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The Blog of NSR

Tag: culture

Allegheny, Beaver County artists to be featured in virtual event hosted by New Sun Rising, RiverWise

Posted on September 15, 2020 by Alyse Horn-Pyatt

Pittsburgh, PA —  A virtual gallery opening will be held at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, September 29 for the six artists selected to participate in the Exploring COVID-19 Impacts Through Visual Art program, which provided $2,500 of direct financial support for each artist to create visual art reflecting the effect of COVID-19 on their community.

During the event, the artists will talk about their work and thought process on the creation of their individual pieces. Two artists will also be announced as overall winners and their work will be displayed via wallscapes at two public locations: Millvale Food + Energy Hub and a site to be determined in Beaver County.

More event information can be found here.

“The experience of COVID-19 has taught all of us that we are deeply connected to another,” said Daniel Rossi-Keen, Executive Director of RiverWise. “This project is a great way of increasing connectivity between artists throughout Allegheny and Beaver County, while also showcasing how art can be a powerful way of responding to the many challenges we are facing as a region and a human race.”

The Allegheny County Artists include: Janel Young (JY Originals), painter and muralist; Juliandra Jones (PBJ Customs), painter and digital artist; and Natiq Jalil (The Art of Natiq), watercolor artist. The Beaver County artists include: Erin Ninehouser (The Listening Library), photographer; Marlon Gist, fine artist; and Katie Stone, ceramics sculptor.

“Hearing the stories of how artists are coping during this pandemic is as powerful as the art that has been created for this program,” said Dan Stiker, Director of Operations at New Sun Rising. “The virtual gallery opening will give us the chance to listen and learn from their experiences.”

The program is a partnership between New Sun Rising and RiverWise, supported by The Pittsburgh Foundation’s Emergency Action Fund.

Contact

Dan Stiker, Director of Operations, New Sun Rising
dan@newsunrising.org

Daniel Rossi-Keen, Executive Director, RiverWise
daniel@getriverwise.com

About New Sun Rising

New Sun Rising supports nonprofits and small businesses to build vibrant communities through culture, sustainability, and opportunity. NSR believes that all people and communities hold the knowledge and power to make positive change. We envision a future where regenerative community development practices create the conditions for true social, environmental, and economic justice. 

About RiverWise

RiverWise employs sustainable development practices to create a regional identity around the rivers of Beaver County. At the heart of this work is a concerted effort to organize stakeholders to dream, learn, and collaborate about the future of our rivers. They encourage this process in two primary ways. First, they have formed ecodistricts in three communities (Aliquippa, Monaca, and Beaver Falls). Second, they are engaged in a growing list of projects aimed at activating community ideas and bringing sustainable development to life throughout Beaver County.

 

Posted in EventsTagged Allegheny County, Allegheny County artists, arts, beaver county, beaver county artists, culture, Exploring COVID-19 Impacts Through Visual Art, New Sun Rising, Pittsburgh, RiverWise

One Northside Mini-Grant adjustments amid COVID-19

Posted on March 27, 2020 by Alyse Horn-Pyatt

The upcoming One Northside (ONS) Mini-Grant application deadline will remain March 31, 2020. Project applications submitted to New Sun Rising (NSR) by March 31 will receive a decision in April 2020. 

In lieu of the 15 required signatures for applications, grantees must have 3 references email or call NSR (412-407-9007) to give their full name, home or business address, and the name of the project they are supporting. References cannot be from the same Northside home or business address.

At this time, all grant deadlines have been extended to August 31, 2020.

The mini-grant program awards Northsider’s up to $1,000 to support small scale community projects that demonstrate pledged support of their neighbors, help strengthen connections, increase accessibility to resources, and/or activate significant places in their community. 

NSR encourages prospective applicants to email vibrancyfunds@newsunrising.org with any questions or concerns about the mini-grant process in advance of preparing their application.

