YWCA Ranks Second in Highmark Walk

YWCA Greater Pittsburgh Ranks Second in Pittsburgh Highmark Walk

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                            

CONTACT:      
Amie Hackimer
YWCA Greater Pittsburgh
412-255-1261
ahackimer@ywcapgh.org

YWCA Greater Pittsburgh Ranks Second

Highmark Walk for a Healthy Community Helps Pittsburgh Nonprofits Raise $500,000

PITTSBURGH, PA (August 7, 2014):  YWCA Greater Pittsburgh raised $24,324 in its first year as a Highmark Walk for a Healthy Community participant. The YW’s efforts ranked as the second top fundraising nonprofit for the Pittsburgh Walk and fifth in all of Pennsylvania. Over 160 staff and board members, as well as friends and family, formed the YWCA Greater Pittsburgh team to raise money for the YW’s programs and services.

YWCA Greater Pittsburgh CEO Magdeline Jensen said, “I am so pleased with the impressive accomplishments of our staff, board and volunteers during our first year participating in the walk. They all rose to the occasion and demonstrated support for the organization they care about.”

The Highmark Walk for a Healthy Community in Pittsburgh provided an opportunity for the community to support 69 local nonprofits on May 17th, 2014. The primary goal of the walk, which includes both a 5K route and a one-mile fun walk option, is to help charitable health and human service organizations raise money for their individual missions. Highmark underwrites all of the costs associated with the walks, so 100 percent of funds raised by community members are donated to the charity they select. The Pittsburgh walk raised approximately $501,700 through the participation of 8,500 walkers.

View YWCA Greater Pittsburgh’s album of photos from the 2014 Highmark Walk for a Healthy Community.

View Highmark release with coverage of all five Highmark Walk for a Healthy Community locations.

For more information, contact the YWCA Greater Pittsburgh at 412-255-1261.
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About YWCA Greater Pittsburgh
Since its proud beginnings in 1869, the YWCA Greater Pittsburgh has worked to empower women and their families, advocate for fair and equitable conditions, and challenge social and racial injustice. As society has changed, so have the challenges we face. But women’s underlying need for support and encouragement that empowers them to take command of their lives and their families remains. For more information, visit www.ywcapgh.org.

About Highmark Inc.
Highmark Inc. is among the largest health insurers in the United States and the fourth-largest Blue Cross and Blue Shield-affiliated company. Highmark and its diversified businesses and affiliates operate health insurance plans in Pennsylvania, Delaware and West Virginia that serve 5.2 million members. Its diversified health businesses serve group customer and individual health needs across the United States through dental insurance, vision care and other related health businesses. Highmark is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, an association of independent Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies. For more information, visit www.highmark.com.

Posted on behalf of Dreamweaver Marketing Associates.  Joyce Kane is the owner of Cybertary Pittsburgh, a Virtual Administrative support company, providing virtual office support, personal and executive assistance, creative design services and light bookkeeping.  Cybertary works with businesses and busy individuals to help them work 'on' their business rather than 'in' their business.  www.Cybertary.com/Pittsburgh

Highmark First Night Pittsburgh 2014 Event Schedule

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contacts:
Jessica Warchall, Visual Art Publicist, Pittsburgh Cultural Trust
847-477-8714/Warchall@TrustArts.org
Shaunda Miles, Director of Public Relations, Pittsburgh Cultural Trust
412-471-1578/Miles@TrustArts.org
Diana Roth, Communications Manager, Pittsburgh Cultural Trust
412-471-8717/Roth@TrustArts.org

Images available: http://TrustArts.org/press
Search: FirstNightPGH 2014

PITTSBURGH CULTURAL TRUST ANNOUNCES
HIGHMARK® FIRST NIGHT® PITTSBURGH 2014
VISUAL ART EXHIBITIONS AND EVENTS

Cultural District | December 31, 2013 | 6 – 11 p.m.

Pittsburgh, PA—The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust announces the visual art exhibitions and events that are part of the twentieth anniversary celebration of Highmark First Night Pittsburgh in the heart of downtown’s Cultural District. Highmark First Night Pittsburgh 2014 is produced by the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust with generous support from Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield, the event’s long time supporter and returning presenting sponsor. Highmark First Night Pittsburgh provides the city with a chance to ring in the new year while celebrating the arts: dance, music, theater, comedy, magic, visual art, and film, plus hands-on activities for children and adults.

