“The Two Andys” (2005)

Tom Mosser and Sarah Zeffiro bring humor to the city’s revitalization by portraying Andrew Carnegie and Andy Warhol receiving a makeover at a Downtown salon above Strawberry Way & Smithfield Street.

“The Two Andys” (2005)

Tom Mosser & Sarah Zeffiro, 2005 Community Murals mural

The Two Andys brings a bit of humor to the aesthetic public walkway of Strawberry Way in downtown Pittsburgh. Artists Tom Mosser and Sarah Zeffiro collaborated with the downtown community group to come up with a design that conveyed a sense of reinvention and revitalization with regard to the area. The two Andys depicted here are Andrew Carnegie, a well-known Captain of Industry who made and gave away much of his steel fortune here in Pittsburgh, and native Pittsburgher Andy Warhol, a world famous artist and leader of the pop art movement in the 1960s. Both were incredibly influential men, and their legacies live on in Pittsburgh. Conveying the city’s continuing efforts of revitalization, Mosser and Zeffiro’s mural portrays these two prominent men of Pittsburgh receiving a makeover at the salon. As with many of Sprout’s Public Art murals, this piece brings together Pittsburgh’s past and recasts it as a new vision for the future. Along with the revitalization theme, the mural is filled with hidden symbols and allusions to other Pittsburgh icons. August Wilson was a famous African American Pittsburgh playwright whose play Fences adorns the front cover of the magazine held by Andy Warhol. On the back of the magazine is a woman’s profile, superimposed where the three rivers of Pittsburgh come together, which honors the women of the region. A once dilapidated brick wall above a hot dog shop is now a symbol of pride and renaissance. Recently, the mural has become a part of Pittsburgh’s history in yet another way: representing the city as the cover of University of Pittsburgh architecture professor Franklin Toker’s book, Pittsburgh: A New Portrait.

“Yesterday’s Tomorrow” (2006)

Brian Holderman captures the excitement of Downtown and reflects the busy, frenzied scenes of the Cultural District at 7th & Liberty Avenues.

“Yesterday’s Tomorrow” (2006)

Brian Holderman, 2006 Community Murals mural

One of Sprout Public Art’s signature pieces, Yesterday’s Tomorrow by Brain Holderman, adorns the side of the Smithfield-Liberty Pittsburgh Parking Authority garage in Downtown Pittsburgh. The Sprout Fund funded and facilitated the creation of this striking piece, which has not only added to efforts of the Downtown community to revitalize this sector of the city, but become in a city landmark in itself. Holderman, a progressive artist and graphic designer, developed a design that captures the excitement of Downtown and reflects the busy, frenzied scenes of the Cultural District. In subject matter, attitude, and location, Yesterday’s Tomorrow is an example of how recent additions from the burgeoning local art scene are affecting the landscape of the Cultural District. The rich colors, unique composition, and sheer scale of this mural make it a landmark for Pittsburgh and a symbol of its reinvention as a city. Painted around the corner from 2005’s The Two Andys, by Tom Mosser and Sarah Zeffiro, Yesterday’s Tomorrow is the second Downtown mural created through the Sprout Public Art program.

“Listening Through Time” (2003)

Chris St. Pierre reaches into the Hill District’s rich past at 2201 Wylie Avenue and lights the way to the future with a saxophonist symbolically filling Centre Avenue with the energy of Jazz.

“Listening Through Time” (2003)

Chris St. Pierre, 2003 Community Murals mural

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.

“Urban Paradise” (2006)

Gregg Valley creates a sense of hope and renewal within a harsh urban environment at 1410 Fifth Avenue in Uptown.

“Urban Paradise” (2006)

Gregg Valley, 2006 Community Murals mural

Urban Paradise was created by Gregg Valley at Myriam’s in the Uptown community of Pittsburgh, a transitional housing refuge for women. Myriam’s and the community of Uptown asked for the mural to depict a bright, hopeful scene; something comforting for the clients and staff of Miryam’s that would also create a virtual oasis amidst a heavily blighted urban area. Valley proposed this stylized forest landscape design, which seemed to capture the visions of the community. This mural offers a sense of escape and renewal, hope and faith in the city, and a new way of “greening” within the harsh urban environment. Keeping with the tone he set with his 2005 mural in Carnegie, Valley succeeds in channeling the community’s vision of rebirth, health and vitality into a monumental work of art.

“Open Heaven Open Sky” (2010)

Gabe Felice echoes Uptown’s vibrant positive transformation through lively, abstract imagery at 2106 Forbes Avenue that appeals to nearby highway motorists and urban gardeners alike.

“Open Heaven Open Sky” (2010)

Gabe Felice, 2010 Community Murals mural

Uptown is a neighborhood currently undergoing a positive transformation, and one of the forces behind this change is the neighborhood’s small but vibrant arts community. With a sophisticated taste in art, members of the Uptown community were open to the idea of abstract and non-literal representation. The personal work of artist Gabe Felice particularly resonated with the community. Gabe’s energetic use of color and unique layering process were ones that the people of Uptown admired and thought would be a lively work of public art for an audience heavily comprised of highway motorists quickly passing by. Since Gabe starting painting, a community garden has also sprung up in the immediate vicinity of the wall, adding to the overall impact of the project.

“Welcome to the Strip” (2004)

Sandy Kessler Kaminski incorporates the Strip District dual identities as a food destination and the city’s center of club nightlife at 1627 Penn Avenue.

