First Night Celebration Road Closures Announced

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


Today's date: December 29, 2011



HIGHMARK FIRST NIGHT® PITTSBURGH 2012

ROAD CLOSURES MEDIA ALERT

To have a safe and enjoyable environment for Highmark First Night® Pittsburgh 2012, the following road closures will be taking place at 10 am on Saturday, December 31, 2011, unless otherwise noted:



Penn Avenue at Stanwix Street up until, but not including, Tenth Street.

Stanwix Street from Liberty Avenue to between Penn Avenue and Ft. Duquesene Blvd. (parking garage is still accessible from Ft Duquesne Blvd.) 9:00pm-1:00am Only

Sixth Street will remain OPEN with the exception from 8:00pm-8:45pm for the First Night Parade. EQT parking garage on Penn Avenue is open until 2pm and MUST be entered and exited via 6th Street ONLY.

Fifth Avenue Extension from Fifth Avenue Place to Fort Duquesne Boulevard (Fifth Avenue Place Parking garage is still accessible from Liberty).

Seventh Street from Liberty Avenue to the entrance of Theatre Square Parking Garage (parking garage access only accessible from Ft. Duquesne Blvd.).

Maddock Pl. from Penn Ave. to Ft. Duquesne Blvd (parking lot access only from Ft. Duquesne Blvd.).

Eighth Street from Liberty Avenue (Tito Way) to the entrance to the 8th and Penn parking lots (parking lot access only accessible from Ft. Duquesne Blvd.).

Ninth Street from Liberty Avenue to the Ninth and Penn Garage (parking garage access only accessible from Ft. Duquesne Blvd.).

Garrison Pl. from Liberty to Ft. Duquesne Blvd (parking lot access only accessible from Ft. Duquesne Blvd.).

Exchange Way from 9th Street to 10th Street (parking access only accessible from 10th Street)

All alleys leading into the footprint from Penn Avenue, Liberty Avenue, 6-10th Streets including, Cecil CLO Academy Way, Barkers Pl., Scott Pl., and French Way.

Seventh Street Bridge (will be closed from 10am until 10pm).

10th Street will be closed for the duration of the parade starting at 7:30pm

The streets will re-open at 1am unless otherwise noted.



Please note the following: Access to all Pittsburgh Parking Authority Garages and all parking garages noted above will be open and will not be impeded by the road closures, with exception of the 6th and Penn Parking Garage which will be closed for the safety of all Highmark First Night® Pittsburgh and Cultural District patrons.



For information on Port Authority bus stops that may be affected by the road closures, please call the Port Authority Customer Service center at (412) 442-2000 or the TTY number (412) 231-7007, for the speech and hearing impaired, or visit PortAuthority.org



Visit firstnight.org for more information and a schedule of event or call 412-456-6666.



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As You Like It Sizzles in the New Year at the O'Reilly Theater

Contact
Margie Romero
Communications Manager at Pittsburgh Public Theater

412.316.8200 ext. 707
mromero@ppt.org

Pittsburgh Public Theater Presents



Gretchen Egolf



As You Like It

The pursuit of happiness is at the heart of Shakespeare’s romantic comedy in this all-new production directed by Ted Pappas.

PITTSBURGH (December 28, 2011) Pittsburgh Public Theater continues its red hot season with a glowing new production of William Shakespeare’s As You Like It, directed by Ted Pappas. As You Like It runs January 19 – February 19, 2012 at the O’Reilly Theater, Pittsburgh Public Theater’s home in the heart of Downtown’s Cultural District. For tickets call 412.316.1600 or visit ppt.org. As You Like It is Presented by PNC.

This romantic comedy features smart, funny and feisty Rosalind, who is one of Shakespeare’s greatest inventions. In this sparkling role, The Public is thrilled to welcome back Gretchen Egolf, who was last seen here as Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy in the world premiere of The Secret Letters of Jackie and Marilyn. Playing her would-be beau, Orlando, is Christian Conn, who appeared on Broadway in Desire Under the Elms. Making her Public Theater debut as Rosalind’s cousin, Celia, is Julia Coffey.

Returning to Pittsburgh for As You Like It are several accomplished veterans who have performed recently at The Public: Ross Bickell (The Royal Family) as Duke Frederick and Duke Senior; Douglas Harmsen (The Importance of Being Earnest) as Touchstone; Anderson Matthews (Superior Donuts) as Jaques; and Noble Shropshire (Camelot) as Adam/Mar-Text. Also featured are Theo Allyn (Phoebe), David Bielewicz (Jaques De Boys), Alex Coleman (Corin), Don DiGiulio (Dennis), Lisa Ann Goldsmith (Audrey), Daniel Krell (LeBeau and Amiens), Chris Landis (Silvius), Lindsay Smiling (Charles, William and Hymen), and David Whalen (Oliver).

In As You Like It, when Rosalind is banished from the palace, she takes refuge in the Forest of Arden disguised as a boy. There she discovers a world full of colorful characters, all in riotous pursuit of happiness. With original music composed by Michael Moricz, director Ted Pappas has set his production in the Edwardian era, that short golden age at the dawn of the 20th century when social change promised to be the new fashion. Creating this stylish world is the design team: James Noone (Scenic), Gabriel Berry (Costumes), Kirk Bookman (Lighting), and Zach Moore (Sound). Randy Kovitz is the Fight Director, Ruth E. Kramer is the Production Stage Manager, and Fredric H. Orner is the Assistant Stage Manager.


Pittsburgh Public Theater Presents

What: As You Like It

When: January 19 – February 19, 2012

Performance Schedule

Tues. through Sat. at 8 pm (except Tues., Feb. 14 when the show is at 7 pm).

Sat. at 2 pm (except Jan. 28).


There will be an additional 2 pm matinee on Thurs., Feb. 16.

Sun. at 2 & 7 pm.

Press Night is Thursday, Jan. 26.

Opening Night is Friday, Jan. 27.

Ticket Prices



$28 to $60.



$15.75 for students and age 26 and younger with valid ID.



For tickets call 412.316.1600 or visit ppt.org

The Agony and The Ecstasy of Steve Jobs

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


Today's date: December 21, 2011

Contact:
Veronica Corpuz
The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust
412-471-6082
corpuz@trustarts.org

Diana Roth
The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust
412-471-8717
roth@trustarts.org

Mike Daisey: The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs, co-presented by The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust and The Andy Warhol Museum's 2012 performance series, Off the Wall.

Saturday January 21, 2012, at 8 p.m., Byham Theater, 101 Sixth Street, downtown Pittsburgh

The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, in association with The Andy Warhol Museum's 2012 performance series, Off the Wall, presents Mike Daisey’s The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs at the Byham Theater on January 21, 2012, at 8 p.m., as part of the Cohen & Grigsby Trust Presents series. Created and performed by Mike Daisey and directed by Jean-Michele Gregory, The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs dives into the epic story of real life Willy Wonka Steve Jobs, the former CEO of Apple. Daisey examines how Jobs’ obsessions profoundly shape our everyday lives and recounts Jobs' journey to China to investigate the factories where millions are employed making iPhones and iPods. This presentation in Pittsburgh by Daisey is one of only a few select cities around the country on his tour.

Tickets are $18-$35 and may be purchased at the Box Office at Theater Square (655 Penn Avenue), online at www.trustarts.org, or by calling (412) 456-6666. To purchase 10 or more tickets at special discounted rates, please call group sales at (412) 471-6930.

Daisey’s journey shines a brilliant light on our love affair with our devices and the human cost of creating them. Daisey speaks of Shenzhen, China, where 52 percent of the world's consumer electronic products are manufactured, mostly by human hands. Daisey commented to Cult of Mac, “What I am interested in is telling the extemporaneous story, live. I am not playing any role. I’m using the tools of the theater, but I’m actually speaking as a person who has gone and done these things.” After risking his own life to stand outside Foxconn and interview workers -- some of whom are 13 years old and younger -- and later meeting with union organizers to find out what life is like in a Chinese factory, Daisey shows that he "dreams of a kind of theater that takes risks and speaks the truth to power.” – Los Angeles Times

Mike Daisey has been called “the master storyteller” and “one of the finest solo performers of his generation” by the New York Times for his groundbreaking monologues, which weave together autobiography, gonzo journalism and unscripted performance. These famously hilarious and heartbreaking monologues include last season’s critically acclaimed The Last Cargo Cult, the controversial How Theater Failed America, the six-hour epic Great Men of Genius, the unrepeatable series All Stories Are Fiction, the international sensation 21 Dog Years, and his latest, The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs. He has performed in venues on five continents, ranging from Off-Broadway at the Public Theater to remote islands in the South Pacific, from the Sydney Opera House to abandoned theaters in post-Communist Tajikistan. He’s been a commentator and contributor to WIRED, Vanity Fair, Slate, Salon, NPR and the BBC. His first film, Layover, was shown at the Cannes Film Festival this year, and a feature film of his monologue, If You See Something Say Something, was produced in 2011. He has been nominated for the Outer Critics Circle Award, two Drama League Awards, and is the recipient of the Bay Area Critics Circle Award, four Seattle Times Footlight Awards, The Sloan Foundation’s Galileo Prize, and a MacDowell Fellowship.

