Program: Fiscally Sponsored

Seasons Project- DEMASKUS Theater Collective

Note on Commercial Theater by Langston Hughes

You’ve taken my blues and gone

You sing ’em on Broadway

And you sing ’em in Hollywood Bowl,

And you mix them up with symphonies

And you fix ’em

So they don’t sound like me.

Yep, you done taken my blues and gone.

 

You also took spirituals and gone.

You put me in Macbeth and Carmen Jones

And all kinds of Swing Mikados

And in everything but what’s about me

But someday somebody’ll

Stand up and talk about me,

And write about me

Black and beautiful

And sing about me,

And put on plays about me!

I reckon it’ll be

Me myself!

Yes, it’ll be me.

 

DEMASKUS is a national service-oriented collective of artists and administrators seeking to make known the messages of the marginalized. We achieve this through the production and presentation of quality, compassionate, and inclusive artistic events. Everything around us is changing, but our purpose has not. Now more than ever, we must share profound truths from formally marginalized voices that refuse to go unheard and may even offer solutions and solace in a world in dire need of uncompromising reminders of what makes us most humane.

Most Christians will immediately associate DEMASKUS with Damascus–the Syrian capital that is home to the road where Saul of Tarsus had his transformative encounter with God. God struck Saul blind and confronted him about his past. High-born and scholarly, Saul was prone to violence toward early adopters of Christianity. The Collective’s name embodies the idea of revealing the truths that lie beneath the mask(s) of our own blind behavior and beliefs. Art, at its best, helps us to rethink and reimagine that which we think we know. Consciously removing a metaphorical mask certainly requires self-examination. (Based on an exchange with DTC member the Rev. Dr. Leah Lewis, J.D., alluding to Acts 9:1-8). Another source of inspiration for our work is the historic and notable poem, We Wear the Mask by Paul Laurence Dunbar. Whatever the masks you wear, we invite you to lay them down and join us on a journey filled with crossroads, but free from the expectations and oppressive standards of others. Our art is about us, made by us at times and is always for us.  There is freedom here. Welcome home.

 

Images: You Wouldn’t Expect Production Photos © Martha Rial
Images: WINE IN THE WILDERNESS- Production Photos © Sager McDill

Greater Pittsburgh Festival of Books

OUR MISSION

The Greater Pittsburgh Festival of Books (GPFB) will celebrate Pittsburgh’s vibrant literary history & showcase this modern city’s vital role on the national & international literary stage. With free, diverse programming showcasing both national & local acclaimed authors across age groups & genres, the festival will offer opportunities for readers, writers, booksellers, publishers, critics & others to connect with, learn from & support each other.

WHY PITTSBURGH?

Pittsburgh is a city filled with both national best-selling authors and budding writers, as well as established literary organizations; university presses; publishers of poetry, nonfiction, and fiction; independent and used bookstores; an active literary and arts community; and readers of all ages.

An annual Pittsburgh book festival will tie all these assets together in one celebration. What’s more, book fairs and festivals create and support a community of readers, attract all ages, introduce and enhance a lifelong love of literature in young readers. 

STEM Leadership Center

The STEM Leadership Center offers a space and support for youth in grades 6-16 to pursue real-world projects in science and technology.   The Center works with our Odyssey Fellows to partner with leaders around the world seeking to solve the real problems, to make meaningful projects possible, and to stoke the fires of what makes them passionate imagineers of a more beautiful world. Fellows tell the stories of today’s scientific and technological breakthroughs through published books, web resources, electronics prototypes, YouTube videos, games, virtual and augmented realities, and mobile apps.  Odyssey Fellows, with the help of our project managers, take their creations to regional and national STEM competitions, science fairs and maker faires.

We accept donations to support those fellows whose families cannot afford the monthly lab access fees.  Donors may choose which fellowships to direct their monies to: 

Current fellowships include:

  • Heroes of Math: Promoting a new Heroes of Math Medal for school to 3D print and award annually to a student of their choice.  heroesofmath.weebly.com/

  • Charging into the Future: Investigating advances in battery technology of Electric Vehicles. chargingintothefuture.weebly.com/

  • 4 Step Robotics: Prototyping a robotic kitten for use in Alzheimer’s research and treatment.  4steprobotics.weebly.com/

  • River Robots: Programming solutions to Ohio River water pollution riverrobots.weebly.com/

  • Bridge Builders of Tomorrow: Looking at new tech in bridge building and repair. bridgebuildersoftomorrow.weebly.com/

  • Into Words:  Online Workshops and meetings centered around teaching effective communication skills. intowordsclub.weebly.com/

  • Catching RFID Waves: Celebrating RFID Tech and the IoT catchingrfidwaves.weebly.com/

  • Taking Root: Building a text based choose your own adventure Python game centered around the life of 2004 Nobel Peace Prize Awardee Wangari Mathai.

