Positively Pittsburgh Live News
10-21-13
On Tonight's Show: WHERE IN THE WORLD IS TECHNOGRANNY? Last week Caliente Pizza and Draft House, Oklahoma; This week: NAWBO Kick Off Breakfast and Pittsburgh Symphony Spooktakular
POSITIVELYPITTSBURGH SPONSORED EVENTS: Loudini Rock n Roll Circus
CULTURAL CLUES: The God that Comes, Russian Masterpieces at the Pittsburgh Symphony, Wicked, Ann Hampton Callaway, Wood St Galleries Exhibit Comfort Women Wanted, PITTSBURGH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA: CONCERTMASTER OBTAINS 1732 BERGONZI VIOLIN, Scheherazade, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra Concertmaster Noah Bendix-Balgley featured in Bruch Scottish Fantasy, MAUREEN MCGOVERN
KIDZ KORNER: Halloween Spooktacular Opens Fifflesticks Family Series with Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra
KIDZ KORNER: Halloween Spooktacular Opens Fifflesticks Family Series with Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra
WOMEN AND GIRLS ADVANCEMENT: Brilliant Mind Marriages Relationship's Conference
BUSINESS BUZZ: ABC TV Secret Millionaire, Donora Native James Malinchak, Pirates cause jump in hotel occupancy, LaunchCMU Pittsburgh A Research and Entrepreneurship Showcase, New Print Magazine Launch In Pittsburgh, Entrepreneurial Thursdays, Robotics Panel
HIGH SCHOOL AND UNIVERSITY NEWS Student Stars Sought for Equitable Gas Sing Off
NON-PROFIT EVENTS SPONSORED BY BLACK TIE-PITTSBURGH Pittsburgh Disabilities Film Festival Voices & Vines benefit for the Homeless Children's Education Fund 50th Anniversary Gala
NEIGHBORHOOD HI-LIGHTS: GENRES and GENERATIONS
NEIGHBORHOOD HI-LIGHTS: GENRES and GENERATIONS
ROVING PITTSBURGHER REPORT Oklahoma Broadway and Beyond Caliente Pizza and Draft House Bid Adieu to the Rubber Duck
PITTSBURGH GOOD NEWS FORUM Keep the Rubber Duck in Pittsburgh at least in pictures
WHERE IN THE WORLD IS TECHNOGRANNY
Last week: Caliente Pizza and Draft House, Oklahoma
This week: NAWBO Kick Off Breakfast and Pittsburgh Symphony Spooktakular
POSITIVELYPITTSBURGH SPONSORED EVENTS
Loudini Rock 'n Roll Circus, Saturday, November 9 at 565Live in Bellevue benefit
CULTURAL CLUES
The God that ComesOctober 24-26 @ 10pm
The Cabaret at Theater Square
The God that Comes is a wine-soaked rock & roll cabaret celebrating the god of wine and ecstasy, starring the prolific Canadian rock multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter Hawksley Workman. This solo performance – Workman plays all of the characters and instruments himself – fuses the chaotic revelry of a rock concert with the intimacy of theatrical storytelling. Buy Tickets.
The show is a tonic for a society that has lost its sense of balance, and for a people that have lost touch with their animal instincts. It is an invitation to raise a glass together, hear a story, and get lost in the music for a few hours.
This is a Cabaret extravaganza!
Receive one free drink for every ticket purchased!
RUSSIAN MASTERPIECES TAKE CENTER STAGE WITH CONDUCTOR YAN PASCAL TORTELIER AND THE PITTSBURGH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Returning guest conductor Yan Pascal Tortelier and piano virtuoso/winner of the 2011 International Tchaikovsky Competition Daniil Trifonov will transport the BNY Mellon Grand Classics audience to early 20th-century Russia with the music of Prokofiev and Rachmaninoff on Nov. 1-3.