The Andy Warhol Museum, one of the four Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh, features extensive permanent collections of art and archives of one of the most influential American artists of the twentieth century. The museum, a primary resource for anyone seeking insights into contemporary art and popular culture, is also an active cultural center with a performing arts program that enables the Museum to both explore a wide range of work related to its mission and serve a diverse audience. The Museum’s Off the Wall presentations are a multi-disciplinary performance series devoted to challenging conventional perceptions of art and providing audiences with a diverse offering of unique and thought-provoking live performance experiences.
###

2012 Global Game Jam Preview Workshops Promote National Video Game Challenge

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
December 15, 2011


CONTACT:
George Hazimanolis
412-622-1366
ghaziman@wqed.org

Maria Pisano
412-622-1459
mpisano@wqed.org

WQED Pittsburgh Workshops

Encourage Local Students to Participate in

National STEM Video Game Challenge

WQED Workshops in conjunction with The 2012 Global Game Jam

in Pittsburgh will prepare students and educators to build original

games in support of STEM – Science, Technology, Engineering and

Math – learning

PITTSBURGH – To help promote participation in the 2012 National STEM Video Game Challenge, WQED Pittsburgh is collaborating with Schell Game and the Pittsburgh International Game Developers Association to hold workshops in conjunction with the 2012 Global Game Jam in Pittsburgh (GGJ.)

WQED will recruit middle school students to participate in the workshops to be held Saturday and Sunday, January 28 & 29 at several locations in Oakland. Graduate students and faculty of the Carnegie Mellon Entertainment Technology Center (ETC) will serve as peer mentors from the world of computer science to assist students in the development of their video game concepts by instructing them on storyboarding, reviewing their idea against math concepts and using game development software such as Alice or Gamestar Mechanic. After the workshops, participants will be taken to the ETC where the GGJ will be taking place simultaneously. While there students will tour the facility to explore career possibilities in STEM and have the opportunity to play test the games produced at the GGJ by visiting gamers.

“We hope to raise awareness about using games as educational tools,” says Jennifer Stancil, Executive Director of Educational Partnerships at WQED. She adds, “Pairing kids with game developers and gaming companies allows us to support local kids by allowing them to be innovative and creative. In addition, we hope to elevate the profile of the National STEM Video Game challenge so that young people from middle school to college and their instructors know about this amazing and engaging opportunity to create new games, especially ones that can be entered into the PBS Math category.”

The 2012 Global Game Jam in Pittsburgh is one of many global “sleepovers” being held for gamers to come together and build new, innovative gaming experiences for kids and adults alike. GGJ will be held Friday, January 27 at 5 p.m. through Sunday, January 29 at 5 p.m. Located at the ETC (700 Technology Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15203) the fee to participate is $15 and includes a GGJ T-shirt and food. Participation is restricted to those ages 18 and older and space is limited. More information regarding the GGJ may be found at wqed.org/education.

About 2012 National STEM Video Game Challenge

Supported nationally by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) and PBS KIDS through the Ready To Learn Initiative, the 2012 National STEM Video Game Challenge is inspired by the “Educate to Innovate Campaign,” President Obama’s initiative to promote a renewed focus on STEM education. The Challenge is an annual competition to motivate interest in STEM learning among America’s youth by tapping into students’ natural passion for playing and making video games.

The Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop and E-Line Media launched the 2nd annual Challenge in partnership with the Digital Promise, a new initiative created by the President and Congress, supported through the U.S. Department of Education.

The 2012 Challenge features four entry categories: Middle School, High School, Collegiate and Educator. Within each category, PBS KIDS and CPB are challenging participants to develop educational games for children ages 4-8 that focus on specific math curriculum skills. Contestants can find insights and more information about the Challenge on PBSKIDS.org/stemchallenge, including resources that help guide game production for young children and interviews with top PBS KIDS game producers.

Entries are now being accepted through March 12, 2012 at www.stemchallenge.org. At the end of the competition, the winning games for the PBS KIDS and CPB track will be featured on the PBS KIDS Lab and PBS LearningMedia websites.

PBS KIDS and CPB are participating in the 2012 National STEM Video Game Challenge as part of the Ready To Learn Initiative, a grant program managed by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Innovation and Improvement.

The Ready To Learn Initiative supports the development of innovative educational television and digital media targeted at preschool and early elementary school children and their families, including over 40 new cross-platform games designed to help children ages 2-8 build critical math skills, which are now available at PBSKIDS.org/lab. Its goal is to promote early learning and school readiness, with a particular interest in reaching low-income children. In addition to creating television and other media products, the program supports activities intended to promote national distribution of the programming, effective educational uses of the programming, community-based outreach, and research on educational effectiveness.

About WQED Pittsburgh

WQED Pittsburgh has a proud history of honors, including 128 National and Mid-Atlantic Emmy® Awards, an Academy Award, and many, many others, including two Emmy® Awards for Station Excellence. WQED was founded in 1954 as the nation’s first community-supported broadcaster. The people of WQED create, produce and distribute quality programs, products and services to engage, inform, educate and entertain the public within their community and around the world. WQED Pittsburgh is one of the first broadcasters in the country to be fully high-definition (HD) in its studio and field production capabilities. It is the parent company of WQED-TV (PBS); WQED: The Neighborhood Channel; WQED: The Create Channel; WQED Showcase; Classical WQED-FM 89.3/Pittsburgh; Classical WQEJ-FM 89.7/Johnstown; local and national television and radio productions; WQED Interactive (www.wqed.org) and The WQED Education Department.

About PBS KIDS

PBS KIDS, the number one educational media brand for children, offers all children the opportunity to explore new ideas and new worlds through television, online and community-based programs. For more information on specific PBS KIDS programs supporting literacy, science, math and more, visit PBS.org/pressroom, or follow PBS KIDS on Twitter and Facebook.

About CPB

CPB is a private, nonprofit corporation created by Congress in 1967 and is steward of the federal government’s investment in public broadcasting. It helps support the operation of more than 1,300 locally-owned and operated public television and radio stations nationwide, and is the largest single source of funding for research, technology, and program development for public radio, television and related online services.

The contents of this release were developed under a grant from the Department of Education. However, those contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.

The project is funded by a Ready To Learn grant (PR/AWARD No. U295A100025, CFDA No. 84.295A) provided by the Department of Education to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

NOVA Chemicals Invests in WQED Teacher and Education Initiative

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
December 15, 2011

CONTACT:
George Hazimanolis
412-622-1366
ghaziman@wqed.org

Maria Pisano
412-622-1459
mpisano@wqed.org

WQED Invests in Area Teachers and Education Innovation

NOVA Chemicals Provides Support to WQED’s iQ: smartmedia initiative

PITTSBURGH – WQED today announced three new opportunities for 21st century educators – a new broadcast television series called tch, extended online resources through PBS Learning Media, and an upcoming webinar series for educators as part of its iQ: smartmedia strategy.

iQ: smartmedia is a new concept of the way public media influences children’s intellectual development. NOVA Chemicals’ support extends the strategy to provide programming and resources for educators.

“Teachers change the lives of their students, forever. Investing in these educators and infusing the classroom with high quality media resources helps even the most experienced educator engage and develop 21st century learners,” said Jennifer Stancil, Executive Director of Educational Partnerships at WQED.

"We are pleased to support WQED in these new initiatives through broadcast and online resources. Developing 21st century learners depends on educators having innovative resources to transform the learning experience and NOVA Chemicals is proud to support WQED in changing educational experiences in the region," said Wendy Lomicka, Community Relations at NOVA Chemicals.

Airing on the Teaching Channel series on WQED-TV and on the Internet is a video showcase of inspiring and effective teaching practices in America's schools. Twenty new episodes, ranging from math to differentiated instruction, reading comprehension and science will air weekly on WQED-TV on Saturday mornings at 6:00am.

