A multi-generational family poses in front of Furnace #7.Blog
September 18, 2025

Become a Member & Get Complimentary Tickets to the Festival of Combustion

For a limited time, becoming a Rivers of Steel member comes with an extra spark! From September 20–30, new members will receive complimentary tickets to the Festival of Combustion 2025,…
Emily Balawejder
Love0
A flame performer in front of a crowd with Carrie in the background.BlogPrograms
September 16, 2025

Iron, Fire, and Creativity Collide at the Festival of Combustion 2025

There’s nothing quite like standing in front of a furnace as molten iron pours out in a river of fire. The roar, the sparks, the heat—it’s a spectacle that you’ll…
Emily Balawejder
Love0
wa Young and Sons Machine ShopHistoric PreservationNewsletters
September 12, 2025

Step Back in Time: Celebrating 125 Years of the W.A. Young & Son’s Machine Shop

Step inside the W.A. Young & Son’s Machine Shop in Rice’s Landing, Pennsylvania, and it feels as if the machinists just set down their tools for lunch. The belts still…
Emily Balawejder
Love0
two girls in google hold water dropper and samplePress RoomPrograms
September 10, 2025

Rivers of Steel Receives Support from the Alcoa Foundation for Full STEAM Ahead Programming

Rivers of Steel is proud to announce that we have been awarded a grant from the Alcoa Foundation in support of our Full STEAM Ahead educational initiative. This funding will…
Emily Balawejder
Love0
Rivers of Steel Welcomes Emily Balawejder as Director of Marketing & CommunicationsPress Room
August 25, 2025

Rivers of Steel Welcomes Emily Balawejder as Director of Marketing & Communications

Rivers of Steel Welcomes Emily Balawejder as Director of Marketing & Communications Advancing steel heritage storytelling and community engagement across the eight-county National Heritage Area Homestead, PA (August 25, 2025)—Rivers…
Emily Balawejder
Love5
Shoreline of the Carrie Blast FurancesNewslettersPrograms
August 15, 2025

Industry Meets Inquiry: Students Explore the Eco Revolution Happening at the Carrie Furnaces

Glimpses of the inspirational force that is Mother Nature can be found throughout the Carrie Blast Furnaces historical site, noting the transition from manmade infrastructure to the reclamation of nature…
Account Manager
Love1
Rivers of Steel Creative Leadership Program Rankin RisingCommunity SpotlightPartners for Creative Leadership
July 7, 2025

From Pavement to Pride: Rankin Unveils Symbolic New Intersection Mural

A powerful new pavement mural now graces the intersection of 4th Avenue and Hawkins Avenue in Rankin, Pennsylvania. It is a vibrant reflection of the community's identity and energy. Led…
Account Manager
Love1
A couple shops at a crowded festival.Press Room
July 1, 2025

Rivers of Steel is Seeking Festival of Combustion Marketplace Vendors

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 2025 Festival of…
Carly McCoy
Love1
Learn more about the Rivers of Steel Membership programSupport
June 12, 2025

Become a Rivers of Steel Member

Rivers of Steel invites friends and neighbors to join our membership program. This membership program is a brand new way to explore everything that Rivers of Steel offers within the…
riversofsteel
Love1
Two women look up at the Carrie FurnacesPress Room
May 30, 2025

Public Notice

Public Notice Regarding the National Endowment for the Humanities’ Section 106 Review of the Rivers of Steel Heritage Corporation, Restoration of Carrie Furnaces Stove Deck, Stock House, and Trestle of…
Stacy Drane
Love3
BlogGetting to KnowHistoric PreservationPartners for Creative Economy
May 14, 2025

Traditional Trades Workforce Development Program

Trainees Kiersten Lapen and Nathan Swiech pictured with Ron Baraff, Director of Historic Resources and Facilities First Cohort in the Traditional Trades Workforce Development Program Begins Rivers of Steel is…
Chris McGinnis
Love2
A group in hard hat walk through the ore yard in front of the Carrie Blast Furnaces.BlogHeritage HighlightsHistoric Preservation
April 25, 2025