“Welcome to the Strip” (2004)

Sandy Kessler Kaminski, 2004 Community Murals mural

Every Pittsburgher knows the Strip District as the home of fresh foods from around the world- open air markets, wholesale import outlets, and the many restaurants and taverns that make this community a popular site for daytime and weekend shoppers. The Strip has another side to its personality: As the center of Pittsburgh’s club nightlife. Sandy Kessler Kaminski represents both sides of the coin in her piece Welcome to the Strip. This mural incorporates both of these faces as well as the district’s distinctive features like the impressive Pegasus sculptures that adorn the 16th Street Bridge. Painted some 10 stories above the street, this is the highest placed mural in the Sprout Public Art Program. Welcome to the Strip acts as a landmark for The Strip District that can be seen from the expressways and areas quite a distance away. This mural also serves as a gateway to Pittsburgh’s 16:62 Design Zone that begins at the 16th Street Bridge, the site of this mural. The Design Zone stretches from the 16th Street Bridge to the 62nd Street Bridge in Upper Lawrenceville, and is home to more than 100 shops, galleries, studios, and professional service firms–a fitting home for public art.

“Celestial Weaving Girl” (2006)

Lucas Stock celebrates womanhood with a scene of vibrant, unbridled vitality, with life literally following in the path laid by this new mother on the side of the Midwife Center at 2825 Penn Avenue in the Strip District.

“Celestial Weaving Girl” (2006)

Lucas Stock, 2006 Community Murals mural

Celestial Weaving Girl adorns a prominent wall of the Midwife Center for Birth and Women’s Health—a comfortable and safe place to welcome new life, which has delivered nearly 3,000 babies since first opening its doors in 1982. It is the only independent birth center in Southwestern Pennsylvania and plays a prominent role in the lives of many local women. The community wanted to focus on the Midwife Center’s commitment to women’s health, as well as the vitality and diversity of the Strip District. Lucas Stock’s mural celebrates womanhood with a scene of vibrant, unbridled vitality, with life literally following in the path laid by this new mother. The mother figure is derived from the Mayan legend of the “Celestial Weaving Mother” who was supposed to have given birth to the forebears of the human race. Behind the figure of the Celestial Weaving Girl is a stylized vision of Pittsburgh seen as a land ripe with fertility and rich with natural magnificence. The mural reflects the variety of women the Midwife Center has served, with the open-armed eternal mother in the center welcoming all visitors to the community.

“The Strip Mural” (2010)

Carley Parrish and Shannon Pultz capture the energy and history of one of Pittsburgh’s oldest, most vibrant neighborhoods at 1907 Penn Avenue in the Strip District.

“The Strip Mural” (2010)

Carley Parrish & Shannon Pultz, 2010 Community Murals mural

Neighbors in the Strip, a community group that Sprout has often partnered with in the past, brought an enormous wall centrally located in the heart of the Strip’s business shopping district to the Public Art Program’s 2010 season. The design prepared by artists Carley Parrish and Shannon Pultz pays homage to artist Romare Bearden’s collage style, and captures the energy, history, and vitality of one of Pittsburgh’s oldest, most classic neighborhoods. The viewer can almost hear the sounds and smell the smells of the Strip on a Saturday morning when looking at this image. A number of the Strip District’s recognizable figures also appear in the mural, including Joe Hermanowski, owner of the wall and a popular retailer of Pittsburgh merchandise—including the iconic Terrible Towel—and Jules Troiani, a well-known Strip District entrepreneur.

“Fabric of the Community” (2004)

Jackie Kresak symbolizes the Penn-Main Corridor of Lawrenceville as a work in progress bound together as a community at 4202 Penn Avenue near Children’s Hospital.

“Fabric of the Community” (2004)

Jackie Kresak, 2004 Community Murals mural

The Penn Main Business Association approached the Sprout Fund seeking a mural that would give their community a sense of identity. This area, known as the Penn Main Corridor, has struggled to distinguish itself as a unique community amidst a constant change coming from every direction. The site of the new main branch of UPMC’s Children’s hospital, only minutes from the Strip, and a stone’s throw between Bloomfield and Central Lawrenceville, Penn Main is caught between many distinct neighborhoods. Artist Jackie Kresak’s design of an unfinished quilt seemed perfectly suited to the neighborhood. Inspired by a quilt that her mother started but never had the chance to finish, the mural depicts Kresak’s hands picking up where her mother left off. Aptly symbolizing the Penn Main Corridor being bound together as a community, yet still being a work in progress, Kresak comments that “sewing a quilt is like bringing together the different kinds of people and uniting them into one whole blanket or community. The purple folded b lock with the pin in it represents that it, like a community, is still under construction and changing for the better.” The promise of the mural is that, like quilting, the growth of a community identity can take new directions and form new patterns out of the many pieces of itself.

“Squirrel Convergence” (2006)

Mary Tremonte combines swirling squirrels with whimsical postage stamps depicting Lawrenceville’s most recognizable features at 3816 Butler Street.

“Squirrel Convergence” (2006)

Mary Tremonte, 2006 Community Murals mural

Large, swirling, iconic squirrels—the signature element of artist Mary Tremonte’s work—can be easily recognized in Squirrel Convergence, which adorns the side of a building that houses Elements and Julep, two locally owned boutiques. Amidst the swirling squirrels, Tremonte incorporates numerous postal stamps, each depicting a recognizable feature of Lawrenceville, including landmarks and other natural elements of the area. The postal stamps not only serve as an aesthetic addition to the lively composition, but also as a commemoration to the fact that the Lawrenceville zip-code was the first in Pittsburgh! This mural is part of a community initiative to beautify the Lawrenceville area by infusing the neighborhood with public art. Located down the street from Sprout’s 2004 mural, Wheeling Heliocentric Orrery, these Sprout funded murals join a concentration of other public murals, memorials, galleries, and a supportive art community.

