Funded Projects from 2008

15th Street Playground Shelter
$5,000, 2008 Community Connections project support

15th Street Playground Shelter, a project of Monaca Borough and utilizing the skills of students from the Beaver County Area Vocational Technical School, the Recreation Board installed an attractive shelter at the playground to serve as a gathering space that provides shade in the summer and protection for inclement weather year round.

Acoustic Avenues and Pixel Perfect Teen Programming
$5,000 » Butler County Family YMCA, 2008 Community Connections project support

Acoustic Avenues and Pixel Perfect Teen Programming was a project of Butler County Family YMCA. The Gibson Music Program and Pixel Perfect were two new programs targeted for teens at the branches of the Butler County Family YMCA in Butler and Cranberry Township. The Gibson Music Program, sponsored by the Gibson Foundation, featured small-group, beginner guitar lessons, while Pixel Perfect focused on digital photography. Both programs promoted self-esteem, a sense of community, creative expression and prepared teenagers to become future program volunteers.

Adopt-A-Block
$5,000, 2008 Community Connections project support

Allegheny Echoes
$1,000 » Worthington West Franklin Community Library, 2008 Community Connections project support

Allegheny Echoes, a project of Worthington West Franklin Community Library in partnership with the Children’s Museum Pittsburgh, brought a program entitled “Pennsylvania History through Folk Music” to area residents. Performances at or near the Apollo Memorial Library, Ford City Public Library, Kittanning Public Library and Worthington West Franklin Community Library drew multi-generational audiences from all corners of the county to presentations exploring the multicultural and historical background of the region through hands-on and sing-along activities.

Allegheny Market House Co-op
$5,000, 2008 Community Connections project support

Allegheny Market House Co-op led its first membership drive, a necessary initial step in the establishment of a cooperative grocery for Pittsburgh’s North Side communities.

Along These Rivers
$5,000 » Poets for Humanity, 2008 Seed Award project support

Along These Rivers, a project of Poets for Humanity, was a compilation of 90 poets and photographers with ties to Pittsburgh. Published as a response to the city’s 250th anniversary, the writing and photography centered on themes about Pittsburgh.

American Red Cross Kids Club
$2,000 » The Beaver-Lawrence Chapter of the American Red Cross, 2008 Community Connections project support

American Red Cross Kids Club, a project of The Beaver-Lawrence Chapter of the American Red Cross, established a peer-to-peer discussion to promote the Red Cross Mission and how youth could become involved, including: being available for assigned tasks, such as working in times of disaster and providing services as needed; developing a working relationships with other youths and encouraging them to be part of the Red Cross Youth Club; having the ability to develop their careers by taking courses such as disaster training courses, First Aid and CPR and community preparedness course; and saving lives with the training provided and meet the needs of their community.

Apollo Memorial Library Centennial: Return to 1908
$1,500 » Apollo Memorial Library, 2008 Community Connections project support

Apollo Memorial Library Centennial: Return to 1908, a project of Apollo Memorial Library, celebrated the ordinary accomplishments of Apollo from the era of the Pennsylvania Canal to the Italian-American shopkeeper who went to New York to buy fashionable clothes for Apollo ladies to the steelworkers who made the bayonets that were used in World War I. Modern-day residents, young and old, received a rejuvenated sense of civic pride when they are reacquainted with the people of the past who built their home town.

Arcadia Theater’s 10th Anniversary Celebration and Endowment Establishment
$5,000 » Arcadia Theater, 2008 Community Connections project support

Arcadia Theater’s 10th Anniversary Celebration and Endowment Establishment, a project of Arcadia Theater, began its 10th Season with a 10th Anniversary Celebration Performance & Gala, featuring the Legendary Frankie Avalon. The Anniversary Gala was held following the performance at the Pasquerilla Conference Center. Congressman and Mrs. John Murtha were the 10th Anniversary Honorary Chairpersons, and all proceeds from this 10th Anniversary Performance and Gala was used to form an endowment to secure the future of the Historic Arcadia Theater.

Art-Repreneurship
$5,000 » Center for Creative Arts Expression, 2008 Community Connections project support

Art-Repreneurship, a project of Center for Creative Arts Expression, gave 20 young local artists in Beaver Falls an opportunity to create, display and market their creativity. Utilizing resources of the second-hand shops in the community, junior and senior high school students used recycled materials to create their masterpieces. The Center for Creative Arts Expression, under the direction of Geraldine Jackson McCorr, provided the work space for the students to transform recycled materials into sculptures, mosaics, etc. ARTrepreneurship culminated with an exhibit of all the projects at the Beaver Falls Unified Arts Festival.

Be Well! Pittsburgh
$5,000, 2008 Community Connections project support

Be Well! Pittsburgh, improved uninsured Pittsburghers’ health through education about available health care resources. The project distributed booklets and fliers on targeted health topics, gave presentations at related events, and made its resources available online.

Beaver County River-Town Community Walking
$5,000, 2008 Community Connections project support

Beaver County River-Town Community Walking encouraged each town to see itself as a member in a family of communities as each of the maps also included a smaller county map showing each town’s location to its adjacent neighbors. In doing so, the project coordinators instilled the “family of communities” idea within the minds of all the residents.

Bike Friendly Employer Program
$25,000 » Bike Pittsburgh, 2008 Root Award project support

Bike Friendly Employer Program, a project of Bike Pittsburgh, engaged Pittsburgh region employers by challenging them to work towards Bike Friendly Employer certification at both the local and national level. The Bike Friendly Employer program (BFE) provided local employers with a turnkey approach to supporting commuting by bike, while also providing Bike Pittsburgh the opportunity to earn revenue through corporate membership sales. The inaugural class of Pittsburgh’s first Bike Friendly Employers included Google, Highmark, Chatham University, Whole Foods Market, and 7 others. These BFE-certified employers were encouraged to apply for the national Bicycle Friendly Business standard established by the League of American Bicyclists, America’s longest-running cycling organization. This model of local support to cultivate nationally-certified Bicycle Friendly Businesses was unique in the U.S. at the time of support and was lauded as innovative and significant by leading bicycling advocates in New York City and Portland, OR.

Bradford’s Kitchen Reconstruction
$5,000 » The Bradford House Historical Association, 2008 Community Connections project support

Bradford’s Kitchen Reconstruction, a project of The Bradford House Historical Association, constructed a small house/kitchen in the back corner of the Bradford House Gardens, helping to reestablish a lost piece of Washington County history. This structure allowed visitors of the Bradford House to travel back 200 years to the time of David Bradford and his family and experience life in 18th Century Western Pennsylvania, sparking interest in and teaching the surrounding community of the rich heritage of Washington County.

Braxton Plays Pittsburgh Plays Braxton
$8,000, 2008 Seed Award project support

Braxton Plays Pittsburgh Plays Braxton provided opportunities for local musicians to play alongside and learn from Anthony Braxton, a highly respected, Avant-garde jazz musician. Braxton performed with CAPA Antithesis at CAPA, with his group at Manchester Craftsman’s Guild, and with other local artists at the National Aviary. A series of recordings were released on CD and LP.

Bridge to Broadway
$5,000, 2008 Community Connections project support

Bridge to Broadway revitalized the intersection linking Broadway, Pitcairn’s main street, to the Norfolk Southern Rail Yard. Features included a decorative fence, landscaping, restoration of the original cobblestone driveway, and the placement of 10 plaques erected throughout Pitcairn in places of historical significance.