Metal Arts Team Hosts Second Intercollegiate Iron Pour at Carrie

Dr. Kirsten L. Paine Metal Arts Team Hosts Second Intercollegiate Iron Pour at Carrie While commercial iron production ceased at the Carrie Blast Furnaces in 1982 and operations shuttered entirely…
Chris McGinnis
Love2
BlogHeritage Highlights
April 25, 2025

From the Archive: Women Going to Work in WWII

US Steel News Front Cover Girl -January 1945 From the Archive: Women Going to Work in WWII Dr. Kirsten L. Paine   World War II profoundly reshaped the American labor…
Chris McGinnis
Love2
A group shot of Rivers of Steel's full time staff standing in near the ore yard at the Carrie Blast Furnaces site.Press Room
March 18, 2025

Rivers of Steel is Hiring

Join Our Team! Rivers of Steel is excited to announce that we are hiring! Industrial Maintenance Millwright – Rivers of Steel is seeking a full-time Industrial Maintenance Millwright to support…
Stacy Drane
Love0
Artist Alison Zapata displays an artwork created with a workshop participant.Press Room
March 18, 2025

Rivers of Steel Announces 2025 Folk Arts Apprenticeship Grants

Photo credit: Alison Zapata. Alison (left) finished a cartonería sculpture with her mentor, Chucho Lopez (right), during her apprenticeship in Oaxaca, Mexico." Rivers of Steel Announces Folk Arts Grant Opportunity…
Chris McGinnis
Love2
A white woman in a professional dress with large earrings, sandy blonde hair, and a nice smile.Press Room
January 24, 2025

Rivers of Steel Welcomes Mary W. Murrin as Its Next President and CEO

Rivers of Steel Welcomes Mary W. Murrin as Its Next President and CEO Murrin will be the second chief executive to lead the organization in 35 years.   Homestead, PA…
Carly McCoy
Love5
A yellow sunset softly illuminates the stack and stoves of the Carrie Furnaces with an Ore Bridge spanning the foreground of the image.Newsletters
January 13, 2025

Catch Up with Rivers of Steel

Rivers of Steel Recent Newsletters You can stay up to date with all the fresh news and stories from Rivers of Steel when you sign up for our biweekly newsletter. …
Carly McCoy
Love0
A wavelike structure is lit in blue lights and see in a park at dusk.BlogGetting to Know
December 11, 2024

Getting to Know: Shiftworks

A light installation by Joshua Challen Ice,  Aurora, 2024, lights up Mellon Square. Photo by John Altdorfer courtesy Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy. Getting to Know: Shiftworks The Getting to Know series…
Carly McCoy
Love1
A stone sign situated in the grass with flowers around it reads Woodville.Blog
November 27, 2024

Community Spotlight—Woodville

This Woodville sign welcomes visitors to the former home of John and Presley Neville. Photo courtesy of Neville House Associates. Community Spotlight—Woodville The Community Spotlight series features the efforts of Rivers…
Carly McCoy
Love1
A mural of musicians painted on a wall.Press Room
October 31, 2024

New Brownsville Mural to Be Celebrated This Saturday Honors the Community’s Musical Legacy

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…
Carly McCoy
Love2
a black and white selfie of a woman with a knit cap on in the woods.A Literary LookBlog
October 17, 2024

Exploring a Sense of Place with Sherrie Flick

Join writer Sherrie Flick, pictured above, for a conversation about her new book Homing: Instincts of a Rustbelt Feminist that explores a sense of place in southwestern Pennsylvania. Photo courtesy…
Carly McCoy
Love2
a young girl spray paints a wallBlog
October 2, 2024

Creating Legends: Graffiti Writers of the Past, Present, and Future

Creating Legends: Graffiti Writers of the Past, Present, and Future By Jordan Snowden At the Carrie Blast Furnaces, energy and creativity have replaced molten iron as the leading commodities supporting…
Carly McCoy
Love2
Two women bikers on a converted rail road bridge with blue skies, puffy white clouds, green hills and a healthy green river.Press Room
October 1, 2024