“Thoughts on a Blue Sky” (2009)

John Pena invites the viewer into the composition, making the thought balloons in the mural at 3613 Penn Avenue in Lawrenceville become the thoughts of the viewer.

“Thoughts on a Blue Sky” (2009)

John Pena & Brian Brown, 2009 Community Murals mural

The Lawrenceville Public Art Committee was an interesting group for Sprout Public Art to work with, in that the many artists and studios located in the neighborhood generated a great deal of community energy around art. With this project, they hoped to find their footing as a group and take on other local art initiatives. Artist John Pena’s design concept for this project invites the viewer into the composition—his hope being that people will stand in front of their mural to have their portraits taken. The thought balloons in the mural will become the thoughts of the person posing for the portrait, and as these balloons gradually turn into clouds, the mural merges with the actual sky behind it. Through this process, the person’s ideas can become a part of the sky itself. Pena intended the “Fig. 1.3.” text to mean whatever the viewer wants it to mean, giving his audience freedom of interpretation. Now, an unintended surprise of this project is that there are often cars parked in the vicinity of the mural. This makes it look as if the cars themselves are thinking, and opens up an entirely new world of possibility for viewers!

“Tuesday’s Heroic Paragon” (2003)

Kevinn Fung depicts the essence of everyday heroism at 4809 Penn Avenue with an image that celebrates the life of Garfield resident Sidney Barlow, who was shot and killed as he tried to stop an incident of gun violence.

“Tuesday’s Heroic Paragon” (2003)

Kevinn Fung, 2003 Community Murals mural

Despite the colorful and rather dramatic nature of Tuesday’s Heroic Paragon, its subject matter is taken from a very serious moment in Garfield’s recent history. The mural relates to the story of Sidney Barlow, a resident from the Garfield neighborhood. A young man with a wife and five children, Barlow tried to stop an incident of gun violence that arose at the neighborhood’s annual “Turkey Bowl” football game, but was shot and killed. Among Garfield residents, he is an inspiration and a hero, and they wished to pay tribute with this mural. Torn over depicting a violent incident in a public space, the artist and community decided to convey the essence of Barlow’s heroics rather than the tragedy itself; in the mural, an every-day hero is stepping out between a child and an on-coming bus. Sidney Barlow is there in spirit, standing on the sidewalk, a paragon of heroism. Kevinn Fung’s mural preserves this inspirational figure for the future.

“Bridging the Generations of Bloomfield” (2007)

Monika McAndrew showcases old and new residents of Bloomfield, Pittsburgh’s “Little Italy,” on the side of an iconic neighborhood drug store at 4727 Liberty Avenue.

“Bridging the Generations of Bloomfield” (2007)

Monika McAndrew, 2007 Community Murals mural

In the Bloomfield community—known famously throughout the city as “Pittsburgh’s Little Italy,”—there’s a lot to celebrate: a thriving business district with Italian-themed shops and restaurants, a rich multicultural history, and the “Little Italy Days” street fair that began in 2002 and draws an approximate 20,000 attendees annually. Artist Monika McAndrew festively combines all of these elements in her Bloomfield mural by depicting a parade from the community’s past to present. The background consists of a true-to-life streetscape, complete with the area’s most iconic piece of architecture, the Bloomfield Bridge. George Washington and his men bring up the rear of the parade, harkening back to the area’s Revolutionary War era roots, when Washington provided its namesake by describing it as a “field of many blooms.” Next to take up the path are pairs of traditionally clothed German and Italian [or Polish?] immigrants, representing the waves of different ethnicities settling in the area. Finally, a present-day grandfather and granddaughter lead the parade and suggest the community’s multi-generational appeal today. The entire scene is framed by the outstretched hands of a romantic couple fit for classic Italian cinema, warmed by the glow of the sunset color palette chosen by McAndrew. Whatever brings you to the area next—be it a romantic dinner date, an ethnic festival, or a mid-day errand—make sure to include viewing this mural in your next Bloomfield experience!

“Good Morning” (2009)

Jeff Shreckengost invites visitors to 1748 Chislett Street to peek at the hidden treasures of small-but-vibrant Morningside.

“Good Morning” (2009)

Jeff Shreckengost, 2009 Community Murals mural

Jeff Shreckengost’s Good Morning celebrates Morningside, a special neighborhood in that it is mostly residential, and can almost be considered a “hidden” part of the city. Although there is very little that draws in people who don’t already live there, Morningside has a small but vibrant business district. It was the Morningside Area Community Council’s best hope that a mural would help draw attention to their restaurant, coffee shop, and other various other businesses. Because the mural wall is located in close proximity to a park where children in the neighborhood frequently play baseball, the community knew that they wanted the mural to be fun, and something that young people would be entertained by. Artist Jeffrey Shreckengost found the number of garden gnomes throughout the neighborhood amusing, and decided to incorporate them as a playful element in his design. In the composition, the neighborhood is contained within a window that the gnomes fly by on birds, meant to suggest how Morningside is a bit of a hidden treasure that the people of Pittsburgh can peek in on.

“Lend Me Your Ears” (2004)

Jordan Monahan incorporates the attitude and identity of the East Liberty neighborhood into an engaging piece of public art at the corner of Penn Avenue and Beatty Street.