Fellowships continue throughout the year.  Any royalties or profits are donated to charities chosen by each fellowship. 

Contact Information
stemleadershipcenter.com

 

Pittsburgh Restaurant Workers Aid

Pittsburgh Restaurant Workers Aid provides resources and community support to low-wage restaurant and hospitality workers who have lost financial, housing, food, and healthcare security. Built as a coalition of service industry workers in response to the economic distress caused by COVID-19 pandemic of 2020, our goal is to create a mutual aid network that can address immediate needs, through this crisis and beyond, by distributing food, baby necessities, pet care items, cleaning and hygiene products, and small emergency cash grants.

In response to the closure of dine-in facilities in Allegheny County on March 15th, we partnered with the Irma Freeman Center in Garfield to set up the Pittsburgh Restaurant Workers Aid Food Distribution Center. Since then, we have delivered close to 400 care packages to the front doors of low-wage restaurant workers in the region, from our next door neighbors to folks in neighboring counties. Our Food Distribution Center acts as a hub to collect donations from community members and partner organizations, assemble care packages, serve meals, allow neighbors to pick up groceries, and send out volunteer drivers with deliveries. These resources will aid low-wage neighbors to maintain food security for themselves and their families during times of need.

Through reaching out to our greater community for support, the folks who eat at our tables and celebrate at our bars, the communities around us that benefit from the vibrant culture created in our dining rooms and on our stages, we will be able to better recover from these hard times and welcome our guests back with open arms.

Make Music Pittsburgh

Make Music Pittsburgh’s mission is to connect all Pittsburgh community members, regardless of age, musical experience, or ability, to make and enjoy music every summer solstice, while also encouraging further participation in music-making.

Every year on June 21st, Pittsburgh neighborhoods are filled with music making opportunities. Make Music Pittsburgh aims to enhance the cultural vibrancy of every neighborhood in Pittsburgh by supporting the existing musical events, music friendly venues, and citizens interested in participatory music making opportunities. They facilitate events to play music outdoors and celebrate the joy and curiosity music can bring a community.

Make Music Pittsburgh aims to build a city where all community members are enabled to make music and feel connected and supported in their musical engagement.

Brown Mama Monologues

The Brown Mama Monologues is an annual showcase of 10 African-American mothers telling their unique stories around being a black mother in America with the purpose of redefining the American motherhood narrative to be more inclusive of the black mothering experience.

After six months of rehearsals and speaking and writing coaching our moms take the stage to vocalize their trials and triumps around topics ranging from co-parenting to adoption and mommy-guilt. Since its inception, the Brown Mama Monologues has boasted over 300 attendees per show. Audience members leave our theaters using words like “unifying”, “relatable” and “long overdue” to describe the experience of hearing a mom, like them, give voice to her most vulnerable moments.

In 2020, for the first time in three years, our show will debut outside of the Pittsburgh region as 10 moms from the DC Metro area take the stage at the Bowie Center for Performing arts to become storytellers under the Brown Mama Monologues banner.

Contact Us
Brownmamamonologues.com
brownmommys@gmail.com

District PGH

Our region faces urgent challenges which cannot be solved by any singular entity.

District PGH is a collaborative of local organizations working to accelerate neighborhood and district-scale sustainable development that promotes climate resilience and equity in the greater Pittsburgh region. District PGH will work with communities, professionals, and academics to research and assess, scale adoption of projects and initiatives, advocate for resources and policy, and organize convenings that forward the practice of ecodistricts in our region. Current members, including New Sun Rising, Green Building Alliance, Sustainable Pittsburgh, The Forbes Funds, and evolveEA have committed to collectively implement the following strategies:

RESEARCH

District PGH will perform assessments and provide research to make the case

that all development should be sustainable development.

