Press Room

Hawkins Village Addition by John R. Shrader, 1956. Courtesy of the University of Pittsburgh via Historic Pittsburgh, Detre Library & Archives, Heinz History Center Collection.

Share your Hawkins Village Stories

The story of the Monongahela River Valley echoes through the communities who live, work, and play in them. Each neighborhood in every town has its own chapter. As Hawkins Village is about to embark on the next phase of its community story, Rivers of Steel wants to help collect and preserve its history by recording your memories.

Did you live in Hawkins Village? Your voice is important! Rivers of Steel wants to hear from you, and we want to preserve your memories in our archives. Contact Kirsten Paine at kpaine@riversofsteel.com or (716) 640-4543. She will work with you over the course of 45 minutes to an hour to create a recording of your memories of the historic Hawkins Village, some of which will be showcased in the new Heritage Highlands Community Center.

Rivers of Steel Receives $1.4 Million from Appalachian Regional Commission’s POWER Initiative

Partners for Creative Economy is part of a nearly $54 million award package and will help revitalize coal-impacted communities in Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area

Homestead, PA (October 20, 2023)—Rivers of Steel has been awarded $1,463,222 by the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) to launch the Partners for Creative Economy initiatives in the eight counties of southwestern Pennsylvania that are part of the Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area—Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Greene, Washington, and Westmoreland.

This award is part of a recently announced nearly $54 million package supporting 64 projects in 217 coal-impacted counties through ARC’s POWER (Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization) Initiative, which directs federal resources to economic diversification projects in Appalachian communities affected by job losses in coal mining, coal power plant operations, and coal-related supply chain industries. This is the largest single POWER award package to date since the initiative launched in 2015.

Partners for Creative Economy is a long-term vision for the future of the Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area. By strengthening local leadership, providing career opportunities in historic trades, and investing in future economic growth, Rivers of Steel is working to support the success of the region’s cultural and heritage assets. Partners for Creative Economy presents transformational opportunities to communities in the region that have been left out of the recent economic growth and prosperity in the City of Pittsburgh.

By bringing together artists and designers with community groups, municipal leaders, and heritage tourism assets, Rivers of Steel aims to build local creative leadership, provide career opportunities in historic trades, and boost the area’s tourism sector. Five key strategies, including a creative leadership program, joint program partnerships, collaborative marketing efforts, a new workforce training initiative, and an expanded Mini-Grants program, will advance the community-based work that Rivers of Steel is already engaged in.

Additional support for Partners for Creative Economy is provided by The Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation, the National Park Foundation, the National Park Service, the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, and in-kind support from participating communities.

“From workforce training and agriculture to downtown development and broadband expansion, the projects receiving grants in this round of POWER funding show that the future of Appalachia’s coal-impacted communities is economically diverse and innovative,” said ARC Federal Co-Chair Gayle Manchin. “Projects like these are resulting in life-changing transformations, which in turn, not only provides new economic opportunities, but brings a renewed sense of hope and purpose across our Appalachian Region.”

“Rivers of Steel is thrilled to receive support from the Appalachian Regional Commission,” said August Carlino, president and CEO of the Rivers of Steel Heritage Corporation. “This grant is transformational, not just for our organization, but for our region. Partners for Creative Economy presents comprehensive solutions to complex challenges that have persisted for the communities left behind since the collapse of Big Steel. The foundation for this work is the relationships Rivers of Steel has built with communities in southwestern Pennsylvania during the last few decades. We’re looking forward to supporting a new vision for the region, spurred by this new initiative and underscored by creative collaboration.”

Including today’s award package, ARC has invested over $420 million in 507 projects, impacting 365 coal-impacted counties since POWER was established in 2015. ARC’s investments have helped create or retain over 53,000 jobs and prepare over 142,000 workers and students for new opportunities in entrepreneurship, broadband, tourism, and other growing industries.