One of the rising stars of the new generation of pianists, Trifonov tackles Prokofiev’s tumultuous
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| Yan Pascal Tortelier |
The concerts will begin at 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 2:30 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets, ranging from $25.75 to $109.75, can be purchased by calling the Heinz Hall box office at 412-392-4900, or by visiting www.pittsburghsymphony.org. Read the entire release here.
Wicked
January 15 – February 9 / Benedum Center
Back by "Popular" demand. Winner of 50 major awards, including a Grammy® and three Tony® Awards, WICKED is Broadway's biggest blockbuster, a cultural phenomenon and was named "the defining musical of the decade" by The New York Times.
Long before that girl from Kansas arrives in Munchkinland, two girls meet in the land of Oz. One -
On January 15th, WICKED flies back to Pittsburgh for a limited 4 week engagement. ORDER NOW to get the best choice of dates and seating locations before tickets go on sale Monday, November 4th.
BUY NOW OR YOU'LL BE GREEN WITH ENVY
Password: GRAVITY
Nov. 14: 7:30 p.m.; Nov. 15 & 16: 8 p.m.; Nov. 17: 2:30 p.m.
Heinz Hall, 600 Penn Ave., Pittsburgh, Pa. 15222
Platinum award-winning singer-songwriter Ann Hampton Callaway celebrates the music of one
of America's most powerful and enduring musical artists. Singing timeless classics from five decades of Barbra Streisand's multi-faceted career, Callaway crafts a loving musical portrait of the icon. The Tony-nominated actress puts a unique pop/jazz spin on unforgettable songs from Barbra's Broadway years to her film and pop album works. Callaway weaves in humorous and inspiring anecdotes, revealing how Streisand began as Callaway's role model and evolved into her mentor. Enjoy a concert celebrating the extraordinary career of Barbra Streisand with incredible songs such as Marvin Hamlisch's “The Way We Were,” “People,” “Don't Rain on My Parade” and more.
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| Ann Hampton Callaway |
TICKET COST: $25.75-119.75 / INFO/TICKETS: 412-392-4900 or pittsburghsymphony.org
PITTSBURGH CULTURAL TRUST PRESENTS THE VISUAL ART EXHIBITION COMFORT WOMEN WANTED BY INTERNATIONALLY EXHIBITED ARTIST CHANG-JIN LEE
November 1–December 1, 2013 | Wood Street Galleries | Third Floor
Exhibition Opening | November 1, 5:30–8 p.m. | Artist Talk 6:30 p.m.
The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust announces the opening of Comfort Women Wanted, an exhibition by Korean-born, New York-based visual artist Chang-Jin Lee. The exhibition is on view at
Comfort Women Wanted exposes the fates of nearly 200,000 young women who were exploited as sex slaves by the Imperial Japanese Army in Asia during World War II. The artist uses the remembrance of these “comfort women”—some of whom are still alive today—to increase awareness of sexual violence against women during wartime. Read the entire release here.
What’s in a name? For Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra concertmaster Noah Bendix-Balgley, it’s a violin with tremendous sound and a historic pedigree.
Bendix-Balgley recently purchased a 1732 Carlo Bergonzi violin from J&A Beare, a
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| The 1732 Bergonzi violin obtained by Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra Concertmaster Noah Bendix-Balgley |
“Everywhere I went, I tried violins—I tried more than 50 top-quality instruments,” Bendix-Balgley said. “This one really intrigued me and spoke to me. It has a unique sound.”
Bergonzi was an Italian luthier (a craftsperson who makes or repairs stringed instruments) and is considered the greatest pupil of Antonio Stradivari. This violin was one of the few Bergonzi made, as the high demand for his repair services as part of Stradivari’s business left him little time to create his own instruments. In fact, only about 55 Bergonzi violins are known to exist today. Read the entire release here.
Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra BNY Mellon Grand Classics: Scheherazade
Nov. 8 & 9: 8 p.m.; Nov. 10: 2:30 p.m.
