PITTSBURGH
CULTURAL
TRUST Transforming Pittsburgh
Through the Arts
What is the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust? There is no simple answer to this oftenasked question. In the pages that follow, we attempt to answer it with the help of a few friends. As a complex, multi-faceted organization, the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust has a single objective and responsibility: the development and promotion of the downtown Pittsburgh Cultural District. The Cultural District is a national model of urban transformation and revitalization through the arts and is a great Pittsburgh success story.
J. Kevin McMahon President and CEO Pittsburgh Cultural Trust
ON THE COVER The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust’s 300,000-square-foot Theater Square complex is a Cultural District hub for tickets, parking, entertainment, dining and lounging. THIS PAGE Lobby of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust’s Benedum Center for the Performing Arts, a majestic 2800seat theater and focal point of the Cultural District.
Arts activity in the Cultural District led by the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust has an annual economic impact of
$250 million.
‘‘My father-in-law and his ‘Band of Dreamers’ unleashed a great idea, and we, as a community, must have the wisdom to understand it and the courage to see it through. The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust is our assurance that despite all of our successes in the Cultural District, we will continue to see it through as if the dream had just been unleashed.’’ —TERESA HEINZ, Chairman, The Heinz Endowments
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A Bold Idea The Cultural District attracts more than
2,000,000 It was not long ago when the present-day Cultural District
people downtown annually.
was a teeming “red light”district littered with noxious enterprises and criminal activity. The pioneering Pittsburgh visionary H.J. “Jack” Heinz II and his “Band of Dreamers”
Below: H.J. “Jack” Heinz II (standing left, center) and his
introduced a bold idea: to transform a seedy, downtrodden 14-block
“Band of Dreamers,” including the Hon. John Heinz III (seated
section of downtown into a Cultural District.
front, left), Drue Heinz (seated, left) and Bill Rea (standing, right) create a national model
Jack Heinz took a critical first step towards realizing this noble vision
for urban revitalization
by establishing the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust in 1984. The Cultural
Pittsburgh’s Cultural District.
through the creation of
Trust would serve as the driving catalyst behind the Cultural District’s creation and ongoing development. The vision for a world-class destination for arts and entertainment in the heart of downtown Pittsburgh continues to take shape in exciting, creative ways through the dedication, hard work and curatorial eye of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust.
Photo: Clyde Hare
A Bold Idea 3
‘‘I’ve worked a lot in Pittsburgh and I know the city well. Pittsburghers are fortunate to have such a variety of arts forms available to them, and that is because of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust.’’ —ANTHONY RAPP, Actor/Singer
‘‘Without organizations like the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, the arts would perish.’’ —ADAM PASCAL, Actor/Singer
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Performing Arts Presenter
Presenting programming that is diverse, balanced and of the highest quality is central to the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust’s mission. To attract the broadest audiences, the Cultural Trust presents an exceptional variety of performing arts and entertainment in the
Nancy D. Washington,
Cultural District, including the best of Broadway, contemporary dance,
Trustee and Chair,
music, comedy, musical theater, family-friendly and ethnic programs,
Trust’s Programming
Pittsburgh Cultural
Advisory Committee
arts festivals and everything in between. Nancy Washington, Chair, Pittsburgh Cultural Trust’s Programming Advisory Committee adds, “The generous support that the Cultural Trust receives from corporations, foundations and individuals is what makes all of our wonderful programming possible.” THE PITTSBURGH CULTURAL TRUST PRESENTS:
The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust presents more than
1,500 events and programs annually in the Cultural District.
THE PITTSBURGH CULTURAL TRUST OWNS AND OPERATES:
• PNC Broadway Across America-Pittsburgh
• Wednesday Wine Flights
• Agnes R. Katz Plaza
• Craft Beer School
• Pittsburgh Dance Council
• CD Live!
