News Around the Neighborhood
Next One Northside Funding Deadline is Nearly Here
We’re Halfway There
There’s still time to lead a $1,000 Neighbor-to-Neighbor project.
We’ve set a goal to support 50 Neighbor-to-Neighbor projects this year and we’re just about halfway there. What will you do with your Neighbor-to-Neighbor grant? Want to host a community clean up or neighborhood gathering? Have a big idea that you want to test out? Neighbor-to-Neighbor $1,000 grants support small projects on the Northside – and we’re accepting applications through August 5th. Anyone that lives or works on the Northside is eligible to apply for a Neighbor-to-Neighbor Grant from The Sprout Fund and use $1,000 to make the Northside the place to live, work and learn. SUBMIT YOUR $1,000 GRANT REQUEST BY FRIDAY, AUGUST 5th[ebor_button url=”http://www.sproutfund.org/one-northside-program/apply/neighbor-to-neighbor/” style=”river” target=”_self”] Start Your Neighbor-to-Neighbor Grant Application [/ebor_button]
Manchester Growing Together Garden
Documentary Screening on Tuesday, August 2nd.
Manchester Growing Together Garden is celebrated as a model of environmental stewardship, juvenile justice remediation and community service involvement. Learn more and meet project leader Lisa Freement at a free screening of the documentary Manchester Growing Together at City of Asylym on Tuesday, August 2nd from 8:00 pm to 10:00 pm. RSVP to Attend this Free Screening[ebor_button style=”pumpkin” url=”http://www.sproutfund.org/one-northside-program/”] Learn More About Sprout’s Support for One Northside [/ebor_button]
Mattress Factory: Opening Reception on August 12th
Opening Reception
Friday, August 12, 2016
516 Sampsonia Way
6:00-8:00pm
Free Admission
[ebor_button url=”http://www.mattress.org” style=”pomegranate” target=”_blank”] Discover More About the Mattress Factory [/ebor_button]
Celebrating a Legacy: A Collection of Works by Women of Visions, Inc.
Location: Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild, 1815 Metropolitan Street
Date: Thursday July 28th
Time: 6-8:00pm
Event Link: HERE
Celebrating a Legacy: A Collection of Works by Women of Visions Inc. runs from July 5th through August 5th A public reception is scheduled for July 28th from 6-8:00pm. This event is free and open to the public.
Celebrating a Legacy is a collection of works by members of Women of Visions Inc., a non profit organization dedicated to the artwork created by women of the African diaspora.
Each work of art nurtures the roots of their heritage and captures their collective experiences on canvas, fiber, paper, and other media. The exhibition features the work of twenty four artists whose art has been exhibited nationally and internationally.
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Lynne Barrow
Jo-Anne Bates
Ruth Bedeian
Christine Bethea
Tina Brewer
Richena Brockinson
Brenda Brown
Delores Currin
Elizabeth Asche Douglas
Celeta Hickman
Mayota Hill
Annette Jackson
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Marica Jackson
Charlotte Ka
LaVerne Kemp
Christiane Leach
Gail Manker
Mary Martin
Harriette Meriwether
Njaimeh Njie
Altha Pittrell
Adrienne Powers
Ruth Richardson
Ruth Ward
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[ebor_button url=”http://mcgyouthandarts.org” style=”pumpkin” target=”_self”] Discover the Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild [/ebor_button]
The Taming: A Reading by A.M. Rycroft at City Books
Location: City Books, 908 Galveston Avenue
Date: Monday, July 25th
Time: 7-8:30pm
Event Link: HERE
A dark fantasy tale, The Taming follows the brash Thystle Moran, sword for hire. Only one job has ever bothered her, one that promised to be easy money, but ended in the death of her friend. Now, an imp with questionable motives says her friend’s death was no accident. Thystle seeks retribution as her world spirals out of control. She faces off against her dark past, a betrayal, feelings for a young woman, and the interests of a shadowy group known only as the Immortals. Can she ever just catch a break?
Allegheny UU Church: Stoopendous
Location: Allegheny UU Church 416 W North Avenue
Date: Friday, July 22nd
Time: 5:30-7:30pm
Event Link: HERE
Our Summer Stoop Sits are an opportunity for friendship, conversation and refreshments with interesting folks from the church and neighborhood. Come to hang with old friends or to meet some new ones. Talk about what’s going on in the world and listen to the perspectives of others. Share what’s on your mind or in your heart. Enjoy the beauty and charm of the Mexican War Streets and West Park on a warm summer evening. Bring snacks, drinks or just yourself. All are welcome!