Heinz Hall, 600 Penn Ave., Pittsburgh, Pa. 15222
Experience the music of another Pittsburgh Composer of the Year. In Leonardo Balada’s “Symphony of Sorrows,” Balada tried to picture musically two aspects of war in its
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| Violinist Arabella Steinbacher |
TICKET COST: $25.75-109.75 / INFO/TICKETS: 412-392-4900 or pittsburghsymphony.org
CONDUCTOR NIKOLAJ ZNAIDER RETURNS TO BNY MELLON GRAND CLASSICS SERIES FOR MENDELSSOHN, BRUCH AND SCHUMANN
Praised by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette during his 2011-2012 conducting debut for his “graceful” baton work, Nikolaj Znaider returns to the Heinz Hall stage to lead the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra’s BNY Mellon Grand Classics concerts on Oct. 25 and 27.
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| Nikolaj Znaider |
AWARD-WINNING VOCALIST AND BROADWAY PERFORMER MAUREEN MCGOVERN
WILL PERFORM IN SECOND INSTALLATION OF TRUST CABARET SERIES
Monday, November 4, 2013 at 7:30 p.m.
Cabaret at Theater Square | 655 Penn Avenue | Cultural DistrictBroadway veteran Maureen
McGovern comes to Pittsburgh to perform at The Cabaret at Theater Square on Monday, November 4 at 7:30 p.m. This performance is part of the TRUST Cabaret Series, presented by the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, which provides the opportunity for
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| Maureen McGovern |
Maureen McGovern’s 40-year career has taken her from "The Disaster Theme Queen" to "The Stradivarius Voice" with a voice that defies categorization. Maureen’s recording career began with the Oscar-winning International Gold Records “The Morning After” (Billboard #1) and “We May Never Love Like This Again” from the classic disaster films, The Poseidon Adventure and The Towering Inferno. Other hits include "Can You Read My Mind" from Superman and "Different Worlds" from the TV series Angie. Read the entire release here.
KIDZ KORNER
“HALLOWEEN SPOOKTACULAR” OPENS THE 2013-2014 FIDDLESTICKS FAMILY SERIES WITH THE PITTSBURGH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRAHave a spooky good time this Halloween with Fiddlesticks, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra’s feline musical ambassador, during the “Halloween Spooktacular” concert on Saturday, October 26 at Heinz Hall for the season’s first concert of the Fiddlesticks Family
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| Halloween Spooktacular |
Resident Conductor Lawrence Loh and vocalist Katy Williams will help Fiddlesticks decide what he wants to be for Halloween! The concert will feature kid-friendly Halloween favorites such as Paul Dukas’ Sorcerer’s Apprentice, John William’s suite from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, and Edvard Grieg’s classic In the Hall of the Mountain King, which depicts Peer Gynt’s race to escape the collapsing walls of the Mountain King’s cave. Ballet students from Point Park University will dance to Tchaikovsky’s Waltz from The Sleeping Beauty and Assistant Conductor Fawzi Haimor will be introduced and conduct the theme from Pirates of the Caribbean. Read the entire release here.
WOMEN AND GIRLS ADVANCEMENT
@ Nemacolin Woodland Resort & Spa, October 25-27, 2013
“Experience Nemacolin Woodlands Resort and Spa - Your Relationship Renewal Destination”
We would like to extend an Open Invitationto participate in the Best Selling Author and Speaker Sessions!FREE SEATING BASED ON SPACE AVAILABILITY!!! Providing Advanced Brilliant Mind Solutions for Married, Engaged, Divorced, Separated or Singles looking to develop life transforming healthy and sustainable relationships on the planet. (Romans 12:2)
BUSINESS BUZZ
No BS Marketing Meeting Tuesday, November 5 | 5:00-7:30 PM
@ Sigma's Conference & Event Center
1717 Babcock Blvd., Pittsburgh, PA 15209 What is a "Secret Millionaire"?
We've had a ton of RSVPs since last week's announcement that "ABC TV Secret Millionaire" James Malinchak will be in town for our November 5th No BS Marketing Meeting! We've also had some questions. Here they are:
Question #1: What is a "Secret Millionaire" and why should I care?