Contact

For mini-grant applicants, the preferred method for submitting your application is to use the online form accessible at: www.newsunrising.org/project/ignite-northside/

Printed applications are accepted by postal mail. You may also submit your applications as attachments to vibrancyfunds@newsunrising.org. Postal mail submissions should be addressed to New Sun Rising, Attn. One Northside Mini-Grant, P.O. Box 58005, Pittsburgh, PA 15209 and must be received by the grant deadline. All projects must be completed by August 31, 2020.

In pre-approved circumstances, project leaders may submit for additional mini-grants. Only one mini-grant per project leader may be active at one time. Please contact vibrancyfunds@newsunrising.org for additional information.

About New Sun Rising

New Sun Rising supports nonprofits and small businesses to build vibrant communities through culture, sustainability, and opportunity. NSR believes that people and communities hold the knowledge and power to make positive change. We envision a future where regenerative community development practices create the conditions for true social, environmental, and economic justice. 

About One Northside

One  Northside is a community-driven initiative to improve the quality of life in all 18 neighborhoods of the Northside. Since early 2014, hundreds of Northside residents have engaged with local leaders and stakeholders in community-wide conversations to create a shared agenda for the revitalization of this vital component of the greater Pittsburgh region.

 

Posted in ProjectsTagged culture, entrepreneurs, equity, Ignite Northside, New Sun Rising, One Northside, one Northside mini-grant, opportunity, Pittsburgh Northside, sustainability, Vibrancy Funds, Vibrant Communities, VibrantCommunities

ONS Mini-Grants ’empower’ community members, support projects

Posted on January 7, 2020 by Alyse Horn-Pyatt

Above: Marlo Jones helps women learn how to crochet at a senior citizens home on the Northside.

Northside neighbors with small-scale projects are able to utilize the One Northside Mini-Grant program to get their ideas off the ground, with the next application deadline being January 30, 2020.

The program awards Northsider’s $1,000 for their projects that demonstrate pledged support of their neighbors, help strengthen connections, increase accessibility to resources, and/or activate significant places in their community.

Cecelia Ware has been an advocate for the mini-grant program since she began applying for different projects several years ago, and believes that community members can feel “empowered” by engaging with their neighbors in this way.

Cecelia Ware

“If you’ve got something that you want to share with the community, why not apply for a mini-grant and go ahead and do it?” Ware said.

The mini-grants were first supervised by The Sprout Fund, and when the nonprofit sunset, New Sun Rising took over the process in 2018. Ware applied for funding with both organizations, initially because she “needed to do work in [her] community” and wanted to help kids that may be navigating difficult experiences.

Ware has been awarded several mini-grants over the years, her first being the Saving Our Sons and Daughters after school program at Propel Northside that focuses on violence prevention and coping skills for high school students. Her current mini-grant project is an extension of the first, and is a Teen Drop in Center at 3577 McClure Ave. to ensure that students are supported beyond the school year. She said they are always looking volunteers, and those interested can email infinitelifestylesol@gmail.com.

“We still focus on violence prevention, but also social justice and African American history as well as leadership skills,” Ware said. “We provide the kids with a free meal, and we have a food bank and clothing bank so they can take those things home if needed.”

For Marlo Jones, this was the first year she applied for a mini-grant. As a talented crocheter, Jones wanted to share her craft through The Crochet Group, where she visits senior citizens each week and teaches them the basics of crocheting to create a beginner scarf or hat. 

Jones said the mini-grant has helped her cover the costs of supplies, so each participate can choose and take with them several different yarn colors and their own pair of needles. She also uses a projector to present the different crochet techniques in an easy to digest fashion. She said the experience has been great for those involved.

“This is a safe environment, and people can talk and share what’s been going on in their lives” Jones said. “ It’s therapeutic… to start from nothing and create something beautiful with your hands.”

Project applications submitted to New Sun Rising by January 30, 2020 will receive a decision in February 2020. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis until the mini-grant funding pool is depleted, and the next mini-grant deadline is March 31, 2020.

