News in brief (Got a tip? Send us an email)
Parking garage flea market
From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Saturday in April, the new Car Bazaar flea market will take over the Sixth and Penn Parking Garage Downtown. In addition to a free, one-of-a-kind shopping experience, the event will feature live music and food and drink offerings from restaurant partners, including täkō and Talia. Interested in selling your art, apparel or secondhand items from the trunk of your vehicle? Pre-registration is now open online.
Step and sip into spring
At 11 a.m. on March 27, Threadbare and the Mis.Steps project will launch their first stair-stepping event of the year. Take a masked and socially distanced walk through Spring Garden and Troy Hill as you scale public steps on the North Side and enjoy beautiful views of the city. The hike concludes at the Cider House, where you can celebrate with a beverage. One glass of draft cider is included in the $15 ticket price (can be redeemed at a later date if you are unable to stay for post-hike refreshments).
Art for August
Ten local artists were selected for the August Wilson House’s (AWH) new initiative, which provides $10,000 for original art that celebrates the legacy of the Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright and Pittsburgh native: Brandon Jennings (illustrator), Dominick McDuffie (artist/photographer), Carlos Peterson (sculptor), Charlotte Ka (paintings, mosaics, installations), LaVerne Kemp (fiber artist, quilter), David Pohl (illustrator), Donna Ford (quilter), Corey Carrington/Grits Capone (painter, poet), Marlon Gist (painter, portraiture) and Jasmynie Miller (painter). Each artist will receive $1,000 after completing the work, which will be unveiled as part of the AWH’s annual Block Party on April 27 in the Hill District. The celebration — which marks Wilson’s birthday — will offer virtual and limited outdoor activities and experiences from 5 to 7 p.m.
Make room for SPACE
The Small Pittsburgh Arts Coalition for Equity (SPACE) — a partnership of eight nonprofits, collectives and for-profit visual arts organizations — was awarded more than $100,000 in grant funds through the Arts Equity Reimagined Fund. The money will be used to create the SPACE Fellowship, a paid arts leadership training program designed to support people who identify as BIPOC, LGBTQIA and others who have been marginalized by the industry. The SPACE Fellowship will provide coaching, mentorship and networking opportunities, along with hands-on professional growth experiences from all of the SPACE organizations: Associated Artists of Pittsburgh, BOOM Concepts, Brew House Association, Bunker Projects, Casey Droege Cultural Productions, Nafasi on Centre, Silver Eye Center for Photography and Women of Visions. A call for fellowship applications will be announced in late spring.
Strong Women, Strong Girls receives Pure Leaf grant
Strong Women, Strong Girls (SWSG), an organization with sites in Pittsburgh and Boston that connects professionals, college women and elementary school girls through mentorships, received a $25,000 grant from Pure Leaf tea. The gift will be used to further SWSG’s mission of empowering females through curriculum-based multigenerational mentorship.