About the Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area

This eight-county region is one of 62 National Heritage Areas designated by the U.S. Congress and one of 12 State Heritage Areas. A National Heritage Area is a place of national significance to America. For Rivers of Steel, Congress recognized the industrial and cultural heritage of southwestern Pennsylvania. Through a public-private partnership with the National Park Service and the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Rivers of Steel supports heritage conservation, heritage tourism, and outdoor recreation as a means to foster economic redevelopment and enhance cultural engagement.

About Rivers of Steel

Founded on the principles of heritage development, community partnership, and a reverence for the region’s natural and shared resources, Rivers of Steel strengthens the economic and cultural fabric of western Pennsylvania by fostering dynamic initiatives and transformative experiences.

Rivers of Steel showcases the artistry and innovation of our region’s industrial and cultural heritage through its historical and 21st-century attractions―offering unique experiences via tours, workshops, exhibitions, festivals, and more. Behind the scenes, Rivers of Steel supports economic revitalization—working at the grassroots level to deepen community partnerships, promote heritage tourism, and preserve local recreational and cultural resources for future generations.

About the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC)

The Appalachian Regional Commission is an economic development partnership entity of the federal government and 13 state governments focusing on 423 counties across the Appalachian Region. ARC’s mission is to innovate, partner, and invest to build community capacity and strengthen economic growth in Appalachia.

Contact Carly McCoy at 412.464.4020, ext. 243 or by emailing cmccoy@riversofsteel.com.

Rivers of Steel   |   The Bost Building, 623 East Eighth Ave, Homestead PA 15120

riversofsteel.com

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The 2023 Festival of Combustion to Ignite Awe at the Carrie Blast Furnaces

Rivers of Steel’s signature event expands with more activities, demonstrations, and excitement!

Homestead, PA (August 30, 2023)—Rivers of Steel’s signature event, the Festival of Combustion presented by United States Steel, brings our region’s rich heritage into focus for a spectacle of flame and excitement in the only place hot enough to host it—the Carrie Blast Furnaces.

This one-of-a-kind extravaganza on October 7, from 1:00 to 9:00 p.m., invites audiences of all ages to celebrate the industrial arts and American crafts through hands-on activities, trade demonstrations, tours, live music, fireworks, and more!

“Carrie has become ground zero for the intersection of the industrial arts and American craft that define southwestern Pennsylvania,” said Chris McGinnis, director of arts for Rivers of Steel. “As both a revered historical landmark and place for creative vision, the furnaces are an ever-evolving chimera of industry, culture, and nature—an experience that resonates with all who visit this special site that is so important to our region’s legacy.”

The spirit of the festival takes its inspiration from the iron-making legacy of this National Historic Landmark. Rivers of Steel’s metal arts team will be pouring iron and aluminum throughout the day. Festival-goers can participate by carving their own mold and observing the casting process. This year, a special evening spectacle, entitled Ferrum Lux, offers up a live, site-specific molten iron performance with neon sculpture and electronic sound; it is presented by iron sculptor Coral Penelope Lambert and digital pioneer Paul Higham. Beforehand, flame performers will warm up the crowd as they twirl, dance, and juggle with fire.

The Festival of Combustion goes beyond the molten iron and flames to showcase the creativity and innovation of our region’s artists, makers, and builders in a variety of ways. The day features glassblowing demonstrations, stations for welding, metal fabrication, and more.

Now in its second year, the Heritage Craft Tent presented by Knob Creek Bourbon Whiskey, is a festival within the festival that explores American heritage traditions—including the tastiest of all heritage crafts, rye whiskey distilling! Offering tastings for the adults, interactive activities for kids with the Bradford House Historical Association, live art with Touchstone Center for Crafts, along with blacksmith and metalsmith demonstrations, the Heritage Craft Tent is a must-see attraction.