An "ABC TV Secret Millionaire" is an extremely successful entrepreneur who was chosen to go
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| James Malinchak |
For the real scoop, WATCH THIS VIDEO!
You should care because we've secured "ABC TV Secret Millionaire" James Malinchak to come in a teach you “How 7-Figure Entrepreneurs Think & Act Differently Than Others™” in very special No BS Marketing Meeting presentation.
James will take the stage for almost 2 FULL HOURS and show you how to make 2014 your best year ever by implementing his “Millionaire Entrepreneur Secrets™.”
Question #2: When is the meeting and what time does it start?
We messed up on several emails last week with conflicting times. Let me be clear...the meeting is on November 5th from 5:00-7:30PM at Sigma's Conference & Event Center.
PS - Watch the "ABC TV Secret Millionaire" Trailer HERE to get a better feel for what type of person we have coming on November 5th!
PPS - Make sure you have the correct date and time in your calendar. The meeting will be November 5th from 5:00-7:30PM at Sigma's Conference & Event Center.
From our Friends at Pittsburgh Today
Pirates cause jump in hotel occupancy
The Pittsburgh Pirates dramatic turnaround last season has led to a jump in the region's hotel occupancy rate. August occupancy numbers show Pittsburgh at 79 percent, nearly 10 percent higher than the benchmark average. Other factors contributing to this growth include strong corporate business and two large convention groups (National Organization of Black Law Enforcement and Evangelical Lutheran Church in America).
Year-to-date occupancy numbers show Pittsburgh at 66.3 percent, the second-highest rate among its benchmark peers. However, compared with the same time last year, occupancy numbers were down 3.9 percent, the largest percent decline among its benchmark peers.
The cost of rooms in August averaged $114.50, a year-over-year increase of 2.9 percent. Year-to-date numbers show the cost of rooms averaged $111.63, an increase of 3.2 percent compared with the same time last year.
Pittsburgh's higher cost of rooms and occupancy rates can be partially explained by the relatively lower number of hotel rooms in the region. With 24,275 rooms in August, Pittsburgh has the fifth-lowest number of rooms among its benchmark peers.
Thanks for your interest, Douglas Heuck, Program Director
Year-to-date occupancy numbers show Pittsburgh at 66.3 percent, the second-highest rate among its benchmark peers. However, compared with the same time last year, occupancy numbers were down 3.9 percent, the largest percent decline among its benchmark peers.
The cost of rooms in August averaged $114.50, a year-over-year increase of 2.9 percent. Year-to-date numbers show the cost of rooms averaged $111.63, an increase of 3.2 percent compared with the same time last year.
Pittsburgh's higher cost of rooms and occupancy rates can be partially explained by the relatively lower number of hotel rooms in the region. With 24,275 rooms in August, Pittsburgh has the fifth-lowest number of rooms among its benchmark peers.
Thanks for your interest, Douglas Heuck, Program Director
The Carnegie Mellon Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship cordially invites you to LaunchCMU Pittsburgh A Research and Entrepreneurship Showcase
Cells, Circuits and Cities
Join the experts who look to Carnegie Mellon University for technology breakthroughs. Our current portfolio of emerging technologies and startup companies includes: personalized medicine. energy management, machine learning, smart transportation, consumer behavior
Wednesday, November 13, 2013 / 12:30 pm to 6:30 pm
Carnegie Mellon University, University Center/Gates Hillman Complex, 5000 Forbes Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
10:30 am / Tours: 12:30 pm
Demo and Poster Session
2:00 pm Showcase of Presentations
5:00 pm Networking Reception
RSVP by Friday, November 1, 2013
Cells, Circuits and Cities
Join the experts who look to Carnegie Mellon University for technology breakthroughs. Our current portfolio of emerging technologies and startup companies includes: personalized medicine. energy management, machine learning, smart transportation, consumer behavior
Wednesday, November 13, 2013 / 12:30 pm to 6:30 pm
Carnegie Mellon University, University Center/Gates Hillman Complex, 5000 Forbes Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
10:30 am / Tours: 12:30 pm
Demo and Poster Session
2:00 pm Showcase of Presentations
5:00 pm Networking Reception
RSVP by Friday, November 1, 2013
New Print Magazine Launch In Pittsburgh!