Begins at 5:30pm at Unitarian House behind Allegheny UU Church, W North & Resaca, Northside.
Good News: Western Avenue Project
The much-anticipated next phase of relocating electric services for 806-816 Western Avenue has already begun!
Duquesne Light recently addressed the necessary vegetation pruning and bungeeing in order to bring power down Brighton Road from W North Avenue. The PA One Call has been placed and pole and equipment installation could start any day! This work will take 4-6 weeks and, once completed, will allow us to finish the electric service relocations at 806-816 Western Avenue. We aim to coordinate the relocation of Verizon infrastructure at the same time to minimize impact on the property owners.
If you have any questions, please feel free to email me, Gloria Rayman, at glowalks@comcast.net. Thank you for your continued patience!
Summer on Sampsonia: Jazz Wednesday, Victim, Yoga and More!
Listen, Watch, Dance!
Summer is a great time to expand one’s horizons and broaden one’s mind.
This week, engage in a discussion about the events and politics of the Arab Spring with the World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh. Screen the groundbreaking classic film, Victim, as part of City of Asylum’s Silent Film Series. Get on your dancing shoes and learn some new moves with 1Hood at Get Down Day, a full day of dance and community building workshops here under the Alphabet City Tent.
Friday, July 22nd: The Image Catcher*
(Photography)
*RESCHEDULED for AUGUST 19th
Join us for an exhibition of photographs from the accomplished Eugene Mebane Jr. – The Image Catcher.
7:00-8:00pm
Free Event (Organizer: City of Asylum)
Sunday, July 24th Sunday Morning Yoga
(Yoga)
Join Paco Mahone Sunday for a soulful yoga class under the Alphabet City Tent.
10:00-11:300am
Free Event (Organizer: Paco Mahone)
Monday, July 25th: The Arab Spring: Where are we today?
(Book Signing & Discussion)
Join the World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh for a conversation surrounding Shelly Culbertson’s new book, The Fires of Spring, and on the shifting dynamics within the New Middle East in the wake of the Arab Spring.
5:30- 8:00pm
$15 for World Affairs Council members, $20 for non-members
(Organizer: World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh)
Wednesday, July 27th: Jazz Wednesdays
(Concert)
Join us Wednesday evenings for a series of free jazz concerts with Pittsburgh icon Roger Humphries and RH Factor. As this event grows throughout the summer, be sure to register for each event to make sure you reserve a seat! BYOB!
7:00-9:00pm
Free Event (Organizer: City of Asylum)
Thursday, July 28th: Silenced Film: Victim
(Film)
Victim, a 1961 British suspense film directed by Basil Dearden, follows the story of a closeted gay lawyer who risks exposure by confronting a blackmail conspiracy targeting gay men. It was refused a seal of approval from the American Motion Picture Production Code for challenging taboos about homosexuality.
Free Event (Organizer: City of Asylum, Curator: The Jacob Burns Film Center)
Saturday, July 30th: Get Down Day with 1Hood
(Dance & Workshops)
Join 1Hood for Get Down Day, a full day of community building through Hip Hop. 1Hood is offering a full day of FREE dance workshops followed by an exhibition and dance battle later that that evening. Connect with your community through dance. All experience levels welcome!
Noon – 8:00pm
Free Event (Organizer: 1Hood)
[ebor_button url=”http://cityofasylum.org/summer-on-sampsonia/” style=”river” target=”_self”] Download the Full Summer Calendar Here [/ebor_button]
Sprout’s Joining the Pittsburgh My Brother’s Keeper Initiative. (You can, too.)
Two Requests for Proposals Issued to Support Project
As a community, Pittsburgh is facing a staggering opportunity gap that keeps a large portion of young people of color from taking part in our city’s ongoing transformation. To reduce Pittsburgh’s opportunity gap and make our city liveable for all residents, we must take concrete steps to prepare young people of color for rewarding careers in growing fields.
Through the generous support of the Heinz Endowments, Sprout is honored to join the City of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County in the next phase of the ongoing My Brother’s Keeper initiative.
How It Will Work
Throughout the fall of 2016, community stakeholders will meet to identify needs and gaps in out-of-school educational programming and make recommendations for specific programs for youth, the training necessary to build the capacity of educators and mentors, and capital improvements necessary to better equip youth centers.
Sprout will then make grants totaling $100,000 to fund pilot projects that advance these recommendations to provide high-quality learning experiences in technology, digital literacy, and workforce readiness for young people of color during the first six months of 2017.
Throughout the entire process, a new project manager will work with My Brother’s Keeper committee members and partner organizations to create measurable objectives, create an evaluation plan, and issue an annual report to the community.