Bringing the Bioneers to the Three Rivers
$10,000 » Pittsburgh Urban Ecology Collaborative, 2008 Seed Award project support

Bringing the Bioneers to the Three Rivers, a project of Pittsburgh Urban Ecology Collaborative, introduced Pittsburgh residents to the Bioneers, an organization promoting innovative solutions to environmental problems, before the group’s annual conference. The series of 11 warm-up events culminated in a Green March to create awareness about Bioneers and promote “Bringing Bioneers to the Three Rivers” in October 2009.

Butler Area School District Fine Arts and Beyond (FAB) Showcase
$5,000, 2008 Community Connections project support

Butler Area School District Fine Arts and Beyond (FAB) Showcase was a free annual cultural charity event in the Butler Area School District sponsored by the Golden Tornado Scholastic Foundation that showcased the artistic work of students and community artists who donated their time to provide live demonstrations. Student artwork and other items were auctioned to fund twenty $1,000 scholarships for graduating seniors. Student groups such as the Jazz Band and Strolling Strings provided free entertainment. The program tied generations of community artists and musicians together with the school community.

“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.

Celebrate Pittsburgh: Music Commissioning Project
$35,000 » River City Brass Band, 2008 Community Connections project support

Celebrate Pittsburgh: Music Commissioning Project, a project of River City Brass Band, commissioned seven new Pittsburgh-themed musical works from seven regional composers. The new works premiered throughout 2008 and were featured during the River City Brass Band’s performances at concert venues in eight communities in Allegheny, Beaver, Cambria, and Westmoreland counties.

“City Lung” (2008)
Ian Thomas, 2008 Community Murals mural

Ian Thomas’ City Lung was the result of the Neighbors in the Strip community group expressing strong interest in partnering with members of the Strip District’s Asian business community for a mural project. Traditionally, the Asian business owners had been a bit detached from the community as a whole, and this project provided an opportunity to build a bridge between the Asian business owners and the larger business community. For the design itself, artist Ian Thomas was inspired by a trip he took to China. The community wanted a pastoral and peaceful scene that invited the viewer in, and Thomas drew from this experience to create the beautiful landscape of City Lung. The mural’s name comes from a phrase used in China meaning the focal point and energy choice of a city—and for these community members, the Strip District truly was Pittsburgh’s city lung. The year following the installation of this popular Sprout mural, Thomas went on to paint another Sprout Public Art piece in the Greenfield community.

Citywide Salon
$5,000 » Academy of the South Side, 2008 Community Connections project support

Citywide Salon, a project of Academy of the South Side, hosted a month-long public showcase of works by 21 Pittsburgh artists displayed in 19 bus shelters throughout the city. The goal of Citywide Salon was to develop a sense of pride in the community by building stronger connections between artists, arts organizations, and the public, demonstrating to citizens that art is accessible, engaging, and an important part of daily urban life.

Civil Rites: Oral Histories of Two Generations of Pittsburgh Artists
$49,000 » August Wilson Center for African American Culture, 2008 Community Connections project support

Civil Rites: Oral Histories of Two Generations of Pittsburgh Artists, a project of August Wilson Center for African American Culture, collected the work and personal stories of local African-American artists as well as the memories of those who knew them in a multimedia presentation that premiered at the Center’s dedication in May 2009 and became part of its permanent collection.

Colonnade Of History
$5,000, 2008 Community Connections project support

Colonnade Of History, a project of Natrona Comes Together Association, created a public art sculpture consisting of 12 concrete columns designed by local artists and arranged in two rows to form the entrance to the new Natrona Park.

Community Supported Agriculture Facility Upgrade
$4,800 » Sarver's Hill Farm, 2008 Community Connections project support

Community Supported Agriculture Facility Upgrade, a project of Sarver’s Hill Farm, who expanded its facilities to better serve CSA customers, the greater community, and the sustainable future of the farm. The project created a new, green-as-possible barn to serve as the new CSA center, to house the farm’s administrative office, and to hold educational programs for the community.

Commute-by-Bike Zine
$10,000 » Bike Pittsburgh, 2008 Seed Award project support

Commute-by-Bike Zine, a project of Bike Pittsburgh, was a workshop created by Bike Pittsburgh to provide people with valuable information about bicycle commuting. Bike Pittsburgh also created a zine to accompany the workshop and reinforce its content. With Pittsburgh as its setting, the book took each reader on a fun, exciting journey that taught the basics of bicycle commuting.

Compass Inn Museum Living History Advertisement Project
$5,000 » Ligonier Valley Historical Society, 2008 Community Connections project support

Compass Inn Museum Living History Advertisement Project, a project of Ligonier Valley Historical Society, promoted history education and appreciation through Living History events. These weekends occured in June, July, and August. Additionally, a Halloween storytelling weekend was hosted in October and Candlelight tours were conducted in November and December. All events were presented by costumed docents at the 1799 stagecoach stop in Laughlintown, Pennsylvania.

Connellsville Historic heritage Walking Trail
$5,000 » Connellsville Cultural Trust, 2008 Community Connections project support

Connellsville Historic heritage Walking Trail, a project of Connellsville Cultural Trust, created signage that informs the public of the cultural, ethnic, and industrial past of Connellsville. The poster-sized signs told the tales of Connellsville and featured historical photographs.

Creation of New Play Space for Parent and Child Together
$5,000 » Beginnings, Inc. , 2008 Community Connections project support

Creation of New Play Space for Parent and Child Together, a project of Beginnings, Inc., introduced an innovative play area to complement its new location in Johnstown. Part of the Parent and Child Together program (PACT), a playgroup open to all two and three-year-olds and their parents enrolled in early childhood programs, the PACT playground was a fun and safe environment in which children could play and learn school readiness skills such as sharing, waiting their turn, playing with others and using language skills.

Creative Communities Conference Monthly Seminars
$5,000 » Nathanael Green Historical Foundation, 2008 Community Connections project support

Creative Communities Conference Monthly Seminars, a project of Nathanael Green Historical Foundation,highlighted that technology, like the Internet, provides flexible locations to live and work. Rural communities provide a fertile bed of added benefits that include less traffic, lower cost of living, natural amenities and a higher quality of life. The workshops and annual conference provided a platform to bridge these goals into an active forum for interested individuals and organizations.

A Day in the Life of An Enslaved Child
$5,000 » Blairsville Underground Railroad Project, 2008 Community Connections project support

A Day in the Life of An Enslaved Child, a project of Blairsville Underground Railroad Project, was a historic, interactive, comparative exhibit for the Passport to Freedom Underground Railroad History Center in Blairsville, PA. Geared toward families, children, and young adults, the visitor progressed through an interactive exhibit illustrating a typical day in the life of an enslaved child. Throughout the exhibit, visitors encountered question panels that encouraged the comparison and contrast of his/her life to the life of the child. Each station of the exhibit also had a life-size, cut out figure of an enslaved child posed in the activity of the day with interactive materials and question panels. The exhibit accompanied the Passport to Freedom primary school curriculum available for use in Southwestern Pennsylvania.

Diversity Outdoors
$5,000 » Venture Outdoors, 2008 Community Connections project support

Diversity Outdoors, a project of Venture Outdoors, connected minority communities in Pittsburgh with greater access to outdoor recreation opportunities. The project encouraged healthy lifestyles and promoted environmental awareness by improving access to outdoor amenities, bringing recreational equipment to neighborhood festivals, and organizing outdoor events and activities.

Downtown Greensburg Asset Image Campaign
$2,400 » Greensburg Community Development Corporation, 2008 Community Connections project support

Downtown Greensburg Asset Image Campaign, a project of Greensburg Community Development Corporation, purchased vinyl street light pole banners. The banners served as encouragement to residents, visitors, and employees to visually appreciate the architectural details of the building located within the historic district and take pride in the variety and number of cultural events and facilities within the cultural district. The banners also provided a compliment to the façade, exterior lighting, and sign improvement projects completed by business and commercial property owners.