The preferred method of submitting applications it to use the online form accessible at: www.newsunrising.org/project/ignite-northside/. Printing applications are accepted by postal mail, or via email attachment sent to vibrancyfunds@newsunrising.org. Postal mail submissions should be addressed to New Sun Rising, Attn. One Northside Mini-Grant, P.O. Box 58005, Pittsburgh, PA 15209 and must be received by the grant deadline. All projects must be completed by August 1, 2020.

Posted in ProgramsTagged culture, entrepreneurs, Ignite Northside, New Sun Rising, One Northside, one Northside mini-grant, opportunity, Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh Northside, Vibrancy Funds, Vibrant Communities

Upcoming ONS Mini-Grant deadline January 30, 2020

Posted on December 3, 2019 by Alyse Horn-Pyatt

The upcoming One Northside (ONS) Mini-Grant application deadline is January 30, 2020. 

Project applications submitted to New Sun Rising (NSR) by this date will receive a decision in February 2020. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, and the next mini-grant deadline is March 31 of 2020.

The mini-grant program awards Northsider’s up to $1,000 to support small scale community projects that demonstrate pledged support of their neighbors, help strengthen connections, increase accessibility to resources, and/or activate significant places in their community. 

For mini-grant applicants, the preferred method for submitting your application is to use the online form accessible at: www.newsunrising.org/project/ignite-northside/

Printed applications are accepted by postal mail. You may also submit your applications as attachments to vibrancyfunds@newsunrising.org. Postal mail submissions should be addressed to New Sun Rising, Attn. One Northside Mini-Grant, P.O. Box 58005, Pittsburgh, PA 15209 and must be received by the grant deadline. All projects must be completed by August 1, 2020.

In pre-approved circumstances, project leaders may submit for additional mini-grants. Only one mini-grant per project leader may be active at one time. Please contact vibrancyfunds@newsunrising.org for additional information. 

The ONS Street Team will launch early next year. Stay tuned for future announcements. Those with questions may email vibrancyfunds@newsunrising.org.

 

About New Sun Rising

New Sun Rising supports nonprofits and small businesses to build vibrant communities through culture, sustainability, and opportunity. NSR believes that people and communities hold the knowledge and power to make positive change. We envision a future where regenerative community development practices create the conditions for true social, environmental, and economic justice.

About One Northside

One  Northside is a community-driven initiative to improve the quality of life in all 18 neighborhoods of the Northside. Since early 2014, hundreds of Northside residents have engaged with local leaders and stakeholders in community-wide conversations to create a shared agenda for the revitalization of this vital component of the greater Pittsburgh region.

Posted in ProjectsTagged culture, entrepreneurs, Ignite Northside, New Sun Rising, One Northside, one Northside mini-grants, opportunity, organizational development, Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh Northside, Pittsburgh Northside mini-grants, Vibrancy Funds, Vibrant Communities

Community XR

Community XR is an opportunity for Pittsburghers to try virtual and augmented reality for free. This series of events is a collaboration between Pittsburgh Community Television<https://www.pctv21.org/> and XRconnectED<http://www.xrconnected.com/> and rotates to different locations throughout the city. Community XR promotes digital literacy and encourages Pittsburgh residents to learn how they can create for XR and about related educational and career opportunities. This is a family-friendly event, including AR coloring activities for children. The first Community XR event takes place on Saturday, October 12, at the Millvale Food + Energy Hub at 112 E Sherman St, Millvale, PA 15209. Click here for more info and to register.

ONS Mini-Grant applications being accepted now through 2020

Ignite Northside
Posted on July 31, 2019 by Alyse Horn-Pyatt

Above: Melanie Sandoval reads with Aaron, a student from Spring Hill Elementary School involved in the after school reading program the Comic Book Shop, which received a 2018 ONS Mini-Grant.

Sometimes a lot of funding is needed to get a project off the ground, and sometimes it isn’t.