Susan Rose, MSN, RN Independent Speaker and Educator
Finally! a new local metaphysical/ holistic magazine coming out in print! If you recall Point of LIght magazine, this will be similar... maybe better!
Join in the fun! Bridge to Light Launch Party on Oct 24 in strip -5:30 to 7pm in the Strip District
Launch Party dchpark.com You're invited to the Bridge To Light Magazine Launch Party Please join us to celebrate Bridge To Light magazine, the heir apparent to Point of Light magazine.
HIGH SCHOOL AND UNIVERSITY NEWS
STUDENT STARS SOUGHT FOR EQUITABLE GAS SING-OFF AT HIGHMARK FIRST NIGHT PITTSBURGH 2014CASH AWARDS AVAILABLE FOR WINNER AND SCHOOL MUSIC PROGRAMS
Equitable Gas Company is searching for musically talented students to audition for the company’s fourth vocal competition celebrating the New Year. The Equitable Gas Sing-Off is part of the upcoming Highmark First Night Pittsburgh 2014, a production of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, and continues the company’s commitment to opening opportunities for young people in greater Pittsburgh.
The winner will perform live as the opening act for the Equitable Gas Marquee Performances at the Benedum Center during Highmark First Night Pittsburgh 2014. In addition the winner will receive a cash prize of $500 and the winner’s school will receive a cash prize of $1,500 designated to the music department, compliments of Equitable Gas Company. Finally, the winner will receive complimentary Highmark First Night Pittsburgh 2014 special edition 20th anniversary admission buttons. Read the entire release here.
The winner will perform live as the opening act for the Equitable Gas Marquee Performances at the Benedum Center during Highmark First Night Pittsburgh 2014. In addition the winner will receive a cash prize of $500 and the winner’s school will receive a cash prize of $1,500 designated to the music department, compliments of Equitable Gas Company. Finally, the winner will receive complimentary Highmark First Night Pittsburgh 2014 special edition 20th anniversary admission buttons. Read the entire release here.
NON-PROFIT EVENTS SPONSORED
BY BLACK TIE-PITTSBURGH
From Our Friends at The Soul Pitt
Pittsburgh Disabilities Film Festival
October 26-29, 2013
The ReelAbilities Film Festival presents award-winning films from several countries highlighting the universal stories and artistic expressions of people with disabilities. The festival includes narratives, documentaries and shorts, all with supplemental programs including speakers, panel discussion, performance art and exhibition.
Click here for list of films, schedule, times & locations
TICKETS:Opening Night $25/$15 students under 26 w/valid I.D.
All other films $10/$5 students under 26 w/valid I.D.
Buy tickets online at Pittsburgh.ReelAbilities.org,call 412-992-5203 or at the door (CASH only) if not sold out.
"Voices & Vines"
Please join us for an incredible evening of music, fine wines and good cheer in the spirit of Thanksgiving on Thursday, November 14th!
"Voices & Vines" is a fundraising benefit for the Homeless Children's Education Fund (HCEF) to help kick off National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week.
The VIP portion begins at 6:30 PM prior to the 7:30 PM performance which will be followed by an After Party.
Did you know there are more than 630,000 homeless in the U.S., which includes over 160,000 homeless children - including nearly 1,700 homeless children Allegheny County alone?
Founded in 1999, Pittsburgh’s very own Homeless Children's Education Fund (HCEF) has become one of the nation’s leading pioneers – as other cities learn from HCEF’s success in partnering with 25 homeless housing agencies to provide school supplies, afterschool programming, summer camp activities, science and arts workshops, field trip grants, and other educational enrichment programs to help bridge the gaps for children experiencing homelessness and their families.