• Benedum Center for the Performing Arts
• Cohen & Grigsby Trust Presents Series • Pittsburgh International Children’s Theater & Festival
• BNY Mellon Jazz presents JazzLive
• Byham Theater
• Pittsburgh Festival of Lights
• O’Reilly Theater
• Pittsburgh JazzLive International Festival
• Dollar Bank Three Rivers Arts Festival
• Trust Guest Attractions
• Highmark First Night® Pittsburgh
• Pittsburgh International Festival of Firsts
• Gallery Crawl in the Cultural District
• Cultural Festivals
• Harris Theater • Trust Arts Education Center • Theater Square: Cabaret at Theater Square Cultural District Box Office Parking Garage Backstage Bar Meat & Potatoes Gastropub Carolyn M. Byham WQED fm89.3 Studio
Performing Arts Presenter 5
‘‘What’s unique and exciting about our Cultural District is that it’s really a design district as much as it is a performing arts destination. The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust set the standard for civic design excellence.’’ — RENEE PIECHOCKI, Director, Office of Public Art, Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council and City of Pittsburgh, and artist
‘‘The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust forged an arts scene downtown that would not have been there otherwise.’’ —ROBERT RACKZA, Pittsburgh artist and guest Cultural Trust curator
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Curating an Arts Neighborhood
The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust has cleared a critical path for a visually-exciting urban arts neighborhood in downtown Pittsburgh. With curatorial prowess, the Cultural Trust demands the highest quality for visual art galleries, public art, urban design and amenities of distinction throughout the Cultural District. Founding President and CEO Carol R. Brown explains that “What Carol R. Brown, Founding President and
has distinguished the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust from the beginning
CEO, Pittsburgh Cultural Trust (1984–2001).
is our holistic approach in the Cultural District, focusing not only on performing arts facilities and programming, but also enhancing
streetscapes and architecture, and by incorporating art galleries, public parks and plazas. The goal was to create a downtown Pittsburgh neighborhood that was eminently attractive and inviting.” The Cultural Trust’s stewardship has led to the creation and cultivation of a downtown Pittsburgh arts scene by opening art galleries and public spaces that presents bold directions in contemporary art.
Pittsburgh Cultural Trust’s visual arts galleries and art spaces include: Wood Street Galleries SPACE 707 Penn Gallery 709 Penn Gallery 819 Penn Avenue 943 Liberty Avenue 937 Liberty Avenue Seventh and Penn Parklet Agnes R. Katz Plaza Tito Way
Curating an Arts Neighborhood 7
‘‘Being in the Cultural District is a perfect fit for Brightside Academy. We are in walking distance to the theaters, and it’s convenient for visiting artists to lead art activities at our facility. Partnering with the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust is a wonderful way to provide art experiences for children who might not have access otherwise.” —LA SHAWN COBB, Brightside Academy
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Making the Arts Accessible
The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust provides a welcoming platform for people of all ages and interests to explore the arts. From student matinees and master classes with visiting artists to performing arts and visual arts workshops and classes, the Cultural Trust creates opportunities for the artist in everyone. Students/sisters Margaux and Liza Wilson have taken various art workshops at the Cultural Trust’s Arts Education Center. “I want
Liza & Margaux Wilson
a career in the arts. The drawing, cartooning, photography and painting classes I take at the Cultural Trust inspire me.” says Margaux Wilson. Liza Wilson adds “Before taking a playwriting and acting course, I didn’t know I could write plays, and I discovered that I’m pretty good.” In partnership with PNC Grow Up Great, each year the Cultural Trust provides arts and theater activities for more than 250 children
The Cultural Trust reaches and serves more than
110,000 students, educators and community members in Western Pennsylvania each year.
attending downtown Pittsburgh pre-schools. The Cultural Trust also works closely with area schools and educators to cultivate future arts audiences through diverse arts experiences for students ranging from grade school to graduate school.
