Homestead by Ian Green

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This is a great mural that captures the soul of the neighborhood. Ian Green presents us with a multi panel work of the people and history of Homestead.

We asked Mr Green to tell us a bit about the mural and the people in it. He had this to say:

I originally wanted to cover the whole wall with one big piece for the Homestead mural, but instead I tried to work the piece into the wall around its elements (pipes, fire escape, spaces between windows, etc). I wanted to tip my hat to the Homestead of Now, (like the painting of the millworker tipping his hat to the painting of the garment worker, Blemah Do) which was vibrant and holding on in its own way in the wake of the financial wreckage of the post–steel industry.

I hadn’t known the Homestead of the past. I wasn’t focused on the heyday, but on where I was in the moment.. So Old Timers, jitney drivers, shopkeepers were the subjects I had, but I did want to explore the significance of the 1892 strike as an indicator of the spirit of the people and their strength. The tiles that rise up out of the stack were done by members of the community. You can see their work on several of the tile panels. I thought of the sacrifices made being hurled up and outward like so much smoke, yet not forgotten but admired and remembered.

The river portrait was my homage to Nature before Mankind, or man–unkind as the case may be (environmentally speaking). The ruins of the post–industrial Homestead form the backdrop behind the muse holding up a vision of the past: a great river, alive and giving, as opposed to this tool for industry that it became. The turtle represents a speed of life we need to rekindle if we are to survive in this insanity.

The old timers in the Homestead mural are depicted almost exactly where the bench used to be that they sat on every day. They always had a kind word to say or at least a smile and a wave. When I moved in there in 1999, there was a constant energy between the jitney stands on Ann St. and Jack’s Variety. Jack’s was the REAL center of Homestead. That’s where you could find out what was really happening.

The tiles were donated by PennDot. I did all that tile work on the Homestead Mural with the much–needed help of a couple of friends and the Homestead Arts Council without which this project would not exist.

This panel depicts a dark time in the history of the area. The events that took place at the Homestead Steel mill in 1892 marked one of the bloodiest, most violent times in American labor history. Andrew Carnegie and Henry Clay Frick were determined to bust the union. In the confrontation that ensued the Pinkerton guards brought in by Frick tried to surrender not once, but four times. It required 8,500 state militia men to restore control over Homestead. The community remained under martial law for five long months.

Summary:

Artist(s): Ian Green
Address: Ann St and 8th Ave
City: Homestead
Zip Code: 15120

PghMurals@gmail.com
Twitter: @PghMurals

It's Your Turn by Ian Green, Lauren Hinish

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On the bottom of this mural the artists have provided a bit of explaination. They state that it is a community mural that

"... encorporates the artists’s work with drawings donated from members of Community Life & Young Life."

For anyone that has difficulty reading the painted words in that photo, here’s the text:

"The drum circle is the embodiment of community empowerment. It's a place where life's gifts are given freely and money has no power over people. The spectrum of human awareness is vast; each of us with our own unique colors and intensities. The circle brings these differences together and forges a new understanding of the world. The drum is symbolic of your purpose in life. You can play it anyway you want. There is a place in the circle for you... Its your turn."

Summary:

Artist(s): Ian Green, Lauren Hinish
Address: West St and E.15th Ave
City: Homestead
Zip Code: 15120

PghMurals@gmail.com
Twitter: @PghMurals

Anti Drug Mural by John Nichols

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This is one of the oldest murals that we've come across. The condition is very poor and it was difficult to make out what the images were, but we were curious. As we stood there staring at it trying to make out the three figures and what it might have been, a local women came out of the building that it's on and started to talk to us about it. She remembered it from when she was a child. Although she didn't know who had painted it, she knew that it had been there for a very long time and she thought it had something to do with Elegba, a deity of the Yoruba religion. We thought that was fascinating and attempted to find out more.

We kept searching for some information on the mural and eventually came across an article in the Post Gazette archives from the Sunday Magazine, 6 Oct 1985. In it writer Jim Davidson said that this mural had been painted in 1971 by artist John Nichols. It was commissioned by Ile Elegba - which was a residential drug and alcohol program that occupied that building. He went on to describe the mural and said that the two realistic figures and the shadowy blue figure represented life with and without drugs, and if you look closely you can see a syringe. We couldn't make out the syringe any longer, but the description helped us visualize it.

After a lot more research, we finally managed to find an image of the mural when it was still in good condition. It's a black and white photo taken by renowned photographer Charles Teenie Harris, from the Carnegie Museum of Art’s Collection. The museum has graciously allowed us to include a copy of that photograph here.