Hands-on workshops allow festival-goers to experience the industrial arts and American crafts for themselves, including two new metalsmithing activities—penny pendants with Pittsburgh Center for Arts & Media and embossed ornaments with Contemporary Craft. A mosaic coaster-making workshop is also a new offering. Returning activities include graffiti arts, scratch-mold casting, raku-fired vase glazing, and more kids’ zone workshops.

New this year, Xpogo will provide instruction and free to use pogo sticks for all skill levels and ages.

Craft beer, food trucks, live music, tattoos, and a maker marketplace with regional artisans will add to the festival atmosphere, including performances by Tom Breiding and the Union Railroad, Bindley Hardware Company, and The Shameless Hex.

Experience tours of the Carrie Blast Furnaces. Mini Blast Furnace Tours will be offered throughout the day. Guests are now able to reserve tickets in advance for a $5.00 fee. Those that register the day of can still participate at no charge, pending availability. Guests are also welcome to take a self-guide tour of the Iron Garden featuring the Mini Greens 2 art installation.

To cap off the night, Rivers of Steel will light up the Mon Valley with a fireworks display above the Carrie Furnaces.

Tickets are $20.00 in advance. Admission is free for those under age 18. Live demos, marketplace admission, and workshops are included in the event ticket. For those seeking advance mini-tours tickets, they can be purchased at the same time as admission tickets. Free parking is available on the grounds.

The Festival of Combustion is presented by United States Steel. Additional financial sponsorship has been provided by Knob Creek Bourbon Whiskey, UPMC Health Plan, TMS International, Jackson Welding Supply Company, and Eaton Corporation, with media sponsorship from Pittsburgh City Paper.

For a full schedule of activities and tickets, go to RiversOfSteel.com/FestivalOfCombustion

About Rivers of Steel

Founded on the principles of heritage development, community partnership, and a reverence for the region’s natural and shared resources, Rivers of Steel strengthens the economic and cultural fabric of western Pennsylvania by fostering dynamic initiatives and transformative experiences.

Rivers of Steel showcases the artistry and innovation of our region’s industrial and cultural heritage through its historical and 21st-century attractions―offering unique experiences via tours, workshops, exhibitions, festivals, and more. Behind the scenes, Rivers of Steel supports economic revitalization—working at the grassroots level to deepen community partnerships, promote heritage tourism, and preserve local recreational and cultural resources for future generations.

Contact Carly McCoy at 412.464.4020, ext. 243 or by emailing cmccoy@riversofsteel.com.

Rivers of Steel   |   The Bost Building, 623 East Eighth Ave, Homestead PA 15120

riversofsteel.com

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The Maker Marketplace at the Festival of Combustion

Be Part of the Festival of Combustion

Rivers of Steel is seeking vendors for its Maker Marketplace during the 2023 Festival of Combustion. 

Application Instructions

To apply, download, complete and return the Marketplace Vendor Application and Participation Agreement by August 25, 2023, according to the information on the form.

The workforce training program will focus, in part, on the reassembly of an historic 48-inch universal plate mill, seen above, currently located at the Carrie Blast Furnaces, which operated in the United States Steel Homestead Works facility until its closure in 1979.

Join the Team!

Rivers of Steel is seeking part-time apprentices for its new Historical Preservation Workforce Training Program. This six-month training program will provide knowledge of historic preservation principles and hands-on skills training in the historic trades. Trainees will receive specialized training and earn a competitive hourly wage while helping preserve some of our region’s most iconic historical structures like the Carrie Blast Furnaces National Historic Landmark. The program will focus, in part, on the reassembly of an historic 48-inch universal plate mill, currently located at the Carrie Blast Furnaces, which operated in the United States Steel Homestead Works facility until its closure in 1979.

Application Instructions

Please review the individual job listings for specific application instructions.

Rivers of Steel is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in hiring, transferring, promoting, terminating, paying, training, benefits or any other actions affecting employees. Rivers of Steel does not make any personnel decisions based on an employee’s race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion, ancestry, marital status, veteran’s status, non-job related disability or handicap, or other prohibited criteria as these terms are used under applicable law. Rivers of Steel abides by applicable federal, state, and local laws that govern human rights in the employment process.

