 
|
|||||||||
              
|
Penn Avenue artists' buildings to be 'unblurred'
Monday, March 15, 1999 By Caroline Abels, Post-Gazette Staff Writer
The blighted stretch of Penn Avenue that divides Garfield from Bloomfield and Friendship will be "unblurred" Friday when beat-up buildings that have been transformed into artists' lofts, studios and stores are showcased to the public.
Called "Penn Avenue Unblurred," the late-afternoon event will open the doors of nine buildings that have been bought and renovated by private developers or community development organizations. Most have been earmarked to house artists or their studios, although some are meant for commercial use. A few are already occupied.
All, however, are meant to help revitalize the area and help artists in their quest for affordable and attractive space.
"We're trying to create a cluster of artists on these blocks," said Rob Stephany, director of real estate development at East Liberty Development, Inc.
The 10-block stretch of Penn between Mathilda Street and Negley Avenue is marked by abandoned storefronts, sagging buildings and crime. But Friendship Development Associates and the Bloomfield-Garfield Corp. saw potential there and collaborated to form the Penn Avenue Arts Initiative. With technical assistance from East Liberty Development Inc., the Penn Avenue Arts Initiative provides loans and grants to artists and helps redevelop run-down properties.
Already, artistic endeavors are under way in the area. Dance is taught at the Visionary Performing Arts Academy, run by Nicole Allison, at 5118 Penn. The Dance Alloy's studios are located at 5530 Penn, near the corner of Negley Avenue. Garfield Artworks is at 4931 Penn and ceramic artist and painter Sigrid Shafagh works at 5018 Penn. Those buildings will be open Friday.
"We've embraced the arts as an integral part of our community," Stephany said. "There's something really refreshing about it."
It's not mandatory that artists move into the newly redeveloped spaces, Stephany said, but "they're just the types of buildings that artists would be interested in - open-plan, hard-floor surfaces for working, lots of natural light."
Some building owners have put a cap on the income of tenants, to keep space available for low-income artists. In that, they complement the mission of the Spinning Plate Artist Lofts, an East Liberty building for low-income artists that was financed, in part, by federal low-income housing tax credits.
Some of the Penn Avenue buildings, and the tentative times they will host events Friday, include:
Other buildings to be shown are 4927-29 Penn and 4925 Penn.
"Penn Avenue Unblurred" will take place Friday from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Drinks and refreshments will be served, accompanied by live music. Work by local artists will be shown inside the buildings. Call 412-441-6147 for more information.
|
||||||||
5530 Penn, 4:45 p.m.: home of the Dance Alloy, seven new units of live-work space for artists and two new commercial spaces.