Charles "Teenie" Harris
American, 1908–1998
Mural painted on the side of brick building of Ile Elegba (House of the Crossroads) Drug Treatment Center, another version, c. 1930-1970
black and white: Kodak Safety Film
H: 2 1/4 in. x W: 3 1/4 in. (5.71 x 8.26 cm)
Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh: Heinz Family Fund, 2001.35.4661
©2004 Carnegie Museum of Art, CharlesTeenie Harris Archive

Summary:

Artist(s): John Nichols
Address: 2012 Centre Ave at Covel Way
City: Pittsburgh (Hill District)
Zip Code: 15219

PghMurals@gmail.com
Twitter: @PghMurals

New Granada Theater murals by George Gist

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George Gist is considered one of the top African American muralists in the country. His three panel mural on the New Granada Theater pays tribute to it’s rich history of jazz.

This once beautiful, lively, keystone to the hill district has certainly seen better days. No one is willing to give up on it yet though. It seems as though any dream of rejuvenating the Hill District will center on the rebirth of the New Granada Theater. To that end, the Hill Community Delvelopment Corporation (who owns the building) is working toward something good here. They have a program to use art (both visual and theater arts) to help pull the community into a process to make change happen. Mr Gist was brought in to help with murals and more.

Jazz Greats by Kyle Holbrook, Chris Savido, Ashley Hodder

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Chris Savido designed this mural to show what you might have seen when you peaked through the keyhole into the New Granada Theater. The New Granada Theater was once a thriving center of Jazz in this country. Everybody who was anybody in Jazz performed here. All the greats like Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Lena Horne and countless others frequented this theater and it's Savoy Ballroom.

With Ashley Hodder's help, Chris created the crowd watching the show using many local celebraties in the front row. They include August Wilson, a local baseball player from the Homestead Greys, and other local figures past and present.

The New Granada Theater has seen better days. It was once the most important building on Centre Ave and it was designed by the first known African-American architect in Pittsburgh – Louis Arnet Stuart Bellinger. If you go to see this mural it's just east of the theater. There are plans underway to restore this building and once again make it a center of activity in the Hill District neighborhood. The mural of Jazz Greats is a great reminder of what it once was and might be again.
Summary:
Artist(s): Chris Savido, Ashley Hodder
Address: 2037 Center Ave
City: Pittsburgh (Hill District)
Zip Code: 15219
Organization:
PghMurals@gmail.com
Twitter: @PghMurals

Listening Through Time by Chris St Pierre

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We got this information on Listening Through Time from Curt Gettman at the Sprout Fund.

Reaching into the Hill District’s rich past and lighting the way to the future, this lively mural depicts a saxophonist symbolically filling Centre Avenue with the energy of Jazz. The Hill Community Development Corporation, the House of the Crossroads, Freedom Unlimited Inc., and the office of then City Councilman Sala Udin collaborated with artist Chris St. Pierre to develop this idea, which draws on the Hill District’s history as home to a vibrant, world–class Jazz scene during the mid–20th Century. Legends Lena Horne and George Benson have roots in the Hill District, and drummer Art Blakey’s family still reside there today. These luminaries lend their spirit and energy to the mural, radiating a sense of hope and promise for the future while connecting to and commemorating the past.

Summary:

Artist(s): Chris St Pierre
Address: 2201 Wylie Ave
City: Pittsburgh (Hill District)
Zip Code: 15219
Organization:

PghMurals@gmail.com
Twitter: @PghMurals

Animal Adventure Mural by Laura Jean McLaughlin and Bob Ziller

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This mural is done on a jersey barrier along One Wild Place – the roadway that enters Highland Park from the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium. Designed by Laura Jean McLaughlin and Bob Ziller, the various animals travel past local landmarks on the concrete wall. Their original design had to be modified when zoo officials requested that none of the endangered or extinct animals be anthropomorphized. They were OK with the attributes on non–threatened species though, so you'll still see some whimsical touches.

Another of Citipark’s programs, the Roving Art Cart, brought kids together with the artists to glue the tiles in place on pre–cut shapes. Artist Bob Ziller told us that they worked with over 1,000 kids on this mosaic! He said it truly is a public art project!

Some close ups working from left to right along the wall:

Summary:

Artist(s): Laura Jean McLaughlin, Bob Ziller
Address: One Wild Place
City: Pittsburgh (Highland Park)
Zip Code: 15206
Organization:

PghMurals@gmail.com
Twitter: @PghMurals

Highland Park mural by Marc Runco

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A city councilman commissioned this mural to draw attention to the restoration of the Highland Ave entrance to the park. It’s a straight forward image of the Highland Park Entry Garden and the stone pilars/monuments at Reservoir Dr and N. Highland Ave.