“Lend Me Your Ears” (2004)

Jordan Monahan, 2004 Community Murals mural

Covering 8,500 square feet, Lend Me Your Ears is the Sprout Fund’s largest mural to date—in fact, it is larger than the square footage of all seven murals from the first year combined! The original design only included the side facing Penn Avenue, but when the community group learned that an adjacent building was to be torn down and that the mural would become the new gateway for the community, they raised the funds to extend the mural, covering both sides of the building. In addition to a massive canvas, artist Jordan Monahan, age 19 at the time, was given great freedom in designing the mural.
With some direction from the community group, Monahan chose a small number of highly spirited images to create a striking and vibrant gateway for East Liberty. The children depicted are from the community, and segments of the old marquee signs from the Enright and Regent theaters can be seen where the two walls come together. Rather than utilizing the traditional dove image, Monahan used pigeons as a symbol of peace because of the plethora of pigeons coasting through the sky over East Liberty. The diversity of the community is expressed through the many colors of the television test pattern running through the mural. By limiting explicit references and letting the images do the work, Monahan created a graphic landmark for East Liberty, incorporating the attitude and identity of this neighborhood into an engaging piece of public art.

“Worm’s Eye View” (2005)

Kate Bechak uses subtle wit and charm to reflect East Liberty’s artistic and cultural rhythms at 5880 Centre Avenue.

“Worm’s Eye View” (2005)

Kate Bechak, 2005 Community Murals mural

For the inspiration of this mural, artist Kate Bechak only had to look a few blocks away to another Sprout Fund East Liberty mural. Cleverly corresponding and re-casting many of the features of the much more visible and bombastic Lend Me Your Ears, Bechak’s mural relies on subtle wit and charm to make this street-level scene the perfect contextual complement for East Liberty’s artistic and cultural rhythms. Consistent with the graphic sensibilities in Lend Me Your Ears, Worm’s Eye View uses suggestive imagery rather than direct symbols to convey a vision of the neighborhood. Featuring a “blinged out” pigeon with a toe ring and necklace and a portrait of Pittsburgher and legendary composer Billy Strayhorn as the logo on a sneaker, Worm’s Eye View, like its title suggests, picks up the details that the rest of us might miss.

“Season of Hope” (2005)

James Maszle celebrates the history and pride of Homewood/Brushton in the heart of the neighborhood at 7340 Frankstown Avenue. This massive wall features symbols like the tree of life plus realistic images of local faces and places.

“Season of Hope” (2005)

James Maszle, 2005 Community Murals mural

“This massive wall measures over 200 feet in length, larger than anything I have ever attempted—it was an artistic and physical test,” says artist James Maszle of Season of Hope, one of the larger Sprout murals. The location of the wall–on ground level in the heart of the Homewood neighborhood– greatly adds to the power and presence of this mural. Images from history, like portraits of young and elderly Homewood citizens, symbols such as the tree of life, and the façade of local Westinghouse High School, now adorn this very important local landmark. Called the Meadows Bowling Center, this facility is the current resting place of the first bowling alley open to African Americans in Pittsburgh. Ted Page, of the Homestead Grays baseball team, opened the bowling alley in the city’s Hill District. It then moved to East Liberty before finally coming to Homewood, where it now proudly resides. The citizens of Homewood never forgot this building’s importance, and use it now as much as a community center as a thriving bowling alley. The community group believed the mural to be an important addition to the neighborhood; “as essential as a park or new housing,” agrees Maszle.

“Interpretations of Oakland” (2006)

Jon Laidacker composes pictures within pictures to depict Pittsburgh’s own Fred Rogers and the multifaceted history of Oakland above 3609 Forbes Avenue.

“Interpretations of Oakland” (2006)

Jonathan Laidacker, 2006 Community Murals mural

Artist Jon Laidacker composes pictures within pictures in Interpretations of Oakland, located at the heart of the Oakland community on Forbes Avenue. The first layer of this piece is a depiction of the Strand Building, the very site of the mural as it would have been seen in the 1930s. Superimposed on this black and white image are the portraits of two of Oakland’s key historical figures: Fred Rogers and Mary Schenley.
The prominent image of Fred Rogers, better known to the world as Mister Rogers, occupies the center right portion of the mural. From 1968 to 2001, Mister Rogers broadcast his legendary children’s television program from PBS station WQED located on Fifth Avenue in Oakland, only a short distance from the mural. In 1889, Schenley bequeathed a large portion of her family estate overlooking central Oakland to the City of Pittsburgh; it is known today as Schenley Park. Finally, a collection of snapshots give us a view of contemporary Oakland and its varied residents and attractions. From the businesses lining Forbes Avenue to the Carnegie Museums, the universities and the restaurants—Oakland has it all, and it’s all here in the mural.

“Urban Flora” (2007)

Katherine Young assembles autumn-hued birds, bare trees, and elegant flora along Shadyside’s main drag at 5442 Walnut Street.

“Urban Flora” (2007)

Katherine Young, 2007 Community Murals mural

Shadyside community members have a tendency to flock to long-standing neighborhood establishment Doc’s Place, the home of Urban Flora. In the mural, autumn-hued birdlife gathers and repopulates an otherwise bare tree. Young conceived this idea as the inverse of leaves dying and falling to the ground, with the birds congregating in the tree just as those who live, work, and shop in Shadyside gather in the area’s Walnut Street shopping district. These people wanted a mural with stylish sophistication to complement their surroundings, and immediately fell in love with Young’s elegant design. She used stencils to create an elegant Damask pattern on the upper-portion of the wall, while sketching the trees and flora along the bottom by hand in chalk. She also incorporated exposed brick into those segments, allowing the wall’s color to become a part of the mural—a first for Sprout Public Art.

“All in a Day” (2004)

Monique Luck and Leslie Ansley capture the variety, visibility, and strength of the Squirrel Hill neighborhood at 2345 Murray Avenue by featuring portraits of residents engaged in their daily lives.