[ebor_button url=”http://www.sproutfund.org/2016/07/18/mbk-launch/” style=”nephritis” target=”_self”] Read The Announcement in Full at sproutfund.org [/ebor_button]
Requests for Proposals
To build the team that will support this work over the next year, Sprout has issued two Requests for Proposals:
Community & Stakeholder Planning Consultant to design and lead the community and stakeholder planning process and to prepare the initial recommendations that result from these discussions.
Project Manager to provide the ongoing project management for the My Brother’s Keeper initiative and act as a liaison between and coordinator of participating organizations, including the City of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County.
Proposals are due Friday, August 5, 2016 by 5:00 pm (EDT)
[ebor_button url=”http://www.sproutfund.org/mybrotherskeeper/” style=”nephritis” target=”_self”] See the Full Details at sproutfund.org/mybrotherskeeper [/ebor_button]
Summer on Sampsonia: Daisies, The Image Catcher and More!
Alphabet City Update!
There is a golden sparkle to the air here at Sampsonia Way!
The glitter is flying as volunteers from all over Pittsburgh help to fabricate the ceiling artwork (designed by Diane Samuels) for the new City of Asylum @ Alphabet City space. Each golden ceiling tile is handcrafted by this team of hard-working City of Asylum supporters and will feature letters from alphabets around the world.
Alphabet City opens on September 10th. Our opening ceremonies will feature a talk by the 2015 Nobel Laureate in Literature, Svetlana Alexievich, who will also engage in a public conversation with New Yorker writer Philip Gourevitch.
The opening will be followed by a full month of FREE Jazz Poetry!
Sunday, July 17th: Sunday Morning Yoga
(Yoga)
Join Paco Mahone Sunday for a soulful yoga class under the Alphabet City Tent.
10:00-11:30am
Free Event (Organizer: Paco Mahone)
Wednesday, July 20th: Jazz Wednesday
(Concert)
Join us Wednesday evenings for a series of free jazz concerts with Pittsburgh icon Roger Humphries and RH Factor. As this event grows throughout the summer, be sure to register for each event to make sure you reserve a seat! BYOB!
7:00-9:00pm
Free Event (Organizer: City of Asylum)
Thursday, July 21st: Silenced Film: Daisies
(Film)
Daisies is a 1966 Czechoslovak comedy-drama film written and directed by Věra Chytilová. The story follows two teenage girls, both named Marie, who engage in strange pranks.
8:00-10:00pm
Free Event (Organizer: City of Asylum)
Friday, July 22nd: The Image Catcher
(Photography)
Join us for an exhibition of photographs from the accomplished Eugene Mebane Jr.–The Image Catcher.
7:00-8:00pm
Free Event (Organizer: City of Asylum)
[ebor_button url=”http://cityofasylum.org/summer-on-sampsonia/” style=”river” target=”_self”] Download the Full Summer Calendar Here [/ebor_button]
Letter from the President – July 2016
Come early to the Tuesday membership meeting if you’d like to hear more details about the final report for the Buhl Foundation. We’ve made some refinements to the report that was presented a few months ago, but to go over all of them during the regular meeting would make an already long (hot) meeting even longer. So we’re setting up some time before the meeting starts for the folks who really get into the nitty gritty details some time for discussion. We’ll be posting the (60+ page!) report online on alleghenywest.org as soon as I can figure out how to multiple sets of passwords reconfigured. (Just as an aside: alleghenywest.org was the victim of some pretty intense hacking recently and Gene and Nick spent a huge amount of time reconfiguring everything and locking stuff down. Why can’t people just be nice?)
I’ll send out an email blast this weekend with the proposed wording of the motions we’d like to make around the plans for: the Mary Cassatt garden; traffic calming on W. North and Brighton w/ additional parking; replacing lighting where need and an incredibly ambitious plan for replacing trees and sidewalks throughout the neighborhood. We’re especially interested in folks who are willing to serve on a working group to get some of these plans enacted; so if you’re interested please try and come at 7:00 pm. Some of these plans are controversial, so I want to make sure we have time to discuss them in more detail without totally overwhelming an already crowded agenda. (But ask Executive Committee how quickly we blasted through a huge agenda last Tuesday: someone’s spouse complained their partner wanted more time out of the house and was disappointed!)
We’ll also make sure there are hard copies of the report available in the office (M/F 12:00–3:00) or you can call me at (412) 418-2027 and I can arrange to get you a copy if you can’t go over to Western during office hours. I’m super excited about this: it’s the culmination of months of work and we can’t wait to share it with all of you.
Catherine Serventi
President, AWCC