Rivers of Steel Awards Seven Mini Grants

Funding for local nonprofits provides $60,000 for heritage tourism,
community development, and placemaking initiatives

Homestead, PA (April 11, 2023)—Rivers of Steel recently awarded $60,000 to seven organizations, including nonprofits and local boroughs, within the eight-county region of southwestern Pennsylvania that the Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area represents.

The Mini-Grant Program assists heritage-related sites and organizations as well as municipalities within the Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area to develop new and innovative programs, partnerships, exhibits, tours, and other initiatives.

Funded projects support heritage tourism, enhance preservation efforts, involve the stewardship of natural resources, encourage outdoor recreation, and include collaborative partnerships. Through these efforts, Rivers of Steel seeks to identify, conserve, promote, and interpret the industrial and cultural heritage that defines southwestern Pennsylvania.

Mini-Grants were awarded to:

Brownsville Borough, $5,000, to support the Fenwick Park development project, including hardscape installation and industrial heritage interpretation.

Fiberarts Guild of Pittsburgh, $3,000, for cultural heritage and creative expression workshops with refugees who have recently settled in the Pittsburgh area.

Grow Pittsburgh, $3,000, to support the Urban Farmers in Training and the Farm Apprenticeship programs, two workforce development initiatives that prioritize Black / Brown applicants.

Pennsylvania Trolley Museum, $7,500, for a visitor improvement / heritage tourism project in the Trolley Display Building, which includes installing heating to extend hours of operation into the winter months.

Pittsburgh Green Innovators, $8,500, to support the Patterns of Meaning project, including the historic preservation and archiving of industrial foundry patterns, which is paired with a workforce development initiative relating to the preservation of the objects and a carpentry apprenticeship program for Hill District residents.

Society to Preserve the Millvale Murals of Maxo Vanka, $10,000, to support the Gledaj! The Gaze of Maxo Vanka exhibition of Maxo Vanka’s works, including community engagement and education programming offered in partnership with Rivers of Steel and the LIGHT Education Initiative.

Washington County Historical Society, $23,000, for the Arcs of Freedom exhibit, a heritage tourism initiative that interprets the abolitionist movement and the Underground Railroad in southwestern Pennsylvania.

The Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area is one of twelve supported by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR). Funding is provided via DCNR’s Community Conservation Partnerships Program and the Environmental Stewardship Fund to Rivers of Steel, which administers the Mini-Grant Program.

As part of its ongoing diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion efforts, Rivers of Steel gave special consideration to black- or minority-led organizations and organizations that serve a majority BIPOC (black, indigenous, people of color) audience and communities. Rivers of Steel is committed to working with organizations who share our long-held belief in diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion and is committed to fighting systemic racism and discrimination against people of color.

About Rivers of Steel

Founded on the principles of heritage development, community partnership, and a reverence for the region’s natural and shared resources, Rivers of Steel strengthens the economic and cultural fabric of western Pennsylvania by fostering dynamic initiatives and transformative experiences.

Rivers of Steel showcases the artistry and innovation of our region’s industrial and cultural heritage through its historical and 21st-century attractions―offering unique experiences via tours, workshops, exhibitions, festivals, and more. Behind the scenes, Rivers of Steel supports economic revitalization—working at the grassroots level to deepen community partnerships, promote heritage tourism, and preserve local recreational and cultural resources for future generations.

About the Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area

This eight-county region is one of 62 National Heritage Areas designated by the U.S. Congress and one of 12 State Heritage Areas. A National Heritage Area is a place of national significance to America. For Rivers of Steel, Congress recognized the industrial and cultural heritage of southwestern Pennsylvania. Through a public-private partnership with the National Park Service and the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Rivers of Steel supports heritage conservation, heritage tourism, and outdoor recreation as a means to foster economic redevelopment and enhance cultural engagement.