“All in a Day” (2004)

Monique Luck & Leslie Ansley, 2004 Community Murals mural

One of the most storied and active neighborhoods in Pittsburgh, Squirrel Hill also boasts one of the most strongly defined community identities. A menagerie of local landmarks and familiar faces, “All in a Day” attempts to capture this identity in its variety, visibility and strength. In their own words, the artists wanted to “reflect the way homes and businesses seamlessly create a rich, self-contained neighborhood.”

Featuring actual Squirrel Hill Residents engaged in their daily lives, the scene also includes local landmarks like the Blue Slide Park, Taylor-Allderdice High School, the Squirrel Hill Café and the Jewish Community Center clock tower. The many community groups supporting this mural, as well as the general population of Squirrel Hill have shown great pride and satisfaction in the scene that this piece depicts.

If you visit the mural in person, take a close look at “Chevy,” the girl with the pink backpack. She is actually a sculptural relief constructed out of a 12 feet tall piece of aluminum, which is placed off of the wall with spacers to satisfy the need for water drainage through this retaining wall. A product of necessity, this act of engineering makes for a truly interesting and unique visual effect.

“Piece by Piece, Step by Step” (2005)

Kip Herring imagines Hazelwood’s vision for its future with circular elements that represent renewal and rebirth. This trompe l’oeil installation at the corner of Second Avenue and Elizabeth Street exemplifies successful collaboration between artist and community.

“Piece by Piece, Step by Step” (2005)

Kip Herring, 2005 Community Murals mural

“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 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 façade 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.”

“A Tribute to Herbert Douglas” (2006)

Heather White memorializes Hazelwood native and Olympic bronze medalist Herbert Douglas through larger-than-life newsprint at the corner of Second Avenue and Tecumseh Street.

“A Tribute to Herbert Douglas” (2006)

Heather White, 2006 Community Murals mural

Printmaker-turned-muralist Heather White’s Tribute to Herbert Douglas commemorates the Hazelwood native, who was a bronze medalist in the 1948 Olympics. Recreating the nostalgia of old newspaper clippings, White created large stencils to reproduce the look and feel of the dot-matrix printing process in a large scale painting, and transferred her stencils to the wall, allowing for a separation of the colors and a very accurate recreation of the same method used in newspapers and comic strips. The mural reads like a magnified piece of newsprint; standing farther away will cause the image to appear more cohesive and focused. Although this 2006 mural is stylistically unrelated to the 2005 Hazelwood mural on Elizabeth Street, the position of the two pieces complement each other–acting as bookends to the central Hazelwood business district. These two murals as well as other community efforts have provided a true transformation of the visual landscape for the Hazelwood community.

“Our Time” (2009)

Ian Thomas based his work at 563 Greenfield Avenue on the abstraction of a lunch pail, a symbol of labor that resonated with Greenfield residents.

“Our Time” (2009)

Ian Thomas, 2009 Community Murals mural

One of the most successful community mural projects of the 2007 was Sprout’s partnership with the Connect Greenfield! community group. Knowing the organization’s ability to mobilize the community, get a large number of people invested in a project, and participate in the process, Sprout Public Art was excited to see another application from them in 2009. Working with artist Ian Thomas, who had previously painted the 2008 mural in the Strip District, was another second for Sprout in this project. Thomas’s design is based on the abstraction of a lunch pail, a symbol of labor that resonated with Greenfield residents. For Thomas, the image was inspired by an iconic scene described to him by his grandfather: each day when his grandfather arrived home, he would place his large lunch pail on the counter, and the entire family would know that he was there.
The mural is located on the side of Hough’s, a local Greenfield business that has become a popular place to eat, drink, and watch Steelers games in the neighborhood. For both Thomas and Sprout, placing a mural in this community hub was a unique opportunity

“Birds Eye View” (2003)

Kristin Williams makes an extremely detailed rendering of Regent Square as seen from above at 1101 South Braddock Avenue. The featured birds are all are indigenous to Regent Square and Frick Park.

“Birds Eye View” (2003)

Kristin Williams, 2003 Community Murals mural

Artist Kristin Williams worked as a bird illustrator at the National Aviary in the Northside for years, and brought her discipline to this highly detailed mural. By utilizing old aerial photos of Regent Square, Kristin was able to compose a stunning preliminary mural design that won the hearts of the community. As a testament to their tight-knit spirit, community members helped in the painting of the mural, lending their expertise to assure the design would be as accurate as possible when transferred to the wall. They also helped in the painting phase by painting solid-colored portions of the mural, with Kristin adding the finishing touches. The result is an extremely detailed and very accurate rendering of Regent Square as seen from above. Even the birds, which add a depth and flourish of color to this intricate design, are accurate: all are indigenous species to Regent Square and the neighboring splendor of Frick Park. The design is so intricate, in fact, that local residents can be seen portrayed in 1/100 scale, walking their dogs, doing roof repair, and window shopping in the business district. The combination of color, detail, and community involvement make this piece a true cooperative achievement with a lasting impact.

“Trainscape: Community and Industry” (2007)

Anthony Purcell echoes Swissvale’s railroad heritage while showing the contemporary neighborhood in bright, vivid colors at 7400 Church Street.