“Highmark First Night Pittsburgh is the region’s largest showcase of family-friendly visual art,” says Sonja Sweterlitsch Pittsburgh Cultural Trust’s Manager of Community Art. “Visitors will enjoy a wide range of visual media and expression, from film, to installation art, to painting and sculpture, to inspire and delight.”

PGH Zombie Apocalypse (Courtesy of Artist)

Among the fourteen visual art venues participating in Highmark First Night Pittsburgh 2014 is the Trust Arts Education Center (805/807 Liberty Avenue), which transforms into an exhibition space for the event. The Center’s third floor features the exhibition Memory Terrains, which includes artwork by artists working in a range of media. Don Jones presents Cycle Sam, a child-size, energetic animated robot. Alternate Histories by Matthew Bucholtz features old prints of the Pittsburgh area, seemingly familiar, yet utterly surprising, as UFOs hover in the skyline and sea monsters rise from the Monongahela River. Also presented is a selection of artist Mia Tarducci Henry’s vibrant and colorful abstract paintings recalling her experiences in Grenada 30 years ago.

A screening of the 1959 animated film “Rhapsody in Steel” by former Disney staffer John Sutherland rounds out the third floor exhibition space. Commissioned by U.S. Steel, this 23-minute industrial cartoon (with full orchestration by the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra) tells the story of the history of steel, from the first meteor hitting the earth, to ancient Egypt, to space flight. Other notable contributors to the film include Academy Award-winning composer Dimitri Tiomkin, art director and former Disney illustrator Eyvind Earle, director Carl Urbano, and narrator Gary Merrill.

The Center’s fourth floor features the Second Saturday Workshops: Instructors’ Showcase, highlighting outstanding work by thirteen local artists, who are also instructors of the Second Saturday Art Workshop Series at the Trust Arts Education Center. Among the artists included are internationally honored fiber artist Tina Brewer and Tom Scioli, comic book artist and illustrator of the epic sci-fi comic book Gødland.

The following is a complete schedule of the visual art exhibitions and events that are part of the Highmark First Night Pittsburgh 2014 New Year’s Eve celebration.

HIGHMARK FIRST NIGHT PITTSBURGH 2014 VISUAL ARTS

Mia Tarducci Henry (Courtesy of the Artist)

Trust Arts Education Center, 805/807 Liberty Avenue
Third Floor: Memory Terrains
Presenting paintings by Mia Tarducci Henry; Alternate Histories by Matthew Bucholtz; Cycle Sam by Don Jones; and Rhapsody in Steel, a 1959 animation by John Sutherland, re-mastered by Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area.
Fourth Floor: Second Saturday Workshops: Instructors’ Showcase
Artist-instructors include Rick Antolic, Alison Babusci, Michael Bestwick, Tina Brewer, Cheryl Capezzuti, Erin Carlson, Joshua Hogan, Laverne Kemp, Emily McMahon, Olga Mihaylova, Thomas Scioli, Sonja Sweterlitsch, and Linda Wallen.

Highmark Direct Truck, 9th Street
Steel Making: A Symphony of Industry
This 1936 film re-mastered by Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area illuminates the steel-making process from start to finish with cinematic flourish rarely seen in films of this genre.

Fraley’s Robot Repair Shop, Renaissance Pittsburgh Hotel, 107 6th Street
The Lonely Robot Returns
Artist Toby Atticus Fraley brings back the Lonely Robot from his previous Cultural District installation. The robot and his friends appear in a swanky room window display at street level.

Associated Artists of Pittsburgh, 937 Liberty Avenue, 2nd floor
Welcoming the Future, Honoring the Present: New and Established AAP Member Works
This exhibition features a salon-style hanging of works by current AAP artists alongside a showcase of 21 new AAP members, who became part of the organization in 2013.

Toonseum, 945 Liberty Avenue
The year 2014 is the 100th anniversary of Gertie the Dinosaur, the first animated cartoon character. To celebrate, ToonSeum is showing animated cartoons inside and outside of the building. Special live performances by cartoonist and ToonSeum Director Joe Wos are also featured.

PNC Legacy Project, 600 Liberty Avenue
A multimedia exhibition highlights the story of Pittsburgh’s transformation into one of the country’s most livable cities.

Edinboro University, 820 Liberty Avenue
Chimera
Curated by Edinboro University’s Bruce Gallery, this pop-up project is part of the larger gallery project titled Transpose. Acting as a conduit of art between Pittsburgh, Erie, and Edinboro, the installation features student artwork.

Harris Theater, 809 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh Filmmakers presents a series of short films.