Dr. Sketchy
$7,000 » Toonseum, 2008 Seed Award project support

Dr. Sketchy, a project of Toonseum, brought artists, illustrators, and cartoonists together to sketch unconventional muses, including live burlesque models, circus performers, roller derby girls, and contortionists in an atmosphere that promoted creativity and community. Themed activities and games throughout each evening lent to the playful camaraderie, as established artists, amateurs, and students socialized and created art together.

East of Liberty
$5,000, 2008 Community Connections project support

East of Liberty, a project of Hyperboy Media, was a multi-part documentary film and screening series that gave voice to the residents and business owners of Pittsburgh’s East Liberty neighborhood in light of the rapid changes the community had seen, brought on by ongoing redevelopment. Once one of the city’s most culturally and economically prosperous areas, disastrous urban planning in the 1960s saw East Liberty’s central business and residential areas decimated. But in the past decade, the steady slide of the community’s former vibrancy slowly turned around with smart investing and building, and with East of Liberty, filmmaker Chris Ivey explores how it has affected those who have lived in the neighborhood all this time, collecting their stories on film and sharing them with the city.

Everson Borough Veterans Parklet
$4,375 » Everson Borough, 2008 Community Connections project support

Everson Borough Veterans Parklet, a project of Everson Borough, involved creating a monument and memorial for those from the community who served in the Armed Forces. The original Memorial was dismantled when the fire hall was built and the name plates were stolen. Because of this, residents had to go to nearby towns for Veteran’s Day and Memorial Day Services. The new memorial and monument was constructed in the middle of the town on the main street where it could be seen by anyone that passed through and enabled residents to honor local heroes in their own town.

Explore Western Pennsylvania’s Wild Waterways
$50,000 » Wild Waterways Conservancy, 2008 Community Connections project support

Explore Western Pennsylvania’s Wild Waterways, a project of Wild Waterways Conservancy, constructed a series of boat launches throughout Butler, Beaver, and Lawrence counties to create a more welcoming environment for residents and visitors to enjoy the waterways of the Connoquenessing and Slippery Rock watersheds.

First Company Fort McIntosh Garrison Revitalization Request
$5,000 » Beaver Area Heritage Foundation, 2008 Community Connections project support

First Company Fort McIntosh Garrison Revitalization Request, a project of Beaver Area Heritage Foundation, helped equip a regiment of re-enactors representing the garrison stationed at Fort McIntosh in 1778. The First Company Fort McIntosh Garrison was outfitted with uniforms as well as with gunpowder for muskets and cannons. The Fort, on the bank of the Ohio River in Beaver, was the first permanent peacetime post of the U. S. Army and is a Beaver County connection to the Revolutionary War.

Fisherman’s Tale
$5,000 » Lemington Community Services, 2008 Community Connections project support

Fisherman’s Tale, a project of Lemington Community Services, organized fishing trips along Pittsburgh’s rivers and in rural creeks surrounding the city for an underserved population of African American senior citizens. Participants were able to enjoy the outdoors and establish new social connections.

Foster Care: The Coffeehouse Tour
$5,000 » Family Services of Western Pennsylvania, 2008 Seed Award project support

Foster Care: The Coffeehouse Tour, a project of Family Services of Western Pennsylvania, instilled awareness of child welfare issues in young adults. Through educational campaigns in coffeehouses and community centers, the program provided a nontraditional point of access to information and challenged young adults to meet the increasingly diverse needs of children in foster care.

Ft. Bedford Park Riverfront Trail Promenade
$5,000 » Borough of Bedford, 2008 Community Connections project support

Ft. Bedford Park Riverfront Trail Promenade, a project of Borough of Bedford, constructed the first phase of a non-motorized recreational hiking and biking trail along the Raystown Branch of the Juniata River. The trail connects three noteworthy historic interpretive centers in Bedford, each of which offers a different approach to the interpretation of the rich history found there. The trail also provides a needed off-road hiking and biking opportunity for families with young children and serves as a symbolic joining of efforts and resources to increase tourism in the Bedford area.

Gateway to Ambridge Project
$5,000 » Committee to Clean and Beautify Ambridge, 2008 Community Connections project support

Gateway to Ambridge Project, a project of Committee to Clean and Beautify Ambridge, designed and produced a water element by local artisan Rob DeMacio that was placed at P.J. Caul Park near a bridge that carries over 22,500 people daily to Ambridge.

Grandma’s Good Eats!
$2,364 » The Girl Scouts of Penn Lakes Council, 2008 Community Connections project support

Grandma’s Good Eats!, a project of The Girl Scouts of Penn Lakes Council, was an intergenerational kids in the kitchen program that educated participants on nutrition and challenged them to make family recipes healthier. The program balanced the themes of “Pride and Progress” by recognizing the importance of family culture and the role of food, while striving to create a safe and fun forum for grandparents and their Girl Scout to introduce healthier “new and improved” versions of family favorites.

Grant Avenue Pocket Park
$5,000 » New Sun Rising, 2008 Community Connections project support

Grant Avenue Pocket Park, a project of New Sun Rising, created a public green space in the heart of the Millvale downtown business district. Cleaning up a community eyesore, this green space provided a place to relax, meet with friends, and enjoy community and artistic events.

GRASP Tutoring
$5,000 » Greenville Regional After School Program, Inc., 2008 Community Connections project support

GRASP Tutoring, a project of Greenville Regional After School Program, Inc., provided youth in 2 school districts in Mercer County with positive after school options to promote healthy choices, strong friendships, academic support, and spiritual involvement. Expanding programming days from 2 to 3 with a focus on tutoring meant that youth in the economically struggling area had a chance to become contributors, and not dependents, building pride in their community and shaping its future progress.

Great Allegheny Passage Trail Town Public Art Project
$50,000, 2008 Community Connections project support

Great Allegheny Passage Trail Town Public Art Project, a project of Progress Fund, coordinated a community process to bring public art installations to each of six Trail Towns along the Great Allegheny Passage: Meyersdale, Rockwood, Confluence, Ohiopyle, Connellsville and West Newton. The project contributed to the ongoing community and economic development efforts in Fayette, Somerset, and Westmoreland counties.

The Haynes Street Underpass Sculpture Project 2007
$5,000 » Art Works in Johnstown!, 2008 Community Connections project support

The Haynes Street Underpass Sculpture Project 2007, a project of Art Works in Johnstown!, was the development of a highly visible, heavily traveled area along Rt. 271 beneath the Rt. 56 overpass into an attractive parklet featuring a single, large-scale sculpture, with public seating and decorative plantings. This area served as a Gateway to the Kernville section of Johnstown that has been targeted by the City for economic development initiatives and visual enhancements. It also served as an attractive entrance to the connecting corridor between the new Greater Johnstown Technology Park and the Conemaugh Medical Center Complex. The Kernville revitalization embodied the theme of “Pride & Progress” as the City sought to transform a depressed area into a thriving, attractive and vital part of Johnstown where businesses, artists, and residents could thrive. Four other sites were also identified to house sculptures in the Kernville area to continue expanding the project.

Heartbeats
$3,500, 2008 Seed Award project support

Heartbeats was a series of events during which a diverse group of people could socialize while wearing a non-intrusive stethoscopes that amplified each user’s heartbeat for others to hear.