Additionally, WQED has partnered with national television producers and PBS to bring teachers a new, free research tool of multimedia assets for classroom use. PBS Learning Media is an online service that showcases 14,000 video resources from math and engineering to art and theater. The resources are categorized by topic and match national standards in grades pre-K – 12 as well as many advanced high school and college like “courses” that include physics lessons from NASA.

Beginning in February 2012, WQED will launch the iQ:smartmedia academy. The iQ: smartmedia academy offers a series of webinars that help educators and care providers incorporate PBS resources into their daily routines. From gaming to geography, music to science, WQED has resources proven to help kids realize their potential. These free webinars are available to educators and care providers in all settings – formal, afterschool, home, cyber – and will be held in the afternoons via video conference. PAEYC (Pittsburgh Association for the Education of Young Children) will be providing corresponding professional development credits to early childhood educators for these courses.

About iQ: smartmedia

iQ: smartmedia is a six-year comprehensive plan that incorporates research, outreach, creative partnerships, and online engagement. The strategy addresses the need for a strong public media company integrated with Pittsburgh’s technological, creative, and educational assets. iQ: smartmedia allows WQED to create and curate multimedia and corresponding educational opportunities toward a best-practices model for our region, nation, and the world in integration of media and education.

About (Tch) Channel Series

Teaching Channel (Tch) is a comprehensive showcase -- online and on television -- of inspired teaching in America's public schools. A nonprofit organization, Tch engages teachers across the country to reinvent and revolutionize professional learning through video content and online innovation. The Tch mission is simple: Working with teachers to improve instruction so that every student can succeed. On the web at TeachingChannel.org, and on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube, @TeachingChannel.

About PBS Learning Media

In summer 2011 WQED launched PBS Learning Media, raising the number of K-16 resources it offers educators from 2,000 to 14,000 modules. At wqed.pbslearningmedia.org, teachers and students in Southwestern Pennsylvania have immediate access for their lesson and homework to research-based instructional resources – including videos, interactives, images, audio files, mobile apps, lesson plans, and worksheets.

Combining dynamic and engaging instructional content with professional development support, PBS LearningMedia empowers educators to create media-rich curriculum lessons that meet the needs of 21st century learners. Through PBS LearningMedia, teachers can:

• quickly and easily find relevant resources, localized to their needs, to differentiate instruction for a diverse range of learners;

• personalize the site by tagging resources and sharing ideas, recommendations and comments on how they’ve used media assets in their teaching with their professional learning networks via e-mail or social media tools, such as Facebook and Twitter; and

• develop “class pages” - curated content lists - for student viewing, feedback and instruction on interactive white boards and school-based intranets and other networking tools.

The PBS LearningMedia platform also offers a flexible infrastructure designed for customization and seamless media integration into existing services provided by state and local school district systems.


About WQED Pittsburgh

WQED Pittsburgh has a proud history of honors, including 128 National and Mid-Atlantic Emmy® Awards, an Academy Award, and many, many others, including two Emmy® Awards for Station Excellence. WQED was founded in 1954 as the nation’s first community-supported broadcaster. The people of WQED create, produce and distribute quality programs, products and services to engage, inform, educate and entertain the public within their community and around the world. WQED Pittsburgh is one of the first broadcasters in the country to be fully high-definition (HD) in its studio and field production capabilities. It is the parent company of WQED-TV (PBS); WQED: The Neighborhood Channel; WQED: The Create Channel; Classical WQED-FM 89.3/Pittsburgh; Classical WQEJ-FM 89.7/Johnstown; local and national television and radio productions; WQED Interactive; and The WQED Education Department.


About NOVA Chemicals

NOVA Chemicals develops and manufactures chemicals, plastic resins and end-products that make everyday life safer, healthier and easier. Its employees work to ensure health, safety, security and environmental stewardship through our commitment to sustainability and Responsible Care®. NOVA Chemicals is a wholly owned subsidiary of International Petroleum Investment Company of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Visit NOVA Chemicals on the Internet at www.novachemicals.com.

WQED Launches iQ: smartparent

WQED Announces iQ: smartparent A New Way for Parents to Connect with 21st Century Kids




FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
December 15, 2011

CONTACT:
George Hazimanolis
412-622-1366
ghaziman@wqed.org

WQED Announces iQ: smartparent

A New Way for Parents to Connect with 21st Century Kids

PITTSBURGH – WQED today announced the launch of iQ: smartparent as the newest project of its educational initiative iQ: smartmedia. iQ: smartparent was made possible by a $250,000 signature investment by an anonymous donor.

For a generation of children raised in the digital age and in a time when teachers are being uniquely equipped to help children express themselves through multimedia, what role do parents play? As part of The iQ Network initiative, WQED will launch a companion “university” at WQED for parents, called iQ: smartparent. Over two years, WQED will conduct research and develop eight free in-person workshops that offer parents the best techniques in the ways to empower and protect their kids in the face of today’s omnipresent media environment.

Featuring the region's and nation's best thinkers on children and media, all workshops will air on WQED-TV and be archived online. Handouts, activities, and supporting materials will be provided at each session and also made available online. More than just media literacy for parents, iQ: smartparent will equip parents with new ways to connect with their children – in 21st-century terms – and encourage lifelong learning and critical thinking.

WQED will focus its efforts both on research and outcomes, including conducting core research on the way parents perceive and use media with children. iQ: smartparent workshops will redefine media for a new generation and will engage families in the best ways to consume, create, and curate media. Currently, 44,000 moms watch WQED daily and PBS is the #1 trusted media source for parents.

“A unique niche exists for WQED to define how public media connects on-demand, user-generated social media, creativity, and education," said Jennifer Stancil, Executive Director of Educational Partnerships at WQED.

“WQED is poised to fill this niche while leading the nation’s PBS affiliates in best practices for the use of transformative multimedia and to be a model for serving parents.”

iQ: smartmedia is a six-year comprehensive plan that incorporates research, outreach, creative partnerships, and online engagement. The strategy addresses the need for a strong public media company integrated with Pittsburgh’s technological, creative, and educational assets. iQ: smartmedia allows WQED to create and curate multimedia and corresponding educational opportunities toward a best-practices model for our region, nation, and the world in integration of media and education.

WQED Pittsburgh (www.wqed.org) has a proud history of honors, including 128 National and Mid-Atlantic Emmy® Awards, an Academy Award, and many, many others, including two Emmy® Awards for Station Excellence. WQED was founded in 1954 as the nation’s first community-supported broadcaster. The people of WQED create, produce and distribute quality programs, products and services to engage, inform, educate and entertain the public within their community and around the world. WQED Pittsburgh is one of the first broadcasters in the country to be fully high-definition (HD) in its studio and field production capabilities. It is the parent company of WQED-TV (PBS); WQED: The Neighborhood Channel; WQED: The Create Channel; WQED Showcase; Classical WQED-FM 89.3/Pittsburgh; Classical WQEJ-FM 89.7/Johnstown; local and national television and radio productions; WQED Interactive; and The WQED Education Department.

Inventive Engineering Program Design Lives Here Competition

Inventive Engineering Program Design Lives Here Continues in 2012


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
December 15, 2011

CONTACT:
George Hazimanolis
412-622-1366
ghaziman@wqed.org

Maria Pisano
412-622-1459
mpisano@wqed.org

Inventive Engineering Program

Design Lives Here Continues in 2012

PITTSBURGH—From January through April 2012, 15 regional schools will have the exciting opportunity to participate in the third annual Design Lives Here program presented by WQED Pittsburgh and the Engineers’ Society of Western Pennsylvania (ESWP) with additional support from MSA and GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare.

Design Lives Here is a student outreach competition of the PBS show called Design Squad Nation, a reality-based program created to “inspire the next generation of engineers.” The show includes teens engaged in challenges all over the United States and globe, vying for scholarships by designing devices to understand the complex – and compelling – world of engineering.

Utilizing activities and content from Design Squad Nation episodes and interactive resources, participating schools will be guided by real engineers to complete the challenges. Students will participate in many diverse activities - such as meeting and networking with the ESWP and WQED staff, working in teams to engineer games, instruments, launchers and cranes as well as compete in the actual Design Lives Here challenge on April 20th, 2012 at WQED.

“As engineers we are always interested in engaging young people in STEM careers. The Design Lives Here event will give us the opportunity to provide them with exciting and interactive real-world applications of engineering,” said Tom Donatelli, 2012 President of the ESWP.

"Thousands of jobs are open in our region in STEM fields. It is critical that we use every tool to engage our next generation of creative problem solvers – including television. Engaging kids in afterschool and classroom settings allows us to integrate a TV show into the learning process and visually reemphasize to young people that they too, can participate in engineering as a career," said Jennifer Stancil, Executive Director of Educational Partnerships at WQED. “We are thrilled to engage three major local partners in this investment in engineering education for teens. It will positively impact teens, teachers and our region.”

