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The Top 50
Friday, June 02, 2000
Here are the cultural power brokers 26-50:
26. Laura Willumsen
Executive Director, Pittsburgh Center for the Arts
AGE: 44
CLAIM TO FAME: The center's nearly $1 million in grant funding was a 25-percent increase from the previous year. New bylaws were passed as the last step in a three-year strategic plan. Educational activities continue to expand, and more than 1,500 children were involved with the center's elementary school program, Art Tales. The latter activity traveled to Atlanta's High Museum and attracted the attention of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which held a national meeting at the center in the fall. It became a regional affiliate for Very Special Arts, an international arts program for people with special needs. Under the guidance of curator Vicky Clark, the first major state exhibition on interactive art was presented.
LAST YEAR: Same
27. John DeSantis
Director, Pittsburgh Home and Garden Show, and chairman, Pittsburgh Historic Review Commission
AGE: 47
CLAIM TO FAME: As director of the largest tenant of the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, DeSantis led a user's group that worked to make the design more responsive to tenants' needs. As chairman of the city Historic Review Commission, DeSantis, in a controversial decision, supported the mayor's plan to demolish more than half of the Market Square city historic district for a new Downtown retail and entertainment development.
LAST YEAR: No. 25
28. Steven Libman
Business man ager, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre
AGE: 40
CLAIM TO FAME: The business brains behind Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre's "Indigo in Motion," Libman engineered $1 million plus in funding to make the ballet a reality. And now that he has shored up PBT's longtime financial leaks, Libman shows signs of becoming a visionary. If he continues his wily economic ways, look for PBT to make a break onto the national scene.
LAST YEAR: No. 31
29. Marilyn Coleman
Executive director, ProArts (Western Pennsylvania Professionals for the Arts)
AGE: 46
CLAIM TO FAME: ProArts' second-annual fund-raising event, "Live Art," was a hit this year, featuring numerous acts at Rosebud and attracting people beyond the arts community. It highlighted the extent to which Coleman has the ear of the business community and her dedication to small arts groups. ProArts, which provides services to small- and mid-sized arts organizations, also launched an Internet site this year that sells tickets on behalf of more than 20 groups.
LAST YEAR: Same
30. Ronald Allan-Lindblom
Chairman, Point Park College Conservatory of Performing Arts; artistic producing director, Pittsburgh Playhouse Repertory Company
AGE: 46
CLAIM TO FAME: After two years in charge of the college's performing arts and its historic, sprawling Playhouse, Allan-Lindblom is making good on his plans for expansion. New undergraduate and graduate programs are on schedule, the undergraduate theater and Playhouse Jr. are busy, and, most visibly, the Playhouse professional theater company is back. Its first year featured serious plays in an aggressively nonnaturalistic style -- none more eye-opening that "Quills" with Heath Lamberts -- and the second season promises more of the same.
LAST YEAR: One to watch
31. Barry Hannegan
Director of Historic Landscape Preservation, Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation
AGE: 64
CLAIM TO FAME: Hired in 1995 to produce a survey of historic gardens in Allegheny County, Hannegan also has become a passionate and articulate spokesman for the region's historic architecture as well as a critic of current design initiatives. In the past year, he has contributed to the master plans for the city's four major parks and Mellon Park and sparked the creation of an archive of landscape records of southwestern Pennsylvania, a collaboration between Chatham College and the University of Pittsburgh.
LAST YEAR: Newcomer
32. Ken Gargaro
Artistic director, Gargaro Productions
AGE: 51
CLAIM TO FAME: Entering its 10th year, Pittsburgh's No. 2 musical theater company continues to grow. As founder Gargaro has built his leadership team, he's put more and more time into the Richard E. Rauh Conservatory, and, on July 1, the company will give birth to a new name, Pittsburgh Musical Theater. But Gargaro is still much in charge. Primarily, he blends pros and youngsters to st age musical comedy classics for family audiences, but his "Sophisticated Ladies" at the Westin William Penn showed he could turn out more sophisticated product as well.
LAST YEAR: Same
33. Jon Rinaldo
Concert promoter, Joker Productions.