“Trainscape: Community and Industry” (2007)

Anthony Purcell, 2007 Community Murals mural

Swissvale may be located centrally to popular Pittsburgh attractions like Kennywood Park and the Waterfront shopping district, but the community has an identity all its own: it’s not only a beautiful, residential area with many local businesses and resources, but actually has its own mayor. Artist Anthony Purcell was challenged to come up with a design that would fit a very long, low wall for his 2007 mural in the heart of this unique area. Fortunately, he discovered that one critical piece of Swissvale’s history fit this shape perfectly: a train. Famous Pittsburgh entrepreneur George Westinghouse founded railroad equipment supplier Union Switch and Signal Company in Swissvale in the late 19th century. Westinghouse’s company employed many Swissvale residents, and proved to be an important part of the community’s development. While these historic roots provide the background for the iconic engine in the mural, Purcell also used a cartoonish style and bright color palette to transition into Swissvale’s present. The pleasant, rolling hills and houses on the right side of the mural represent the community today, with its abundance of green space and picturesque homes. Purcell’s mural, too, has become a distinct part of this striking landscape.

“10,000” (2010)

Brian Holderman returns to 745 Penn Avenue, the site of his 2003 Wilkinsburg mural, with Jesse Best to reinterpret and expand the mural near a parklet into a much larger work and statement about environmental issues.

“10,000” (2010)

Jesse Best & Brian Holderman, 2010 Community Murals mural

The 2010 Sprout Public Art project in Wilkinsburg marked the first time that a community came back to Sprout and asked to expand upon a previously received mural project. After careful consideration, it was decided to contact Brian Holderman, the original artist, would reinvent his previous work in the community.

Because the wall stands adjacent to a parklet, and also because of the community’s interest in environmental issues, a design that complimented its pastoral surroundings seemed a logical choice. With this in mind, Holderman used his sophisticated sense of color to integrate the piece with its surroundings, rather than clash with the area around it.

His design depicts a forest scene in a classic, almost animated style, and his clever use foreground, middle-ground, and background draw the viewer into the scene itself.

“Children’s Alphabet Garden” (2004)

Mary Mazziotti depicts the alphabet using garden imagery at 1313 Sherman Avenue. The work was guided by input from Central Northside children and their parents who maintain an adjacent community garden.

“Children’s Alphabet Garden” (2004)

Mary Mazziotti, 2004 Community Murals mural

The collaborative Northside community group involved with this mural—comprised of young children and their parents from the Green Millenium Children’s Garden, whose mission is to maintain the garden adjacent to it—was enthusiastic, helpful, and supportive through the entire process. Each year during gardening months, neighbors bring their children over to tend the garden and learn about growing fruits and vegetables. The children worked with Mary Mazzotti to refine the mural’s preliminary design, which depicts the alphabet using garden imagery, and carefully considered each symbol. The youthful committee also did a great deal of work during the actual mural execution, helping to prepare the wall by cleaning and priming, and also pulling weeds around the area. Upon completing her first public mural, Mary commented, “As a painter used to working on a smaller scale, I wanted to take advantage of the opportunity offered by this program to see what it was like to ‘work large.’ One might say that the continued enjoyment of the children’s garden is the greatest indicator of her success.

“Birds Not Words” (2005)

Stevo Sadvary infuses the mosaic mural’s urban setting at 1300 Federal Street in the Central Northside with a sense of nature thriving in the city.

“Birds Not Words” (2005)

Stevo Sadvary, 2005 Community Murals mural

Stevo Sadvary went out on a limb with this mosaic mural—the first of its kind for Sprout Public Art—and went to the considerable lengths of designing its hundreds of pieces of stained glass himself. The jewel-like, three-dimensional quality of the piece illuminates a Northside street corner and renders the simple, common scene of birds on a wire in a beautiful and arresting way. Sadvary has said that he was compelled to create something simple, with “instant impact” that community members and visitors would have no trouble recognizing. Taking a note from the large open spaces in the Central Northside and nearby National Aviary, he chose to infuse the mural’s urban setting with a sense of nature thriving in the city. The result is a mural that packs quite a lot into a small space.

“What A View” (2007)

David and Fran Hawbaker evoke the history of the Observatory Hill neighborhood and inspire connection to the community at 4061 Perrysville Avenue.

“What A View” (2007)

David & Fran Hawbaker, 2007 Community Murals mural

David and Fran Hawkbaker’s 2007 mural in Observatory Hill can be found near local high school Perry Traditional Academy, a magnet school specializing in math and science programs. Because many of the school’s students bus in from other areas, members of local group Observatory Hill Inc. worried that this distance might prevent them from forming a close attachment to the community. When selected for a Sprout Public Art mural, they wanted to make sure that the design would appeal to these students and give them “a visual sense of pride as they board the buses each day.” The artists—both art educators by profession—chose to feature figures based on actual neighborhood kids, in order to engage them more strongly with the piece. While the young people play and talk on the right side of the mural, a figure representing an important piece of the area’s history stands to the left, depicted in a style resembling an old photograph. This is Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry, a naval hero in the War of 1812, who serves as the namesake for the school, its mascot the Commodores, and the area where it is located, Perry Hilltop. It is also interesting to note that this wall, with its many windows, might not seem like an optimal location for a mural, but the exciting design elements included cause the obstructions to disappear into the art. David and Fran have both completed other Sprout murals, including David’s 2006 East Carson Street Treasures in the South Side, and Fran’s 2008 Peace, Hope, and Charity in Marshall-Shadeland. All of these works showcase the artists’ ability to develop thoughtful designs that overcome architectural challenges and strongly engage communities.

“troy loves hill” (2009)

Carolyn Kelly captures Troy Hill’s Germanic roots using leaves and branches to represent different aspects of the area’s past at 1705 Lowrie Street.