WQED Pittsburgh has a proud history of honors, including 128 National and Mid-Atlantic Emmy® Awards, an Academy Award, and many, many others, including two Emmy® Awards for Station Excellence. WQED was founded in 1954 as the nation’s first community-supported broadcaster. The people of WQED create, produce and distribute quality programs, products and services to engage, inform, educate and entertain the public within their community and around the world. WQED Pittsburgh is one of the first broadcasters in the country to be fully high-definition (HD) in its studio and field production capabilities. It is the parent company of WQED-TV (PBS); WQED: The Neighborhood Channel; WQED: The Create Channel; WQED Showcase; Classical WQED-FM 89.3/Pittsburgh; Classical WQEJ-FM 89.7/Johnstown; local and national television and radio productions; WQED Interactive (www.wqed.org) and The WQED Education Department.

The Engineers’ Society of Western Pennsylvania (ESWP) has provided a forum for the professional development and social interaction of its members for more than a century. Headquartered in an historic landmark building and club facility, the ESWP is chartered to advance the professions of engineering, architecture and applied sciences through technical activities, public services participation and social organizations. It also supports the needs of industries, communities and government in Western Pennsylvania.

GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare is one of the world’s largest over-the-counter consumer healthcare products companies. Its more than 30 well-known brands include the leading smoking cessation products, Nicorette® and NicoDerm®CQ®, as well as many medicine cabinet staples – Aquafresh®, Sensodyne®, and TUMS® – which are trademarks owned by and/or licensed to GlaxoSmithKline Group of Companies.

Established in 1914, MSA is a global leader in the development, manufacture and supply of safety products that protect people's health and safety. Many MSA products typically integrate any combination of electronics, mechanical systems and advanced materials to protect users against hazardous or life-threatening situations. The company's comprehensive line of products is used by workers around the world in the fire service, oil, gas and petrochemical industry, homeland security, construction, mining and other industries, as well as the military. Principal products include self-contained breathing apparatus, gas masks, gas detection instruments, head protection, fall protection devices and thermal imaging cameras. The company also provides a broad range of consumer and contractor safety products through retail channels. These products are marketed and sold under the Safety Works brand. (More information on Safety Works products is available at www.SafetyWorks.com.) MSA has annual sales of approximately $1 billion, manufacturing operations in the United States, Europe, Asia and Latin America, and 42 international locations.

Design Squad Nation is a 10-part series of TV shows and video blogs that build on the success of the award-winning PBS reality competition series Design Squad to get kids excited about engineering. Design Squad Nation is high-energy, high-drama reality TV led by Judy and Adam, two professional engineers who work with kids around the world to make their wishes come true through engineering. From creating a park for skaters at the White Mountain Apache Reservation in Arizona to building a playground in a rural village in Nicaragua's northern mountains, the goal of Design Squad Nation is to inspire viewers to take on their own hands-on engineering activities.

Blueprint Communities Projects Awards Mini-Grant to Brownsville

Contact:
Dennis Cremonese
Executive Director
Brownsville Area Revitalization Corporation
724-785-9331

Neil Cotiaux
FHLBank Pittsburgh
412-335-9488
Neil.cotiaux@fhlb-pgh.com


Brownsville is Awarded Mini-Grant for Blueprint Communities Projects


Pittsburgh, PA, December 8, 2011 – The Blueprint Communities initiative of the Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLBank) of Pittsburgh has awarded Brownsville a $10,000 mini-grant. The grant will be used to help fund the Brownsville Project, an initiative of the National Road Heritage Corridor.

The Brownsville Project has three components: a comprehensive study of current physical conditions of the vacant buildings in the Brownsville Commercial Historic District owned by the Redevelopment Authority of Fayette County; development of design guidelines for the entire district; and a market analysis of the community to aid in redevelopment efforts within the Historic District.

Earlier this year, FHLBank invited active Blueprint Communities in Pennsylvania and West Virginia to submit project applications as part of a competitive mini-grant funding process. Projects were evaluated for their ability to expand the capacity of Blueprint teams, leverage dollars, and positively impact the community. Of 16 applications received, six projects were awarded a total of $63,000.

The Blueprint Communities effort in Brownsville is spearheaded by a committee made up of business and Borough leaders. The group was formed in 2005 as one of 22 original Blueprint Communities across Pennsylvania. The initiative was created to help civic leaders in older, smaller communities develop enhanced leadership skills, create greater capacity to enact positive change, and formulate a fresh vision and strategy to meet pressing community needs.

Blueprint Communities is expected to serve as an ongoing catalyst for projects of local importance. In the past, the Brownsville team has been involved in the Brownsville Annual Community Festival, in a partnershippartnered with the Brownsville Environmental Education Program, and is working towardon publishing a water trail map of the Middle Monongahela River.

FHLBank Pittsburgh is a wholesale bank that serves the housing finance and community and economic development needs of its owner-members. FHLBank Pittsburgh provides reliable access to low-cost funds, competitive pricing in the purchase of mortgage loans, correspondent banking, technical assistance, affordable housing grants and other programs so members can better serve their own communities. FHLBank Pittsburgh is privately capitalized and funded and does not use taxpayer dollars. As of September 30, 2011, the Bank had 300 members in its district of Delaware, Pennsylvania and West Virginia and held approximately $47 billion in assets. FHLBank Pittsburgh is one of twelve Banks in the Federal Home Loan Bank System, established by Congress in 1932 to support the residential mortgage activities of local financial institutions.
# # #

Bilingual Program Focuses on Latino Health Issues

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
December 13, 2011

CONTACT:
George Hazimanolis
412-622-1366
ghazimanolis@wqed.org

Maria Pisano
412-622-1459
mpisano@wqed.org

FIRST BILINGUAL PROGRAM TO AIR

ON WQED-TV FOCUSES ON HEALTH ISSUES IN

PITTSBURGH’S LATINO COMMUNITY

Horizons

Tuesday, December 20 at 7:30 p.m. on WQED-TV

PITTSBURGH—On Tuesday, December 20 at 7:30 p.m. WQED-TV will air its first bilingual program in English and Spanish. Pittsburgh’s Latino community makes up less than two percent of the city’s population, but the numbers are growing. Still, more than a third of the Latino population in the Pittsburgh region lacks health insurance, and most don’t get proper health care for a variety of reasons. Contributing reporter Cindy Fernandez speaks with doctors and leaders of local outreach organizations working to make health care more affordable and available to Pittsburgh’s Latino community in this special episode of Horizons.

Segment topics:

Children’s Health - Dr. Diego Chaves-Gnecco, a pediatrician with Children’s Hospital first came to Pittsburgh from Columbia 14 years ago. Wanting to address barriers such as language, transportation, cultural differences and insurance, Dr. Chaves-Gnecco created southwestern Pennsylvania’s first bilingual pediatrics clinic called Salud Para Niño’s or Health for the Children. Outside of the clinic the doctor holds health fairs, performs car seat checks and helps to provide Pittsburgh’s medical community with bilingual literacy programs.

Women’s Health - Latin-American women have many barriers that prevent them from taking care of their health. Some are cultural: Latinas find pap exams to be embarrassing or fear the compression of the breast during a mammogram spreads cancer. Others don’t seek medical attention because they can’t afford it. The University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health is finding ways to encourage Latinas to take better care of their health.

Men’s Health – The Latino Engagement Group for Salud (LEGS) serves as a first step for Latino men by guiding them to available health resources in the Pittsburgh region. In this segment WQED profiles the people who are working to spread medical information, and trust, among the male Latino population in Pittsburgh.

This special episode of Horizons is being produced by Emmy® award-winning WQED producers Richard Cook, Nathalie Berry and Pierina Morelli, along with contributing producer Maria Kakay.

Funding for this episode of Horizons was made possible by a grant WQED received earlier this year as part of a national partnership between PBS stations and faith-based organizations, the Department of Justice Community-Oriented Policing Services Office, National League of Cities, National Hispanic Media Coalition, and Welcoming America for the Not In Our Town project. Not In Our Town is a documentary series and national effort to connect people working together to take action against hate and create safe, inclusive communities.

Following in the longstanding tradition of Black Horizons which focused on the African American community, Horizons is a more contemporary offering hosted by WQED’s Chris Moore. The show recognizes and celebrates the many facets of our diverse community through studio interviews and on-location stories. Horizons airs Tuesdays at 7:30 p.m. on WQED-TV and archived episodes may be found at wqed.org/horizons.

