26/06/2024
The The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust Announces Design Upgrades & Fun-Filled Summer Schedule at the Giant Eagle Foundation Backyard at 8th & Penn
The Cultural District’s outdoor gathering space is among four regional attraction being enhanced by the Better Block Foundation, supported by the RK Mellon Foundation.
PITTSBURGH, June 26, 2024—A new scene is being set in the Cultural District. Imagine lively pickleball courts, dynamic seating options under string lights, a new mural and performance space, and a rotating roster of live entertainment and delicious food vendors. The Giant Eagle Foundation Backyard at 8th & Penn, a project of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust located steps away from the Benedum Center, is about to receive a summertime makeover.
Grand Opening | Mark your calendars for Friday, July 26, as the upgraded Giant Eagle Foundation Backyard opens in sync with the Cultural Trust’s summer Gallery Crawl in the Cultural District. The Texas-based Better Block Foundation is delivering a “Better Block in a Box” to the Cultural District, packed with funky furniture, playful lighting, and engaging games. The pop-up paradise opens the same night as the Trust’s July 26 Gallery Crawl, ensuring a lively kick-off to a summer-long activation that will remain open through September 15.
“We are thrilled to welcome downtown residents and Cultural District visitors for another fun-filled summer season in the Giant Eagle Foundation Backyard,” said James Hill, Director of Government Affairs and District Initiatives for the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust. “We thank the RK Mellon Foundation for their generous support of the Better Block Foundation’s creativity and commitment on this project.”
“We’re excited to be working in Pittsburgh with so many wonderful neighbors, and especially elated to be kicking off our engagement downtown with the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust,” says Krista Nightengale, Better Block Executive Director. "The possibilities of the site are endless, and we can’t wait to paint, build, and activate with Pittsburgh.”
Weekly Schedule | Throughout the summer, the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust will partner with local organizations to keep the fun flowing. Highlights include:
Pickleball on Tuesdays & Thursdays—PUMP's Pittsburgh Sports League (PSL) will serve up the fun as they welcome players onto two new pickleball courts.
Fashion-filled Wednesdays—the Pittsburgh Downtown Neighbors Alliance (DNA) welcomes guests as they shop a night market with fashion boutiques and enjoy local live music.
Additional Activities—stay connected at TrustArts.org/Backyard for schedule updates, including more additions still to be announced!
The objective of the summer-long activation is to experiment with ideas, gather feedback, and integrate community input to help shape a more vibrant and inviting space long-term in the Giant Eagle Foundation Backyard and adjacent Penn Avenue and 8th Street parcels. This summer marks the third consecutive year the Cultural Trust has activated the space. The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, Better Block Foundation, RK Mellon Foundation, and participating partners have a collective goal of creating a dynamic environment where residents can live, work, and come together as a thriving community.
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The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust has overseen one of Pittsburgh’s most historic transformations: turning a seedy red-light district into a magnet destination for arts-lovers, residents, visitors, and business owners. Founded in 1984, the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust is a non-profit arts organization whose mission is the cultural and economic revitalization of a 14-block arts and entertainment/residential neighborhood called the Cultural District. The District is one of the country’s largest land masses “curated” by a single nonprofit arts organization. A major catalytic force in the city, the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust is a unique model of how public-private partnerships can reinvent a city with authenticity, innovation, and creativity. Using the arts as an economic catalyst, the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust has holistically created a world-renowned Cultural District that is revitalizing the city, improving the regional economy, and enhancing Pittsburgh’s quality of life. Thanks to the support of foundations, corporations, government agencies and thousands of private citizens, the Trust stands as a national model of urban redevelopment through the arts.
The Better Block Foundation is an urban design nonprofit that educates, equips, and empowers communities and their leaders to reshape and reactivate built environments to promote the growth of healthy and vibrant neighborhoods. Find out more by visiting betterblock.org.
The Backyard at 8th & Penn, sponsored by the Giant Eagle Foundation, is a summer-long destination in the Cultural District that brings art to the outdoors in a laid-back, family-friendly environment. Stop by the Backyard during all open hours for a chance to relax in the beer garden. Guests can expe...
