Audience members at Jazz-Poetry Concert salute writers from all over the world who were imprisoned or otherwise persecuted in 2013; photo by Orlando Luis Pardo Lazo

Updates
The Artway is about creating spaces and opportunities for diverse neighbors to gather and where literature and art challenge and inspire us all to re-imagine and make a better home together.

October has seen the launch of our Artway commissioning project. Working with the Greater Pittsburgh Art Council’s Office of Public Art, we’ve formed two panels to identify the artists and artworks that will be commissioned for the Artway. One panel will oversee an international call-for-proposals; the other will oversee an invitational cohort. The volunteers for these panels come from within Pittsburgh’s art community and from our immediate community here on the Northside. It’s exciting to have taken these first steps toward the creation of public art that will animate the Artway.

Recent Wins
This video by the State Department’s Bureau of Educational & Cultural Affairs gives a sense of the scale and feel of September’s Jazz-Poetry Concert, while this NPR audio feature, produced by WESA-FM, introduces Pittsburghers to the Artway.

Artist and COA/P co-founder Diane Samuels gives a tour of City of Asylum’s Writer Residences to a visiting tour group; photo courtesy of City of Asylum

Insight/Provocation
Comments from audience members surveyed at our September events describe their response to acts of creative place-making: “A unique public event that the city can be proud of;” “I am proud Pittsburgh does this;” “It was very moving, and I’m proud it's in Pittsburgh;” “It made me feel proud to live in this city;” “I'm proud that my neighbors created this!” “Proud to be sitting with neighbors near and far,” and “I feel more aware; more hopeful; more connected to others.”