“troy loves hill” (2009)

Carolyn Kelly, 2009 Community Murals mural

Pittsburgh’s Troy Hill is a traditionally German neighborhood with colorful history. Artist Carolyn Kelly captured these historic elements in her 2009 Sprout Public Art mural, unifying them with a tree. Each painted leaf represents a different aspect of the area’s past, ranging from the Heinz Corporation, by which Troy Hill residents have often been employed, to St. Anthony’s Church, which contains the second largest collection of relics in the world—topped only by the Vatican. An incline that no longer stands in Troy Hill is commemorated, as is Pittsburgh’s famous Penn Brewery, known for its annual German Oktoberfest celebration. Kelly also depicted “Pig Hill,” or Troy Hill’s Rialto St., which was known for pigs being led to slaughter on Washington’s Landing. Kelly’s mural puts a more positive twist on this piece of Troy Hill’s past, showing the pigs instead escaping from the hill.
In her painting process, Kelly allowed some of the signage that had existed on the wall prior the mural’s installation to remain as a design element that can be seen through the new composition. In this way, history wasn’t taken away but rather became a part of the mural: an idea wholly in tune with its greater theme.

“A Walk Through Milvale” (2003)

Sandy Kessler Kaminski portrays a memorable array of Millvale’s cultural landmarks and historic sites, including its connection to Pittsburgh via the 40th Street Bridge, at 112 Lincoln Avenue.

“A Walk Through Milvale” (2003)

Sandy Kessler Kaminski, 2003 Community Murals mural

Sandy Kessler Kaminski welcomes visitors to a quaint, amiable part of town in her mural by portraying a memorable array of cultural landmarks and amenities. The original slogan of Ester’s Hobby Shop, “Relax With a Hobby,” is there, and so is famous Attic Records, home to rare and antique vinyl as well as cutting edge independent music. Below the turntables we see a religious icon and the intricate stained-glass windows of the Croatian Orthodox Church. And of course, Millvale is home to the original Pamela’s Diner: vibrant and inviting, abstractions and excerpts of its interior decorate the right hand side of the mural. The 40th Street Bridge spans the scene, connecting it all back to Pittsburgh. Sandy went on to paint a prominent Strip District mural in 2004, and continues to be one of Pittsburgh’s many talented artists.

“A Piece of Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow” (2005)

Monica Cervone McElwain exemplifies the Southside’s past, present, and future at 2341 East Carson Street with color and movement that echo a place where there’s never a dull moment.

“A Piece of Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow” (2005)

Monica Cervone McElwain, 2005 Community Murals mural

Originally known as East Birmingham, the Southside has a storied history and is unique among Pittsburgh’s neighborhoods as being one of the most adaptable to the changing tides of time. This vitality is reflected in Monica Cervone McElwain’s colorful and energetic mural, loaded with symbols and snapshots of the Southside’s past, present, and future, including the Duquesne Incline, the Monongahela River, and historic buildings. The whole scene is rendered with movement and energy that reflects a neighborhood where there is never a dull moment. Monica worked with mosaic artist Stevo Sadvary to install the stained glass pieces which are dotted sporadically across the mural surface–all of which was donated by the Emerald Glass company, one of the last remaining glass foundries on the Southside.

“Allentown Stories” (2007)

Lucas Stock celebrates the history of Allentown at 803 East Warrington Street through recreations of photographs from the area’s past painted on a building that houses a childcare center and apartments for the elderly.

“Allentown Stories” (2007)

Lucas Stock, 2007 Community Murals mural

Members of the Allentown community chose to celebrate their storied history in this mural, taking a nostalgic glimpse at the past through recreations of actual photographs from the area’s past. For artist Lucas Stock, getting a first-hand account of Allentown’s history proved surprisingly easy: Caliguri Plaza, the building on which the mural is located, houses both the Teeter Totter Child Care Center and a high-rise for elderly tenants, and the seniors in residence jumped at the chance to get involved with the project. The influence of their ideas enabled Stock to capture memorable scenes like a late 19th century General Store, the ribbon cutting ceremony for a town trolley, and the Knoxville Incline, which previously connected Allentown with the South Side and earned fame for being the world’s only incline with a bend. Divided between two walls, the center and focus of this uniquely positioned mural serves as a colorful contrast to its outer edges, using the Brown Line light rail train, which runs between the city and Allentown, to symbolize modern life in the neighborhood. Now, the mural helps Allentown residents of all to ages embrace their community’s past, as well as the new stories created each day.

“Summer Harvest Goddess” (2008)

Carolyn Kelly references the South Side farmer’s market with a site-specific mural at 1812 East Carson Street, where the weekly market takes place.

“Summer Harvest Goddess” (2008)

Carolyn Kelly, 2008 Community Murals mural

Carolyn Kelly’s Summer Harvest Goddess exemplifies a very site specific Sprout Public Art mural, in that Kelly and the South Side Local Development Company wanted to have a mural that referenced the weekly farmer’s market that runs in the summers in the area adjacent to the wall. Carolyn chose the classic image of a woman holding a cornucopia as the mural’s central figure, showing the bountiful harvest of produce available at the farmer’s market. She also snuck in a few Pittsburgh references, like a dinosaur and a Steelers scarf, to localize the image. The mural reflects the style of Kelly’s personal illustration work, but achieving this required some inventiveness on her part. She wasn’t able to get the precise stroke that she wanted from a normal paintbrush, and decided to dip an ear of corn from the farmer’s market into her bucket of paint to create a more graceful line! Kelly’s striking color choices and signature illustrative style can also be seen in her 2009 Sprout mural in Troy Hill.

“East Carson Street Treasures” (2006)

David Hawbaker merges the Southside’s old and new identities at East Carson Street & Terminal Way and highlights how generations of PIttsburghers have called the neighborhood home.