Rivers of Steel Announces Mini-Grant Funding Opportunity

Rivers of Steel 2024 Mini-Grant Program Applications Available Homestead, PA (October 1, 2024)—Rivers of Steel is now accepting applications for its Mini-Grant Program, which assists heritage-related sites and organizations, as…
Carly McCoy
Love2
Press Room
September 26, 2024

Rivers of Steel is Seeking a President and CEO

Rivers of Steel is Seeking a President and CEO Rivers of Steel Heritage Corporation is seeking a dynamic and visionary President & Chief Executive Officer who will continue to grow…
Carly McCoy
Love0
A woman tends a iron furnaces that's expelling flames from the top. Image paired with event logo and copy "October 5 at the Carrie Blast Furnaces."BlogCommunity Spotlight
September 19, 2024

Insider’s Guide to the 2024 Festival of Combustion

An ironworker at the 2023 Festival of Combustion. Insider's Guide: The 2024 Festival of Combustion The chill snap of October, falling leaves, and spooky Halloween décor bring to mind autumn…
Carly McCoy
Love1
An ink and watercolor image of the Carrie Furnaces from the Ore YardBlog
September 6, 2024

Visions of Carrie: Gledaj! Sketching Workshops

Gledaj! sketching workshops explore Maxo Vanka's perspective. Photo by Lynne Squilla. Community Spotlight—Gledaj! Sketching Workshops The Community Spotlight series features the efforts of Rivers of Steel’s partner organizations, along with collaborative…
Carly McCoy
Love1
A woman tends a iron furnaces that's expelling flames from the top. Image paired with event logo and copy "October 5 at the Carrie Blast Furnaces."Press Room
September 4, 2024

The 2024 Festival of Combustion at the Carrie Blast Furnaces

The 2024 Festival of Combustion at the Carrie Blast Furnaces Rivers of Steel’s signature event celebrates industrial arts and American crafts   Homestead, PA (September 4, 2024)—Rivers of Steel’s signature…
Carly McCoy
Love3
An over the shoulder shot of several people caring notebooks in their hands, walking on a gangway towards a dock on a river with a setting sun.BlogGetting to Know
August 7, 2024

Getting to Know: Shiftworks

Shiftworks' Write the Rivers workshop with Sherrie Flick explored new ways of including the public in public art. Photo by Heather Mull. Getting to Know: Shiftworks The Getting to Know…
Carly McCoy
Love1
A black and white team photo of a baseball club wearing jerseys that say Carrie with men in suits and flat brim hats standing with the players.Blog
July 26, 2024

The Golden Age of Carrie Baseball

The Golden Age of Carrie Baseball Barney Terrell traces the origins of Carrie Furnaces' baseballs teams from the earliest mention in 1895 through their final season in 1923 in this…
Carly McCoy
Love0
A sign that reads "Safety First" is flanked by a dozen hard hats hung on aluminum fencing.Blog
July 24, 2024

Safety First: An Ethos and an Exhibition

A Conversation with Curator Ron Baraff The exhibition Safety First is on view at the Bost Building through November 15. Recently, Carly McCoy, Rivers of Steel's communications director, sat down with…
Carly McCoy
Love0
Three people in conversation in a gallery with old booze labels and ads reproduced on a wall behind them.BlogCommunity Spotlight
July 10, 2024

Community Spotlight—West Overton’s New Heritage Center

Patrons gather with Sam Komlenic, right, whose donated collection contributed to West Overton's new Pennsylvania Whiskey Heritage Center. Photo by Savannah Butler. Community Spotlight—West Overton's James B. Beam Pennsylvania Whiskey…
Carly McCoy
Love0
A young broad-shouldered man with a mop of curly hair gives a thumbs up with one hand and displays forged steelwork with the other.Blog
June 27, 2024

Summer Internships at the W.A. Young & Sons Foundry and Machine Shop

2023's summer intern, Enrico DePetris, gives a thumbs-up after his first blacksmithing workshop. The William Miller Summer Internship at the W.A. Young & Sons Foundry and Machine Shop By Lynne…
Carly McCoy
Love1
A woman with graying hair look slightly away from the camera with a soft smile.Blog
June 27, 2024