UPDATE 19 Aug 2013:
The now Senator Ferlo contacted us this morning, letting us know that this image was taken from a turn of the century (circa 1900) post card that he has. This mural was one of two that he collaborated with artist Marc Runco on. The other is a Tribute to Veterans in Bloomfield.

Summary:

Artist(s): Marc Runco
Address: Bryant & N. St Clair
City: Pittsburgh (Highland Park)
Zip Code: 15206

PghMurals@gmail.com
Twitter: @PghMurals

Walk On Through by Gerry Tonti

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The story behind Walk on Through is provided by the Sprout Fund:

The Eliza Furnace Trail has long been a place of colorful and sometimes unwelcome graffiti. Rather than glorify or condemn the practice of graffiti writing, community group Friends of the Riverfront charged artist Gerry Tonti in 2004 with complementing the graffiti by creating a mural to show how sanctioned and community driven public art can work with the existing environment and be appreciated by those who use the trail on a regular basis. With thousands of walkers, runners, and bikers using the trail each year, Walk on Through is a visual representation of the community it serves.

We ride this trail often and the mural does a good job of blending and yet distinguishing itself. That seems contradictory, but maybe it’s the way the mural is done without a solid background defining it’s borders that helps it to accomplish those goals.

Summary:

Artist(s): Gerry Tonti
Address: Eliza Furnace Trail by 2nd Ave
City: Pittsburgh (Hazelwood)
Zip Code: 15207
Organization:

PghMurals@gmail.com
Twitter: @PghMurals

A Tribute to Herbert Douglas by Heather White

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Herbert Douglas is an Olympic bronze medalist in the 1948 summer games in London. With a long jump of 24 feet, 9 inches, he secured his place in history. Before going to the Olympic games, Mr Douglas won plenty of city and state championships in track and field. He also attended Pitt – becomming one of the first two African Americans on their football team.

This Hazelwood native went on to a business career where he excelled. One of the first African Americans to make vice president in a large, national company, he became a mentor to many.

The mural done in his honor is best viewed from across the street. From up close the dotted pattern is difficult to discern, but as you step back you can see the images emerge from the background.

Update, 20 Jul 2014:
Excellent Post Gazette article on Mr Douglas.

Summary:

Artist(s): Heather White
Address: 5001 2nd Ave
City: Pittsburgh (Hazelwood)
Zip Code: 15207
Organization: Sprout Fund

PghMurals@gmail.com
Twitter: @PghMurals

Piece by Piece, Step by Step mural by Kip Herring

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The Sprout Fund is responsible for the creation of more than 50 top quality murals in and around the city of Pittsburgh over the past decade. Curt Gettman, the current Public Art Program Manager for the Sprout Fund, has been a fantastic help to us with compiling information and contacting artists for this project. When we weren’t able to uncover the story behind the design for this one, we contacted Curt. We had found an article in the Carnegie Library clippings file that showed an original design for this piece. We just couldn't locate any information on how it had transformed from the original, whole image to the finished mural that showed large sections missing. Curt gave us the missing pieces to the story (so to speak).

We want a vision of the future rather than a reflection of the past, said the collective voice of the Hazelwood community. And Kip Herring responded with creating Piece by Piece, Step by Step–a great example of a collaborative success between artist and community. The artist was able to give the Hazelwood community exactly what they asked for while working it out in his own distinct style. Herring employs the ancient technique of trompe l’oeil, a French phrase that translates as trick the eye, to create a crumbling wall effect to suggest a new Hazelwood bursting out of the facade of the building. Combining direct references to Hazelwood, symbolic representation of hope and dreams, and artistic flourish, Herring explains, The circular design within the piece is a symbol which represents renewal or rebirth. The three segments represent the three elements air, water and earth, all part of the continual cycle of renewal.

The original design:


Photo provided by the Sprout Fund.

Photo taken as the mural was started:


Photo provided by the Sprout Fund.

The finished mural:


Photo provided by the Sprout Fund.

Summary:

Artist(s): Kip Herring
Address: 5041 Second Ave
City: Pittsburgh (Hazelwood)
Zip Code: 15207
Organization: Sprout Fund

PghMurals@gmail.com
Twitter: @PghMurals

Our Time by Ian Thomas

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This bright, colorful mural represents the blue–colar, working class history of Greenfield. It wasn’t that long ago when the workers left each morning carrying a lunch box. Even if we never had a job like that, most of us can remember our father or uncle or some other relative with that familiar symbol of the middle class laborer.

