Pittsburgh Coloring Book artist profile: D.J. Coffman and his portrait of Gisele Fetterman and her very tall husband John
Gisele Fetterman, immigration advocate and founder of the Free Store in Braddock, has a habit of cutting off her husband’s head. At 6 feet and 8 inches tall, her husband John (who just happens to be the lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania) hovers over almost everyone he meets. When he’s standing next to Gisele in photographs, however,…
Alex North’s The Shadows doesn’t stick
The boys in Alex North’s sophomore novel, The Shadows, are what nightmares are made of (literally). Broken into two timelines, The Shadows follows a group of teenagers – Charlie, Billy, Paul, and James – as they start to dabble in lucid dreaming, and alternately an adult Paul 25 years later as he returns to the…
Pittsburgh Cultural Trust introduces new Trust @ Home programming
Pittsburgh Cultural Trust’s venues may be dark, but that doesn’t mean we can’t still enjoy their creative programming. With the new Trust @ Home program, exciting digital content can be devoured anywhere. For children and teens, there is Virtual Camps for Creatives, where budding artists will learn something new and explore their favorite art forms…
A Pittsburgh restaurant’s closure after reopening signifies risks of operating a restaurant during the pandemic
UPDATE: Thu., July 2, 12:00 p.m. Yesterday, a restaurant in Pittsburgh’s East End that has recently been struggling to figure out how to operate while some of its employees have tested positive for COVID-19, has decided to close indefinitely. Spork is a popular restaurant located on Penn Avenue on the border of Friendship and Garfield.…
Pittsburgh City Paper turns off web comments
Last month, after posting a news story about a public official who is trans on Pittsburgh City Paper’s official Facebook page, our feed was soon filled with transphobic comments. Dozens of them in a short time span. When hateful comments appear on our website or social media pages, we do our best to monitor and…
Governor Wolf mandates mask-wearing in all public spaces in Pennsylvania
As new COVID-19 infections across Allegheny County reach an all-time high, Gov. Tom Wolf announced today a new order requiring all Pennsylvanians to wear masks any time they leave the house to enter public space. Signed by Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine under the Disease Prevention and Control Act, the order expands on a…
Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra to air free performance on July 12
Like most arts organizations in the city, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra (PSO) started cancelling their events in March. They haven’t performed for the public since then, but that will change with a concert on July 12 as part of the Allegheny County Parks Summer Concert Series. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the concert can be…
Restaurant owner organizing protest against bar closure shuts down business after employee contracts COVID-19
On Sunday, Allegheny County announced it was shutting down onsite alcohol-consumption at bars and restaurants after a significant spike in COVID-19 cases in the county. This means bars are now closed and restaurants can’t serve booze to customers dining in restaurants. That same day, John Pavlik, owner of Xtra Innings Sports Bar & Grille in…
Protesters rally in Wilkinsburg for Romir Talley; demand names of officers involved in his shooting
Last December, 24-year-old Romir Talley was shot and killed by Wilkinsburg police. The police claim they were responding to a 911 call and that Talley fit the description given by the caller, who said Talley was armed with a handgun. Talley allegedly ran when confronted, and then police claim that Talley fired at officers first, and…
Persad Center ends LGBTQ youth programs after state funding expired
Today, the Persad Center in Lawrenceville announced that it will be ending its LGBTQ youth programs because state funding has expired. As a result, one job ended today, according to interim Executive Director Carlos Torres. Torres says the funding for the programs were part of a three-year grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Health, but…
Six underrated Pittsburgh city parks to spend your summer in
While gathering with friends indoors risks the spread of COVID-19, and as being cooped up indoors for months begins to take a toll, public parks have become more valuable than ever. They provide a free, public space for people to read a book, play sports, have a picnic, and hang out with friends safely while…
Twisted: The Tangled History of Black Hair Culture is a book everyone should read