For those small-scale community projects, New Sun Rising’s One Northside Mini-Grants are back. Created to support community members in their efforts to elevate their neighborhoods, Northsiders can apply to receive $1,000 in funding to support initiatives that strengthen connections, increase accessibility to resources, and activate significant places in their community.

Applications will be released on August 1, 2019, accepted on an ongoing basis, and reviewed bi-monthly. Deadlines to submit applications is 11:59 p.m. on: August 31, 2019; October 31, 2019; January 30, 2019; March 31, 2020; May 31, 2020 based on the availability of funds.

One Northside Mini-Grants will be announced in September 2019, November 2019, February 2020, April 2020, and June 2020.

Grant recipients may also receive additional support through New Sun Rising and the One Northside Mini-Grant Street Team to develop their project and secure additional resources. Applications are currently being accepted for those who would like to join the Street Team; they must be Northside residents and will support community members in their efforts to advance the ONS vision.

Members of the Street Team will receive a stipend of $1,500 and must be able to commit 60 hours in total, including training, throughout the months of August, September, October, November in 2019 and February 2020. Individuals of the Street Team are expected to educate and support community members about ONS Mini-Grants and help submit applications, as well as communicate the mini-grant program with residents and program partners individually and at neighborhood events.

Individuals who are awarded mini-grants may be able to find additional funding through ioby, which gives local leaders the ability to crowdfund the resources they need to build real, lasting change from the ground up. Pittsburghers specifically have raised over $500,000 for community programs. Currently, the ioby One Northside Crowdfunding Challenge will double donations to Northside projects.

Prospective applicants are encouraged to attend Information Workshops to meet with New Sun Rising staff and the One Northside Mini-Grant Street Team to learn more about the application process. Additionally, the Street Team will be available for informal meet-ups at community locations as requested. Check the schedule online at www.newsunrising.org/project/ignite-northside  for workshop locations, dates, and times. Contact New Sun Rising staff with your inquiry or other questions by phone (412) 407-9007 or email vibrancyfunds@newsunrising.org. If you’re interested in hosting an information session in your neighborhood, please let us know.

Interested applicants are invited to attend the One Northside Community Project Support Slam Kickoff event from 6-8 p.m. on August 21 to honor past grantees and share information about ONS and ioby. Location is to be decided and updates will be posted on New Sun Rising’s Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts.

New Sun Rising is also seeking up to five community members to serve on the Mini-Grant Evaluation Committee, which will review applications virtually and meet six times over the coming year to discuss and approve them.

Those interested in becoming a member of the ONS Mini-Grant Street Team can send their resume or questions to vibrancyfunds@newsunrising.org. This email can also be used to contact NSR for those interested in being on the Mini-Grant Evaluation Committee.

The preferred method to submit mini-grant applications is online at www.newsunrising.org/project/ignite-northside.

Printed applications will be accepted at the Allegheny and Woods Run Carnegie Libraries during normal business hours and by postal mail. Individuals can also submit their application as attachments to vibrancyfunds@newsunrising.org. Postal mail submissions should be addressed to New Sun Rising, attn. One Northside Mini-Grant, P.O. Box 58005, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15209 and must be received by the grant deadline. All projects must end by August 1, 2020.

Posted in Events, Programs, Projects, ResourcesTagged culture, Impact, New Sun Rising, One Northside, one Northside mini-grant, one Northside street team, ONS, opportunity, Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh Northside, sustainability, Vibrancy Funds, Vibrant Communities, VibrantCommunities

Diverse experience of director leads people to take action

Posted on July 10, 2019 by Alyse Horn-Pyatt

Above: Daniel Stiker (center) tabling for New Sun Rising at Pittonkatonk in 2018. (Photo courtesy of Leigh Solomon Pugliano)

The combination of passion and profession could be defined as soul work; the feeling of fulfillment through actively contributing to the common good. It’s something that most hope to obtain during their lifetimes and they’re fortunate to find it.

“Looking back at where I had joy and where I thought I could find it, and meaningful soul work, was with nonprofits,” said Daniel Stiker, the Director of Culture + Operations at New Sun Rising.

