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School & Community Programs
"We do not know who we are until we know what we can do. That should be the job of education. "
- Sir Kenneth Robinson: author,
Out of Our Minds: Learning to be Creative
The School & Community Arts program at Pittsburgh Center for the Arts is dedicated
to bringing artist residencies to schools, nonprofit service agencies, and
community organizations working with both children and adults in Allegheny, Beaver,
Southwest Butler, Greene, and Washington counties. Artist residencies are designed to place
trained, knowledgeable, and practicing artists into school and community
settings where they can share the benefits of the creative process. This Program is in partnership with the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts.
We currently have 49 resident artists in our program, including media
artists, dancers, folk artists, musicians, visual artists and writers.
This year we accepted Jamie Boyd, Randy Collins, Michael Johnsen, Christopher Kardambikis, Tavia LaFollette, Laura Jean McLaughlin, Davil Pohl, Quantum Theatre, and Thomas Sarver.
Please consider supporting Pittsburgh Center
for the Arts through your United Way contribution.
Contributor Choice Code #2621.
Contact
Mary Brenholts
Director of School & Community Programs
mbrenholts@pittsburgharts.org
412-361-0455 x368
2008 Artist residency directory
Click here to download a pdf of the directory.
In the News
South Fayete & Neighbors Magazine Highlights the PCA's School and Community Artist in Residence Program. Read more here.
Artist Residencies in Action
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For three consecutive years, resident artist Sandra Gould Ford has led an ongoing residency of Creative Writing Workshops to the men and women incarcerated in the Allegheny County Jail. She has taught memoir, fiction, poetry, personal essay, and basic story construction. As her class studies various types of research, along with both creative and editorial writing, they participate in an ever increasing knowledge of how our complex English language functions. She is currently working to publish a second book of student works entitled Diamonds in the Rough. |
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This February, dancer Patty Maloney, puppet-maker Cheryl Capezzuti, and musician Jeff Berman returned to Chartiers Valley Primary School for a third consecutive year to lead an exciting collaborative residency project. Their different disciplines partnered beautifully to develop a performance with 3 kindergarten classes. As Jeff Berman provided percussion, Patty Maloney led the children through the narration of a story. Cheryl instructed the students in the creation of bead-filled puppets, which were not only visually beautiful props for the play, but also functioned as musical instruments. Incorporating story into the arts by the use of rhythm, movement, and rhyming, the artists were able to promote memory and sequence of material. Pre- and post-testing indicates that the students' comprehension is far greater after the residency projects, making it clear that a focus on the arts fosters academic success. |
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This January and February resident artist Stephanie Flom led a 13-day residency mural project at West View Elementary School, in the North Hills School District, working with art teacher Sara Strzempek and seventy-five fifth grade students. The residency goal was to facilitate the creation of a permanent public mural inspired by the work of Matisse. The energetic, motivated students did extensive research and captured various subjects, emotional expressions, and action illustrations through the use of cut-outs from contour line drawings. |
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In February 2008, resident artists Ashley Williams and Devin Fay of Attack Theatre led a 5-day residency project in Moon Area School district, working with the physical education instructor, Marc Kopay, and his 6th-8th grade students. The residency goal was to introduce the art form of break dancing. This creative and fun dance instruction offered Moon Area students a unique alternative to physical activity. |
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Resident artist Mary Miller of the Mary Miller Dance Company has led an ongoing monthly residency project with the hearing impaired students of Peebles Elementary in the North Allegheny School District. While each year brings newcomers, she has developed relationships with many of her continuing students. Her classes involves 10-12 students from the ages of Kindergarten through sixth grade. With a drummer to accompany her, Mary is able to help the students understand rhythm and how it corresponds to dancing. This creative and expressive movement class is a push for physical activity and is designed to encourage imagination. |
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In January 2008, resident artist Tina Brewer worked with art teacher Deb Lieberman and her fifth grade students in a 10-13 day residency project, at Pittsburgh Linden K-8. Their goal was to create a story quilt using handmade rubber stamps, fabric, and Adinkra symbolism with an emphasis on color and texture to depict themselves and their expectations for the future. In February, Resident Artist Chris Kardambikis will be spending three additional days working with Ms. Lieberman and her students teaching them how to make hand bound journals that contain their stories and sketches from the quilt project. |
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our programs
Summer Classes
The School at the PCA offers classes in art from ceramics to animation for all ages. Call us at 412-361-0455 x324 to register today!
Check out our schedule online
Visit our Shop
The PCA Shop promotes and sells the work of local artists. We currently represent over 150 artists in disciplines ranging from fibers and print to ceramics and glass...
Check out our Shop
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