New Brownsville Mural to Be Celebrated This Saturday
Honors the Community’s Musical Legacy
Created in Partnership with Rivers of Steel and the Mon Valley Academy for the Arts
Homestead, PA (October 31, 2024)—Rivers of Steel is excited to announce the installation of a new mural in the community of Brownsville, Pennsylvania, created by Ohio-based artist Atalie Gagnet with support from local residents and developed in partnership with the Mon Valley Academy of the Arts (MVAA) and Brownsville Borough.
A celebration to recognize this new mural will be held on Saturday, November 2, 2024, from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. at the mural’s location at 113 Brownsville Avenue, Brownsville, PA, 15417.
The mural commemorates numerous natives of Brownsville who achieved success as renowned musicians on a national and global scale.
The celebration will include performances by the MVAA Regimental Fife and Drum Unit and VoiceZ on Fire show choir, and will include remarks from MVAA CEO and President Annette Buffer and Rivers of Steel’s Creative Leadership Program Coordinator Ashley Kyber.
The mural concept was conceived by and implemented with local community members participating in Rivers of Steel’s Creative Leadership Program, a three-year program that works with select Heritage Partner communities on a range of creative projects, professional development, best practices, consulting, and administrative and financial support to help kick-start creative placemaking and heritage tourism in their communities.
Working directly with Rivers of Steel staff members Ashley Kyber and Jon Engel, participants worked together throughout 2024 on a range of events and public art concepts proposed for the downtown area of Brownsville.
Atalie Gagnet was selected to create the mural and worked with local youth, artists, and residents interested in learning the process of designing and installing a large-scale mural. Her work brings vibrant public art to life through custom murals that transform and connect communities, drawing from her fine arts training and hands-on painting expertise. For this project, she collaborated closely with residents to create an accessible mural that reflects and enriches Brownsville’s unique heritage.
The mural honors musicians—past and present—whose talents have contributed to Brownsville’s legacy. Depicted in the mural are: Samuel “Sammy” J. Bill Jr., Vincent “Vinnie” Peter Colaiuta, Jeff Lashway, Danny Leoni, Jerry Leoni, John Gresh, Cheryl E. Hardwick (aka Quack Moore), Van Ross Redding, and Mark A. Smith. Read more about each musician here.
Atalie Gagnet was assisted by local artists, including Ashley Kyber, Ben Nicholson, Joe Phillips, Paula Romanishin, Shawn Rouzio, Angela Schnupp, Cadence Schnupp, Dakota Schnupp, Mike “Sharkey” Schutte, Jaime Ursic, Hope Yeardle, and community members who shared their thoughts and time throughout the process.
The Creative Leadership Program is part of a regional initiative called Partners for Creative Economy, which has received support from the Appalachian Regional Commission, the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts’ Creative Communities Initiative, and the National Park Foundation.
About Partners for Creative Economy
Partners for Creative Economy is a long-term vision for the future of the Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area, stretching across eight counties in southwestern Pennsylvania. The vision unites Rivers of Steel’s cross-sectoral approach to placemaking with an integrated strategy that incentivizes partnership. Its goal is to build up local leaders and invest in the future success of the region’s cultural and heritage assets through a range of promotional and professional development strategies, workforce development, technical assistance, and funding. Through this work, Rivers of Steel invests in the capacity of each heritage partner organization and municipality to help accomplish local goals and reach their specific growth potential, ultimately yielding the type of collective economic and community growth the region requires.
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.
Through its attractions, programs, and partnerships, Rivers of Steel champions the region’s industrial and cultural heritage to support economic revitalization throughout the eight counties of the Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area by working 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 designated National Heritage Areas designated by the U.S. Congress and one of 12 Pennsylvania 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.
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