Saturday, November 5, 2022
Students from Turtle Creek Elementary STEAM Academy at the Carrie Blast Furnaces.
Partnerships and Collaborations: Our Modus Operandi

If you haven't noticed by now, at Rivers of Steel we immerse ourselves in many practices. At the heart of our work, we're charged with uplifting the communities in our region—and while there are infinite ways to achieve this, it cannot be done without working in partnership with members of those communities. This week's featured story and events provide a snapshot of what that work sometimes looks like.

Our featured story, entitled Community Collaborations, examines two grant-funded workshops that occured this year with neighboring schools.

Our featued events this week are two Heritage Arts workshops at local libraries. Two of our region's best folk artists will offer introductions to their chosen craft, allowing community members to pick up new skills and take home great pieces of their own making.

We are also happy to highlight the work of one of our Community Spotlight partners, the Society to Preserve the Millvale Murals of Maxo Vanka. They have some new programs to share!

Before you go, just a quick reminder that our tours of the Carrie Blast Furnaces and the W.A. Young & Sons Foundry and Machine Shop are almost done for the year if you're looking for something to do this weekend with this unseasonably warm weather!
FEATURED STORY
Community Collaborations
In the past couple of years, Rivers of Steel has had fewer opportunities than usual for student engagement. However, 2022’s student programs resembled something much closer to normal—and for us, “normal” is far from average. In fact, beyond our regular field trips, Rivers of Steel had the opportunity to work with two area schools on special projects this year thanks to support from The Grable Foundation and the National Park Foundation.
Papermaking with Katy DeMent
FEATURED EVENTS
Hertiage Arts Workshops
Papermaking with Katy DeMent 
Carnegie Library of Homestead, Nov. 12 1:00 – 3:00 p.m., Register Here

Led by Katy DeMent, Pittsburgh crafter and "Paper Lady," participants will explore papermaking history and processes by creating their own sheets of handmade paper. Folks of all ages can assist in the making of paper by hand, which involves beating fibers to a pulp. Embellish your sheets with a collection of choice natural materials, all held together with natural science–not glue! These “wet on wet” collage methods are tactile and spontaneous, rendering a creative and literal map of time and place. Each participant will go home with their own handmade paper artwork.

Turkish Calligraphy with Bunyamin Aysan 
Upper St. Clair Library, Nov. 19 1:00 – 4:00 p.m., Register Here

Benjamin (Bunyamin) Aysan is an accomplished calligrapher from Van, Turkey, where calligraphy is an ancient religious tradition. He will introduce students to the "rules" of lettering and demonstrate his handwriting and graphical techniques using marker and pen. Attendees will follow along on their own papers and practice the skills of chisel-tip writing. Learn to push your pen to its full potential and make your words beautiful!
Image by Pawsburgh Photography
THINGS TO DO IN THE HERITAGE AREA
Visit the Maxo Vanka Murals
These Walls Can Talk. Experience the Vanka Murals.

If you have not experienced the awe-inspiring murals of Croatian artist Maxo Vanka at the historic St. Nicholas Croatian Catholic Church in Millvale, there are a few upcoming special opportunities to do so.

Special seasonal happenings include the Holiday Lights Tours, from December 26 – 30 with pre-tour concerts starting at 6:30 p.m., and the Family Program on December 28 at 4:00 p.m.

These offerings are in addition to the regularly scheduled docent-led guided tours on Saturdays at 11:00 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. and the newly offered Maxo Mondays tours at 6:30 p.m.
TJ and Bly will greet you when you take a tour of the W.A. Young & Sons Foundry and Machine Shop.
THERE'S MORE TO EXPLORE WITH
Rivers of Steel Tours
The tour season is nearly over for 2022—just a few weeks are left if you'd like to discover the artistry of handcrafted manufacturing at the Machine Shop or connect Pittsburgh’s steel industry heritage on a tour of the Carrie Blast Furnaces.
Help preserve our region’s industrial and cultural heritage! Your tax-deductible contribution will help 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.