WQED Pittsburgh has a proud history of honors, including 128 National and Mid-Atlantic Emmy® Awards, an Academy Award, and many, many others, including two Emmy® Awards for Station Excellence. WQED was founded in 1954 as the nation’s first community-supported broadcaster. The people of WQED create, produce and distribute quality programs, products and services to engage, inform, educate and entertain the public within their community and around the world. WQED Pittsburgh is one of the first broadcasters in the country to be fully high-definition (HD) in its studio and field production capabilities. It is the parent company of WQED-TV (PBS); WQED: The Neighborhood Channel; WQED: The Create Channel; WQED Showcase; Classical WQED-FM 89.3/Pittsburgh; Classical WQEJ-FM 89.7/Johnstown; local and national television and radio productions; WQED Interactive (www.wqed.org) and The WQED Education Department.

Get Pittsburgh'ed Up with Double Feature at Hollywood Theater

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
December 12, 2011

CONTACT:
George Hazimanolis
412-622-1366
ghazimanolis@wqed.org

Maria Pisano
412-622-1459
mpisano@wqed.org

GET “PITTSBURGH’ED UP” FOR THE HOLIDAYS

WITH A SPECIAL DOUBLE FEATURE EVENT

“Pittsburgh From the Air”

Makes Its Theatrical Debut In A Double Feature With

“My Tale of Two Cities”

Hollywood Theater

1449 Potomac Avenue

Pittsburgh, PA 15216

Friday, December 16, at 7:00 p.m.

PITTSBURGH—The newly revitalized Hollywood Theater in Dormont is hosting a special Pittsburgh double-feature for the holidays on Friday December 16, 2011 at 7 p.m. featuring WQED’s recent high-definition all-aerial production Pittsburgh From the Air which will make its big screen debut and My Tale of Two Cities, a Pittsburgh comeback story which is coming home playing 25 cities across North America. Preceding will be special episodes of the new hit web sensation Pittsburgh Dad.

As part of the evening, a special panel including WQED’s Vice-President of Content Darryl Ford Williams, ”Tale” director Carl Kurlander and the film’s producer Stephanie Dangel Reiter who will discuss the way Pittsburgh has reinvented itself for a new age and the city becoming a major player in the entertainment industry as evidenced by all the Hollywood movies shooting here and a new TV pilot by Two and A Half Men director Jamie Widdoes filming at the Fred Rogers Studios as part of the new Pittsburgh Innovative Media Incubator, a co-venture between WQED and the Steeltown Entertainment Project.

Special guests “Mr. McFeely” of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, actor David Newell, and Pittsburgh Dad creator, Chris Preksta will be attending this screening. David Newell, who grew up going to Hollywood Theater, will be there to sign photos as McFeely and share his own memories of this newly revitalized theater.

Tickets are only $7 and can be purchased at the Hollywood Theater box office or in advance at www.showclix.com.

Pittsburgh From the Air is a high-definition aerial journey through six western Pennsylvania counties including Allegheny, Butler, Fayette, Indiana, Somerset and Westmoreland. It captures and preserves the cultural and natural wonders of the region and is the setting for My Tale of Two Cities, a funny and hopeful tale about coming home to the once great industrial giant that built America with its steel, conquered polio, and invented everything from aluminum to the Big Mac, and which has now, against all odds, reinvented itself for a new age. Pittsburgh From the Air portrays the newly reinvented Pittsburgh that My Tale of Two Cities envisioned. Both films also celebrate Pittsburgh neighborhoods and Pittsburgh’s neighbors which is what makes this city so special.

These DVDS which make the perfect Pittsburgh present for the holidays are also available at SHOP WQED. Order a special edition DVD of My Tale of Two Cities for $19.95 (with unseen footage & special features) and Pittsburgh From the Air on DVD for $19.95 and Blu-ray for $24.95 at www.shopwqed.org or by calling 1-800-274-1307.

WQED Pittsburgh has a proud history of honors, including 128 National and Mid-Atlantic Emmy® Awards, an Academy Award, and many, many others, including two Emmy® Awards for Station Excellence. WQED was founded in 1954 as the nation’s first community-supported broadcaster. The people of WQED create, produce and distribute quality programs, products and services to engage, inform, educate and entertain the public within their community and around the world. WQED Pittsburgh is one of the first broadcasters in the country to be fully high-definition (HD) in its studio and field production capabilities. It is the parent company of WQED-TV (PBS); WQED: The Neighborhood Channel; WQED: The Create Channel; WQED Showcase; Classical WQED-FM 89.3/Pittsburgh; Classical WQEJ-FM 89.7/Johnstown; local and national television and radio productions; WQED Interactive (www.wqed.org) and The WQED Education Department.

My Tale of Two Cities was produced by Stephanie Dangel and Janet Smith. Tale features some of Pittsburgh’s favorite neighbors including Franco Harris, Dok Harris, Teresa Heinz Kerry, Paul O’Neill, David Newell, Joanne Rogers, the late Mayor Bob O’Connor, Dr. Thomas Starzl, Dr. Cyril Wecht, and Bill Strickland. The film also features Pittsburghers from Times Square to Beverly Hills to The Point, singing the city’s unofficial theme song, “Won’t You Be My Neighbor” for the film’s uplifting finale.

For more information, visit http://www.mytaleoftwocities.com

Charlotte's Web Weaves a Tale of Bravery, Love and Friendship

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


Today's date:
December 12, 2011

Contact:
Diana Roth
The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust
(412) 471-8717
roth@trustarts.org

Veronica Corpuz
The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust
(412) 471-6082
corpuz@trustarts.org

Charlotte’s Web, Pittsburgh premiere performed by Theatreworks USA, and presented by Pittsburgh International Children’s Theater

January 8-15, 2012
Six performance locations throughout Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh International Children’s Theater, a division of The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, presents Theatreworks USA in the Pittsburgh premiere of the stage adaption of Charlotte’s Web from January 8-15, 2012 at six performance locations throughout the area. Performance locations include: City: Byham Theater, January 8 at 2:00 p.m.  Student Matinee: January 9 at 10:15 a.m.; East: Gateway High School, January 11 at 7:00 p.m.; North: Our North location has changed to Carson Middle School, January 12 at 5:30 and 7:30 p.m. ; West: Moon Area High School, January 13 at 7:00 p.m.; South: Upper St. Clair High School, January 14 at 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.; and Butler: Seneca Valley Senior High School, January 15 at 2:00 p.m. Citizens Bank is the season sponsor of Pittsburgh International Children’s Theater.

Theatreworks USA’s live stage performance of Charlotte’s Web, by Joseph Robinette, has toured across the country since fall 1993, and is based upon the Newbery Medal-winning book by E. B. White. The stage performance follows White’s classic story of a pig named Wilbur who is saved from the slaughterhouse by a gifted little barn spider named Charlotte. This treasured tale, featuring mad-cap and endearing farm animals, explores bravery, selfless love, and the true meaning of friendship. A cast of six actors, directed by Rob Barron, portrays the familiar and loveable characters that include Fern, Homer, and Templeton the rat, with incidental music by Jeffrey Lunden. The scenic design by James D. Sandefur and costumes by Anne-Marie Wright also help to enhance this courageous tale of friendship. This 60-minute play is recommended for children ages 5 and up.

Since 1961, Theatreworks USA has enlightened, entertained, and instructed more than 68 million people in 49 states and Canada and is America's largest and most prolific professional not-for-profit theatre for young and family audiences. The company tours approximately 16 shows from its ever-growing repertoire of 110 plays and musicals, performing for about four million people annually. Under the direction of Barbara Pasternack (Artistic Director) and Ken Arthur (Managing Director), Theatreworks USA is the only children's theatre to receive both a Drama Desk and a Lucille Lortel Award, and they are known for an extensive multi-cultural guest artist roster, including storytellers, puppeteers, poets, and magicians.

Joseph Robinette is the author of 51 published plays and musicals, including The Fabulous Fable Factory, written with composer Thomas Tierney, and Charlotte's Web, two of the most widely produced children's plays in the United States. He has also dramatized the authorized stage versions of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, The Paper Chase, and A Rose for Emily. In 2004, he received the American Association for Theatre and Education's best play award for his adaptation of Sarah, Plain and Tall, and in 2006, he was awarded the Children's Theatre Foundation of America Medallion "...for his body of dramatic works for children and young people in the United States and beyond." -Dramaticpublishing.com

Elwyn Brooks White, or E.B. White, is known both for his work in children’s classics and in modern American essays, largely through his contributions to The New Yorker magazine. White remained a contributing editor for The New Yorker magazine from the year 1927 until his death in 1985, and is still remembered for his long-lasting column, One Man’s Meat. White is also famous for a collection of poetry, The Fox of Peapack, and his editing of The Subtreasury of American Humor. In the world of children’s literature, White is known for such classics as Charlotte’s Web, Stuart Little and Trumpet of the Swan.