Here We Grow Pittsburgh, Here We Grow
$7,500 » Grow Pittsburgh, 2008 Seed Award project support

Here We Grow Pittsburgh, Here We Grow, a project of Grow Pittsburgh, created sustainable community gardens throughout the city and increased public awareness of the benefits of fresh, healthy food. The project’s growing season culminated in a Kick Off Harvest Party organized around the theme of a progressive dinner. Participants toured each of the community gardens, where garden signs were unveiled and attendees enjoyed food produced from the sites.

Homewood Redd Up!
$5,000, 2008 Community Connections project support

Homewood Redd Up!, a project of Operation Better Block on behalf of the Homewood, Squirrel Hill, Point Breeze, and Park Place Redd Up Coalition, hosted several three-day cooperative community clean up weekends in the Homewood and Squirrel Hill neighborhoods of Pittsburgh.

Imagine What You Can See Here
$4,320 » Freeport Renaissance Association, 2008 Community Connections project support

Imagine What You Can See Here, a project of Freeport Renaissance Association, featured three bird identification stations on a portion of the Rails To Trails bike/walking path along Buffalo Creek at Freeport that was identified by the Audubon Society as an Important Birding Area (IBA). The stations served as a tool to call attention to this special Freeport feature. One station was located at the trail. Another was located in downtown Freeport, and the third was located at Riverside Park, along the Allegheny River. The stations consisted of a display panel and bench, with the panel featuring birds that one can watch for along the trail.

In Sisterhood: The Women’s Movement in Pittsburgh
$50,000, 2008 Community Connections project support

In Sisterhood: The Women’s Movement in Pittsburgh, a project of Thomas Merton Center, produced a first-of-its-kind multimedia exhibit featuring 20 influential leaders and activists in the women’s movement with roots in Pittsburgh during the latter part of the 20th century.

In the Making: 250 Years 250 Artists
$50,000, 2008 Community Connections project support

In the Making: 250 Years 250 Artists, a project of Fe Gallery, created a museum-quality, full-color catalogue documenting a first-of-its-kind visual exhibition of artwork by 250 artists from all 14 counties in Southwestern Pennsylvania. The catalogue provided a showcase of regional artists to curators, museum trustees, and collectors through its distribution regionally and nationally.

Indiana County Covered Bridge Festival
$5,000 » County of Indiana, 2008 Community Connections project support

Indiana County Covered Bridge Festival, a project of County of Indiana, celebrated the history and beauty of the covered bridges in Indiana County, Pennsylvania. The festival was a one-day event at the park that showcased local artisans and crafters demonstrating their work, musical entertainment, and local food vendors. Visitors experienced the covered bridges through speakers, highlighting the significance and history of these sites, bridge tours led by covered bridge enthusiasts, and exhibitions featuring the covered bridges of Pennsylvania.

Interfaith Spiritual Healing Meditation
$5,000 » Institute of Integrative Medicine at Windber Medical Center, 2008 Community Connections project support

Interfaith Spiritual Healing Meditation, a project of Institute of Integrative Medicine at Windber Medical Center, created a sustainable health care system that integrates mind, body, and spirit in a community setting. This project brought together wellness applications for individuals and groups to invest in their own spiritual growth through Focused Intention, Aromatherapy, Breathwork, Inspirational Words and Music.

It Takes You: Campaign to End Poverty in our Community
$5,000 » Community Action Southwest, 2008 Community Connections project support

It Takes You: Campaign to End Poverty in our Community, a project of Community Action Southwest, implemented a campaign to raise awareness about poverty. Participants experienced the realities of life without enough money to meet basic needs, using simulation kits that led people through four fifteen minute weeks of poverty. Information about poverty and suggestions on how people can get involved were shared to support the activities. This experience was offered to local schools and universities, business owners, human service providers, and religious groups.

Jay Bee Model Circus
$5,000 » Butler County Historical Society, 2008 Community Connections project support

Jay Bee Model Circus, a project of Butler County Historical Society, supported the acquisition, marketing, and grand opening celebration of the Butler County Historical Society’s newest exhibit, the Jay Bee Model Circus. Local artist James Bashline hand-carved and hand-painted the one-of-a-kind 9’x14’ model circus, which was based on the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus of the early 1950s. The model included animated performances under the big top, the circus parade, the animal pen, a sideshow, and a model railroad, among many other items. The Jay Bee Model Circus is permanently exhibited at the Butler County Heritage Center.

Jays After School Program (Joining to Achieve Youth Success)
$5,000 » Communities in Schools of Southwest PA, Inc., 2008 Community Connections project support

Jays After School Program (Joining to Achieve Youth Success), a project of Communities in Schools of Southwest PA, Inc., provided opportunities for students to become involved in exciting activities such as group games, sports, computer lab, and homework time, as well as specialized activities such as guest speakers, career topics, community service, and field trips. The program was held on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. in the cafeteria of the Jeannette McKee Middle School. Parents were encouraged to become actively involved in the JAYS After-school Program to demonstrate to their child how much they value them, and increase their self-esteem.

Jewcy Film Series
$5,000 » Pittsburgh Jewish Israeli Film Festival, 2008 Seed Award project support

Jewcy Film Series, a project of Pittsburgh Jewish Israeli Film Festival, showed international films at various venues to target at 21- to 31-year-olds. Each film screening included a social or educational component.

Jonkanoo
$10,000 » The Legacy Arts Project, 2008 Seed Award project support

Jonkanoo, a project of The Legacy Arts Project, adapted the festival of Jonkanoo, a Caribbean celebration of a people enslaved in body but not in mind or spirit, to engage people in saving the planet and build upon long standing African traditions of producing hand crafted goods, materials, and art forms.

Keepin’ it Real: Black Athletes and Racism in Pittsburgh Sports
$5,000, 2008 Community Connections project support

Keepin’ it Real: Black Athletes and Racism in Pittsburgh Sports, a project of Rights and Responsibilities, documented the experiences of African American athletes in Pittsburgh: their achievements, their troubles, and their thoughts about issues of race and sports in the region. The locally-produced film was screened in communities along with panel discussions and audience participation.

Lawrenceville Historic House Tour: Snapshots Through Time
$5,000, 2008 Community Connections project support

Lawrenceville Historic House Tour: Snapshots Through Time, a project of Lawrenceville Stakeholders and the Lawrenceville Historic Society, expanded the Lawrenceville Hospitality House Tour to spotlight historic residences in Pittsburgh’s Lawrenceville neighborhood. Additionally, the project staged a series of reenactments and performances at historic locations such as the Allegheny Arsenal and the Allegheny Cemetery.

Lockley Kindergarten Center Playground
$5,000 » New Castle Area School District, 2008 Community Connections project support

Lockley Kindergarten Center Playground, a project of New Castle Area School District, established an outdoor play space for children attending Lockley Kindergarten Center. This playground was a developmentally appropriate learning environment whereby children could benefit physically, emotionally, and socially. This area was maintained by the New Castle Area School District Maintenance Department, and serviced all children from the city of New Castle, providing a place where families could come together in a safe and fun-filled environment.

Main Street Classic 5K Run/Walk for the Homeless
$5,000 » City Mission - Living Stones, Inc., 2008 Community Connections project support

Main Street Classic 5K Run/Walk for the Homeless, a project of City Mission - Living Stones, Inc., encouraged participants to run/walk in through downtown Uniontown, PA. The 5K course took participants through the streets of Uniontown, along the National Pike—Rte. 40. Proceeds supported the programs of City Mission-Living Stones, Inc., Fayette County’s primary homeless provider, servicing over 500 homeless men, women, and children.

Matchwood Festival
$1,000, 2008 Grand Ideas project support

Matchwood Festival offered immersive events that engaged artists and audiences. The Festival included art openings, a lecture series, music and dance performances, book release parties, a chess tournament, and a breakfast accompanied by a vintage cartoon screening. The weekend festival matched local artists with national artists to create collaborations, critical dialogue, and improvisation.