Two years ago I got “the big chop.” I had been getting my hair relaxed since I was in middle school and I decided, at 24 years old, that it was time to stop chemically altering my natural curls. “The big chop” is a transition; it’s the act of cutting off all of the relaxed hair,…
Advocates called for anti-racist policies at a suburban Pittsburgh school district meeting, but left feeling somewhat dismissed
Students, parents, and community members affiliated with activist group NA for Change spoke on the need for an anti-racist school environment at the North Allegheny School District school board meeting on June 24. This came a week after a rally of about 100 people in a suburban park just north of Pittsburgh, where students and…
Lynn Cullen Live – 6/30/20
Video Archive Lynn and Susan are attempting to find the good news today. They are talking about how bed bug cases have dropped since fewer people are traveling and staying in hotels. They are also discussing women not wearing makeup, and allowing their hair to go natural during this time of isolation. The BET Awards…
Employees from all four Carnegie museums announce unionization drive
On Monday, around 500 museum workers from all four Carnegie museums in Pittsburgh announced they are beginning efforts to form a union as the United Museum Workers (UMW). The workers from the Carnegie Museum of Art, Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Carnegie Science Center, and The Andy Warhol Museum announced plans to organize with the…
Sounds of outrage: New national Black Lives Matter protest songs
Billie Holiday’s “Strange Fruit,” Sam Cooke’s “A Change is Gonna Come,” Kendrick Lamar’s DAMN. album – for years Black artists in American have used music as a way to share their stories, experiences, and cries of outrage or hope. With the recent killing of Geroge Floyd, an entirely new wave of political protest songs are…
New Netflix cooking show Crazy Delicious has the creativity of Willy Wonka and the calming vibe of the Great British Baking Show
During the past few months of incessant turmoil, I’ve wished more than once that I hadn’t watched every available season of The Great British Baking Show. Watching nice people bake beautiful treats in an idyllic setting has a calming effect that American TV tends to veer away from. Luckily Crazy Delicious, a new Netflix show…
Pittsburgh artist creates Black Lives Matter T-shirt to help fight systemic racism; ends up in fight against big business ripping off his design
North Side graphic designer Moya Omololu wasn’t exactly sure how to make a difference, but he knew he wanted to find some way to join the rapidly expanding worldwide movement against systemic and environmental racism. Then it came to him randomly at 1 a.m. earlier this month: “Black Lives Matter,” spelled out using letters from the names…
On the day of her postponed wedding, Brooke Annibale released a new song
“Today was supposed to be my wedding day,” Brooke Annibale tweeted on Friday. “Instead, I’m sharing my new song ‘Home Again’ with you.” The singer originally planned to drop the song along with her new album next year. Mixed by Grammy Award-winner Peter Katis and recorded in Pittsburgh with collaborators Mark Ramsey and Jake Hanne, “Home…
Class-action lawsuit filed against Pittsburgh following use of force during June 1 protest
On June 1, hundreds of protesters marched through East Liberty in continuation of a larger march that had occurred earlier that afternoon in honor of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, and in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. The protest specifically criticized the police for brutality against Black people. As the protesters headed down Centre…
Lynn Cullen Live – 6/29/20
Video Archive The local spike in Covid-19, and the resulting re-closure of bars is where Lynn is starting the week. The numbers in Allegheny County are now worse than they were when we first went into the red phase months ago. Lynn is also talking about The Pittsburgh City Paper’s struggles during this time. They…
Allegheny County closing bars and on-site alcohol consumption in result to spike in COVID-19 cases
Today, Allegheny County officials announced that bars will be forced to close immediately, and restaurants will not be allowed to serve alcohol on-site, in result to a recent spike in coronavirus cases. Enforcement will begin on Tue., June 30 at 5 p.m. Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald said at a press conference today that contact…
Photos: Protesters revisit scene of tear gas, rubber bullets used against them in East Liberty earlier this month
A large portion of today’s crowd of about 200 people raised their hands when asked if they were present on June 1 in East Liberty for a demonstration that started peacefully and ended with Pittsburgh Police and SWAT lining up in riot gear before launching tear gas and rubber bullets at protesters near the intersection…