“Voices & Vines” features a special concert by Emily Forst, a gifted singer-songwriter
“Voices & Vines” takes place from 6:30-9:30 PM at the Pittsburgh Winery followed by an After Party at the nearby CJ's Jazz Club located 1/2-block from Pittsburgh Winery. The After Party will feature live jazz by the great Roger Humphries and his band. And perhaps with some encouragement, Emily Forst will step outside of her rock genre and perform a few more songs with Roger’s band for a truly one-of-a-kind evening.
And on November 15 -- the day after “Voices & Vines” -- we should all be proud to know that HCEF will be hosting a National Summit as leaders from around the country gather in Pittsburgh to discuss these critical issues.
Coincidently, November 15 is also the one year anniversary of the Pittsburgh Winery! If you haven’t tried their hand crafted wines (made from grapes from around the world) or checked out their great new intimate concert space, this is your chance.
And the timing couldn’t be better for “Voices & Vines” guests to try these wines and maybe buy a few bottles to take home for Thanksgiving, holidays, office gifts, etc. Imagine sharing a Pittsburgh Winery bottle (Merlot, Zinfandel, Malbec, Petite Sirah, Cabernet, or White) and surprising your family and friends.
So there is much to celebrate at “Voices & Vines” and be thankful for as we help support and kick off National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week.
Buy your tickets now for “Voices & Vines” before it sells out!
General Admission Advance tickets are only $25 while VIP tickets are $55 (which includes wine tasting reception, autographed CD, wine, etc. at 6:30 PM prior to 7:30 PM concert)
For tickets, please visit ShowClix http://www.showclix.com/event/3785575
To learn more about HCEF, please visit www.homelessfund.org
NEIGHBORHOOD HI-LIGHTS
From our Friends at The Soul Pitt
GENRES & GENERATIONS: A Community ConcertProduced by Pop/R&B Recording Artist Bridgette Perdue
Sunday, October 27, 2PM @ Father Ryan Arts Center
420 Chartiers Ave, McKees Rocks, 15136
The last of a FREE three part community concert series celebrating Black music from roots to present day! This family fun event features Bridgette Perdue with live band, and special performances by Anqwenique Wingfield, Hakim Rasheed, and the Father Ryan Arts Center
FREE admission, food, and fun for the whole family. Invite your friends on Facebook http://bit.ly/gagVol3. www.BridgettePerdue.com, info@bridgetteperdue.com
412.589.9144 / Sponsored by The Pittsburgh Foundation
412.589.9144 / Sponsored by The Pittsburgh Foundation
ROVING PITTSBURGHER REPORT
Oklahoma Conservatory Theatre Company at the Pittsburgh Playhouse
The show was everything I never knew it would be. First class performance, sound, acting, dancing, singing, scenery, absolutely amazing. Hard to believe they were all students.
Broadway and Beyond reviewed by Joyce Kane
The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of guest conductor Ted Sperling, warmed up the audience with music from Carousel and Sweeney Todd. An added treat, students from area colleges and universities, participants in the All-Star College Chorus, gave us two selections with the promise of more to come. The All-Star College Chorus is led by
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| Brian Stokes Mitchell |
With music from Camelot, Porgy and Bess, Les Miserables, Ragtime among others, we were transported to the Great White Way, with familiar classics and a few new ones. Mitchell and Sperling weaved in stories of their extensive relationship creating beautiful music together. Add in pianist and friend Tedd Firth, and you get the benefit of three professionals who are so in tuned with each other that it almost felt like a performance around a living room piano rather than a concert hall. Full review here.
Caliente
http://pizzadrafthouse.com/
4624 Liberty Ave Pittsburgh, PA 15224/ (412) 904-1744
Until last week, Monticello's on Babcock had the best spinach rolls in the City, but Caliente
Excellent service and the owner Nick a nice "Polish boy" (shhh! don't tell anyone!) has been making pizza for 17 years.