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‘‘The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust’s Shared Services initiative is a national model for successful arts collaboration. The collective sharing of expenses allows Cultural District arts organizations to reduce overhead, freeing up more resources for programming to the benefit of our audiences.” —JAMES E. ROHR, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, The PNC Financial Services Group, Chair, Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, 1998 – 2006
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Local Arts Cultivator and Collaborator The Cultural Trust supports
more than 900 The Cultural Trust sets the stage for resident performing
area artists and arts organizations by providing performance
arts companies, small arts organizations and individual
space at highly subsidized rates, promoting Cultural
performance and visual artists by providing its Cultural
District performances
District theaters, galleries and arts spaces at highly
and building local audiences.
subsidized rates. Jazz artist Sean Jones explains “People don’t realize how many local artists benefit directly from the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust. I have performed in a variety of Cultural Trust venues and settings, such as Cabaret at Theater Square, Backstage Bar, Katz Plaza, the Benedum Center and the Children’s Festival.” Collaboration is increasingly important for sustaining the arts. Since 2000, the Cultural Trust has pioneered Shared Services, a consortium of Cultural District arts organizations: August Wilson Center for African American Culture, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, Pittsburgh CLO, Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, Pittsburgh Opera, Pittsburgh Public Theater and Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. Shared Services facilitates the collective sourcing of goods and services and promotion of the Cultural District. Long-term cost saving collaborations allow these organizations to direct more financial resources toward artistic endeavors. Since its inception, Shared Services’ cumulative savings have exceeded $8.6 million.
Sean Jones, Jazz artist/educator
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‘‘Had it not been for the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, Rugby Realty never would have invested in the Cultural District. The Cultural Trust’s success as a real estate developer was a critical path to what you see today downtown, and that is why Rugby Realty is bullish on the Cultural District.’’ — AARON D. STAUBER, ESQ., Principal & President, Rugby Realty Co., Inc.
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Building Upon a Vision
Unique to the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust’s mission is its catalytic role as a downtown real estate developer. Guided by a holistic
Managing more than one million square feet of real estate, the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust is one of downtown’s leading land owners.
vision to transform a blighted 14-block section of downtown Pittsburgh, the Cultural Trust resolutely acquires and restores historic theaters, purchases commercial and residential properties and has built new facilities in the Cultural District, paving the way for private developers to leverage opportunities in downtown Pittsburgh. The Cultural Trust’s real estate successes have led to other key developments, including a resurgence of downtown living options, the renovation of the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, the expansion of Point Park University and the development of riverfront property along the North Shore.
T r Affiliated Properties
Trust-Owned Galleries/ Art Spaces
Pittsburgh Cultural T Trust Owned /Operated
rust-Owned Theaters
Additional Cultural District Destinations
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‘‘The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust is one of the greatest gifts that Pittsburgh has ever been given. It is an organization that took responsibility for the worst part of downtown Pittsburgh and made it into something great. We cannot take what the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust has accomplished in the Cultural District for granted —we must support it, cherish it and preserve it.” —JAMES E. ROHR, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, The PNC Financial Services Group, Chair, Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, 1998 – 2006
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Sustain the Cultural District Support the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust The Cultural Trust is grateful to the foundations, corporations, volunteers and thousands of individuals whose contributions make everything the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust does in the Cultural District possible. Your support directly helps to create and maintain a world-class destination for arts and entertainment, and elevates Pittsburgh’s quality of life.
Since it was established in 1984, the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust has consistently managed a balanced operating budget through the strictest adherence to fiduciallysound business practices.
There are many ways to be part of Pittsburgh’s thriving Cultural District: • Become a member of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust • Volunteer in the Cultural District • Subscribe to a performance series • Patronize Cultural District events
Visit TrustArts.org/Support or call 412-456-6666 for more information. Thank you
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Children explore a visual arts installation as part of the Pittsburgh International Children’s Festival.
PITTSBURGH
CULTURAL
TRUST 803 Liberty Avenue Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15222 412-471-6070 TrustArts.org