“Meeting/Departure” (2008)
Paul Bowden, 2008 Community Murals mural

Paul Bowden’s Meeting/Departure came aboout because the Polish Hill Civic Association wanted to attract members of the art community to their developing neighborhood, and decided to “think outside the box” with their 2008 Sprout Public Art mural. A Polish Hill resident himself, artist Paul Bowden perfectly met his community’s needs with this wall-based sculpture cast in bronze; the mural program’s first departure from paint. The three 18-inch figures he created roam and explore the wall beneath them, two inspecting a hole in the wall while the third travels away above them. At the time the sculpture was made, the popular bar Gooski’s—located across the street from the wall—was the only attraction for Polish Hill visitors. In order to ensure that these people could still see the piece, a motion sensitive light was fixed above the figures, illuminating them and increasing their impact by casting dramatic shadows on the wall and ground. Since the installation of Meeting/Departure, more reasons for visiting Polish Hill have been established in the community. The arrival of small businesses like a coffee shop, record store, and independent comic store shows that Polish Hill is experiencing the creative renaissance its residents hoped for.

The Mid-Mon Valley Pay It Forward Initiative
$5,000 » The Schooner Youth Center, Inc., 2008 Community Connections project support

The Mid-Mon Valley Pay It Forward Initiative, a project of The Schooner Youth Center, Inc., was The Schooner Center’s ongoing signature project that engaged youth and adult mentors to visualize and implement community service projects in their own communities throughout the Mid-Mon Valley. Through mentoring relationships the program reconnected youth with their communities, inspired future leadership, increased civic engagement, and empowered a new generation to embrace community service as an integral component to making positive changes in their community.

MLK Community Mural Project
$5,000, 2008 Community Connections project support

MLK Community Mural Project, a project of KH Design Studio, created a Pittsburgh 250-themed portion of the large MLK Community Mural Project, an expansive series of murals painted in communities along the Martin Luther King Busway throughout the East End neighborhoods of Pittsburgh.

Mobile Ag/Ed Science Lab
$45,000, 2008 Community Connections project support

Mobile Ag/Ed Science Lab, a project of Pennsylvania Friends of Agriculture Foundation, constructed a mobile science and agricultural laboratory to travel to schools throughout Southwestern Pennsylvania. Building on a previously successful model, the mobile learning environment brought the science of the farm directly into schools.

Musicians of Wylie Avenue
$5,000, 2008 Community Connections project support

Musicians of Wylie Avenue used documentary sources including archival materials, interviews with jazz musicians, and eyewitness accounts of this historic era of Jazz musicians and famous venues along the Hill District’s celebrated Wylie Avenue to help establish the Pittsburgh Jazz Network online community.

Neighborhood Narratives: Greetings from Pittsburgh
$5,000, 2008 Community Connections project support

Neighborhood Narratives: Greetings from Pittsburgh was a series of ten short narrative films portraying the experience, character, and stories of the diverse and unique neighborhoods of Pittsburgh. Created by filmmakers living in each of these ten neighborhoods, the project was an opportunity to see communities from the inside out, allowing filmmakers to tell stories of humor, sadness, romance, and even music that express both the character of the neighborhoods and the personal experience of their narrators. The project focused on connecting people to their communities and celebrating that relationship in a lasting tribute to the city that we all call home.

“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.

Old Bedford Village Redoubt and Encampment Project
$5,000 » Old Bedford Village, 2008 Community Connections project support

Old Bedford Village Redoubt and Encampment Project, a project of Old Bedford Village, enabled the Village, a living history museum, to add to its collection of activities and appeal to a broader audience by building a redoubt to use in re-enactments of French and Indian War events. Since military units used redoubts from the French and Indian War to the Civil War, Old Bedford Village was able to additionally use the fortification to re-enact events in the Revolutionary War, Napoleonic wars, and Civil War as well.

Operation Fresh Express
$5,000 » Westmoreland County Food Bank, 2008 Community Connections project support

Operation Fresh Express, a project of Westmoreland County Food Bank, helped prevent thousands of pounds of perishable food from going to waste due to it not being able to be distributed it in a timely manner. This was accomplished by changing from monthly to weekly distributions throughout the county via community sponsored sites in the Monessen, Mt. Pleasant, and Greensburg areas.

Out of this Furnace: New Tales of Labor and Unions
$5,000, 2008 Community Connections project support

Out of this Furnace: New Tales of Labor and Unions, a project of Unseam’d Shakespeare Company, collected oral histories and hosted community workshops in Braddock in conjunction with its 2008 production of Out of this Furnace, a theatrical adaptation of Thomas Bell’s classic tale of immigrant laborers during Pittsburgh’s steel industry heyday.

PA GreenGive
$9,000, 2008 Seed Award project support

PA GreenGive was an online philanthropy project that raised funds for green initiatives in southwestern Pennsylvania. The project hosted a website that showcased green development in the region and provided an ongoing source of funding for organizations committed to green programming and job training. PA GreenGive created a way for individuals, locally and globally, to establish direct, personalized connections to green development and become part of the giving community.

Passports: Art of Diversity
$8,700, 2008 Seed Award project support

Passports: Art of Diversity was series of programs through which African American artists, artists with disabilities, and other underrepresented artistic groups could exhibit, network, and collaborate with established visual artists to collectively increase their visibility and viability in Pittsburgh.

“Peace, Hope and Charity” (2008)
Fran Hawbaker, 2008 Community Murals mural

Frances Hawkbaker’s Peace, Hope and Charity is located on the Providence Family Support Center, a community center founded by the Sisters of Divine Providence, who operated a daycare there. The Sisters wanted a mural that would capture the people of their neighborhood and ignite interest in the children attending the center for summer school and utilizing the facilities. As an art teacher by profession, Hawbaker made sure to include these children in her day-to-day work, inviting them to help prepare the wall with primer and watch her paint whenever they felt inclined to. The mural itself features actual community members from Marshall-Shadeland, and captures the neighborhood’s diversity in age and race. The mural is also notable for its creative design, in which Hawbaker implemented archways to connect three long, narrow walls. The result was an unique and interesting piece that not only depicts the community around it in a visually interesting way, but gave its members the opportunity to learn about art firsthand.

Petrolia Area Historical Project
$3,810, 2008 Community Connections project support

Petrolia Area Historical Project highlighted the history of North Eastern Butler County PA known as the Petroleum Valley from 1795 to the present with a chronological and biographical history of the people, events, institutions, businesses, and industries. Although ”The Valley”, named for the Oil Boom of 1872, includes Petrolia, Bruin, Fairview and Karns City, the main focus of the project was on Petrolia and portrayed 125 years of country and rural small town living including biographies of its Veterans from the Civil War to the Present.

Pioneer Point Public Arts Heritage Project
$5,000 » Downtown West Newton, Inc., 2008 Community Connections project support

Pioneer Point Public Arts Heritage Project, a project of Downtown West Newton, Inc., worked in tandem with the Great Allegheny Passage Trail Town Public Art Project on the first attempt to seed public art in the Borough of West Newton since 1976. The project immortalized the Pioneers of the Northwest Territory Expedition, while also communicating West Newton’s key role in Westward Expansion to visitors in a memorable fashion. The project not only helped create a much needed “sense of place,” but it also provided a new landmark for the Great Allegheny Passage as well as the Borough of West Newton.