Individual tickets ($11 at the door; $9.50 in advance) can be ordered online at www.TrustArts.org/kids, by calling (412) 456-6666, or in person at the Box Office at Theater Square, 655 Penn Avenue, downtown Pittsburgh. Group tickets can be ordered by calling (412) 471-6930; for season subscription call (412) 456-1390.

Twitterchat with Melinda Emerson for Pittsburgh Entrepreneurs

NEWS RELEASE

January 5, 2012
Pittsburgh, PA

FORBES - INFLUENTIAL WOMAN FOR ENTREPRENEURS FEATURED GUEST AT JANUARY #SMALLBIZPGH TWITTERCHAT

Melinda Emerson will provide live answers and resources via Twitter for Pittsburgh Entrepreneurs

PITTSBURGH, PA – Influential entrepreneur and author, Melinda Emerson (@smallbizlady) will answer questions from local entrepreneurs via Twitter on January 17, 2012 between 7 pm and 8 pm in the third installment of Pittsburgh's first small business Twitterchat presented by Building Bridges for Business (bridges4biz).

The virtual event, which is aimed at providing valuable, free resources for small business owners and leaders in Allegheny County, will feature Emerson, who will answer a set of questions from Building Bridges for Business and other questions posed by entrepreneurs from the region and can be followed live using hashtag #smallbizpgh on either twebevent.com or tweetchat.com.

The Twitterchat will be presented by Building Bridges for Business, as well as its partners, including Allegheny County, the City of Pittsburgh Mayor's Office, Duquesne University Small Business Development Center and the Center for Women's Entrepreneurship at Chatham University.

The #smallbizpgh Twitterchat is free, allowing interested users to engage and participate using smart phones, tablets and computers.

The third installment, in a series of Twitterchats, the #smallbizpgh Twitterchat is the first of its kind in Pittsburgh, allowing small business owners to network and ask questions from reputable and proven experts.

“The vision for the Building Bridges for Business community is to create an environment where entrepreneurs can grow and advance their business, support other business owners and develop as entrepreneurs who give back to their community,” says Building Bridges for Business founder, Linda Handley, who is also an entrepreneur, author and business adviser.

For more on the event, visit Building Bridges for Business' homepage at www.buildingbridgesforbusiness.org, follow Building Bridges for Business (@bridges4biz) on Twitter or contact Building Bridges for Business by e-mailing info@buildingbridgesforbusiness.org.

Building Bridges for Business

Building Bridges for Business was founded in 2010 by entrepreneur, author and business adviser, Linda Handley in conjunction with the Pittsburgh Mayor's Office, the Allegheny County Executive's Office, Duquesne University and Chatham University to provide resources for Pittsburgh and Allegheny County entrepreneurs on business growth, promotion, management and to aid indviduals hoping to launch a new business.

Since its inception in November 2010, the organization has hosted three sold out events, featuring prominent keynote speakers, such as Dr. Winslow Sargeant, who is President Obama's main adviser from the Small Business Administration. Other events have featured key local small business figures. In 2012, Building Bridges for Business will host three more events, which are also expected to sell out.

Building Bridges for Business' goal is to create an organization that truly serves the Pittsburgh area's business owner and struggling entrepreneur by connecting them with resources and people who can guide them to success.

“We want to bridge the valuable resources in Western Pennsylvania with business owners and residents who want to start a business,” says Building Bridges for Business President, Amanda Wodzenski.

In addition to live events, Building Bridges for Business launched Pittsburgh's first-ever small business Twitterchat in September 2011 to offer vital resources from small business experts to entrepreneurs via Twitter.

Melinda Emerson

Melinda Emerson is a Philadelphia-based author, speaker and small business coach whose proven techniques have aided over 2500 small business owners in growing their business.

She has been featured on NBC Nightly News, in the Wall Street Journal,U.S. News and World Report and Black Enterprise. In March 2010, Emerson published her first book, Become Your Own Boss in 12 Months: A Month-by-Month Guide to a Business That Works.

Known as @smallbizlady on Twitter, Emerson also hosts her own weekly Twitterchat using hashtag #Smallbizchat.

Emerson's day job is as founder, president and CEO of Quintessence Multimedia, a full-service multimedia production firm, which she founded in 1999. Clients of Quintessence Multimedia include Johnson & Johnson, Verizon, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Comcast and Radio One. The firm has received eight Telly awards for outstanding production.

Prior to her work at Quintessence, Emerson worked as a television producer for ABC and NBC. Emerson has also been an adjunct professor at Delaware State University and featured as a guest lecturer at a variety of colleges and universities.

Emerson is a graduate of Virginia Tech and has also attended executive education programs at Harvard University, Dartmouth College and the University of Virginia. She resides in suburban Philadelphia with her husband and son.

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Laugh Out Loud! with The Second City

Contact Margie Romero
Communications Manager at Pittsburgh Public Theater
412.316.8200 ext. 707
mromero@ppt.org

Pittsburgh Public Theater Welcomes 2012 with Comedy

The Second City returns with new show

Laugh Out Loud!

If you’ve resolved to put more fun in your life, start the year at Pittsburgh Public Theater with The Second City, the famed Chicago comedy troupe that launched the careers of Tina Fey, Stephen Colbert, Steve Carell, and many others. From January 5­–7, the next generation of The Second City’s best and brightest will perform the company’s trademark improvisation and hilarious sketch comedy in their new show, Laugh Out Loud! Featuring material that’s ripped from the morning headlines, classic gems from the archives, musical accompaniment and audience participation, The Second City’s shows are always fresh and cutting-edge. Complete bios and phone interviews with The Second City cast members are available upon request.

Showtimes

Thurs, Jan. 5 at 8 pm

Fri, Jan. 6 at 8 pm

Sat, Jan. 7 at 5:30 & 9 pm

A cash bar will be open during each performance.

Cabaret seating at tables of four is available on the stage ($220).

Ticket prices range from $48 to $15.75 (for students and age 26 and younger).

For more details or to buy tickets call 412.316.1600 or go to ppt.org

UPS Foundation Awards WQED School Supplies Grant

WQED PITTSBURGH RECEIVES $5,000 GRANT FROM THE UPS FOUNDATION FOR SCHOOL SUPPLIES DRIVE TO BENEFIT AT-RISK CHILDREN IN SIX COUNTIES


Donate school supplies December 6 - 9, 2011 from 2:30 - 4:30 p.m. and meet characters from the Super Why! Series

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

November 30, 2011



CONTACT:
George Hazimanolis
412-622-1366
ghazimanolis@wqed.org

Maria Pisano
412-622-1459
mpisano@wqed.org

WQED PITTSBURGH RECEIVES $5,000 GRANT FROM THE UPS FOUNDATION

FOR SCHOOL SUPPLIES DRIVE TO BENEFIT

AT-RISK CHILDREN IN SIX COUNTIES

Donate school supplies December 6 – 9, 2011 from 2:30 – 4:30 p.m. and meet characters from the Super Why! Series at:

WQED Pittsburgh
4802 Fifth Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15213


PITTSBURGH--WQED Pittsburgh will be collecting school supplies for at-risk children at its Oakland headquarters.

With a $5,000 grant from The UPS Foundation, WQED is collecting school supplies to be distributed to 5,200 at-risk students in a six county region in support of The Education Partnership’s Holiday Campaign. Individuals wishing to donate school supplies may bring them to the parking lot at WQED’s 4802 Fifth Avenue location December 6 – 9 daily from 2:30-4:30 p.m. WQED is matching the donations with curriculum for all 14 schools involved. Kids will also have the opportunity to meet their favorite characters from Super Why! during collection hours.

“The UPS Foundation is committed to funding impactful programs that make a meaningful difference in our communities – so we are proud to support WQED’s efforts to collect school supplies and donate high-quality curriculum for our area’s at-risk children,” said Ken Sternad, president of The UPS Foundation.

The supplies that are needed include: markers, pens, erasers, binders, glue, notebooks, paper (construction, copy and filler) and backpacks. For a complete list visit: http://wqed.org/education/holidaydrive2011.php. Cash donations or items not on the list can not be accepted by WQED.

