Get Out Your Cameras

The Pittsburgh Signs Project invites photographers of all levels from the 14 counties of southwestern Pennsylvania to submit up to five images for possible inclusion in Pittsburgh Signs: 250, a full-color book showcasing images of signs, past and present. Submission deadline is April 30. For full guidelines, please email 250signs@gmail.com or visit the website. So get out your cameras, and start documenting our neighborhood signs!

Fe Gallery Seeks Artists for Pittsburgh 250

Fe Gallery in Lawrenceville is looking for artists for "In the Making: 250 Years/250 Artists," a visual exhibition celebrating Pittsburgh's 250th anniversary by showcasing 250 artists in Southwestern Pennsylvania. The exhibit is open to all 18+ year old artists living in Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Bedford, Butler, Cambria, Fayette, Green, Indiana, Lawrence, Mercer, Somerset, Washington, and Westmoreland counties. Deadline for submissions is February 1, and the entry fee is $20. Contact Jill Larson at buyarttoday@mindspring.com to submit an application.

Fe Gallery is a nonprofit organization located at 4102 Butler Street. To accompany the exhibit - set to run September 12, 2008, to January 10, 2009 - Fe Gallery will produce a full-color catalog of the works and distribute it throughout the country, documenting the full scope of important, creative talent in Southwestern Pennsylvania.

Pittsburgh 250 Grants

Several East End organizations have received "Pittsburgh 250" grants for projects that address the theme of "Pride & Progress" in Western Pennsylvania. The grants are for the 250th anniversary celebration of Pittsburgh in 2008. The Thomas Merton Center, on Penn Avenue in Garfield, received $45,000 for an exhibit on the history of the local women's movement called "In Sisterhood." In a smaller grant, Lawrenceville Stakeholders and the Lawrenceville Historic Society were awarded $5,000 to expand the Lawrenceville Hospitality House Tour, which spotlights historic residences in Pittsburgh's Lawrenceville neighborhood, and to stage a series of reenactments and performances at other historic locations, such as the Allegheny Arsenal and the Allegheny Cemetery. You can read all about these projects and others funded for Pittsburgh's anniversary year in a thorough story in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Your Community Can Be Part of Pittsburgh 250!

The deadline to submit all project applications to be part of Pittsburgh's 250th birthday celebration in 2008 is quickly approaching. To be considered for funding, just generate an idea that benefits your community, fill out an application, and submit it to Community Connections (www.pittsburgh250.org/communityconnections) by September 14, 2007.

Targeting $1 million in total grant funding administered by The Sprout Fund, Community Connections projects will support the broad theme of “Pride & Progress.” Projects will be divided into three classes—Regional, Grassroots, and Affiliated—and any project that celebrates or contributes to the pride and progress of a Pittsburgh community is eligible for consideration.

Regional Projects should engage a regional audience and focus on long-term value. These projects are eligible for grants of up to $50,000. Grassroots Projects should engage community members at a local level. These projects are eligible for grants of up to $5,000. Affiliated Projects do not require monetary support, but will be endorsed and promoted as part of Community Connections.

More information and application materials are available at www.pittsburgh250.org/communityconnections.