Norma Ryan, a Remembrance—1931 – 2024

Norma Ryan, former Mayor of Brownsville, Pennsylvania Norma Ryan, a Remembrance—1931 – 2024 By Julie Silverman, Contributing Writer Augie Carlino’s first encounter with Norma Marcolini Ryan was through food, which…
Carly McCoy
Love0
Two women look up at the Carrie FurnacesPress Room
June 26, 2024

Public Notice

Public Notice Regarding the National Endowment for the Humanities’ Section 106 Review of the Rivers of Steel Heritage Corporation, Restoration of Carrie Furnace Stove Deck, Stock House, and Trestle  …
Carly McCoy
Love2
Seven people stand in front of a red caboose inside a large industrial space.BlogHistoric Preservation
June 12, 2024

The Restoration of the Unity Railways Caboose 53A

The caboose restoration volunteer crew: Keith Clouse, Mike Lickert, Kevin Scanlon, Shelley Parkerson, Ken Dunay, Matt Kory, and Andy Wagner. Dave Dudjak and Rich Proctor participated in the restoration, but…
Carly McCoy
Love1
A white woman in a long sleeved t and ball cap poses for the camera in an industrial space.BlogPartners for Creative Economy
May 31, 2024

Partners for Creative Economy: Workforce Development

Malayna Arambula, now an employee of Rivers of Steel, first joined the organization through a pilot workforce development program. Partners for Creative Economy: Workforce Development Partners for Creative Economy is…
Carly McCoy
Love2
A hulking piece of machinery in a warehouse type buildingBlogHistoric Preservation
May 16, 2024

The Historic Preservation of the 48-Inch Universal Plate Mill

The 48-inch Universal Plate Mill as it appeared in the fall of 2022, immediately prior to recent preservation efforts. The Historic Preservation of the 48-Inch Universal Plate Mill After spending…
Carly McCoy
Love1
A color image of the same colonial home.BlogHistoric Preservation
May 15, 2024

The Historic Preservation of the LeMoyne House

The front of the LeMoyne House National Historic Landmark in Washington, Pennsylvania, which is currently undergoing historic preservation work; image courtesy of Washington County Historical Society. The Historic Preservation of…
Carly McCoy
Love0
A group of young black women of a variety of ages with natural hair pose with a sign that reads "FROGANG LOT OF LOVE" with balloons on it.BlogGetting to Know
May 2, 2024

Getting to Know: Shiftworks

The FroGang celebrates their Lot of Love in Beltzhoover.  Photo by Ishara Henry. Getting to Know: Shiftworks Getting to Know is a new column that offers an opportunity to become…
Carly McCoy
Love1
Press Room
April 17, 2024

Rivers of Steel Awards Eleven Mini Grants

Rivers of Steel Awards Eleven Mini Grants Funding for local nonprofits provides $60,000 for heritage tourism, community development, and placemaking initiatives   Homestead, PA (April 17, 2024)—Rivers of Steel recently…
Carly McCoy
Love2
A banjo player wearing a vest and cap.Press Room
April 9, 2024

Rivers of Steel Announces Folk Arts Apprenticeship Grants

Rivers of Steel Announces Folk Arts Grant Opportunity Call for applications for the 2024 – 2025 Folk and Traditional Arts Apprenticeship grants through the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts  …
Carly McCoy
Love2
A blacksmith hammers on an anvil.Blog
April 3, 2024

Event Preview: The 2024 Hammer-In Festival

A blacksmith demonstration at the W.A. Young & Sons Foundry and Machine Shop for the Hammer-In Festival. The 2024 Hammer-In Festival By Lynne Squilla, Contributing Writer Step back in time…
Carly McCoy
Love1
Three people in protective leather gear pour molten iron into molds while four more watch.Blog
March 21, 2024

