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Headshot of Alecia Dawn Young by Sean Carroll
This mural considers how community centers are fertile spaces for collaboration, creativity, and liberatory endeavors through a bright ceramic tile and acrylic paint composition that expands across 1,600 square feet of the exterior and interior walls of the future community center and youth development hub.
TASC led a local open call for artwork in the fall, bringing in submissions from artists around the area. A selection committee including stakeholders from TASC, SCS, GBBN (the architecture firm on the project) and the Larimer Consensus Group (the neighborhood group) narrowed down the pool to three artists, who were invited to go through a paid design process. These three artists, PBJ Customs, Industrial Arts Workshop, and Alecia Dawn Young, went on to speak directly with members of both the SCS and neighborhood communities during a workshop held on January 11, 2024. Over the following weeks, the artists created design proposals for public artworks in a variety of materials working with feedback from the selection committee and members of the public.
SCS’s new facility, named the Larimer Education and Squash Center, will display the artwork on the exterior of the building. The artwork will combine ceramic tiles and paint in a design to honor the spirit of the Larimer neighborhood and the programmatic mission of SCS. Steel City Squash envisioned its new home to be designed and built as a local and national destination facility that will create multiple revenue streams to support its program, facilitate multicultural engagement, and contribute to long-term sustainability.
Alecia Dawn Young is an artist, scholar, and founder of the creative wellness studio YOGAMOTIF. She believes that generating art and life are connected and invests her time in people, projects, and communities that explore these practices. Her work is grounded in the collective healing of Black m/others and embodied making that supports mental health. Alecia’s career spans a commitment to community arts education and wellness, rooted in making, teaching, and researching in the visual arts. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Alfred University where she focused on 3-dimensional studies in wood, metal, and ceramic arts. After teaching in non-profit and public education for five years, Alecia obtained a Master of Arts Management from the H. John Heinz III College at Carnegie Mellon University. She is currently a practicing ceramic artist and Ph.D. student in the Applied Developmental Psychology program at the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Education.
In 2014, Steel City Squash introduced urban squash to Pittsburgh. The organization was founded by Talbott Simonds and Tim Wyant, who partnered to establish Steel City Squash with help from the Hillman Foundation, the Heinz Endowments, and the University of Pittsburgh. This program joined the Squash and Education Alliance (SEA) as its 19th member in 2015 and continues to support the community through education, mentoring, community service, travel and the sport of squash. Since its inception, Steel City Squash continues to inspire and motivate students from 4th through 11th grade to excel academically and envision their future by providing consistent and long term support to students and their families to achieve their postsecondary goals, all while exposing them to the culture of the sport of squash.
After a local open call for artists this past fall, three artists were chosen to go through a paid design process: Alexis Gideon, Loring Taoka, and Sophia Marie Pappas. Pappas was recently selected as the final artist.
Sophia Marie Pappas is an illustrator and letterpress printer living and working in Pittsburgh. She operates her own studio and tiny storefront, Studio PDP, in Millvale where she offers freelance illustration services and custom letterpress printing. Studio PDP also houses her mini shop where she sells original work and her own line of letterpress stationery.
“At its core, my work is narrative,” says Pappas. “I want to tell [you] a story, and I love a good story.” Taking inspiration from old country ballads, Biblical epics, eavesdropped conversations, as well as her own life, Pappas' work creates a visual language from the stories she’s witnessed and experienced.
Her new work for Art in the Heart will be installed this spring on the second and third floor windows of the Skinny Building, a commercial building located on the corner of Forbes Avenue and Wood Street. The aim of the project is to both preserve and celebrate these historic buildings in Downtown Pittsburgh. pappas' artwork will be illuminated from inside the building to create a lightbox effect, with her design showcased across more than 700 square feet. The goal of Art in the Heart is to provide a positive interaction with art for downtown Pittsburgh passerby, offering a moment of joy and lightness in the hustle and bustle of the city.
To acknowledge the full process of this project, small prints of both Loring Taoka and Alexis Gideon’s designs will be displayed inside the neighboring Roberts building along with historical photos of the downtown strip.
Standing at a width of 5 feet and 2 inches, the Skinny Building is one of the narrowest commercial buildings in the world. The Skinny Building's lot was created in 1903 by a street widening project, and the building itself was constructed in 1926 by Louis Hendel (c. 1874–1945), who was a local fruit vendor. Continuing a cheeky legacy of “spite buildings,” Hendel had the building constructed partially in response to neighboring business owners who complained about him obstructing the sidewalk with his fruit-selling business.
Have you gotten a chance to check out The Journal yet? The Journal is TASC’s tri-annual online publication that covers all things Good Art from the minds of experts on our staff. With each issue, TASC interviews a local artist we’ve worked with, reflects on projects we’ve completed, and provides a little game to tease your brain. Check out the most recent issue by clicking the button below, and make sure to catch up on previous issues if you haven’t gotten around to them yet.
The Art Supply Co. is a new beginning for our consulting arm at Casey Droege Cultural Productions.
As with many other businesses, the pandemic forced us to think on our feet and re-examine our model. I’m thrilled that our business not only survived the shutdowns but also grew and thrived in unexpected ways. As I look to the future and the pathway of growth, I’ve decided to launch this rebrand, which streamlines our art consulting services and adds a few new offerings as well. (It’ll also save you from having to try to pronounce my last name all the time!)
The Art Supply Co. will continue to facilitate artwork acquisitions and commissions for businesses looking to connect with independent artists and designers. We work with architects, interior designers, developers, and more, to acquire art and hire artists for their projects. We have an incredible network of artists available to create beautiful works, connect with the community, and build memorable experiences in your space. We’re also adding in project management offerings and other forms of support.
We’ll add in posts along with our tri-annual publication here on The Art Supply Co.’s blog. You can also learn more by following us on social media and signing up for our email list, where we regularly share news, artist opportunities, and exclusive events.
To the future!
Casey