"End of the Line" Fact Sheet Project Title: End of the Line: Building Bridges with Pittsburgh's Busways Produced by: Artists/Co-Authors Lisa B. Link and Carolyn P. Speranza Artist Assistant Debra Tomson Administrative Intern Susan Lee Contact: Project Overview: Community-based artistic collaboration examining historic and contemporary issues in Pittsburgh's neighborhoods resulting in the creation of 5 digital collages displayed on 20 PAT buses for the duration of one month. These collages are designed to cross boundaries between neighborhoods symbolically in their unifying cultural themes and literally in their method of display on PAT buses and placement on the World Wide Web. These themes were developed through workshops that Ms. Link & Ms. Speranza led at six Carnegie Branch libraries in the summer of 1996. Participants contributed their oral histories and photographs to the project and were taught how to make collages by the artists. During the fall of 1996, the artists further refined the project with additional visits to each neighborhood and meetings with workshop participants. The artists then assembled the five digital collages in the computer and created the project's web site from the project's archive during the winter and spring of 1997. Duration: Participating Carnegie Libraries: Allegheny Regional, Beechview, Hazelwood, Homewood, Lawrenceville, West End, the Pennsylvania Department in Oakland. Format: Offset 21" x 22" color posters mounted on interior of 20 PAT Transit buses and in public areas in the city of Pittsburgh. One web site http://www.pittsburgh.net/End_of_the_Line Project Contributions and Support: Technical and production support, printing consultation contributed by TELab (Technology Enhanced Learning Lab), Carnegie Mellon University. Supported by the STUDIO for Creative Inquiry, Carnegie Mellon University. Web site housing courtesy of Internet Services, Corp. Design Themes: Urban Rebuilding: The flip side to "urban removal" is the pro-active stance that neighborhood groups are taking to improve the physical conditions of buildings in their areas. Through their efforts many dedicated workers counteract the media stereotypes of the inner-city neighborhood as a place of danger, apathy and physical decay. Their projects range in size and scale and many organizations, such as Youthbuild based in Homewood, have social missions such as training and educating young people, that allow them to impact the community beyond just renovating old homes. Community Gardens: There are numerous community gardens that sustain the aesthetic and culinary needs of Pittsburgh's city residents. They are maintained by hundreds of volunteer gardeners. We found several garden based beautification projects located in small areas adjacent to PAT bus stops. Garden enthusiasts can also meditate on the artwork and architectural remnants in the beds of the Olde Allegheny Garden Society or catch scenic views of the Northside between ears of corn in a community vegetable garden on the slopes of Polish Hill. Local Heroes: At every workshop we heard stories of the unsung heroes of Pittsburgh, the people whose daily contribution to their fellow Pittsburghers made their neighborhood a positive place to live. Although most of these people will never get a statue in their honor or a bank to bear their name, we feel it is critical to acknowledge their role in building their communities. We feature one such person, Ruth Rosfeld, as a symbol of the numerous individuals whose civic excellence truly illustrates the motto of Pittsburgh as "America's Most Livable city." II. Interior Computer Collage |