 

SCALE

District PGH will provide technical assistance to increase planning initiatives

and for the implementation of sustainable developments.

 

CONVENE

District PGH will promote regional, cross sectorial partnerships and learning

between community members, academics, and professionals.

 

ADVOCATE

District PGH will increase awareness of successful models and advocate

for policy change and investments at the municipal, county, and state level. 

ReEngage Conference

ReEngage is a live conference that inspires and empowers veterans to embrace their post-military purpose, connect to resources within their communities, and take the next step towards their greatest potential. It also provides an opportunity for community members to connect to the veterans around them and better understand their journeys.

The inaugural conference will take place on Saturday, March 7, 2020 at the Heinz History Center in the Strip District. There will be interactive breakout sessions, dynamic panel discussions, and motivational keynote speakers, including Pittsburgh Steelers legend and Vietnam war veteran, Rocky Bleier.

ReEngage is honored to partner with the following organizations for the 2020 conference: Veterans Breakfast Club, The Mission Continues, Veterans Leadership Program, Pittsburgh Hires Veterans, Operation Homefront, Adventures in Training with a Purpose, The Vet Center, Robert Morris University’s Center for Veterans and Military Families, and Duquesne University’s Office for Military and Veteran Students.

NOMA PGH

Our Project Pipeline Programming is designed to provide educational and mentoring opportunities for minority students as they matriculate through grade school, college, and the process of becoming licensed architects upon graduation.

We currently facilitate education programs for youth in Middle & High School through our annual architecture camp and design workshops. Providing students with exposure to architecture at a young age gives each child an opportunity to discover their artistic and technical passions early in their educational development. Students, parents, teachers, and counselors can then place students in classes that will build on the student’s interest in architecture and design.

As our older students enter college, we provide mentoring opportunities, portfolio reviews, and job shadowing experiences to give students a chance to walk a day in the shoes of an architect. We also encourage college students to join or even start a local NOMAS student chapter at their respective colleges and universities.

After college, we support emerging professionals through the Architectural Registration Exams by providing access to study materials, mentoring and study cohort groups. Our Licensed professionals have the opportunity to serve as mentors, grow as business owners and become key players at some of Pittsburgh’s most respected architecture firms.

Vigilance Theater Group

Vigilance is an immersive theater group dedicated to creating intimate, experiential productions. Drawing inspiration from high art and pop culture alike, Vigilance is determined to explore the boundaries and possibilities of the growing immersive theater movement.

Currently, Vigilance is preparing the second-play in a three-play series, “The Moon Phase,” about power and memory in a world overseen by guardian spirits. The first show, “Hollow Moon,” had a sold-out run in November of 2018; in it, twelve strangers gathered in a historic (and possibly haunted) house for a deadly game. In “Welcome to Moonside,” which will premiere in August, a group of chosen humans are called to the otherworldly place filled with conflicted spirits, to try and save the ghosts from a grim fate.

All of Vigilance’s productions put the audience at the center of the action, treating our patrons as characters in the show. Our audiences don’t merely observe the events around them; they have the chance to interact, explore and even change the outcome of each show. It’s our goal to provide an experience that’s equal parts theatrical and interactive.

PGH Map Lab

PGH Map Lab is a social enterprise that empowers neighborhoods, non-profits, and municipalities to make data-driven decisions through the creation of maps, apps, and storytelling tools. We are motivated by healthy, equitable, resilient communities. It is our belief that a holistic approach to community development starts with good planning, which requires the best data possible. Our interest is to help organizations and municipalities find, use, and analyze this data to make better informed decisions.

PGH Map Lab is dedicated to enhancing the GIS capacity of individuals and organizations for the benefit of the greater good. Our vision of the Map Lab is an accessible, hand on learning space to test out innovative geospatial and data technologies. We will connect social justice, art, environment, and land use planning through the use of maps. It is our hope that these unique applications will provide clear communication and positively impacting local communities.

Melanin Mommies

Melanin Mommies PGH is a program that provides mentors to organizations that serve ‘At Risk’ African American mothers age 14-21. Our mission is to provide pregnant or parenting mothers the tools they need to become the best women and best mothers they can be. Our program assist them in overcoming inter-generational trauma and combating negative family cycles through mentorship.