The Inaugural Intercollegiate Iron Pour

Coral Penelope Lambert works with five students to pour iron from a smaller ladle while two more students observe during last Saturday's inaugural Intercollegiate Iron Pour at the Carrie Blast…
Carly McCoy
Love1
A black and white image of a lanky, blond woman in jeans, a denim shirt and boots, next to an image of her book cover for Heartland that mostly shows sky with a bit of flat plains a the bottom of the image.A Literary LookBlog
March 6, 2024

A Literary Look—Heartland: A Memoir

Sarah Smarsh by Paul Andrews and the cover of her memoir Heartland. A Literary Look at Heartland: A Memoir of Working Hard and Being Broke in the Richest Country on…
Carly McCoy
Love1
A woman sells t-shirts and chats with patrons at the Machine ShopPress Room
February 21, 2024

Rivers of Steel is Seeking Marketplace Vendors

Be Part of the Hammer-In Festival  Rivers of Steel is seeking vendors for its Maker Marketplace during the 2024 Hammer-In Festival at the W.A. Young & Sons Foundry and Machine…
Carly McCoy
Love0
A sepia-toned image of a large colonial style home with a front entrance with columns that offers steps down to a sidewalk that runs right along the street. A second entrance to the right is less ornate and disrupts the home's symmetry.Blog
February 21, 2024

The Underground Railroad in Southwestern Pennsylvania

Washington County Historical Society's LeMoyne House represents an important part of southwestern Pennsylvania’s rich history. The National Park Service states that the LeMoyne House is one of six NPS-recognized Underground…
Carly McCoy
Love0
A white man with a warm smile and a blue suit poses for a professional headshot.Press Room
February 15, 2024

August R. Carlino Announces Retirement

August R. Carlino Announces Retirement Rivers of Steel’s founding President and CEO to retire in 2025   Homestead, PA (February 15, 2024)—August R. Carlino, president and chief executive officer of…
Carly McCoy
Love2
Four white people rest along a trail amid an art installation composed of green poles protruding vertically from the ground.BlogCommunity Spotlight
February 8, 2024

Art. Works.

Artist Carin Mincemoyer, shown here second from the right, is seated amidst her 2023 installation Trail Meander. Located under the new Fern Hollow Bridge, the artwork welcomes trail goers to…
Carly McCoy
Love0
staff and volunteers mug for the cameraPress Room
February 2, 2024

Rivers of Steel is Hiring

Join the Team! Rivers of Steel is excited to announce that we are hiring! We are in search of qualified candidates for one new full-time position and for several part-time…
Carly McCoy
Love0
Three arts patrons are dwarfed by the scale of the art installations around them.BlogCommunity Spotlight
January 25, 2024

Community Spotlight—Patterns of Meaning

A group gathers around part of the Patterns of Meaning installation at the Energy Innovation Center in Pittsburgh. Community Spotlight—Patterns of Meaning The Community Spotlight series features the efforts of Rivers of…
Carly McCoy
Love0
A yellow sunset softly illuminates the stack and stoves of the Carrie Furnaces with an Ore Bridge spanning the foreground of the image.Newsletters
January 16, 2024

Catch Up with Rivers of Steel

Rivers of Steel Recent Newsletters You can stay up to date with all the fresh news and stories from Rivers of Steel when you sign up for our biweekly newsletter. …
Carly McCoy
Love0
A carved panel depicts the events of July 6, 1892.Blog
January 12, 2024

Educator Opportunity: Exploring the Homestead Strike

A relief sculptural panel located on the grounds of the Pump House depicts the events of July 6, 1892. The Homestead Strike & the Growth of America as an Industrial…
Carly McCoy
Love0
Fireworks in downtown PittsburghBlogHeritage Highlights
December 29, 2023

Heritage Highlights: Local New Year’s Traditions

Fireworks at the Point of Pittsburgh. Heritage Highlights—Local Ways of Celebrating the New Year Like so many others at this time of year, we are considering the past as we…
Carly McCoy
Love0
An orange trolley with an open door is decorated for the holidays with lit garlands.BlogCommunity Spotlight
December 22, 2023