Pittsburgh City Paper announces company-wide cutbacks due to coronavirus pandemic
The past few months have been some of the hardest in my 20+ years at Pittsburgh City Paper, with periods of uncertainties, watching our small staff of under 20 full-time employees work their asses off to keep our publication going during a pandemic. Today was without a doubt the hardest. Just yesterday, Millvale Music Festival —…
City announces ‘taskforce’ of police officers and fire investigators to patrol neighborhoods to handle fireworks complaints
People in Pittsburgh, and the around the country, have grown accustomed to hearing frequent fireworks. Or at least hearing friends and colleagues complain about hearing fireworks. The spike in pedestrian pyrotechnics has been attributed to everything from regular summer boredom to conspiracy theories about sonic warfare from the government. Regardless of the reason, from June…
Local fund awards more than $630,000 to Pittsburgh arts and social justice organizations
The Opportunity Fund awarded grants to 53 different groups to support a number of Pittsburgh organizations focused on the arts, social justice, and community work. This month, the fund awarded a total of $638,500. And 21 of the grants awarded were to first-time grant partners with the foundation. The average grant awarded is $10,000-$15,000. “We…
Jean Kyoung Frazier’s Pizza Girl is an unapologetic standout debut novel
If the writing of Elif Batuman and Ottessa Moshfegh had a baby, it would be Jean Kyoung Frazier’s Pizza Girl. Her debut novel is an emotionally messy, witty, coming-of-age story that is both refreshing and familiar. Pizza Girl follows an unnamed narrator living in Los Angeles who works as a pizza delivery driver. She’s 18-years-old,…
Pittsburgh mourns the loss of Jeffrey “Boosie” Bolden
In 2016, a Greyhound bus brought Jeffrey “Boosie” Bolden to Pittsburgh. The Southern poet and author chose the Rust Belt city to study creative writing at Chatham University’s MFA program. Alison Taverna, a fellow Chatham alum who graduated from the same program, remembers meeting him at the Greyhound station. “He was coming off a 30…
I have become an ‘Adult of science’: Buying stuff from Facebook, a cautionary tale
Unless I’m making my third attempt at buying the appropriate audio wire or HDMI cable from Amazon, I don’t make a lot of online purchases. I am also very skeptical, hate Facebook, and am the son of a man who thought everyone was trying to scam him, once telling a teenager at an ice cream…
A viral complaint about COVID violations at a Mt. Lebanon pizza place came two weeks before a spike in county cases
On June 9, Stephen Santa visited Il Pizzaiolo, a popular pizza restaurant in Mt. Lebanon. It was just a few days after Allegheny County entered the “green phase” of the state’s coronavirus plan. That meant restaurants could reopen, use patio space, and serve customers inside at 50% capacity. Santa called ahead to ensure that the…
Artsburgh eases public back into museums, theaters, and more with enhanced online database
Even as museums, galleries, and other arts venues prepare to reopen, the still possible risk of contracting COVID-19 may leave some patrons hesitant to venture out, especially if they have compromised immune systems. To ensure that everyone gets to safely enjoy exhibitions, dance, music, and more, Artsburgh launched an expanded version of its database dedicated…
Pittsburgh Coloring Book artist profile: Brian Gonnella and his portrait of ‘The Strongest Man in the World’
You can find Pittsburgh-based muralist and graphic designer Brian Gonnella’s artwork on walls as far away as New Zealand. His work is colorful, fun, and even Rick Sebak-approved. When he painted a sweet mural of the local icon holding up a sandwich and posed in a yoga position above floating pierogies and a banner reading…
Over 200 CMU faculty and staff sign open letter voicing concern over controversial hire
Earlier this month, Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) was met with backlash from students after the school announced it had hired Richard Grenell, former ambassador to Germany and former acting Director of National Intelligence, as a senior fellow in the Institute for Politics and Strategy (IPS). Now, over 250 faculty, staff, and Ph.D. candidates have signed…
Smallman Galley leaves the Strip, Alexander’s closes for good, and other Pittsburgh food news
The food industry has been in a constant state of change for the past few months. Rules about occupancy, alcohol, social distancing, and mask requirements have shifted with each new phase in Pennsylvania’s pandemic response plan. And with coronavirus cases on the rise again, it’s likely more changes are to come. Since it’s hard to…
A detailed list of how Pittsburgh colleges plan to reopen during the COVID-19 pandemic