In addition to the school supplies collected from the community WQED will also distribute high-quality PBS educational materials to the students, teachers and school libraries receiving these materials. These materials include a 16 week curriculum on phonics from The Electric Company, a workforce and career education video set called Teens OnQ, literacy tracking games for parents and librarians, Dr. Seuss and Curious George books, and lots of science curriculum from Sid the Science Kid, Wild Kratts, SciGirls, Design Squad and Dinosaur Train. WQED is donating 1700 pounds of educational curriculum to area students and challenging the Pittsburgh community to match that amount.

“Nothing is more important to our kids than a great education. WQED provides free access to education for everyone. Partnering with key organizations such as The Education Partnership to reach even more students, especially those in public schools, is an exciting way to extend our iQ: smartmedia initiative. With support from The UPS Foundation, WQED can deeply support the young people in our region who are most at-risk for not learning to read, failing to engage in science or math, and dropping out of school,” said Jennifer Stancil, Executive Director of Educational Partnerships at WQED.

“The Education Partnership does not receive government funding and relies on the generosity of foundations, corporations, and organizations like WQED and their members. Together, we can provide critically needed school and classroom supplies to local students, setting them up for educational success,” says Katherine Harrell, Director of Communications and Programming for The Education Partnership about the innovative new relationship with WQED.

More information about the partnership, the holiday drive, and the supplies can be found at: http://wqed.org/education/holidaydrive2011.php.

Established in 1951 and based in Atlanta, GA, The UPS Foundation identifies specific areas where its backing clearly impacts social issues. In support of this strategic approach,The UPS Foundation has identified the following focus areas for giving: nonprofit effectiveness, economic & global literacy, encouraging diversity, community safety and environmental sustainability.

In 2010, The UPS Foundation distributed more than $44.6 million worldwide through grants that benefit organizations or programs such as the school supplies collection by WQED Pittsburgh and provide support for building stronger communities.

WQED Pittsburgh has a proud history of honors, including 128 National and Mid-Atlantic Emmy® Awards, an Academy Award, and many, many others, including two Emmy® Awards for Station Excellence. WQED was founded in 1954 as the nation’s first community-supported broadcaster. The people of WQED create, produce and distribute quality programs, products and services to engage, inform, educate and entertain the public within their community and around the world. WQED Pittsburgh is one of the first broadcasters in the country to be fully high-definition (HD) in its studio and field production capabilities. It is the parent company of WQED-TV (PBS); WQED: The Neighborhood Channel; WQED: The Create Channel; WQED Showcase; Classical WQED-FM 89.3/Pittsburgh; Classical WQEJ-FM 89.7/Johnstown; local and national television and radio productions; WQED Interactive (www.wqed.org) and The WQED Education Department.

iQ: smartmedia is WQED’s six-year strategy for education, and it reflects WQED’s commitment to help children reach their potential. Around it revolve all of WQED's educational goals and objectives: to provide new tools and models, thought leadership, research, and training on the intersection of media and learning to prepare our children for a competitive world. WQED provides content in the areas of science and technology; literacy; global cultures and connections; expression; social and community responsibility; numeracy; and behavioral wellness. For more information about iQ: smartmedia, follow WQED’s Education Department online at wqed.org/edu or follow us on Facebook.com/wqed.edu and Twitter.com/wqed_edu.

All-Schubert Program at Pittsburgh Opera Features Trout Quintet

For Immediate Release
November 30, 2011


Contact:
Debra L. Bell, Director of Marketing and Communications
Office: (412) 281-0912 ext 214
dbell@pittsburghopera.org

Pittsburgh Opera presents Glenn Lewis in all-Schubert program, featuring “Trout” Quintet

Who: Pittsburgh Opera Head of Music Glenn Lewis, with tenor Joseph Gaines and musicians from the Pittsburgh Opera Orchestra

What: An All-Schubert program, featuring the Four Impromptus and the “Trout” Quintet

When: Sunday, December 11, 5:30 p.m. Doors open at 4:45 p.m.

Where: Pittsburgh Opera Headquarters, 2425 Liberty Avenue, in the Strip District

Admission: Admission is free. No RSVP required.

Parking: Ample street parking available on Penn Ave. Those needing handicapped parking in the Pittsburgh Opera garage, please call to reserve a spot: 412-281-0912 x 0 (zero) by Friday, December 9 at 5:00 PM.



Pittsburgh, PA… Pittsburgh Opera Head of Music Glenn Lewis anchors an all-Schubert program in a recital in the George Rowland White Opera Studio at Pittsburgh Opera Headquarters. The first half features the Four Impromptus for Piano, Op. 90, and selected songs with tenor Joseph Gaines. After a brief intermission, Mr. Lewis is joined by Pittsburgh Opera Orchestra musicians Juan Jaramillo, violin; Jennifer Gerhard, viola; Elisa Kohanski, cello, and Jeffrey Mangone, double bass, for the popular “Trout” Quintet. Doors open at 4:45 p.m. No reservations are required except handicapped parking requests. For more information, call 412-281-0912, x 0 (zero) or visit www.pittsburghopera.org.



Pittsburgh Opera’s 2011-2012 season continues a 73-year tradition of excellence in opera and is the first green opera company in the U.S.* As part of the Company’s continued efforts to make opera accessible to all members of the community, single tickets for the 2011-2012 season will again start at $10, with subscriptions starting at just $43 for four mainstage operas.

*U.S. Green Building Council awarded LEED® Silver certification in June 2011 in the Operations and Maintenance category.



2011-2012 Season


La traviata October 15, 18, 21, 23

The Pearl Fishers November 12, 15, 18, 20

Hansel & Gretel January 28, 31; February 3, 5

Tosca March 24, 27, 30; April 1, 3

The Abduction from the Seraglio April 28; May 1, 4, 6

For ticket information visit our website www.pittsburghopera.org or call (412) 281-0912
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Bracken Burns Honored as Dignity and Respect Champion

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


Contact: Melissa Allen
412.281.0995
412.969.2530
maa@judith-kelly.com

Washington County Commissioner Bracken Burns Receives Dignity & Respect Champion Award

Commissioner Burns Honored for Years of Service to the Southwestern Pennsylvania Region

(PITTSBURGH, PA) November 30, 2011– County Commissioner Bracken Burns has dedicated 40 years to Washington County government, working tirelessly to make sure everyone had a place in the community where they were valued and accepted for their differences.

Bracken has tried to build a regional community that embraces diversity and encourages its citizens to love and respect each other. He often reminds others that “inclusion is not just about race, it also includes gender, age, geography, income, folks with handicaps, etc.”

Nominated by Melissa Allen, County Commissioner Bracken Burns was selected as the November Dignity and  Respect Champion for expanding the work he does in Washington County to surrounding communities and throughout the southwestern Pennsylvania region.

“Bracken’s devotion to the community is invaluable. Within just minutes of talking with him or hearing him speak to others, you can tell that the work he does is truly from the heart. He’s dedicated to making our communities welcoming to all of us,” Melissa said.

Serving as Washington County Commissioner since 1996, Bracken decided not to run for a fifth term in office. Since taking office 16 years ago, Bracken’s accomplishments include spearheading construction of the 50 bed Alzheimer’s Unit at the Washington County Health Center, developing an Attendant Care Training Program to aid elderly and disabled citizens, leading historic preservation efforts to restore and utilize the old jail as a Family Court Center, and more.

Commissioner Burns is known for starting all of his public comments with the phrase, “It’s a great day in Washington County.” He feels that we all have an obligation to be a “cheerleader for our community.”

Bracken is an influential supporter of the Dignity and Respect Campaign. In addition to advocating with Washington County Commissioners to recognize October as Dignity and Respect Month, he wrote a personal letter to nine other counties in southwestern Pennsylvania, promoting the Campaign and October as Dignity and Respect Month. Thanks to Bracken’s efforts, October was proclaimed Dignity and Respect Month in 10 southwestern Pennsylvania counties.

Bracken has always admired the saying, “There, but for the grace of God, go I.” He feels that those of us who have been blessed with health, wealth, a good family, etc. have an obligation to assure that others in the community are given the same opportunities.

In addition to being recognized as a Dignity and Respect Champion, Bracken has received many honors that show his dedication to fighting for everyone’s right to be treated equally. These awards include the Mental Health Neighbor of the Year Award in 1991, the Friend of 4-H Award in 2003, the NAACP Human Rights Award in 2007, and the Teen Outreach Social Justice award in 2009, among many others.

In accepting the award, Commissioner Burns said that he was, “humbled and honored to be recognized for doing what he called “the minimum expected of each of us – loving your neighbor.”