Community Spotlight—Pennsylvania Trolley Museum

The Crafton Ingram trolley decorated for the holidays at the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum. Photo by Gita Michulka. Community Spotlight—Pennsylvania Trolley Museum The Community Spotlight series features the efforts of Rivers of Steel’s…
Carly McCoy
Love0
A rusting metal wheel crisscrosses the image revealing mosaic artwork in a fall landscape, viewable through its spokes.BlogCommunity Spotlight
December 12, 2023

The Wandering Wall at The Ruins Project

A peak through The Wandering Wall to the artworks installed beyond. All images courtesy of Rachel Sager. Community Spotlight—The Wandering Wall at The Ruins Project The Ruins Project is a…
Carly McCoy
Love0
Art installed on a fence surrounding the Hazelwood Community Garden depicts three sunflowers below the word Hazelwood.BlogCommunity Spotlight
November 28, 2023

Hazelwood’s Community Artworks

This installation in front of the Hazelwood Community Garden is one of many artworks in the community. Photo by Heather Mull Photography. Community Spotlight—Hazelwood's Community Artworks Public art, by definition,…
Carly McCoy
Love0
A youthful black woman with a big smile in a blue hoodie with colorful graphics holds up a " Vendor / Talent" ID badge and beams at the camera.Blog
November 17, 2023

2023 Community Collaborations and Beyond

Braddock artist Latika Ann, shown here at the Festival of Combustion, is one of more than seventy community partners that Rivers of Steel worked with in 2023. From site-specific art, …
Carly McCoy
Love0
A diverse group of eight people stand and sit around a table, looking and smiling for the camera.BlogHeritage Highlights
November 2, 2023

Heritage Highlights: Currents

Collaborators with the Currents program: (Top row from left) Alison Zapata, Lindsay Huff, Jon Engel, Katy DeMent, Til Gurung, and Chitra Gurung. (Seated from left) Benjamin Aysan and Gloria Bal.…
Carly McCoy
Love0
A tray is filled with water with ink dripped and stylized on the surface of the water. The background is yellow . The design looks like white and purple abstract flowers with green leaves.BlogHeritage Highlights
November 2, 2023

Heritage Highlights: Ebru Heritage Craft Kits

Ebru, a Turkish water marbling practice., shown here  in progress, for the Ebru Heritage Craft Kit. Heritage Craft Kits—Ebru Through an ongoing partnership with the Carnegie Library of Homestead, Rivers…
Carly McCoy
Love0
A black and white photo of an early housing project community with 1950s cars, a boy on a bit, and a large tree in the foreground.Press Room
October 27, 2023

Hawkins Village: A Community History

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…
Carly McCoy
Love0
An expansive orange brick building with a long set of steps up to it.BlogCommunity Spotlight
October 20, 2023

Community Spotlight—Carnegie Library of Homestead at 125 Years

The Carnegie Library of Homestead, October 2023. Community Spotlight—Carnegie Library of Homestead at 125 The Community Spotlight series features the efforts of Rivers of Steel’s partner organizations, along with collaborative partnerships, that…
Carly McCoy
Love0
Grant logo reading 2023 Power Award Recipient paired with stock images of people doing things.Press Room
October 20, 2023

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

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…
Carly McCoy
Love2
Food vendors mug for the camera.Blog
October 19, 2023

Homestead Live Fridays—A Celebration of Community

Food vendors in the Community Plaza on Eighth Avenue during a 2023 Homestead Live Fridays event. Homestead Live Fridays—A Celebration of Community By Gita MichulkaRivers of Steel’s Homestead Live Fridays…
Carly McCoy
Love2
A woman works on a hooked run design.BlogCommunity Spotlight
September 20, 2023

Community Spotlight—Fiberarts Guild of Pittsburgh

Kardelens Fiber Arts member Hacer works on the design for an upholstered footstool.  Photo by Kirsten Ervin. Community Spotlight—Fiberarts Guild of Pittsburgh The Community Spotlight series features the efforts of Rivers of…
Carly McCoy
Love0
Sparks ascend towards the sky as a metal arts crew creates a performance iron pour in front of a crowd of people with the historic blast furnace behind them.Press Room
August 30, 2023