Future Tenant, 819 Penn Avenue
Shame of the City: Deconstructing and Reconstructing Comic Narratives
Twenty-three artists each present a deconstruction of a different page from the 1984 comic book The Invincible Iron Man, (volume 01, issue 178), effectively creating a new work inspired by the original comic.

Wood Street Galleries, 601 Wood Street
HIVE
Kurt Hentschläger created this 3D-animated audiovisual installation in which visitors encounter swirling amorphous human figures appearing as a mass, or hive, rather than as individual beings.

SPACE, 812 Liberty Avenue
Behind Our Scenes
Guest curated by Jen Saffron, this exhibition features works by five photographic artists exploring the relationship between the two-dimensional form and physical space. The artists include Nancy Andrews, Leo Hsu, Dennis Marsico, Annie O’Neill, and Barbara Weissberger.

707 Penn Gallery, 707 Penn Gallery
threaded color // drawing lines
Nicole Czapinski constructs wooden frames enclosed by sheer fabric, creating semi-transparent, two-sided screens. Varicolored thread is woven between the two fabric panels, effectively creating three-dimensional drawings of polygons that appear to float in space.

709 Penn Gallery, 709 Penn Gallery
Craftsmen’s Guild of Pittsburgh Holiday Artist Market
This juried show and artist market features works of art handcrafted by members of the Craftsmen’s Guild of Pittsburgh in a diverse range of media, including jewelry, clay, glass, wood, textiles, paper, among others.

August Wilson Center, 980 Liberty Avenue, BNY Mellon Gallery, first floor
Pittsburgh: Reclaim, Renew, Remix
This multimedia exhibition is designed to herald the contributions of artists, musicians, dancers, sports figures, and literary figures to Western Pennsylvania’s rich African America heritage. An interactive tool allows visitors to create unique video collages.

Please note that all exhibitions open at 6 p.m., and close at 11 p.m., unless otherwise indicated.

The Highmark First Night Pittsburgh website provides event details and allows users to sort through the schedule of events and customize plans. TrustArts.org/FirstNightPGH is mobile-friendly and allows smartphone users to plan on-the-go during New Year’s Eve.

SPONSORS & MEDIA PARTNERS
Highmark First Night Pittsburgh 2014 sponsors as of release date include: Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield as the presenting sponsor, Equitable Gas Company, Dollar Bank, First National Bank, Giant Eagle, PNC, and Bobby Rahal Motor Company. New this year, FedEx Ground serves as the sponsor for the annual parade with special puppets designed by Studio Capezzuti.

First Night Pittsburgh 2013 Parade (Pittsburgh Cultural Trust)

Highmark First Night Pittsburgh 2014 community supporters include The Buhl Foundation, The Fine Foundation, and The Grable Foundation.
Highmark First Night Pittsburgh 2014 media partners include KDKA TV, Trib Total Media, and WYEP 91.3 FM/WESA 90.5FM.

ABOUT HIGHMARK FIRST NIGHT PITTSBURGH
Highmark First Night Pittsburgh, a production of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, is an arts-focused and family-friendly New Year’s Eve celebration in downtown Pittsburgh’s Cultural District. It is the largest single-day celebration in the region offering around 150 events at nearly 50 indoor and outdoor locations within the 14-block Cultural District. The celebration offers something for everyone.

ABOUT THE PITTSBURGH CULTURAL TRUST
The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust has overseen one of Pittsburgh’s most historic transformations: turning a seedy red-light district into a magnet destination for arts lovers, residents, visitors, and business owners. Founded in 1984, the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust is a non-profit arts organization whose mission is the cultural and economic revitalization of a 14-block arts and entertainment/residential neighborhood called the Cultural District. A major catalytic force in the city, the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust is a unique model of how public-private partnerships can reinvent a city with authenticity, innovation and creativity. Using the arts as an economic catalyst, the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust has holistically created a world-renowned Cultural District that is revitalizing the city, improving the regional economy and enhancing Pittsburgh’s quality of life. Thanks to the support of foundations, corporations, government agencies and thousands of private citizens, the Trust stands as a national model of urban redevelopment through the arts.