Universities across the Pittsburgh region are beginning to publicly formulate plans for the Fall 2020 semester, considering the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Colleges and universities in the region ended in-person classes at the start of the pandemic and transitioned to virtual learning. And now, all Pittsburgh universities are clear on one thing: This fall semester will…
Poets Richard Gegick and Bob Pajich publish gritty poetry books out of a kitchen in Forest Hills
Richard Gegick and Bob Pajich aren’t the best-known poets in Western Pennsylvania. They admittedly aren’t much for self-promotion — “I don’t even like having a biography in the back of a book,” Pajich says — and don’t have large followings. “I want the writing to make you find out more about [the writer or poet],”…
Lynn Cullen Live – 6/25/20
Video Archive Journalist, novelist, and writing coach John DeDakis is joining Lynn today. They’ll be talking about his newest book “Fake” as well as, his 45 years as a journalist. During his time as a journalist John was a White House correspondent, and a Senior Copy Editor on CNN’s “The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer.”…
Lynn Cullen Live – 6/24/20
Video Archive There were some primary elections yesterday, and many of the results are not yet known. This is due to the number of mail in ballots now being used, and it seems to be a preview of what we can expect in November. Lynn is also talking about the idea of defunding and/or reforming…
Make your own festival fare at home with hot oil and skewers
This year, with fairs and festivals canceled around the city, bring the fairgrounds to your backyard by making your favorite overpriced, fried, and delicious treats at home. Most of these are easy to recreate outside of a fair, as long as you have lots of oil on hand and a container to fry in. And…
What you’ll need to throw your own music festival this summer
What was the point at the start of the pandemic when you had that, “Oh snap, this is serious!” realization? For me, it was when South by Southwest was canceled, the first major festival in the U.S. to do so because of coronavirus concerns. It was the first time in SXSW’s 34 years of existence…
An ode to Pennsylvania’s unappreciated treasure: The state parks
Earlier this month, I spent part of an afternoon walking among families listening to music on portable speakers, kids playing games in the grass, and parents prepping for outdoor barbecues. It was midweek, and it was as relaxed as I had seen people act since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. Everyone was social distancing…
Replicating the pool experience at home without a pool
It’s still only June, but already temperatures have hit the mid-90s. On a hot day, nothing feels better than a cold dip in the neighborhood pool. But now, with public pools closed for the summer due to coronavirus, getting near a pool is only fantasy (unless you have a rich friend with a pool, the…
Explore summer popsicle possibilities with tips from an ice pop pro
Let’s be honest: This is not the summer we were expecting. I’ve been trying to find things to keep myself in the spirit of the season and discovered the answer a few weeks ago when I saw popsicle molds online. I immediately ordered them and have been brainstorming, concocting, and eating popsicles on a daily…
Paddleboarding offers socially distant escapes on Western Pennsylvania waterways
Three years ago, I bought an item totally on a whim that has since completely changed my quality of life — a stand-up paddleboard, or SUP for short. Although I had kayaked and whitewater rafted numerous times, including the Ocoee River in Tennessee and nearby Ohiopyle, I had never even stood on a paddleboard. I…
Summer Survival Guide
Just because your favorite events have been canceled doesn’t mean the next three months have to be a wash. With a little creativity, a kiddie pool, and some hula hoops, we’re here to help you earn these badges and get through the longest summer ever. An ode to Pennsylvania’s unappreciated treasure: The state parks Paddleboarding…
Free Will Astrology (6/25 – 7/1)
CANCER (June 21-July 22): “Who would deduce the dragonfly from the larva, the iris from the bud, the lawyer from the infant?” Author Diane Ackerman asks her readers that question, and now I pose the same inquiry to you — just in time for your Season of Transformation. “We are all shape-shifters and magical reinventors,”…
Spend the season exploring murals and statues with this Public Art Summer Scavenger Hunt
We’re counting the days until all of the city’s museums and galleries reopen, but we’d be remiss not to mention how bummed we still are about missing all of the great artwork at outdoor festivals like the Three Rivers Arts Festival. So how can art lovers do their thing outside this summer? Try Pittsburgh City…