AGE: 31
CLAIM TO FAME: Although he got his start in 1989 at Graffiti, it was ska that put the up-and-coming young promoter on the fast track in 1995. In '97, he started bringing shows into a new room, Club Laga in Oakland. Today, he's working hand in hand with owner Ron Levick, promoting as many as 18 shows a month at the newly expanded 1,400 capacity Laga, bringing Macy Gray, Insane Clown Posse, Eminem and Blink 182 -- to name a few -- to Pittsburgh on their way to superstardom. He's co-promoting Blink 182 at the Mellon Arena Wednesday with Belkin Entertainment out of Cleveland. A second Belkin/Joker team-up -- Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube, Eminem and more -- brings the summer's biggest hip-hop tour to the Mellon Arena in July.
LAST YEAR: Off the charts
34. Karla Boos
Producing director, Quantum Theatre
AGE: 38
CLAIM TO FAME: After bringing Quantum along slowly for 10 years, showing consistent artistic adventure and polish, Boos is making a move. She will still choose international playwrights or classics ripe for strong directorial perspective and st age them with a sense of special occasion in found or invented spaces. But after an intense self-study under new board chairman Charlie Humphrey, Quantum will for the first time offer a subscription season of three plays while developing a collaboration with The Andy Warhol Museum and connections with theater artists abroad. While still floating from one interesting spot to another, it is now taking care of institutional business, as well.
LAST YEAR: No. 44
35. Dawn Keezer
Director, Pittsburgh Film Office
AGE: 35
CLAIM TO FAME: The cycle of feast and famine came up mostly dry for the film office last year. It hasn't lured a major movie production to Pittsburgh since "Wonder Boys," which opened in theaters this March. Several small independent projects have announced plans to shoot here this summer. Keezer has again drawn fire from unions representing local film workers, which have called for her termination. The film office is losing the bulk of its current source of funding, with no decision yet on how -- or if -- it will be replaced. Keezer remains head of Film US, a national organization of film commissioners campaigning for financial assistance for filmmakers, similar to those that are luring many productions to Canada.
LAST YEAR: No. 12
36. Gary Kaboly
Director of exhibitions, Pittsburgh Filmmakers
AGE: 47
CLAIM TO FAME: Kaboly introduced a popular Sunday night film series at Filmmakers' Regent Square Theater that lures audiences who want to see classic movies on the big screen. Kaboly also books the everyday fare at the Regent Square, located in Edgewood, and the other two theaters owned by Filmmakers -- the Harris, Downtown, and the Melwood Screening Room, Oakland. He also programs the annual Three Rivers Film Festival, which for the first time last year offered premieres of new movies by Pittsburgh and Pennsylvania filmmakers.
LAST YEAR: No. 38
37. Linda Benedict-Jones
Executive director, Silver Eye Center for Photography
AGE: 53
CLAIM TO FAME: She's been directing Silver Eye for a year, but Benedict-Jones made her mark on Pittsburgh earlier, as co-curator of the immensely successful "Pittsburgh Revealed: Photographs Since 1850" at the Carnegie Museum of Art and then as curator of education at the Frick Art and Historical Center. Her own accomplishments as a photographer and her tenure as curator of the prestigious Polaroid Collection in Cambridge, Mass., give her the special insight, as well as the connections, to raise Silver Eye's visibility, nationally and internationally. This year, Silver Eye received two coveted awards in the American Association of Museums' Museum Publications Design Competition. To increase the caliber of Silver Eye exhibitions, she instituted renovations in climate-control and security systems and increased gallery size by moving offices to the second floor, paid for with grants totaling $35,000. A recently approved $50,000 Vira Heinz Endowment grant will be used to build visibility, membership, attendance and earned revenue.
LAST YEAR: Newcomer
38. Janet McCall
Executive director, Society for Contemporary Craft
AGE: 47
CLAIM TO FAME: Recent strategic planning has resulted in a new logo and identity program that better reflects the sophisticated long-term goals of the society and the launching of a $1.5 million capital campaign that is to date one-third achieved. With diverse, excellent content, its strong exhibitions continue to enhance its national and international profile and, simultaneously, Pittsburgh's. After an acclaimed reception in New York City last year, the "Stop Asking" show traveled to five other venues. The society presents the Raphael Founder's Prize, which generates global competitive interest, and this year's prize exhibition was featured in a spot on "CBS Sunday Morning."