Originally from the Pittsburgh area, Stiker left for several years in the late 1990s and moved to New York City. While there, he worked for a dotcom and got involved with the Beggar’s Group Theatre Club that primarily focused on underground and political performances. He said it was a life changing experience for him to be involved with a performing group that focused on important issues and “made a difference.”

“Theatre often moves people, sometimes to action, and that’s the theatre that I like,” Stiker said.

Similarly, nonprofit work is about moving people to action. Stiker said being heavily involved in theatre prepared him for his role in the nonprofit world and how to effectively communicate with people to create positive change.

Devin Montgomery, co-founder and executive director of Protohaven, began working with New Sun Rising in 2017 and Stiker was his primary contact. Montgomery said Protohaven was conceived to “preserve a community workshop” that would have otherwise disappeared without the fiscal sponsorship and guidance from NSR. Today, Montgomery said Protohaven is a nonprofit professional space for entrepreneurs and makers of any kind to create and scale their projects, “whatever that may be.”

“It was so helpful to go in as a new nonprofit and talk to someone who had a great deal of experience working with different funders and navigating [grant] requirements,” Montgomery said. “Dan has dealt with so many people in the same position that he really has a breadth of experience working with people in our situation that you don’t see in many other places.”

Stiker brings that cognizance to New Sun Rising, but it’s also what drew him to the nonprofit. When he returned to Pittsburgh in 2001, Stiker started a theatre company with Heather Lynn McNeish Gray and was able to land a tech support position with a large local nonprofit. Wanting to make more of an impact in the nonprofit realm, Stiker went back to university and obtained his bachelor’s and graduate degree in nonprofit management.

He began working with an organization that he loved, but still felt that he wasn’t fulfilling his soul work. So, in 2014 he founded the Pittsburgh Fringe Festival.

It was around this time Stiker heard about New Sun Rising and that it was looking for a board member. He ended up becoming the Vice Chair for the board with NSR Founder and Executive Director Scott Wolovich as Chair, and staff positions opened up as the nonprofit grew.

“At the time, and now, the mission of New Sun Rising is that soul work,” Stiker said. “It’s making an impact and working for the common good.”

Today, as the Director of Culture + Operations, Stiker works closely with Wolovich and Jamie Johnson, Manager of Performance Improvement. They touch base with every project, with Stiker and Johnson being the main contacts for fiscal sponsorships.

Ebony McQueen-Harris, founder and principal consultant at LEVELS Consulting, worked with Stiker around 2016 when she was managing Ignite Northside, a program under NSR that provides emerging social businesses and community project leaders with mentorship and development workshops. McQueen-Harris said what she has appreciated the most about Stiker is his realistic approach and support of those businesses and projects that NSR works with.

“Dan takes an objective stance when working with someone and asks ‘Is this business a viable fiscal sponsorship entity?’” McQueen-Harris said. “Business owners in the startup stage can be sensitive to critiques because it’s their baby, and I understand that, but Dan is kind of off the cuff and says, ‘This is your baby, but this is what I’m seeing and the things you need to consider.’”

Montgomery echoed this sentiment and said that Stiker’s ability to be “approachable and empathetic” makes it easy for others to open up and be frank during difficult conversations.

“That is very valuable and something about his personality that makes him suitable for the role he’s in.”

Posted in ProgramsTagged culture, director of culture and operations, Ignite Northside, levels consulting, New Sun Rising, operations, Pittsburgh fringe festival, protohaven

Cancers, Cookies, & Cocktails

Are you a Cancer?  Even if you’re not – come out to celebrate!  This birthday party (more like a neighborhood block party) will be a guaranteed good time!  Come out to enjoy music, dancing, food, and drinks!  Reconnect with old friends while building new relationships.. dont’ miss out!

pearlPRESENTS DANCE FESTIVAL

On June 3, 2019 PearlArts Studios kicks off  pearlPRESENTS, a 7-day dance festival highlighting a dynamic line-up of acclaimed Pittsburgh-based and national dance artists at the New Hazlett Theater.