The Dignity and Respect Campaign is an awareness initiative designed to join individuals, community leaders, community organizations, educational institutions, businesses, and corporations under the common notion that everyone deserves dignity and respect.

For more information and to take the Dignity and Respect pledge, visit dignityandrespect.org.
# # #

OUT OF RUBBLE Premieres at SPACE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


November 23, 2011

Contact:
Veronica Corpuz
The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust
(412) 471-6082
corpuz@trustarts.org

Wafaa Bilal, The Ashes Series (2009), archival inkjet print mounted on diebond, 38.5 x 50 inches

OUT OF RUBBLE guest curated by Susanne Slavick

SPACE - December 2, 2011, through January 29, 2012.

OUT OF RUBBLE premieres at SPACE on Friday, December 2, with an opening reception from 6-8pm and a gallery talk by curator Susanne Slavick at 7pm. Slavick’s own work, as an artist and as one of the founders of 10 Years + Counting, led her to research and edit OUT OF RUBBLE (Charta, 2011), an anthology of art works by contemporary artists addressing the aftermath of current and past wars. The book includes texts by Slavick and Holly Edwards and works by international artists and architects from Diana Al-Hadid to Xu Zhen. A selection of these artists for the OUT OF RUBBLE exhibit at SPACE include: Taysir Batniji, Wafaa Bilal, Enrique Castrejon, Lenka Clayton, Jane Dixon, Hirokazu Fukawa, Monica Haller, Andrew Ellis Johnson, Jennifer Karady, Osman Khan, Samina Mansuri, Simon Norfolk, Rocio Rodriguez, elin o’Hara slavick, Susanne Slavick, and Elaine Spatz-Rabinowitz.

OUT OF RUBBLE reacts to the wake of war — its realities and its representations. The rubble that each war leaves behind shapes today and tomorrow — physically, psychologically and spiritually. OUT OF RUBBLE presents works by international artists and architects who consider its causes and consequences, its finality and future, moving from decimation and disintegration to the possibilities of regeneration and recovery. As the USA has just marked ten years of war in Afghanistan, the longest war in this country’s history, OUT OF RUBBLE is all too timely.

Facing the failure and wreckage of war, the poet Wislawa Szymborska wrote: “Reality demands that we mention this: Life goes on.” Artists meet this demand through responses that are invariably somber, both tender and unflinching. Through images and narratives bound up in the crises of truth, they acknowledge, yet strive toward the impossible task of comprehending the incomprehensible.

OUT OF RUBBLE at SPACE runs through January 29, 2012. Related events include OUT OF RUBBLE – The Phoenix Rising, a performance in the galleries by MillerDANCE on December 9 and 10 at 8:30pm with a pre-performance conversation on December 9 at 8:10pm, hosted by Karen Dacko (Dance Editor for Pittsburgh Magazine) with company director Mary Miller and curator Susanne Slavick.

The last weekend of the show features The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust’s Gallery Crawl on Friday, January 27, and Disarming Words at SPACE on January 29. Disarming Words includes a gallery talk and poems at 1:30pm with curator Susanne Slavick; poetry readings by Lynn Emanuel and Terrance Hayes at 2pm followed by a singing escort at 2:30 with the Raging Grannies to Windows and Mirrors, Reflections on the War in Afghanistan, a traveling mural project of the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) at 937 Liberty Avenue (2nd floor) where Iraqi readers and Warrior Writers will also present poetry, followed by discussion in the gallery. Windows and Mirrors continues through February 12, 2012.

The OUT OF RUBBLE exhibit subsequently travels to: Bowling Green State University Galleries, OH, August 28 – October 7, 2012; The Marlin and Regina Miller Gallery, Kutztown University, PA, October – November 18, 2012; String Room Gallery, Wells College, Aurora, NY, and Harris Art Gallery, University of La Verne, La Verne, CA, in 2013; Center for Art, Design and Visual Culture, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD, and UC Art Museum, Boulder, CO, in 2014 with a related symposium.

OUT OF RUBBLE is a project of 10 Years + Counting. 10yearsandcounting.org

http://www.chartaartbooks.it

http://www.artbook.com/9788881588107.html

10 Years + Counting

http://www.10yearsandcounting.org/

10 Years + Counting blog post:

http://10yearsandcounting.wordpress.com/2011/08/03/out-of-rubble-artist-susanne-slavick-on-art-and-war/


SPACE gallery, a project of The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, is located at 812 Liberty Avenue, downtown Pittsburgh Cultural District. Gallery Hours: Wed & Thurs: 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.; Fri & Sat: 11 a.m. – 8 p.m. Free and open to the public. Information: www.spacepittsburgh.org


EVENTS IN OTHER FORMAT:

December 9 and 10, 8:30pm

MillerDANCE presents OUT OF RUBBLE – The Phoenix Rising with a pre-performance conversation on December 9 at 8:10pm, hosted by Karen Dacko (Dance Editor for Pittsburgh Magazine) with curator Susanne Slavick and company director Mary Miller.

January 27, 5:30-9pm

Pittsburgh Cultural Trust Gallery Crawl

January 29 Disarming Words

1:30 Out of Rubble Gallery Talk and Poems with curator Susanne Slavick

2:00 Poetry Reading with Lynn Emanuel and Terrance Hayes

2:30 Raging Grannies Singing Escort to 2nd floor, 937 Liberty Avenue

2:40 Warrior Writers and Public Poetry with Iraqi readers at Windows and Mirrors, Reflections on the War in Afghanistan, a traveling mural project of the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) through February 12, 2012. Readings followed by gallery discussion.

Straight No Chaser Performs at the Benedum

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


Today's date: November 21, 2011

Contact:
Veronica Corpuz
corpuz@trustarts.org
(412) 471-6082

Diana Roth
roth@trustarts.org
(412) 471-8717

Straight No Chaser

Tuesday, December 13, 2011, at 8:00 p.m., Benedum Center

By reinventing the idea of a cappella on the modern pop landscape, the unique Straight No Chaser is ten vocalists who have come together to create remarkable music, and combined with their sense of humor, entertain and leave audiences begging for more. As original SNC member Randy Stine comments, “We take the music very seriously; we just don’t take ourselves too seriously.” Atlantic Chairman/CEO Craig Kallman found the group’s music “brilliant, fresh and totally compelling.” Straight No Chaser returns to Pittsburgh and will perform on Tuesday, December 13, 2011, at 8:00 p.m., at the Benedum Center. This performance is presented by The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, and is part of the 2011-2012 Cohen & Grigsby Trust Presents series.



If the phrase “male a cappella group” invokes an image of students in blue blazers, ties, and khakis singing traditional college songs on ivy league campuses…think again. Straight No Chaser is neither straight-laced nor straight-faced. Providing interpretations with a twist, Straight No Chaser’s 2011 tour will feature impressive vocals and captivating personalities of original group members, Randy Stine, Charlie Mechling, Jerome Collins, David Roberts and Walter Chase, with newer SNC members, Michael Luginbill, Ryan Ahlwardt, Seggie Isho, Don Nottingham and Tyler Trepp.



Originally formed more than a dozen years ago at Indiana University, Straight No Chaser has reassembled and re-emerged as a phenomenon with a remarkable fan base, millions of views on YouTube, numerous national TV appearances, and proven success with three holiday releases: Holiday Spirits (2008), Christmas Cheers (2009) and All I Want for Christmas (2010). In an era when music is the product of digital processing and vocal pro-tooling, Straight No Chaser is completely authentic. Prior to the 2009 holiday album, SNC released Six Pack (2009), a six-track CD exclusive with Amazon that received excellent fan reviews. With a Twist (2010) is the group’s first full-length departure from holiday music, which successfully placed #29 on the Billboard 200. During the summer of 2011, Straight No Chaser performed an exclusive engagement for eight weeks at Harrah’s Resort in Atlantic City.



"We can't wait to get back out on the road and visit our fans all across the country," says original group member Randy Stine. "The foundation of Straight No Chaser is our live performance. We pride ourselves on a show that anyone of any age or background can enjoy. This time around, we will be performing new songs on a new stage. It's the biggest production we've ever put together, and we are so excited to share it with our fans, since they are the ones who got us here."



Tickets ($32.25-$57.25) for Straight No Chaser on Tuesday, December 13, 2011 at 8:00 p.m., at the Benedum Center, may be purchased at the Box Office at Theater Square, 655 Penn Avenue, online at www.TrustArts.org, or by calling (412) 456-6666. To purchase 10 or more tickets at special discounted rates, please call (412) 471-6930.