LAST YEAR: No. 39
39. Gray Montague
Executive director, Pittsburgh Dance Council
AGE: 38
CLAIM TO FAME: Montague arrives at Pittsburgh Dance Council with the group strong on the national front but recently weakening in its audience base. Next year's season is an indication of his leanings, heavy with popular attractions like Mikhail Baryshnikov, Dance Theatre of Harlem and Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo but not forgetting his artistic responsibility.
LAST YEAR: Newcomer
40. Rosemary Welsch
Program director, public radio station WYEP-FM (91.3)
AGE: 41
CLAIM TO FAME: In a medium where man agement and talent come and go, Welsch continues to be a driving force behind WYEP-FM, a public station that provides an alternative to commercial music formats and exposure to a diverse selection of artists. In the past year, Welsch has moved into the medium of TV, joining the staff of WQED's "On Q." In recent months, WYEP increased its presence on the World Wide Web with 24-hour-a-day LiveAudio broadcasts.
LAST YEAR: No. 42
41. Jeanne Pearlman
Executive director, Three Rivers Arts Festival
AGE: 52
CLAIM TO FAME: The annual 16-day-long arts festival -- Pearlman's 11th -- opened Friday with performances, craft booths and exhibitions spread throughout Downtown. The festival maintains a year-round presence in its gallery and as a sponsor of events at various venues. TRAF sponsored its first Cultural Policy Forum recently and will invite public dialog at a second one during the arts festival. Pearlman is chairwoman of the Convention Center Public Art Committee and is on the design review committee of the Pittsburgh Riverlife Task Force.
LAST YEAR: No. 37
42. Vivica Genaux
Opera singer
AGE: 30
CLAIM TO FAME: Unlike singers who will jump at any role to get into a production, Genaux has been picky, performing only music she loves and does well. The result is that she is slowly building a career and a reputation marked by artistic integrity as much as performing excellence. Genaux, an Alaskan who moved to Bellevue to be close to her voice teacher, Claudia Pinza, made her New York recital debut in March in an intriguing manner. The Rossini mezzo-soprano chose Baroque works, with locally based Chatham Baroque backing her up. The program, as well as her musicality, garnered a New York Times rave, and her stock continues to climb.
LAST YEAR: No. 49
43. Mark Taylor
Artistic director, Dance Alloy
AGE: 48
CLAIM TO FAME: When Dance Alloy encountered some financial problems, Taylor stepped up to bat. The result has been a creative resurgence, resulting in exciting world premieres like "Translocations: What If?" at the Jill Watson Festival Across the Arts at Carnegie Mellon University and a site-specific premiere to commemorate the shootings at Kent State University. Taylor also heads the airiest, friendliest rehearsal space in the city, one that is a boon for Pittsburgh's independent tier of arts groups.
LAST YEAR: One to watch
44. Meg Cheever
Founder and director, Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy
AGE: 51
CLAIM TO FAME: Cheever is trying to do for Pittsburgh's parks what was done for New York's Central Park -- save them. As president and one of the founders of the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy, Cheever is following the model of other older cities such as Cleveland and St. Louis in organizing a public-private partnership to preserve city green space. Cheever's fund-raising efforts include the fashionable Spring Hat Luncheon benefit and obtaining grants from several major foundations.
LAST YEAR: Newcomer
45. Tony Mowod
Executive producer/jazz and jazz host at WDUQ-FM (90.5); president and founder of the Pittsburgh Jazz Society
AGE: 64
CLAIM TO FAME: Mowod continues to be a jazz force in the city, as host of WDUQ's weeknight jazz show and through his work with the Pittsburgh Jazz Society. Society events throughout the year raise money for a scholarship fund for young musicians. Mowod's radio show is syndicated through the JazzWorks radio network, which has grown to 11 stations in nine states.