The festival will feature seven days of dance performances, workshops, and masterclasses. Participating artists include STAYCEE PEARL dance project & Soy Sos, Sidra Bell Dance New York, slowdanger, Maree ReMalia, Island Moving Company, chitra.MOVES and more! The festival will feature a variety of dance genres and bring together some of the country’s most talented dancers, providing the opportunity for audiences to see them on the same stage for first time.  

Headlining pearlPRESENTS is an extravagant, soul-themed fundraising gala benefiting our educational outreach, residency programming, dance projects, and the acquisition of a new space to call home.

GROW Residency program now accepting applications

Posted on May 8, 2019 by Alyse Horn-Pyatt

Above: PearlArts Studios at New Sun Rising’s Vibrancy Awards in March 2019. PearlArts participated in the first iteration of the GROW Residency program. (Photo by Sean Gray)

You’re invited to apply for New Sun Rising’s GROW Residency program. As a participant of this program, you’ll work the Director of Opportunity and the NSR team to move towards the growth and sustainability of your business or organization.

The GROW Residency program will provide flexible, ongoing support to growth stage businesses, nonprofit projects, and community/collaborative initiatives. Residents will have access to workshops and services specifically designed to meet their needs, including up to 8 hours of consulting and capacity building support per month.

The GROW Residency curriculum includes:

  • Business Mentoring
  • Professional Development
  • Organizational Development
  • Networking / Connecting Opportunities
  • Revenue Model Development
  • Advocacy (introduction to potential funders, collaborators, and partners)
  • Review of Grants and Project Proposals
  • Pitch Development

Successful completion of the residency will move your organization through strategic action and planning that promotes long-term value and profitability. Upon successful completion of the program, participants will receive an unrestricted financial award of $2000 and access to grants and loans via the GROW Vibrancy Fund. Each cohort will have 7 participants selected by a committee of judges.

Applications close on May 24th. The 2019 GROW Residency Program kicks off on June 12th. To learn more about the program before you apply, contact leigh@newsunrising.org to schedule a meeting. Apply here.

Posted in ProgramsTagged business mentoring, culture, entrepreneurs, GROW residency program, networking, nonprofit, opportunity, organizational development, Pittsburgh, professional development, small business, sustainability

Experience Mapping: Understanding Your Story Through Art

Free Event | RSVP Required (available on Feb 24th at noon)

Lead and created by local artist Sara Tang, this workshop is a guided creative exercise for participants to chart personal experiences (mental illness, madness, chronic illness, disability, childhood, medical, traumatic, or positive experiences, etc) in a map format, and then to create an expressive art piece and visual poetry piece based on their experiences. Through using a creative medium to think about their experiences in a new way, participants can connect their mental health experiences with other events in their lives and how those may relate to one another.

This workshop is part of Inside Our Minds’ Radical Mental Health Series, sponsored by the Opportunity Fund. Learn more at www.insideourminds.org/radical-mental-health.

About the Creative Facilitator

Sara Tang is a Pittsburgh-based artist, creative facilitator, and illustrator. She is a member of the notwhite Collective, an affiliate member of the Pittsburgh Society of Illustrators, and has worked with those affected by cancer and other complex life experiences in creative therapy excavation. Learn more about Sara’s work at www.draw-me-in.com.

Accessibility and Venue Information

The Millvale Community Library is accessible for wheelchair and mobility device users by a permanent ramp at the side of the building (from Grant Avenue). ASL interpretation will be provided. There will also be earplugs on hand at the workshop for anyone who would like some. Please message the Inside Our Minds page with any questions.

Casop: A Requiem for Rice Orchestral Debut

The Orchestral Debut of “Casop: A Requiem for Rice” on February 13, 2019 will feature libretto which recovers the voices of the enslaved by acclaimed historian and executive producer, Dr. Edda L. Fields-Black, and original score by composer, three-time Emmy Award-winner John Wineglass.

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