PittPoint
$9,500 » The Public Square Project, 2008 Seed Award project support

PittPoint, a project of The Public Square Project, was a publishing platform designed for citizen journalists. The project provided the tools necessary for producing high quality media pieces and empowered a community of young people to create citizen-driven media to improve government transparency, elevate underrepresented voices, and deepen civic engagement in the Pittsburgh region. It provided training and editorial support, as well as access to online resources, such as a government document library, virtual collaboration space, and the latest technologies for sharing audio, video, and photography.

Pittsburgh Environmental Oral History
$35,000, 2008 Community Connections project support

Pittsburgh Environmental Oral History, a project of Allegheny Front, produced a series of personal stories, interviews, and features to celebrate the Pittsburgh region’s environmental history and progress from a region based on resource extraction to a burgeoning leader in green environmental practices.

The Pittsburgh Project Remix
$5,000, 2008 Seed Award project support

The Pittsburgh Project Remix was a public dialogue project that adapted true stories and historical research into public performances at The Pump House in Homestead. Inspired by a series of interviews with a diverse set of city residents, the performances sparked conversations about what shaped Pittsburgh in the post-industrial age. Each show was followed by a facilitated discussion.

Pittsburgh Safe Neighborhoods
$5,000, 2008 Community Connections project support

Pittsburgh Safe Neighborhoods, a project of Pittsburgh Community Reinvestment Group, continued research and convened community forums to help implement city-wide public safety initiatives such as a grassroots block watch program in its member neighborhoods.

Pittsburgh Signs: 250
$50,000, 2008 Community Connections project support

Pittsburgh Signs: 250, a project of The Pittsburgh Signs Project, created a 200-page, full-color book documenting unique signage from the 14 counties of Southwestern Pennsylvania to celebrate the unique culture of the region. The project captured the visual treasures of the area and shared them with a global audience both online and in the form of a brilliantly colored book.

Planting Connections: Our Cambrian Garden
$5,000 » Cambria County Historical Society, 2008 Community Connections project support

Planting Connections: Our Cambrian Garden, a project of Cambria County Historical Society, included the installation of a new exhibit “Planting Connections: Our Cambrian Garden” at the A.W. Buck House, headquarters of the Cambria County Historical Society, in Ebensburg. The exhibit reflected the Victorian era in which the house was built and featured Ebensburg’s connection as a Victorian mountain resort to the families of Pittsburgh who came to “summer” here. The garden and exhibit opening took place at a Garden Party Opening in August 2008.

Postage Stamp Park
$5,000 » Parker City Revitalization, 2008 Community Connections project support

Postage Stamp Park, a project of Parker City Revitalization, created a small park along the riverfront within the central business district of the City of Parker. Parker has the unique distinction of being the “Smallest City in the U.S.” The “Postage Stamp Park” was a miniature park, complete with picnic tables, bench, bike rack, and plantings, that welcomed visitors and enticed them to spend some time within business district.

Raising Pittsburgh’s Black History Awareness through Literature
$5,000, 2008 Community Connections project support

Raising Pittsburgh’s Black History Awareness through Literature, a project of United Black Book Clubs of Pittsburgh and the Allegheny County Library Association, created an intergenerational literacy project surrounding The WPA History of the Negro in Pittsburgh, a historical non-fiction work edited by University of Pittsburgh Professor of History Laurence Glasco.

ReDiscovering Eden: Historic Waynesburg Walking Tour
$5,000 » Waynesburg Prosperous and Beautiful, 2008 Community Connections project support

ReDiscovering Eden: Historic Waynesburg Walking Tour, a project of Waynesburg Prosperous and Beautiful, was a beginning survey of the history and architecture of Downtown Waynesburg that resulted in a Historic Walking Tour program. A whimsical, artist-designed brochure and interactive displays were designed to promote interest in the town center and university campus. The project promoted Waynesburg as a destination, attracting retail customers and supporting local businesses and artists. Using the historic streetscape as a backdrop, artist Kyle Hallam created a map illustrating his vision of a revitalized Waynesburg, unique, fun and alive again, melding the past with the future.

Renew Pittsburgh
$10,000 » RenewPittsburgh, 2008 Seed Award project support

Renew Pittsburgh, a project of RenewPittsburgh, worked with city residents to spark a sense of renewal in Pittsburgh’s neighborhoods. The group organized leaders and community members to address problems in need of cooperative attention, including the cleanup of August Wilson’s childhood home in the Hill District.

Restoring a Hay Wagon
$5,000 » Butler County Community College Education Foundation, 2008 Community Connections project support

Restoring a Hay Wagon, a project of Butler County Community College Education Foundation, honored the toil of our ancestors and the resulting pride in a sustaining communal lifestyle. As a Venturing Crew project, Boy Scouts of America coed adventure program for ages 16-20, it provided an opportunity for young adults to learn about the function of a hay wagon and its contribution to our nation’s progress while they experience craftsmen pride. The finished haywagon created an active history lesson for the community.

ReTool Local Economies Forum
$5,000, 2008 Community Connections project support

ReTool Local Economies Forum, a project of ReTool, organized a participatory art and community project that investigated informal, local economies in Pittsburgh—jitney services, do-it-yourself artists, cottage industries, etc. In partnership with The Union Project, the artists interviewed participants to document the effect that these local economies have on various communities.

Rhyme Calisthenics
$6,800, 2008 Seed Award project support

Rhyme Calisthenics was an ongoing event series that provided a venue for current and future hip-hop artists to sharpen their improvisational performance skills and expand their artistic subject matter. The main attraction of the series was a six-foot game show wheel with 12 different emcee challenges that tested improvisational, rhythmic, and thematic skills.

“Ride in the Sky” (2008)
Laura Jean McLaughlin, 2008 Community Murals mural

Laura Jean McLaughlin’s Ride in the Sky shines with the artist’s personality in this 2008 Sprout mural. The whimsical and fun design not only changed the face of the wall on which McLaughlin painted it, but become an integral part of a larger transformation in the Uptown community. While the lot in front of the mural used to be completely empty, it soon after became the home of a sculpture and a garden. In concert with these decorative elements, Ride in the Sky enlivened this Uptown corner with color and creative spirit.

Roadside Giants of the Lincoln Highway
$50,000, 2008 Community Connections project support

Roadside Giants of the Lincoln Highway, a project of Lincoln Highway Heritage Corridor, worked with vocational and technical students in Bedford, Somerset, and Westmoreland counties to design and build incredible roadside attractions — Roadside Giants — at locations along Pennsylvania’s historic Lincoln Highway.

Roaring Run Natural Area Hiking and Biking Brochure
$2,500 » Roaring Run Watershed Association, 2008 Community Connections project support

Roaring Run Natural Area Hiking and Biking Brochure, a project of Roaring Run Watershed Association, produced a brochure about the nearly 700 acre natural area near Apollo, PA, in Armstrong County on the Kiskiminetas River. The map highlighted the area’s Roaring Run Rail Trail, the Rock Furnace Trail, several hiking/mountain biking trails, a canoe/kayak launch, spectacular waterfalls and massive boulders, the Derwood Beer’s Park, land reclamation projects, canal remnants, and the area’s role within the regional trails and heritage sites associated with the Pittsburgh-to-Harrisburg Main Line Canal Greenway™.

Sailing in Pittsburgh
$5,000, 2008 Community Connections project support

Sailing in Pittsburgh, a project of Point of Pittsburgh Sailing League, promoted sailing on Pittsburgh’s rivers with the establishment of a permanent sailing program in Pittsburgh in conjunction with the 2008 Three Rivers Regatta.