LAST YEAR: 36
46. Tony Buba
Independent filmmaker
AGE: 56
CLAIM TO FAME: You can take the filmmaker out of Braddock, but you'll never take Braddock out of the filmmaker -- nor would you want to. In 1998, after being named Artist of the Year by the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts, Buba said, "I want to convey the humor and the quirkiness of people in one community, my community, using cinematic forms that fit the tone, rhythm and texture of their stories." Buba and Ray Henderson won an Alfred I. duPont Silver Baton for their documentary "Struggles in Steel: A Story of African-American Steel Workers." Now Buba is raising money and shooting foot age for a PBS miniseries, "L'America: Five Hundred Years of Italians in America."
LAST YEAR: Newcomer
47. Lynn Emanuel
Poet; director of the Creative Writing Program at the University of Pittsburgh; and founder of the Pittsburgh Contemporary Writers Series
AGE: 50
CLAIM TO FAME: A poet who gets noticed by People magazine -- and is not a pop singer -- warrants some credit in her own back yard. In mentioning Emanuel's newest collection, "Then, Suddenly," last month, the celebrity-watching weekly confirmed what the poetry community has known for a good while -- Emanuel is a fine poet. But she's more. Taking over Pitt's writing program, she proposed -- and found a way to pay for -- bringing writers of national stature to Pittsburgh for free public readings. The Contemporary Writers Series begins its third season this fall.
LAST YEAR: Newcomer
48. Mike Elko
Concert promoter
AGE: 38
CLAIM TO FAME: In 14 years of bringing touring acts to Pittsburgh, Elko Con-certs has given the city early looks at many of the biggest names in modern rock, from Nirvana to Green Day, from the Offspring to Marilyn Manson. Elko also has done country (Vince Gill, Clint Black), jazz (the Rippingtons, Wynton Marsalis), reggae (Jimmy Cliff, Shabba Ranks), folk and bluegrass (John Prine, Allison Krauss), comedians (Steven Wright) and, even through the backlash, metal (Slaughter, Warrant, Dokken, Cin-derella). In the past few years, he's expanded the number of venues in the region staging national entertainment, with shows at venues including Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall. Elko recently strengthened his ties to Rosebud/Metropol in the Strip while adding the Beehive in Oakland and the 31st Street Pub to his menu of possible venues.
LAST YEAR: Same
49. Mimi Lerner
Opera singer
AGE: 53
CLAIM TO FAME: The versatility of this mezzo-soprano's voice and acting has wowed fans and critics for years. Her outstanding achievement this past season was starring in New York City Opera's acclaimed production of "Central Park," but her ongoing contributions to the local Pittsburgh music scene, from opera to chamber music, are equally significant. As the coordinator of the Carnegie Mellon University voice department, she helps to shape an important program. And through numerous performances with local organizations, she has thrown the considerable weight of her name and artistic credibility behind projects that have certainly benefited from it.
LAST YEAR: Newcomer
50. Andrew Paul
Artistic director, Pittsburgh Irish and Classical Theatre
AGE: 30
CLAIM TO FAME: In just three years, PICT has become a significant professional presence, quickly building an audience for serious, quality theater. From the start, it worked out a professional link with Actors Equity, and it soon moved onto not just the City Theatre studio but also its main st age. A corps of artists and an active board led by former CLO chief Charlie Gray have helped it grow. But right from the start, founder Paul, actor and activist, has provided the most fervent energy.
LAST YEAR: Newcomer
About this project ...
The Top 50 list was compiled by the PG Arts and Entertainment staff: Caroline Abels, cultural arts writer; Susan Banks, TV listings editor; Andrew Druckenbrod, classical music writer; John Hayes, staff writer; Bob Hoover, book editor; Brian Hyslop, associate editor; Patricia Lowry, architecture critic; Adrian McCoy, radio writer; Ed Masley, pop music critic; Scott Mervis, Weekend editor; Rob Owen, TV editor; Christopher Rawson, drama critic; Rebecca Sodergren, news assistant; Mary Thomas, art critic; Marylynn Uricchio, Seen editor; Barbara Vancheri, staff writer; Jane Vranish, dance critic; Allan Walton, assistant managing editor/A&E; and Ron Weiskind, movie editor.
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