Also very amazing, amenable staff. Say "hello" to David the bartender, he is quite the find for excellent service. Oh, and it's the first Pizza Place and Bar that we have been in that also has excellent coffee.
PITTSBURGH GOOD NEWS FORUM
THE RUBBER DUCK PROJECT DEPARTS PITTSBURGH, LEAVES BEHIND A LEGACY OF UNPRECEDENTED PROSPERITY
The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust confirmed that Studio Florentijn Hofman’s The Rubber Duck Project will begin its departure on Sunday, Oct. 20.
The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust welcomed hundreds of thousands of spectators on Friday, September 27th, when The Rubber Duck Project launched on the Ohio River, kicking off the Trust’s third installment of the International Festival of Firsts. Since its arrival, The Rubber Duck Project has been a celebrity of sorts—people of all ages have flocked to Point State Park, photos and posts exploded across social media hubs and the floating exhibit even became the backdrop for a retirement celebration and a marriage proposal. The momentum and the memories The Rubber Duck Project has hatched, during its North American premiere in the Steel City, will last for generations to come. In addition to the pure joy the project brought its visitors from near and far, the overall increase of activity in Pittsburgh’s Cultural District brought a boom in businesses, attracting tourism, workforce talent and business investment from around the globe.
“The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust has welcomed more than a million people to Pittsburgh during these past three weeks,” shared Pittsburgh Cultural Trust President and CEO, Kevin McMahon. “As part of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust's International Festival of Firsts, The Rubber Duck Project has generated tens of millions of dollars in direct spending. The project has contributed to our region’s vitality and cultural quality of life. As we approach the thirty year marker in our mission’s work of using the arts as a catalyst for urban revitalization, the success of this project confirms the progress we have made locally, and places the city of Pittsburgh in the forefront of the national urban revitalization movement.”
“It is such a coup for Pittsburgh to have the giant Rubber Duck,” says Craig Davis, VisitPittsburgh president and CEO. “Our partners are thrilled with the number of people that are coming downtown and if you look in the parking garages, there are license plates from all over the country.”
Local partners that contributed to the project’s success include, but are not limited to: Clear Story Creative, VisitPittsburgh, Allegheny Conference, Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council, Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership, Alcosan, Matt Greene and the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and National Resources, PNC Park, Allegheny County and the Sports and Exhibition Authority, local and national media outlets and the City of Pittsburgh for embracing The Rubber Duck Project.
The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust is pleased to support the International Festival of Firsts through The Carol R. Brown Foundation Performance Fund and numerous other contributors, including two anonymous donors, The Buhl Foundation, The Heinz Endowments, The Hillman Foundation, The Pittsburgh Foundation, The Snee-Reinhardt Charitable Foundation, and The Richard King Mellon Foundation.
Special Announcement
Keep the Duck in Pittsburgh with Rubber Duck Picture Memories:
Post your picture on the PPL Facebook Page of the rubber duck with family, friends, or by itself and we will turn it into a video. You must first like the page to be able to post. Last date for posting is October 31. Then we will turn it into a video with music and post on PPL Mag.com
This was reported as a reproduction of PositvelyPittsburghLive news done by Joanne Quinn-Smith. (c) Joanne Quinn-Smith and PositivelyPittsburghLive(TM) 2013 All rights reserved.
Listen to the show online here
Tara Darazio is a Positively Pittsburgh Live reporter, an independent copywriter, blogger, article writer, and social media strategist. If you are in need of writing assistance, or need help with your social media efforts connect with Tara on LinkedIn here.
Post your picture on the PPL Facebook Page of the rubber duck with family, friends, or by itself and we will turn it into a video. You must first like the page to be able to post. Last date for posting is October 31. Then we will turn it into a video with music and post on PPL Mag.com
This was reported as a reproduction of PositvelyPittsburghLive news done by Joanne Quinn-Smith. (c) Joanne Quinn-Smith and PositivelyPittsburghLive(TM) 2013 All rights reserved.
Listen to the show online here
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