“East Carson Street Treasures” (2006)

David Hawbaker, 2006 Community Murals mural

As with the 2005 Southside mural, East Carson Street Treasures by artist David Hawbaker highlights the many faces that the Southside has worn throughout its history. The Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation approached The Sprout Fund with a strong desire to commemorate the architecture of the Southside as well as its role as a central hub of activity to Pittsburghers of the past, present and future. Known now as a shopping destination, for everything from designer clothes to rare artifacts to playful knick-knacks, the Southside was once home to steel and glass works and the men and women who kept these industries running. Both worlds merge in this mural with young people noting the historical architecture of Carson Street and the ghost of a steel worker looking on from the far right.

“Bloom” (2007)

Gerry Tonti draws tourists and locals away from the majestic Grandview Overlook to find more beauty in the heart of Mt. Washington’s business district at 131 Shiloh Street.

“Bloom” (2007)

Gerry Tonti, 2007 Community Murals mural

While its beautiful, scenic view of the city defines Mt. Washington for most Pittsburgh residents, the area also holds local treasures that may come as a surprise to those who don’t live there. Shiloh Street is home to restaurants, shops, and a beautiful city park, but visitors to Mt. Washington rarely tread past the overlook area on Grandview Avenue. Residents of Mt. Washington saw a Sprout mural as an opportunity to not only make a beautiful contribution to their community, but also entice visitors to discover its full potential by venturing onto Shiloh Street. With this intention in mind, artist Gerry Tonti created a design with a focus on the wall’s upper-right-hand corner—the portion of the building that can be seen from Grandview Avenue—to draw viewers further into the community. For the scene itself, community members wanted a visually pleasing design that would reflect the idyllic calm of an evening spent gazing at the city skyline. The mural’s skillfully painted, delicate cherry blossoms and serene blue hues help to create this soothing feeling. Now, Mt. Washington residents and visitors alike can make a leisurely walk past this mural and onto Shiloh Street part of their relaxation routine.

“The Night Garden” (2008)

Jill Fisher and Katherine Young capture Sheraden’s visual beauty with a color theory-inspired nighttime garden scene at 634 Hillsboro Avenue.

“The Night Garden” (2008)

Jill Fisher and Katherine Young, 2008 Community Murals mural

Katherine Young and Jill Fisher’s The Night Garden explored color theory with the mural’s design, located on an office and apartment building in Sheraden. The artists carefully considered their palette, choosing cool colors to represent a nighttime garden scene. The flora motif especially resonated with Sheraden community members, who expressed interest in a design with a great amount of visual beauty. Fisher and Young’s complex design was a difficult one to pull off, but their work was ultimately rewarded with a beautiful albeit ambitious addition to the Sprout portfolio.

“Rebirth” (2005)

Gregg Valley illustrates Carnegie as a phoenix reborn from the receding waters of recent floods that devastated the community at 301 West Main Street.

“Rebirth” (2005)

Gregg Valley, 2005 Community Murals mural

Over a few seasons, several Carnegie community groups approached Sprout Public Art describing a vision of their revitalized neighborhood as the mythological “phoenix rising from its ashes”—a sentiment that was finally carried out in this mural. In 2004, a year before the mural’s advent, flooding devastated downtown Carnegie, PA. Artist Gregg Valley created Rebirth to illustrate the phoenix and community rising and being “reborn” from the receding flood waters, rather than the ashes from legend. Community landmarks, including the Carnegie Library and the Ukrainian Orthodox church, literally ride on the wings of the phoenix, rising, as it were, with the sun. Valley, an illustrator by trade, transferred his signature color-facet style to this, his first large-scale painting. Imbued with movement and energy, this piece led to Valley’s second collaboration with Sprout in the Uptown community in 2006.

“Carrick Above Us” (2008)

Phil Seth evokes Carrick’s landmarks and symbolic ties to its namesake town in Ireland at 1917 Brownsville Road.

“Carrick Above Us” (2008)

Phil Seth, 2008 Community Murals mural

Phil Seth’s Carrick Above Us brought together many community groups to help make this 2008 mural in the Carrick possible, with the Carrick Business Association, Carrick Community Council, and Carrick-Overbrook Historical Society all lending their support in applying for and helping to execute the installation of the mural. While this cross-section of local organizations felt strongly about highlighting their community’s history, they also wanted to see a modern and exciting design. Phil Seth took a surrealistic approach to Carrick’s history that community members felt perfectly merged these elements. The floating rock and tree in the design both represent actual Carrick landmarks, and have a deeper symbolism as well. The tree represents a “tree of life,” as many generations grow up and go on to raise their own families in the community. The rock has important significance, as Carrick’s namesake is a town in Ireland called “Carrig-on-Suir,” which means “rock” in Gaelic.

“America’s Home Town” (2010)

Diane Adams pays tribute at 5023 Noblestown Road to the service of local heroes and the history of Oakdale, a close-knit community of quiet beauty.

“America’s Home Town” (2010)

Diane Adams, 2010 Community Murals mural

Situated on the outskirts of the greater Pittsburgh area, Oakdale is a quaint, small, almost rural town where people know each other and share much common history. These traditions are celebrated in the Sprout 2010 mural designed by artist Diane Adams. Adams chose to focus on community celebrations and activities like parades and youth baseball, along with other historical elements from the area’s past. A fireman figure stands amongst the scene, paying tribute to the service of local heroes. Two oak trees, the iconic symbol of the community, frame the composition and tie of these elements together. The mural highlights the close-knit community and quiet beauty—complete with white picket fences—that make Oakdale residents think of their neighborhood as “America’s hometown.”