Festival of Combustion to Ignite Awe at the Carrie Blast Furnaces

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,…
Carly McCoy
Love2
Detail of A mosaic image of a miner with a light on his forehead wearing a jacket with lapels. The lines of the image contour the shape of this face, goatee, and curvature of his chest.Blog
August 10, 2023

The Ruins Project—Walk the Line

Rachel Sager's The Ruins Project, Part Three This week we are sharing the final of three articles by Rachel Sager reflecting on The Ruins Project, a long-term collaborative mosaic art installation…
Carly McCoy
Love0
A black teen with small braids holds up two white onions she recently picked, standing in front of a cart full of baskets of onions. Her shirt reads "Love and Unity is our Community Braddock Youth Project."BlogCommunity Spotlight
July 27, 2023

Community Spotlight—Grow Pittsburgh

A teen with the Braddock Youth Projects displays the onions she picked on a recent morning at Braddock Farms. Community Spotlight—Grow Pittsburgh The Community Spotlight series features the efforts of Rivers of…
Carly McCoy
Love0
Six eclectic, young white people pose for an image. Some hold sparklers, another has a puppet, one is spinning a plate, and there is a DJ in front of a circus-style bearded mermaid banner.Blog
July 13, 2023

Homestead Live Fridays—Creating Community Through Creativity

Members of the Glitterbox Theater collective: (from left) Tree, Anna, Bailey, Amos, Lex, and Chris at their outdoor showcase during June’s Homestead Live Fridays event. Homestead Live Fridays—Vibrancy Through the…
Carly McCoy
Love2
artisan marketplace imagePress Room
July 7, 2023

Rivers of Steel is Seeking Marketplace Vendors

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…
Carly McCoy
Love0
A still life of sorts showing a hammer a metal chisel anchored to a board, and several split rocks that have a gray center and white exterior.Blog
June 30, 2023

The Ruins Project—Red Dog, Hammers, and Hardies

Rachel Sager's The Ruins Project, Part Two This week we are sharing the second of three articles by Rachel Sager reflecting on The Ruins Project, a long-term collaborative mosaic art…
Carly McCoy
Love0
A woman looks at the signature image for the Gledaj exhbition, a self portrait by Maxo Vanka.BlogCommunity Spotlight
June 22, 2023

Gledaj! Looking at Pittsburgh through Maxo Vanka’s Eyes

By Gita Michulka, Contributing Writer   |   Image: The Gledaj! The Gaze of Maxo Vanka exhibition at the Bost Building Community Spotlight—Gledaj! The Gaze of Maxo Vanka The Community Spotlight series features the…
Carly McCoy
Love0
A tour group gathers in the Carrie Deer courtyard while a tour guide points at it.Blog
June 15, 2023

A Sustainable Look at the Arts and Grounds of the Carrie Furnaces

Guests of the Green Building Alliance take a tour of the Carrie Furnaces that examines how the site is sustainably repurposed, May 25, 2023. A Sustainable Look at the Arts…
Carly McCoy
Love2
Three women and a man pose for a photo while holding paint rollers on extension poles. They are standing over a blue painted pavement that is clearly in progress.BlogCommunity Spotlight
June 15, 2023

Community Spotlight—New Parklet in Monongahela

Volunteers Asriel Barnabei, Tom Higgs, and Rebecca Carter join program administration Ashley Kyber (center, right) in painting the pavement for a new parklet outside the Mon Valley Alliance building in…
Carly McCoy
Love0
Educators in hard hats walk through the ore yard of the Carrie Blast Furnaces as the warm glow of a setting sun falls on the furnaces.Blog
May 19, 2023

PSEA Educators Take a Field Trip to the Carrie Furnaces

Educators with the Pennsylvania State Education Association walk through the Ore Yard during their mini-tour of the Carrie Blast Furnaces, on of three activities offered during their open house experience…
Carly McCoy
Love2
Two couples swing dance in front of a band on a low stage outside playing traditional instruments.Blog
May 19, 2023

