Public Art
Rooted Momentum
Photo Credit: Hannah Colen
Rooted Momentum is a mixed media mural by Pittsburgh-based artist, Alecia Dawn Young. It considers how community centers are fertile spaces for collaboration, creativity , and liberatory endeavors. In this public art project the Larimer landscape, communal archive, and collective voice are centered throughout a bright ceramic tile and acrylic paint composition that expands across 1,600 square feet of the exterior and interior walls of the future community center and youth development hub.
Project Background
About The Art Supply Co.
This public art project is managed by The Art Supply Co. – the art consulting arm of Casey Droege Cultural Productions, a social profit business building the arts economy. TASC connects its clients to living, local artists to create dynamic, art-forward spaces.
About Steel City Squash and the new Larimer Education and Squash Center
In 2014, Steel City Squash introduced urban squash to Pittsburgh. The organization was founded by Talbott Simonds and Tim Wyant, who partnered to establish Steel City Squash with help from the Hillman Foundation, the Heinz Endowments, and the University of Pittsburgh. This program joined the Squash and Education Alliance (SEA) as its 19th member in 2015 and continues to support the community through education, mentoring, community service, travel and the sport of squash. Since its inception, Steel City Squash continues to inspire and motivate students from 4th through 11th grade to excel academically and envision their future by providing consistent and long term support to students and their families to achieve their postsecondary goals, all while exposing them to the culture of the sport of squash.
Steel City Squash envisioned its new home to be designed and built as a local and national destination facility that will create multiple revenue streams to support its program, facilitate multicultural engagement, and contribute to long-term sustainability.
The building will contain classrooms, squash courts, and a college/career center. It will also contain a 500 - 1000 square foot fitness space with men's and women's locker rooms with day lockers and showers. It will serve as the permanent home of Steel City squash, the home courts of Chatham University's women's and men's Varsity squash teams, and allow for facility memberships to the local community and beyond.
Steel City Squash began the campaign for a new home in 2020. Under the strong leadership of Board Chair David Hillman, the greater Pittsburgh community - including foundation, individuals, and government entities - has been enormously supportive, resulting in pledges and donations to date of $9.3 million towards the overall goal of $10 million.