Sandyvale Memorial Botanical Gardens Phase I, Task II: Staging/Visitors Area
$5,000 » Sandyvale Cemetary Association, Inc., 2008 Community Connections project support

Sandyvale Memorial Botanical Gardens Phase I, Task II - Staging/Visitors Area, a project of Sandyvale Cemetary Association, Inc., brought a historic building back to life as the visitors center of the Sandyvale Memorial Botanical Gardens. Responding local sentiment that the site of an old pioneer cemetery required an innovative and sensitive preservation idea, a botanical garden seemed the appropriate answer. Sensitive to the original use of the site, the gardens were made to provide respectful enjoyment and dignified beauty for generations to come.

Schellsburg Community Park
$5,000 » Schellsburg Borough, 2008 Community Connections project support

Schellsburg Community Park, a project of Schellsburg Borough, celebrated the Bicentennial of the historic town of Schellsburg by improving the three acre plot of land owned by the Boro of Schellsburg. Improvements included horseshoe pits, shrubbery, lighting, and a volleyball court to be used on Hometown Pride Day during the Bicentennial festivities.

SGA ’Green and Growing’ Initiative
$5,000 » Slippery Rock University Student Government Association, 2008 Community Connections project support

SGA ’Green and Growing’ Initiative, a project of Slippery Rock University Student Government Association, provided green bikes as an alternate means of transportation on and around the campus and planted 100+ trees to sustain the land and create beautiful spaces to promote learning, recreation, and community gathering.

South Side Sculpture Project
$49,340, 2008 Community Connections project support

South Side Sculpture Project, a project of Industrial Arts Co-op, completed the final stage of the South Side Sculpture, a monumental piece of public art created from salvaged artifacts of the local steel industry on former riverfront mill sites. The enormous sculpture used steel I-beams to depict the towering figures of two laboring steelworkers and was placed on permanent public display along the Monongahela River in Pittsburgh’s South Side.

Spotlight on the Community, Movies in the Park
$5,000 » Downtown Kittanning, Inc., 2008 Community Connections project support

Spotlight on the Community, Movies in the Park, a project of Downtown Kittanning, Inc., provided a free, fun filled activity for the local and neighboring communities. An inflatable movie screen was purchased to show family movies at different venues throughout the community.

Street with a View
$2,620, 2008 Seed Award project support

Street with a View was a collaboration between artists Robin Hewlett and Ben Kinsley, and the Google Inc. Street View team. The artists staged a series of freeze-frame scenarios on Sampsonia Way, in the North Side, and Google technicians captured images of the street with the tableaux in place. The images were uploaded and integrated into the web-based Street View mapping platform.

Student Philanthropy Project
$5,000, 2008 Community Connections project support

Student Philanthropy Project, a project of Grove City College, taught the virtues of charity and citizenship in tangible ways by providing resources to faculty to integrate a philanthropy component into courses across academic disciplines. Enrolled students in certain courses learned about philanthropy and determined the objective of their community investment strategy and the method for identifying and communicating with potential recipients, thereby establishing a perpetual program for charitable giving.

SugarCreek Community Days
$5,000 » St. Paul's United Church of Christ, 2008 Community Connections project support

SugarCreek Community Days, a project of St. Paul’s United Church of Christ, promoted the important ideals of family, religious heritage, and community awareness, and celebrated patriotic pride as they showcased citizens and veterans both past and present. The one day celebration included various events to promote appreciation of the most valuable resource— citizens.

“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.

Sure Foundation Community Center Car Ministry
$5,000 » Central Community Church, 2008 Community Connections project support

Sure Foundation Community Center Car Ministry, a project of Central Community Church in Transfer, PA, helped low-income and working-poor families maintain their vehicle by performing oil changes, brake and muffler repairs, and vehicle tune-ups, at no cost. This ministry addressed the transportation needs of a rural community with the help of skilled, dedicated volunteers with a desire to help their neighbors meet their transportation needs. Hands-on vehicle maintenance classes were additionally offered, covering topics such as checking fluid levels, oil changes, and changing tires.

Take Me Out
$10,000 » barebones productions, 2008 Seed Award project support

Take Me Out, a project of barebones productions, was a Tony Award winning play that examined issues of race, sexual identity, and cultural icons in the context of Major League Baseball. Barebones productions partnered with the Three Rivers Arts Festival to produce the play in a large downtown building on 7th Avenue.

Tanoma Abandoned Mine Drainage Wetlands Educational Trail
$4,680 » Evergreen Conservancy, 2008 Community Connections project support

Tanoma Abandoned Mine Drainage Wetlands Educational Trail, a project of Evergreen Conservancy, build an educational trail at the Tanoma Wetlands, a 10 acre Abandoned Mine Drainage (AMD) passive treatment system located in Indiana County. The trail follows the water from where it enters the ponds to the site where it enters Crooked Creek. Signage was used to describe the historical impact of coal mining while simultaneously demonstrating the process by which the treatment system effectively revitalizes our waters. This Trail transformed the Tanoma Wetlands into an engaging destination for community learning and a centerpiece for Evergreen Conservancy.

Telepsychiatry Program
$5,000 » Community Counseling Center of Mercer County, 2008 Community Connections project support

Telepsychiatry Program, a project of Community Counseling Center of Mercer County, implemented a Telepsychiatry Program at its Hermitage Office location. This innovative technological program connected rural Mercer County mental health/substance abuse clients to the specialized expertise of psychiatrists including child and adolescent psychiatrists at Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic in Pittsburgh. Clients were able to obtain Psychiatric Evaluations as well as ongoing pharmacologic management services, with grant support covering initial videoconferencing equipment expenses. The Telepsychiatry Program allowed clients to receive psychiatric services from psychiatrists at Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic without having to travel beyond Mercer County.

Tennis Courts Renovation
$5,000, 2008 Community Connections project support

Tennis Courts Renovation was a part of a complete overhaul of the Meyersdale school district’s sports facilities. The Meyersdale Area School District maintains public exercise, recreation, and sports facilities for use by students and community members in the district. As a community center, the improvements supported health and socialization, two key features to a thriving community.

Testify
$8,000, 2008 Seed Award project support

Testify was a multidisciplinary, multimedia performance work created and performed by artist Vanessa German. Combining theater, sculpture, photography, spoken word, music, dance, and film, Testify explored themes of violence through the lens of victims and perpetrators. Street performances, small vignettes, workshops, and talkbacks enriched community engagement in the project.

This is Who I Am
$3,500 » Windgap-Chartiers Athletic Association, 2008 Seed Award project support

This is Who I Am, a project of Windgap-Chartiers Athletic Association, was a talent show that bridged the gaps between young adults and older generations in Pittsburgh by showing an interest in the skills and hobbies of each group. The project reconnected the community and gave young adults and older generations a chance to be heard and seen in a positive, respectful manner.

Times Tabloid for Beaver County Historical Organizations
$5,000 » Beaver County Historical Research and Landmarks Foundation, 2008 Community Connections project support

Times Tabloid for Beaver County Historical Organizations, a project of Beaver County Historical Research and Landmarks Foundation, partnered with the county’s historical sites, organizations and societies to produce a tabloid for insertion into the Beaver County Times. This tabloid provided information for visitors as to the availability, activities and resources that are accessible to them. A small passport booklet containing vital information of these organizations was printed in conjunction with the tabloid and distributed to the public at participating locations.