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Posted on behalf of Dreamweaver Marketing Associates.  Joyce Kane is the owner of Cybertary Pittsburgh, a Virtual Administrative support company, providing virtual office support, personal and executive assistance, creative design services and light bookkeeping.  Cybertary works with businesses and busy individuals to help them work 'on' their business rather than 'in' their business.  www.Cybertary.com/Pittsburgh

First Night Pittsburgh 2013

The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust announces:
HIGHMARK® FIRST NIGHT® PITTSBURGH 2013
Region’s largest New Year’s Eve celebration

Dirty Dozen Brass Band headlines Highmark First Night Pittsburgh 2013
Monday, December 31, 2012, 6:00 p.m. – 12:00 a.m. midnight
In the heart of the Cultural District

www.FirstNightPgh.org

PITTSBURGH, PA: Celebrate New Year’s Eve in the heart of downtown Pittsburgh’s Cultural District at Highmark First Night Pittsburgh 2013!  This family-friendly community event is produced by the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust with generous support from Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield, the event’s long time supporter and returning presenting sponsor.  Highmark First Night Pittsburgh provides the city with a chance to ring in the new year while celebrating the arts: dance, music, theater, comedy, magic, visual art and film, plus hands-on activities for children and adults.

“On behalf of Highmark, it’s our pleasure to provide key support for Highmark First Night Pittsburgh, a family-friendly event that offers fun activities for all to enjoy,” said Highmark executive vice president Dan Onorato.

Adds Darcy Kucenic, Director of Highmark First Night Pittsburgh for the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust: “We’re grateful to Highmark for their continued support of the region’s largest New Year’s celebration that draws tens of thousands of visitors and spotlights the success and growth of Pittsburgh’s Cultural District. The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust is proud to produce Highmark First Night Pittsburgh and to deliver high-quality performing and visual art for the city to embrace this New Year’s Eve.”

Highmark First Night Pittsburgh begins at 6:00 p.m. with the Dollar Bank Children’s Fireworks Display and a performance by Adam Brock & The Soul Band on the Dollar Bank Stage at Seventh Street and Penn Avenue.  The First Night Parade begins at 8:00 p.m and features Grand Marshals Curt Woottan and Chris Preksta of “Pittsburgh Dad,” giant First Night Puppets, art cars, marching bands, a bicycle parade, and members of the community- all lit for the occasion of this year’s ‘light’-themed parade.  The evening concludes with a performance by the Dirty Dozen Brass Band on the Highmark Stage and The Countdown to Midnight and Future of Pittsburgh Grand Finale atop Penn Avenue Place and Fifth Avenue Place.  The Highmark Stage, where all the First Night revelry concludes, is located on Penn Avenue next to Fifth Avenue Place.  The Penn Avenue big screen, an extra large jumbotron in the middle of the street, will broadcast live surprises throughout the night, and enhance the ball-raising experience by broadcasting the culminating events for all attendees to see.

Among 100+ events and activities held in 45 venues throughout the Cultural District, attractions include the First National Bank Family Tent featuring hands-on activities for all ages; Equitable Gas Marquee Performances with House of Soul at the Benedum Center, Equitable Gas Sing Off winner to open for House of Soul, and River City Brass at the Byham Theater; and brand new projects for the 2013 celebration including the expanded Fire & Ice Plaza featuring Ice Creations & Steel Town Fire, the annual Resolution Sculpture created this year by Dave Bernabo & Lindsey Clark and entitled Chance Resolution, WYEP Music Station Local Band of the Year “Broken Fences, and First Night Comedy Club at the Trust’s Cabaret Theater.

The  Highmark First Night Pittsburgh website provides even more event details and allows users to sort through the schedule of events and customize plans.  The FirstNightPgh.org is also mobile-friendly and will allow smartphone users to plan on-the-go during New Year’s Eve.

HIGHMARK FIRST NIGHT PITTSBURGH® ADMISSION BUTTONS
To join the celebration, simply purchase an all-access Highmark First Night Pittsburgh 2013 button. A button costs only $8 in advance or $10 at the door; children age 5 and under are admitted for free.
First Night buttons are available at participating Giant Eagle stores, The Box Office at Theater Square, online atwww.FirstNightPgh.org or by calling (412) 456-6666.

Seat vouchers may be reserved starting on Monday, December 10th and are available through to the night of the event or until capacity is reached in advance.  For the first time ever they will be available online at FirstNightPgh.org and may be printed at home for convenience.  Seat voucher reservations may also be made by calling 412-456-6666 or by visiting The Box Office at Theater Square.  With one admission button, attendees can reserve one voucher for one performance of each attraction.  The Box Office at Theater Square is located at 655 Penn Avenue between the O’Reilly Theater and Katz Plaza.

Want your vouchers sooner? Our VIP package, entitled “First Night Friends,” allows members to purchase vouchers from December 4th-9thfor priority seating, access, parking, and more! For more information on becoming a part of this special sponsorship opportunity, please call 412-471-6086 or visit FirstNightPittsburgh.org.

