Public Art
“Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.” – Pablo Picasso
Uptown and regional artists continue to infuse vibrant public art into the fabric of our neighborhood. We believe that while art enhances the visual landscape—bringing joy to those who experience it—it’s also a powerful tool for economic growth in developing neighborhoods.
Uptown Book Bench
In 2018, McAuley Ministries gifted Uptown Partners $10,000 to bring a public art piece to the community in honor of the foundation’s 10-year anniversary. The result was the “Uptown Book Bench,” a colorful, sculptural bench at the corner of Fifth Ave. and Gist St. – whose back is the ‘canvas’ for imagery and written word. Uptown artist James Simon created the bench structure from clay and cast concrete.
This installation serves as a cultural and educational element for the community – highlighting and celebrating a variety of artists and mediums. It also serves as imaginative fun seating! Uptown Partners is committed to rotating the bench art annually, creating an unique public artwork that is fresh, unpredictable, and exciting for the general public.
The Art On Gist Street Project, always in progress, creates a unique art street with paintings, mosaics and sculpture. Paintings on panels attached to homes and businesses along Gist St. are elaborately framed to simulate a larger-than-life street gallery.
Public art like that at on Gist St., at the Birmingham Bridge parklet, Miryam’s, the Lofts on Fifth, on the Duquesne University campus, and others, reflects the creative and vibrant energy of those who live here. Many of our public art pieces were created by celebrated Uptown artists James Simon and John Fleenor and other locally and internationally recognized artists.
Gist Street Art
Uptown Murals