Touchstone’s Mountain Crafts Festival Weekend
$5,000 » Touchstone Center for Crafts, 2008 Community Connections project support

Touchstone’s Mountain Crafts Festival Weekend, a project of Touchstone Center for Crafts, was a celebration of the arts for the citizens of Fayette County and the surrounding tri-State region. Visitors of all ages could participate in the hands-on studio projects, creating their own works of art to take home. Participants were also invited to try out traditional crafts in the various studios around the campus: build a pot in the Ceramics Studio, forge a nail in the Blacksmith Studio, learn traditional metalsmithing techniques in the Metals/Jewelry Studio, manipulate glass in the Glass Studio or express themselves in the Painting Studio. Fiddlers and cloggers provided entertainment and an opportunity for participation in music and dance. A pumpkin- carving contest was open to all age groups, with the whole family invited to participate. The traditional buckwheat cake dinner was also featured. This event was an opportunity for people to return to their historic roots and experience a variety of traditions. Together with other Pittsburgh 250 events, Touchstone’s Pioneer Craft Days provided an educational and inspirational experience for young and old, steeped in the traditions of our forefathers.

Trail Town Public Art Project
$5,000 » Connellsville Redevelopment Authority, 2008 Community Connections project support

Trail Town Public Art Project, a project of Connellsville Redevelopment Authority, partnered with The Progress Fund to use the unique natural cultural and historical context of the region to introduce public art, creating vibrant and attractive connections between the trail and the City. The public art project reflected the unique qualities of the community, offering yet another authentic experience for trail users and enhancing the experience for both visitors and residents by improving the gateway to the community.

Unsmoke Systems
$8,000, 2008 Seed Award project support

Unsmoke Systems was a multi-year arts initiative in Braddock that established a community resource, events venue, and studio space for young artists. The project launched with an exhibition of Pittsburgh-based artists during an evening of local music, dancing, and food.

A Vietnam Remembrance
$5,000, 2008 Community Connections project support

A Vietnam Remembrance, a project of Beaver County Chapter 862 of the Vietnam Veterans of America, organized Vietnam Remembrance Week in the parks of Beaver County. Throughout the weeklong events, the community was educated and inspired as they were enmeshed in the region’s commitment and sacrifice during America’s involvement in the Vietnam War.

Walkers’ Festival 2008
$5,000, 2008 Community Connections project support

Walkers’ Festival 2008 increased health and wellness as well as social interaction by identifying and mobilizing participants in new and existing community walking groups.

Washington’s Encampment
$5,000, 2008 Community Connections project support

Washington’s Encampment, a project of Allegheny Foothills Society, highlighted the historical events that lead to the founding of Pittsburgh. During Plum Borough’s annual community festival in June, the society staged re-enactments in Boyce Park, near the site of General John Forbes and Colonel George Washington’s encampment on November 22, 1758.

Weave Magazine
$2,500 » Weave Magazine, 2008 Seed Award project support

Weave Magazine, a project of Weave Magazine, was a literary print publication and organization that created space for a cross-section of writers and artists of all walks of life to meet on the page, on the stage, and in workshop. The group presented a series of workshops on a variety of literary topics and held readings that showcased Pittsburgh’s young literary talent.

Website for the Butler Downtown Revitalization Project
$5,000 » Butler Downtown Revitalization Committee, 2008 Community Connections project support

Website for the Butler Downtown Revitalization Project, a project of Butler Downtown Revitalization Committee, stimulated neighborhood and business district revitalization in Butler, Pennsylvania through: organization (encouraging cooperation and building leadership in the business community); promotion (creating a positive image for downtown by promoting the downtown as an exciting place to live, show, and invent); and design (improving the appearance of the downtown). A website was then used by the Committee to get the word out and promote better community participation with the goal of increasing the number of members, contacts, and volunteers to 250.

Welcome Mat Landscaping Project
$5,000, 2008 Community Connections project support

Welcome Mat Landscaping Project added a tremendous amount of aesthetic value to the West End section of Johnstown, in particular the Morrellville-Oakhurst area. This area was in much need of a facelift. The project worked to create a chain reaction, making residents more inclined to spruce up their properties if there is a nice area nearby. This project sparked pride in the residents as well with those participating in the project.

Westmoreland County History Speakers Program
$5,000 » Westmoreland County Historical Society, 2008 Community Connections project support

Westmoreland County History Speakers Program, a project of Westmoreland County Historical Society, provided “living historians” and knowledgeable speakers to schools, historical societies, and other organizations within Westmoreland County at no charge. This initiative informed area residents, both children and adults, about the remarkable history of the region, including important events which took place in Westmoreland County during and following the French & Indian War. It provided residents with a more complete understanding of local history to help them understand and appreciate the Westmoreland County of today.

Westmoreland Earth Day 2008: Greening Your Footprint
$5,000 » St. Vincent College, 2008 Community Connections project support

Westmoreland Earth Day 2008 - Greening Your Footprint, a project of St. Vincent College, incorporated more than 60 regional organizations in collaboration to address participants from Allegheny, Fayette, Somerset, and Westmoreland counties and encourage participation in environmental stewardship on Saturday, April 19, 2008 at Saint Vincent College. Westmoreland Earth Day provided an opportunity for organizations and individuals to share ideas in sustainability, promote environmentally friendly practices, and provide the tools necessary to minimize the negative environmental impacts of everyday activities through educational programs and activities for students of all ages.

Women’s Voices, Women’s Votes: 250th Anniversary Survey of Women’s Issues
$5,000, 2008 Community Connections project support

Women’s Voices, Women’s Votes: 250th Anniversary Survey of Women’s Issues, a project of Executive Women’s Council of Greater Pittsburgh, brought women’s advocacy organizations from throughout Southwestern Pennsylvania together to identify the top issues of importance to women, outlining a strategic agenda to address these issues with public officials, corporations, educational institutions, and foundations.

Won’t You Be My Neighbor? Days
$50,000, 2008 Community Connections project support

Won’t You Be My Neighbor? Days, a project of Family Communications, Inc., promoted a series of events honoring Fred Rogers on the 80th anniversary of his birth in March 2008. Won’t You Be My Neighbor? Days featured free or reduced admission to many cultural and educational venues and events across the region and additional programming on how to be a good neighbor.

W.R. McIlwain Store and Warehouse Mule Barn Preservation Projet
$5,000 » Saltsburg Borough, 2008 Community Connections project support

W.R. McIlwain Store and Warehouse Mule Barn Preservation Project, a project of Saltsburg Borough, improved the structural integrity of the historic W. R. McIlwain Store & Warehouse. This 157-year old structure was locally known as the “mule barn” based on the belief that it once housed mules when the Pennsylvania Canal was in operation. The historic property was part of the original streetscape of one of the two streets in the business district, making it an important component of the downtown revitalization efforts. It was identified by the Young Preservationists’ Association of Pittsburgh as one of the “Top Ten Best Preservation Opportunities for the Pittsburgh Region” in 2007.

Youghtoberfest
$5,000, 2008 Community Connections project support

Youghtoberfest, a project of Milestone Centers, Inc., hosted a festival of outdoor recreation opportunities and activities for individuals with disabilities. The event occurred during October at the Youghiogheny River Trail Gardens park between the Youghiogheny River and the Youghiogheny River Bike Trail in Elizabeth Township.

Youth Advocate Project
$5,000, 2008 Community Connections project support

Youth Advocate Project helped students and children under 18 develop skills and strategies that they could use to reduce violence that impacts their lives. By educating and caring for children who have been victims of domestic abuse, the project helped them cope and enjoy a healthier and violence-free future.

YouthCares Computer Recycling Project (YCCRP)
$5,000 » Job Training Beaver County, 2008 Community Connections project support

YouthCares Computer Recycling Project (YCCRP), a project of Job Training Beaver County, enabled disadvantaged youth to de-manufacture computers, acquire invaluable job skills/work habits, and save a minimum of 250 computers from polluting the region’s landfills. The goal of the project was to have a lasting impact on the region through the acquisition of new partners who shared interest in sustaining the project and developing a social consciousness among the youth participants.