There will be general admission waiting lines for performances at all venues requiring vouchers. Patrons will be seated on a space-available and first-come, first-served basis once voucher holders have been accommodated. Box Office hours are Monday – Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. and Sunday, 12:00 p.m. noon to 6:00 p.m.

VOLUNTEERS
Highmark First Night Pittsburgh needs volunteers for numerous jobs--from button checkers to activity helpers to parade assistants. Families, co-workers, school groups and individuals of all ages are needed to help us ring in 2013 in a fun, alcohol-free, family-friendly way. To volunteer with Highmark First Night Pittsburgh, sign up at FirstNightPgh.org.

SPONSORS & MEDIA PARTNERS
Highmark First Night Pittsburgh 2013 sponsors as of release date include: Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield as the presenting sponsor, Equitable Gas Co., Dollar Bank, First National Bank, Giant Eagle, PNC, Ideal Integrations, and Bobby Rahal Motor Company.

Highmark First Night Pittsburgh 2013 community supporters include The Buhl Foundation, The Fine Foundation, The Grable Foundation, and McCune Foundation.

Highmark First Night Pittsburgh 2013 media partners include Trib Total Media, KDKA-TV, and WYEP-FM

ABOUT HIGHMARK FIRST NIGHT PITTSBURGH
Highmark First Night Pittsburgh is the largest one-day outreach event of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust. Founded in 1984, the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust has led the way for the creation and ongoing development of Pittsburgh’s award-winning Cultural District. Utilizing the arts as a means for transforming a formerly blighted downtown, the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust today welcomes over a million visitors annually to thousands of performances, gallery exhibitions and community events.
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Posted on behalf of Dreamweaver Marketing Associates.  Joyce Kane is the owner of Cybertary Pittsburgh, a Virtual Administrative support company, providing virtual office support, personal and executive assistance, creative design services and light bookkeeping.  Cybertary works with businesses and busy individuals to help them work 'on' their business rather than 'in' their business.  www.Cybertary.com/Pittsburgh

Students Sought for First Night Sing-Off

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Today's date: October 16, 2012
Media Contacts:
Equitable Gas, Scott Waitlevertch, (412) 395-2314                     
Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, Diana Roth, (412) 471-8717, roth@trustarts.org
                       

Student Stars Sought for Equitable Gas Sing-Off at Highmark First Night Pittsburgh 2013

Cash awards available for winner and school music programs.

(Pittsburgh, PA) – Equitable Gas Company is searching for musically talented students to audition for the company’s third vocal competition celebrating the New Year. The Equitable Gas Sing-Off is part of the upcoming Highmark First Night Pittsburgh 2013, a production of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, and continues the company’s commitment to opening opportunities for young people in greater Pittsburgh.

The winner will perform live as the opening act for the Equitable Gas Marquee Performances at the Benedum Center during Highmark First Night Pittsburgh 2013.  In addition the winner will receive a cash prize of $500 and the winner’s school will receive a cash prize of $1,500 designated to the music department, compliments of Equitable Gas Company.  Finally, the winner will receive complimentary Highmark First Night Pittsburgh 2013 admission buttons.

Similar to a number of talent shows currently popular on television, students from grades 6 through 12 who are affiliated with a middle or high school in Southwestern Pennsylvania may submit a video audition performance of a song that conveys the spirit of the New Year. Individual students and groups of 20 or fewer should upload a video up to 5 minutes in length to YouTube, and then submit it to the Equitable Gas Sing-Off contestant page on the Highmark First Night Pittsburgh 2013 website. Additional contest information and the entry form are available on the Highmark First Night Pittsburgh 2013 website, FirstNightPgh.org. The application deadline is November 16, 2012.

“For the third year in a row, Equitable Gas is proud to sponsor the Equitable Gas Sing-Off.  We believe there is a tremendous amount of undiscovered musical talent here in greater Pittsburgh.  The Sing-Off permits young people who aspire to perform to showcase their musical talents with the ultimate goal of singing on one of Pittsburgh’s biggest stages on New Year’s Eve”, said Bill Lucas, President of Equitable Gas. “It is our privilege to continue our sponsorship of this premier holiday event with its many family-friendly activities.”

