News

August 23, 2018

Public Art Chosen for Wightman Park

Via the Office of the Mayor:

PITTSBURGH, PA (August 23, 2018) The Public Art + Civic Design Division (PA+CD), on behalf of the Department of Public Works, is pleased to announce the selected artist collective, OOA Designs LLC, who will be working on the public art component of the upcoming Wightman Park Improvement Project.

OOA Designs is composed of three local Pittsburgh artists: Oreen Cohen, Olivia Kissel, and Alison Zapata. The collective creates both aesthetic and functional steel structures that embrace color, form, and nature.

Planning improvements for Wightman Park began in 2014 with the development of a Master Plan. The implementation of the Master Plan began in early 2018 with a series of community meetings to gather information and determine public expectations. The information gathered in these meetings, as well as a community survey, helped to inform a new design for the park. Pashek+MTR was hired by The Department of Public Works as the consultant for the project and presented a design to the community that includes a multi-purpose field, half basketball court, playground, walking path, picnic shelter, restroom and stormwater management features.

This park is and will be used by people of all ages and abilities with a focus on inclusivity.

On May 15, 2018, the Office of Management and Budget released a Request for Proposals to solicit artists, artist collectives, and designers to propose concepts for Public Art interventions at the park. A City Committee evaluated the projects under a scoring system that took into consideration the overall concept of the project with regard to creativity, innovation, aesthetics, and material presence. In addition, applicant’s qualifications, experience, and references, as well as cost proposal were taken into consideration.

For the park, OOA Designs proposed works of art that incorporate themes of nature using organic forms and designs inspired by insects, leaf cell structures, fungi, and waterfalls. The collective will be working with the Department of Public Works, Public Art and Civic Design Division, and Pashek+MTR to hold public meetings and workshops to gather public input and investment in the project. A public meeting will be held to present the final design of the Public Art to be integrated within the project.

In this project, as with many others, the Public Art and Civic Design Division is working in collaboration with other departments in the City of Pittsburgh, with the hope of not only nurturing the talent of artists but also of adding to the aesthetic look and feel of the city.

Read the full press release onlinelearn more about the Wightman Park Improvement Project. 

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