Contact Carly McCoy at 412.464.4020, ext. 243 or by emailing cmccoy@riversofsteel.com.

Rivers of Steel   |   The Bost Building, 623 East Eighth Ave, Homestead PA 15120

riversofsteel.com

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Join the Team!

Looking for a Summer Internship? Interested in being an Event Coordinator? Rivers of Steel is hiring.

Application Instructions

Please review the individual job listings for specific application instructions.

Rivers of Steel is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in hiring, transferring, promoting, terminating, paying, training, benefits or any other actions affecting employees. Rivers of Steel does not make any personnel decisions based on an employee’s race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion, ancestry, marital status, veteran’s status, non-job related disability or handicap, or other prohibited criteria as these terms are used under applicable law. Rivers of Steel abides by applicable federal, state, and local laws that govern human rights in the employment process.

Rivers of Steel Announces Folk Arts Grant Opportunity

Call for applications for the 2023 – 2024 Folk & Traditional Arts Apprenticeship grants through the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts

Homestead, PA (February 8, 2023)—Rivers of Steel is excited to announce the official call for applications for the 2023 – 2024 Folk and Traditional Arts Apprenticeship grants through the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts.

Open to folk and traditional artists from across the state of Pennsylvania, these grants provide funding over a one-year period to a partnership between a master artist and a qualified apprentice, enabling them to work together for in-depth learning that encompasses the acquisition of techniques and artistry as well as the context of the culture. Apprenticeships are offered annually in both performing and craft traditions.

Interested artists can read more about the grants guidelines and download an application here. All applications must be submitted to Dana Payne at danpayne@pa.gov by April 17, 2023.

As the Folk and Traditional Arts Partner Organization representing PA Region 14, Rivers of Steel is happy to work with artists residing in Allegheny, Beaver, Greene, or Washington counties who are interested in submitting an application for this program. Artists living in counties outside of this region can find their representing organization here.

Rivers of Steel has been a PA Folk Arts partner for two decades, helping to celebrate and conserve this region’s diverse cultural heritage. This system of local and regional organizations convened under the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts forms a mutually supportive network specializing in folk and traditional arts.

Current partnership organizations, including Rivers of Steel, collectively serve 40 counties by promoting the creation and documentation of folk art; engaging the public in understanding the quality, breadth, and diversity of folk and traditional arts across the state; conducting critical discovery fieldwork in under-represented communities; and providing technical assistance for folk and traditional artists through workshops and gatherings.

About Rivers of Steel

Founded on the principles of heritage development, community partnership, and a reverence for the region’s natural and shared resources, Rivers of Steel strengthens the economic and cultural fabric of western Pennsylvania by fostering dynamic initiatives and transformative experiences.

Rivers of Steel showcases the artistry and innovation of our region’s industrial and cultural heritage through its historical and 21st-century attractions―offering unique experiences via tours, workshops, exhibitions, festivals, and more. Behind the scenes, Rivers of Steel supports economic revitalization—working at the grassroots level to deepen community partnerships, promote heritage tourism, and preserve local recreational and cultural resources for future generations.

Contact Carly McCoy at 412.464.4020, ext. 243 or by emailing cmccoy@riversofsteel.com.

Rivers of Steel   |   The Bost Building, 623 East Eighth Ave, Homestead PA 15120

riversofsteel.com

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Join the Team!

Rivers of Steel is excited to announce that we are hiring part-time positions for the Explorer riverboat!

Application Instructions

Please review the individual job listing for specific application instructions.

Rivers of Steel is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in hiring, transferring, promoting, terminating, paying, training, benefits or any other actions affecting employees. Rivers of Steel does not make any personnel decisions based on an employee’s race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion, ancestry, marital status, veteran’s status, non-job related disability or handicap, or other prohibited criteria as these terms are used under applicable law. Rivers of Steel abides by applicable federal, state, and local laws that govern human rights in the employment process.