Saturday, February 10, 2024

Artist Carin Mincemoyer, shown here second from the right, is seated amidst her 2023 installation Trail Meander. Located under the new Fern Hollow Bridge, the artwork welcomes trail goers to dwell in the space and be attuned to their surroundings. Photo by Sean Carroll.

Created over eons, as water carved away layers of the Allegheny Plateau, southwestern Pennsylvania’s hilly topography was first traversed by native populations as they hunted and foraged. Over time, this land was settled initially by tribes and then by pioneering colonizers. Local economies grew and transformed. Colonial agriculture gave way to boatbuilding and river trade. Business shifted from commerce to industry, making use of the region’s natural resources for glassmaking, coal mining, and small-scale iron production, which laid the groundwork for the “Big Steel” era of the twentieth century. Industries waxed and waned—each innovating and building upon the one that preceded it—before evolving into today’s dynamic landscape.

To truly gain a sense of place for southwestern Pennsylvania—the eight counties that make up the Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area—it takes a variety of perspectives. As an organization, we share stories and experiences that give context to this region, sifting through the past as we build for the future. For today's featured article, Art. Works., we share our platform with our community collaborators at Shiftworks, formerly the Office of Public Art, whose mission overlaps with our charge.

In a similar spirit, we are happy to share a story about uncovering ancestral heritage in Greene County, along with a video that tells a postindustrial story of nature's reclamation of an Allegheny County space. And, our Things to Do in the Heritage Area section highlights two anniversary-inspired events 65 and 219 years in the making in Westmoreland and Butler Counties, respectfully. There's also a reminder of our upcoming blacksmithing workshops.

Collectively, today's links offer just a few ways to understand and engage with the Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area.

400 Million Years of Water is an artwork on the new Fern Hollow Bridge by artist John Peña, 2023. Photo by Sean Carroll.

FEATURED STORY

Shiftworks—Art. Works.

This week we are excited to share how one organization supports artists, communities, and organizations through public arts. Shiftworks Community + Public Arts, formerly known as the Office for Public Art, recently reorganized as an independent nonprofit, and while their name has changed, their mission has not.

Sallyann Kluz, executive director of Shiftworks, and Ashley Anderson, marketing and communications manager of Shiftworks, reflect on how the organization collaboratively shapes public space through the arts—aiming to shift not only landscapes and cityscapes, but also expectations and perspectives for what is possible.

Cornerstone Genealogical Society's research library is located in the annex of Greene County's first Courthouse, built in 1797.

AROUND THE REGION

Uncover Hidden Heritage in Greene County

Think your ancestors might have passed through Greene County? The Cornerstone Genealogical Society is a nonprofit, all-volunteer organization that maintains a library dedicated to recording the documented history of the area. Their vast archival collections not only offer families a way of finding their roots, it shares a sense of place, from early pioneers through the modern era.

FEATURED WORKSHOPS

Blacksmithing Basics: Hooks and Hairpins and Bladesmithing 1

Multiple Dates Available, The Carrie Blast Furnaces

Forget what you think you might know about blacksmithing—as a practice, it is easy and fun for anyone to get started. You don't need a Forged in Fire pedigree or a Popeye-sized bicep. You don't even need your own protective gear; our greens jackets got you covered!

Sign up for the one-day Blacksmithing Basics: Hooks & Hairpins workshop, or forge ahead and go for the three-day Bladesmithing 1 course.

FEATURED VIDEO

The Great Ride: Dead Man's Hollow

Produced by WQED as part of the programming related to their film The Great Ride, and in keeping with the recent videos we've shared from this series, The Great Ride: Dead Man's Hollow highlights a 450-acre conservation area that sits along the Great Allegheny Passage just south of McKeesport. Nature is reclaiming the site where ruins remain of a pipe factory and quarry. The hollow has conjured legends of murder, drownings, and untimely deaths. 

THINGS TO DO IN THE NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA

Support Rivers of Steel's work in communities throughout the Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area. Your tax-deductible contribution will help champion community collaborations and ensure that Rivers of Steel can continue to offer vital, engaging, community-based arts, education, and heritage programs for the residents of southwestern Pennsylvania and beyond.

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