News Around the Neighborhood
Barbara deCoux Luderowski, 1930 – 2018
It is with profound sadness that the Mattress Factory museum announces the passing of our founder and creative spirit, Barbara Luderowski. Our Mattress Factory family remains committed to her vibrant experiment that is the Mattress Factory with her artistic vision in our hearts and her tenacity in our souls.
We invite you to share your thoughts here.
PHLF: Upcoming Walking Tours & Events
Participate in Our Free Friday Downtown Walking Tours and Neighborhood Tours
Hearing the history and the stories of the people who shaped the Schenley Farms neighborhood while walking around and looking at the buildings and houses was a great way to learn. It was interesting to see up close the architectural diversity and unity among the various houses in this planned community.
“I’m somewhat familiar with Oakland, but I learned a lot.” – Roberta Shope
- Grant Street (from Sixth to Fourth avenues): Fridays in May, 10:00 to 11:00 am
- Grant Street (from Sixth to Liberty avenues): Fridays in May, Noon to 1:00 pm
- Point Breeze: Saturday, June 2nd, 1:30 to 3:00 pm
- And the Jail Museum every Monday (except on court holidays): visit between 11:30 am and 1:00 pm
See the beauty and discover the stories of significant places in the Pittsburgh Region. Check out the many tours we have listed on our Calendar of Events and contact Mary Lu Denny (412) 471-5808 x 527 to make reservations.
You May Also Be Interested In…
Click here for our schedule of Neighborhood Walking Tours – new this year, thanks to our docents!
Click here for our schedule of Free Friday Downtown Walking Tours – back by popular demand and thanks to our docents and VisitPITTSBURGH.
Click here to read about Special Tours, including “Downtown’s Best” on Thursday mornings (June through August) and our “Greatest Saves” Bus Tour on September 30th, in celebration of our 54th birthday!
Prepared PGH Update
We are so excited that there was such a strong response to the Office of Sustainability & Resilience’s new initiative, Prepared PGH, which offers five free courses to connect neighborhoods to resilience and preparedness resources to better face climate-related risks and ongoing stresses.
[ebor_button url=”http://alleghenywest.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Prepared-Pittsburgh-Classes-Scheduled.pdf” style=”orange” target=”_self”] Read About Classes & View Schedule [/ebor_button]
Due to high demand in each part of the city, we have partnered with the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh branches to open the classes up to multiple community and neighborhood groups and residents by offering the classes regionally. Please see page 2 of the attached flier for scheduled classes near you. Please pass this information along to your neighbors and group members.
If you have questions, please contact Mike Roth at michael.roth@pittsburghpa.gov .
The Sultry Sounds of Brazilian Songstress Kenia Ashby
City of Asylum’s Vocalist Series Presents
Kenia Ashby
Tuesday, June 5th
8:00 pm
Kenia Ashby‘s voice embodies the best of the Brazilian sound – deep and sultry, richly diverse, unexpectedly explosive. Born in Nova Iguaçu (a suburb of Rio de Janeiro), she is renowned for her ability to translate the complex rhythms of her Brazilian homeland into jazzy creations.
“Kenia is a Brazilian original, building a bridge to the next generation of Brazilian music fans… her voice can suspend time, and it can lead you to think about nothing at all, even if just for a few minuts, and in this day that’s nothing short of miraculous.”
― iHeartMedia
From local clubs, to international performances, to her ongoing innovation in recording sizzling Brazilian beats, Kenia creates her own unique blend of Brazilian pop, samba, bossa nova and choro with great stage presence and a gift for engaging the audience.
[ebor_button style=”pomegranate” url=”https://cityofasylumpittsburgh.secure.force.com/ticket/#sections_a0F5A00000NX1BKUA1″] Reserve Your Free Tickets [/ebor_button]
Free Tickets for Northsiders: Escape Velocity
Part of the CSA Performance Series
May 31st at 8:00 pm
Imagine a circus shaped entirely by the audience and one very unique deck of tarot cards. Escape Velocity tells the story of a soul trapped in limbo, revealed one draw at a time. What scripts have we been handed? What prisons do we construct for ourselves? What is our capacity for resistance, rebellion, and rebirth?
You’re Invited
Northside residents and workers are invited to attend this performance for free. A limited number of tickets are available online, so reserve your seat today.
[ebor_button style=”pumpkin” url=”https://www.eventbrite.com/e/escape-velocity-tickets-46300360625″] Reserve Your Seats [/ebor_button]
Lake Elizabeth Update and Call to Action
PWSA Director Bob Weimar and Chief of Operations Guy Costa from the City attended last night’s Allegheny Commons Initiative meeting. We discussed the history of the issues surrounding Lake Elizabeth and were brought up to speed on the latest discussions between DPW and PWSA for addressing the current lake concerns:
- PWSA is now subject to the PA Public Utilities Commission regulations, with their core responsibilities to provide safe and reliable drinking water, convey sewage and manage storm water. As a result, PWSA has very limited ability to expend funds that do not directly benefit their ratepayers and therefore will not pay for the installation of the aerators in Lake Elizabeth.
- PWSA will be working with the DPW to identify some possible solutions such as the treating the water with small amounts of Algaecide. The City will be working to identify funding to pay for the electrical infrastructure needed to power the aerators. They are committed to draining and cleaning out the lake on a more regular basis to decrease the amount of organic material that contributes to the algae blooms and overall unsightliness of the lake.