“Highmark First Night is a great forum for expressing and celebrating the vitality and youthfulness of our city through the arts. We’re thrilled to continue this tradition of showcasing the talented students of our region and are grateful to Equitable Gas for their dedication to infusing energy into the Cultural District,” said Darcy Kucenic, Director of Highmark First Night Pittsburgh and Manager of Education & Operations for the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust.  “The Equitable Gas Sing-Off is a perfect complement to Highmark First Night Pittsburgh, powerfully depicting celebration, resolution, community and hope through song.”

A production of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, Highmark First Night Pittsburgh is a unique, family-friendly New Year’s Eve celebration focused on the arts. Held in more than 200 cities worldwide, the festival is a wonderful way to bring in the New Year in an uplifting, alcohol-free atmosphere. Centered in the Cultural District, Highmark First Night Pittsburgh is a joyous celebration of the arts, featuring everything from children’s activities to performances by nationally-known musicians to installations by local artists and a spectacular fireworks finale. Highmark First Night Pittsburgh is a licensee of First Night® USA, the national association of community-based New Year’s Eve arts festivals.

The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust is a non-profit organization whose mission is the cultural and economic development of Pittsburgh’s 14-block Cultural District through public and private support.  The Trust presents and encourages diverse performing and visual arts programs within the District, and is an impetus for additional development in downtown Pittsburgh.      

Equitable Gas Company is a provider of safe and dependable natural gas service to approximately 275,000 residential, commercial and industrial customers located mainly in the city of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County.  Its customer base also includes more than 200 municipalities in nine other counties in western Pennsylvania, 12 counties in central and northern West Virginia, and nine counties in eastern Kentucky.  Additional information about Equitable Gas can be obtained through its website at www.equitablegas.com.

Posted on behalf of Dreamweaver Marketing Associates.  Joyce Kane is the owner of Cybertary Pittsburgh, a Virtual Administrative support company, providing virtual office support, personal and executive assistance, creative design services and light bookkeeping.  Cybertary works with businesses and busy individuals to help them work 'on' their business rather than 'in' their business.  www.Cybertary.com/Pittsburgh

JazzLive International Opens June 3rd with over 150 Artists in 30 Venues

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


Contact:

Veronica Corpuz
The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust
412-471-6082
corpuz@pgharts.org

The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust’s

PITTSBURGH JAZZLIVE INTERNATIONAL

Opens today, Friday, June 3, 2011

Cultural District

Sponsor Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield contributes to present over 150 artists in 30 venues

Pittsburgh, PA: Today The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust launches the first inaugural Pittsburgh JazzLive International Festival in the Cultural District. The weekend of music kicks off tonight with a JazzLive Crawl and continues on Saturday with national and internationally renowned musicians on the JazzLive Summer stages, concluding on Sunday with a visual art show, plus concert by soul legend Bettye LaVette. The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust’s Pittsburgh JazzLive International is produced in cooperation with Dollar Bank Three Rivers Arts Festival, June 3-12th.

“Highmark supports JazzLive International because it will provide Pittsburgh residents, and those who are visiting from out of town, with the opportunity to enjoy the countless cultural amenities our city has to offer,” said Mary Anne Papale, Highmark’s director of community affairs.

On Friday, June 3rd, the JazzLive Crawl will feature two dozen venues in the Cultural District from 5:30-9pm, with a variety of regional acts. Downtown Cultural District restaurants, galleries, and coffee shops will participate. Entrance is free; however seating is available only for patrons dining at participating restaurants.

On Saturday, June 4th, the three JazzLive Summer Stages—located at 9th Street and Liberty, Liberty Avenue between 9th and 10th, Penn Avenue between 9th and 10th—will feature the following artists:

· Chelsea Baratz

· Center Of Life/Monterey Jazz Festival

· Roger Humphries

· Sean Jones

· Les Nubians

· Gretchen Parlato

· Gregory Porter

· Bobby Sanabria

· Soulive

On Sunday, June 5th, Showcase Noir, the African American artist and designer showcase will fill the halls of the Byham Theater with visual art and live jazz with Alton Merrell and DJ SMI. The evening of June 5th, the Cultural Trust has partnered with Grey Area Productions to present soul and blues diva, Bettye LaVette at Altar Bar in the Strip District. Tickets can be purchased through the Pittsburgh JazzLive International website.

The Pittsburgh JazzLive International weekend is presented with support from Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield, Macy’s, Richard King Mellon Foundation, The Pittsburgh Foundation, Savoy Restaurant, the City of Pittsburgh and many in-kind sponsors. All artists and show times are subject to change. Please visit pittsburghjazzlive.com or call 412-456-6666 for updates and information.
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