go about painting the murals in a way that is consistent with her business. (An evironmentally responsible nursery, Sylvania Natives grows only plants native to this area.) When Lucy asked her art teacher, Donna Hetrick, for help on paint colors and types, Ms. Hetrick jumped right into the project.

The project grew into a community effort called the Plants and Paints Summer Workshop. Lucy and nine other students from various Pittsburgh high schools participated in the project. During the workshop, the student artists talked with people from Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy, Tree Pittsburgh, Clean Rivers Campaign, Sierra Club and others, to learn more about environmental issues. They split into five groups, each in charge of designing and executing a mural for one of the doors. Several local artists - Silvija Singh, Karen Coyne, Clayton Merrell, and Maria Harrington - helped the students with their designs and gave advice on painting techniques.


Mother Knows Best by Heather Harrington, Jordan Schultz–Mcardle, and Lainey Newman.

Artist’s statement for this panel:
In this piece we mainly want it to be thought provoking. We don’t want to tell you if we answered the question or not. Its (sic) up to you (the viewer). Same thing with what we were trying to convey, its (sic) what you want to see, not what we want you to see. This is not some lame excuse to not give you a statement, I promise. However I will give you some of our input. We decided to have the color purple coming out of the silhouettes (sic) mouth because it seemed to convey a better message. Then the purple leads into a green, as you can see the green turns into a milkweed plant. There on the plant is a caterpillar monarch and it leads into the next mural.


Metamorphosis by Lucy Newman and Lainey Newman.

Artist’s statement for this panel:
Monarch butterflies and milkweed plants have evolved together, and now neither can survive without help from the other. Interdependence is common to all forms of life, but the beautiful monarch has become symbolic of such relationships. As manmade infrastructure and introduced species begins to encroach upon natural habitats, the entire ecosystem suffers. In this project, we attempted to envision what our city would look like if it were part of a healthy, functioning ecosystem. Perhaps one day, we will be able to look down from Mount Washington through a thriving forest, at a city composed entirely of green infrastructure. We are not there yet, though we are going through a metamorphosis.


Vision, by Zoe Merrell and Natalie Kandra.

Artist’s statement for this panel:
This mural shows how a street in Pittsburgh would look different if we took steps such as building rain gardens, installing rain barrels and permeable pavement, capturing wind and solar energy, constructing green roofs, making streets bike and pedestrian–friendly, and planting a diversity of native plants and trees. Each of these actions is just a small part of a larger movement to change the way we interact with the earth. If individuals and communities decide to move towards a sustainable model of living rather than continuing to disrupt and destroy the environment, this vision can become a reality.


Untitled, by Clair Holthaus and Kay Hughes.

Artist’s statement for this panel:
Our piece depicts a Pittsburgh fueled by clean and efficient energy, such as solar, wind and hydro power. It also pictures a problem with our energy resources – how to efficiently store large amounts of energy. The trees bordering the city show Pittsburgh heading towards a greener and environmentally friendly future.


Planting a Community, by Myiya Peters and Merryn Spence

Artist’s statement for this panel:
Having a healthy and functioning ecosystem involves everyone working together. Our painting shows that anyone and everyone can take part in helping the environment. It’s a simple yet profound experience. The message we are trying to convey through our mural is that it takes a community to act upon an issue and create change. Through the four colorful people planting the tree, were (sic) attempting to show that anyone from any place can help to make a community more environmentally friendly. We attempted to answer the question What would Pittsburgh’s landscapes and communities look like if they were part of a healthy, functioning ecosystem?, by conveying Pittsburgh as a community with more plants and trees, clean air, and people of different backgrounds contributing to creating this Eco–friendly environment. In order to answer the overarching question, we used collaboration, our creative thought process, and paints!

While not a Sprout Fund Public Art mural, the project was sponsored in part by the Sprout Fund’s Hive Fund for Connected Learning. Hive Pittsburgh is a program of the Sprout Fund that supports connected learning projects that help youth, including tweens, teens and young adults, prepare for college, the workforce, and civic participation. Other sponsors included the Nine Mile Run Watershed Association, Sylvania Natives, the Artist and Craftsman Supply Company, and the East End Food Co–op.

Old Frick Environmental Center Mural

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Two fellow cyclists alerted us to this mural. It’s unlikely we would have stumbled onto it ourselves anytime soon as it’s on the back of the burned out Frick Environmental Center. The trail that runs behind the building seems more of a hiking (and perhaps mountain biking) trail, but not one we would normally ride on for our city mural searches.


Photo supplied by Paul Heckbert

With the information from our friends, we arrived at the park entrance and walked the trail that led to the back of the building. We don’t know how much longer this building might be here. The fire that destroyed it was in 2002, so we were surprised that what was left was still standing almost 12 years later. The Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy now manages the Frick Environmental Center. We found nothing indicating if or when they might demolish the old structure, but they are in the process of designing and funding a new one. Their goal is for the new center to meet the standard for both Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) and for Living Building Challenge (LBC) certifications.

Obviously the artwork isn’t in the best condition. We could find no information for this old mural. The designs are cut out of plywood, painted and attached to the wall. No signatures or dates were evident anywhere on the artwork.

We did find that the turtle’s name is Bob, and that the deer has good taste.