Ian Thomas outlined this mural and added numbers for the appropriate colors to be filled in. Then local kids were invited to help with the giant paint–by–numbers project. True community participation and some great memories for those kids.

Summary:

Artist(s): Ian Thomas
Address: 563 Greenfield Ave
City:Pittsburgh (Greenfield)
Zip Code:15207
Organization: Sprout Fund

PghMurals@gmail.com
Twitter: @PghMurals

Greenfield Connected by Will Schlough

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Connect Greenfield is the community organization that applied to have a Sprout Fund mural in thier neighborhood. They worked hard to make sure that as many people in the community as possible had some input into selecting the design, and they ended up with over 300 residents voting on it.

This mural with the M. C. Esher influence captured exactly how the residents feel about Greenfield. It gives the viewer the impression of a close knit, interwoven community . Remember the name of the organization that started this is Connect Greenfield. No surprise that Greenfield Connected fit with this neighborhood so well.

We found an entry from the artist’s Blog, written when he was working on this mural.

"The mural depicts porches and facades from the neighborhood fitting together like a puzzle, connected by stairs with no definitive up or down."

He also mentions that his goal was to heighten the sense of pride and community for Greenfield.

Summary:

Artist(s): Will Schlough
Address: 4301 Murray Avenue
City: Pittsburgh (Greenfield)
Zip Code: 15217
Organization: Sprout Fund

PghMurals@gmail.com
Twitter: @PghMurals

The Garfield Gator

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I don't know that The Garfield Gator is actually the title of this mural, but that’s what it is. It’s a representation of the local youth football team mascot. We love this mural! According to some locals, it’s rogue artist created it along a street in the Garfield neighborhood without the city's permission. When the powers that be discovered it they didn’t know what to do about it. Initially they were considering painting over it. After discussing it with the developers working nearby (on what appears to be a large redevelopement project) they were asked to leave it be. Apparently the developer likes it as much as we do.

So we can’t give credit to this very talented artist by name, but if s/he’s reading this s/he knows that we admire his/her work. If you’d like to see this mural it’s located along N. Pacific Ave at Kincaid St in Garfield. You're going to have to do some climbing to find this one, but we thought it was worth the effort. From Penn Ave at N. Evaline St it’s about 2/10 of a mile walk. Go north on N. Evaline and right on Kincaid St. and you can’t miss it. It extends all along a retaining wall on a set of concrete steps. Very cool mural and a neighborhood favorite.

UPDATE May 2014
We rode up to check on the mural and found it still in perfect condition. This time we tried a panoramic shot to see if we could get a better photo of this extrordinary mural. It still doesn’t do it justice.

Summary:

Artist(s): Name withheld by request
Address: Kincaid St and Pacific Ave
City: Pittsburgh (Garfield)
Zip Code: 15224

PghMurals@gmail.com
Twitter: @PghMurals

Collage by Shepard Fairey

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In 2009 Shepard Fairey had an exhibit at the Andy Warhol Museum on the North Side. Known originally for being a street artist, he posted artwork all around the city prior to the opening of the show. This was one of them. These wheat-paste pieces were never meant to last forever and many of them are in very poor condition now.

Mary Thomas of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writes about the art show and the artist here, explaining some of these images and influences.

On this collage, far left is a repeated pattern of "Obey Eye". The female figure is a cropped version of "Commanda", and the repeat pattern on the far right is "Peace Ornament". Interesting that the mural on the office of the Sprout Fund is not a Sprout Fund mural.

Summary:

Artist(s): Shepard Fairey
Address: 5423 Penn Ave
City: Pittsburgh (Garfield)
Zip Code: 15206

PghMurals@gmail.com
Twitter: @PghMurals

Spak Bros Mural by Keith Knight

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Part of this mural is a homage to the neighborhood and to local graffiti artists past and present. We spoke with some customers of the pizza shop and they directed us toward some very good graffiti under the Bloomfield Bridge, which appears to be the bridge in the mural. The other part of this seems to be a memorial. We don’t know Showtime’s story, but a friend or friends left him a tribute here.

And on the reverse side of the same building: "Welcome to the Phuture"

Summary:

Artist(s): Keith Knight
Address: 5107 Penn Avenue
City: Pittsburgh (Garfield)
Zip Code: 15224

PghMurals@gmail.com
Twitter: @PghMurals