- The DPW asked the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy to help organize a volunteer event to remove debris from the lake. I will be at the lake 8am this Saturday morning with gloves, trash bags, and a few rakes/shovels. Please register online here if you can join: https://www.showclix.com/event/lake-elizabeth-clean-up
- The DPW understands that they will need to go into the lake and power wash following the removal of debris. They explained that this work will happen quicker with the support of volunteers. So please consider joining me on Saturday morning!
What else can the community do to help?
- If you cannot volunteer, we could still use rakes and shovels. PPC will provide gloves and trash bags. I can pick up items on Thursday or Friday if you are willing to let us borrow, feel free to text/call or email 201-669-9046
- Contact Councilwoman Harris and request that she put $ in the capital budget for 2019 for the aeration system for the lake. 412-255-2135, darlene.harris@pittsburghpa.gov
- Help make the power washing and refilling of the lake a priority for DPW by continuing to send in 311 calls, contacting Councilwoman Harris at 412-255-2135 and contacting the Mayor’s office 412-255-2626
- Please attend your local community group meetings where I attend and provide park updates and can be available to answer questions. Or reach out to me directly and let’s meet for coffee!
Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions. Thanks all for your continued support and advocacy for the park!
Erin Tobin
Community Outreach Coordinator
PHLF: Mina Chow’s “FACE OF A NATION”
Location: Landmarks Preservation Resource Center, 744 Rebecca Avenue
Date: Thursday, May 24th
Time: 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Contact: marylu@phlf.org or (412) 471-5808 ext. 527
Mina Chow’s “FACE OF A NATION: What Happened to the World’s Fair?”
Daughter of immigrants, an idealistic architect struggles to keep her dream alive as she journeys to discover why America abandoned World’s Fairs.
FACE OF A NATION captures the erosion of the American image as the country loses sight of its vision and values.
Probing deeply into national identity, architect Mina Chow investigates the controversy surrounding US participation at World’s Fairs for the last 25 years. The film asks important questions about the country’s role in the world and perceptions of the American image. With our diminished presence at World’s Fairs, have we lost sight of what it means to be American?
Following the screening: stay for a short discussion with the filmmaker.
[ebor_button style=”sea” url=”http://phlf.org/event/special-film-screening-face-of-a-nation/”] More Info About the Screening [/ebor_button]
All events are free to PHLF members. Non-members: $10 RSVPs are appreciated: marylu@phlf.org or (412) 471-5808 ext. 527
Check out http://phlf.org/events/ for more PHLF tours and events.
Accepting and Embracing Nuero-atypical Identities
NAMI Keystone Pennsylvania Presents
Stories That Heal
with
K. Rose Quayle
Wednesday, May 23rd
7:00 pm
Stories That Heal — presented by NAMI Keystone Pennsylvania — is a new monthly reading series that highlights local authors who live with and/or have a loved one who lives with mental health conditions. Their stories of lived experience promote empathy, foster resilience and uncover the truths about living with a mental health diagnosis.
The second event in this series will feature K. Rose Quayle, who writes on the chaos of mental illness in a world that prizes order and self-control. First committed at the age of 15, she embraces bipolar disorder and delights in the humor of being crazy. In her spare time, she also writes a blog on 1980s nostalgia and is the author/illustrator of the Little Quail and Friends series.
Please join us as we celebrate Pittsburgh literature and fight stigma!
[ebor_button style=”pomegranate” url=”https://cityofasylumpittsburgh.secure.force.com/ticket/#sections_a0F5A00000OOQaFUAX”] Reserve Your Free Tickets [/ebor_button]
Discounted Tickets for Northsiders: A New Brain
Presented by Front Porch Theatricals
Sunday, May 20th – Thursday, May 24th
A New Brain is a joyful and touching musical about making the most out of life. When a neurotic, frustrated composer is confronted with a life-threatening medical challenge, he finds comfort and healing in his craft, friends, and strangers. This enthralling and eccentric musical is Tony Award-winning creator William Finn’s semi-autobiographical account of his battle for life and health and finding the healing power of music.
Northside residents and workers are invited to attend the May 20th and 24th performances for the discounted Artist and Group rate of $25.:
Step 1: Select the date (20th or 24th).
Step 2: Click “Get Tickets”
Step 3: Look for the box asking for an “Access Code” and enter NORTHSIDERS
Step 4: Select tickets using the “Artists and Groups” $25 ticket rate.
Step 5: Complete the checkout process and enjoy the show!
[ebor_button style=”pumpkin” url=”https://www.showclix.com/event/a-new-brain1513795″] Reserve Your Seats [/ebor_button]
RSVP for May & June Upcoming Events with YPA
Join the Young Preservationists Association for two exciting upcoming events!
The Young Preservationists Association (YPA) represents and promotes younger voices in historic preservation. Our organization uses community engagement and education to advocate for the preservation of historic sites and structures in the Greater Pittsburgh region.
The Ratskeller at Max’s Allegheny Tavern
[ebor_button style=”pomegranate” url=”https://www.eventbrite.com/e/join-ypa-at-maxs-allegheny-tavern-may-31-tickets-45921565639″] More Info + RSVP [/ebor_button]
Gallery Talk/Visions of Pittsburgh
[ebor_button style=”sea” url=”https://www.eventbrite.com/e/visions-of-pittsburgh-gallery-talk-with-artist-cory-bonnet-june-28-tickets-45945680768″] More Info + RSVP [/ebor_button]