Homestead Live Fridays Returns

Members of the Pittsburgh Swing Dance Community show off their moves at Golden Age Beer Co. while the Boilermaker Jazz Band performs on a Friday evening in May. Homestead Live…
Carly McCoy
Love1
A hulking piece of machinery in the Blowing Engine House of the Carrie Furnaces.Press Room
May 5, 2023

Rivers of Steel is Hiring

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…
Carly McCoy
Love0
A white woman with reddish hair in jeans and a long sleeve tshirt wearing a smock stands in a concrete doorway that is adorned with mosaic artworks.Blog
April 20, 2023

Honor What Was

Rachel Sager's The Ruins Project This week we are excited to honor what was—and what is—by shining a light on The Ruins Project, a long-term collaborative mosaic art installation amidst…
Carly McCoy
Love0
A woman in a white wedding dress with a bustle, high collar, and long sleeve, faces away from the camera.Blog
April 20, 2023

The Marriage of Carrie Clark and Bartlett Arkell

Edith Darlington, a contemporary of Carrie Clark, on her wedding day is 1885, photographed by her brother O'Hara (detail). From the Darlington Collection at the University of Pittsburgh. The Marriage…
Carly McCoy
Love1
Press Room
April 11, 2023

Rivers of Steel Awards Seven Mini Grants

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…
Carly McCoy
Love2
A youthful white woman stands behind a table with a Tree Pittsburgh table covering on it with her hands on her hips, ready to greet visitors with a smile.BlogCommunity Spotlight
April 4, 2023

Community Spotlight—Tree Pittsburgh

Loralyn Fabian, program manager for the tree adoption event at the Pump House on April 1, 2023. Community Spotlight—Tree Pittsburgh The Community Spotlight series features the efforts of Rivers of Steel’s partner…
Carly McCoy
Love0
A man leans over an anvil, hammering hot metal while a small crowd watches.Blog
April 4, 2023

Profiles in Steel: Jared Ondovchik

Jared Ondovchik at the 2022 Festival of Combustion at the Carrie Blast Furnaces. Profiles in Steel Rivers of Steel’s Profiles in Steel series shines a spotlight on the talented members…
Carly McCoy
Love1
An employee of Rivers of Steel smiling slightly for the camera.Press Room
March 23, 2023

Rivers of Steel is Hiring

Join the Team! Looking for a Summer Internship? Interested in being an Event Coordinator? Rivers of Steel is hiring. Event Coordinator, Historic Sites – Rivers of Steel is seeking an…
Carly McCoy
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A sepia-toned image of seven young women in high collared dresses lounging in a field of tall grass.Blog
March 22, 2023

Who was Carrie Clark?

Collegiate women from the 1880s—Pennsylvania Female College, Class of 1888, Chatham University Chronological Photograph Files, Historic Pittsburgh Archives. The Education of a 19th-Century Factory Owner’s Daughter This story is the…
Carly McCoy
Love1
A black and white image of a furnace with stacks, stoves, and sheds.Blog
March 9, 2023

Carrie Clark: She Who Lit the Fires

An early image of the Carrie Furnaces #1 and #2. Collection of the Rivers of Steel Archives. The Carrie Furnaces were named in honor of Carrie Clark. She Who Lit…
Carly McCoy
Love1
A Literary LookBlog
February 24, 2023

A Literary Look—Blood on the Forge

The dust jacket for William Attaway's 1941 novel Blood on the Forge. A Literary Look at William Attaway's Blood on the Forge A Literary Look is an occasional series that features…
Carly McCoy
Love1
A blacksmith works a piece a a crowd looks on at the Festival of Combustion.Press Room
February 8, 2023

Rivers of Steel Announces Folk Arts Apprenticeship Grants

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  …
Carly McCoy
Love2
Blog
January 26, 2023

Top Five Industrial Transportation Stories

A CSX train approaches Station Square, August 2020. Top Five Industrial Transportation Stories Created over eons, as water carved away layers of the Allegheny Plateau, southwestern Pennsylvania’s hilly topography set…
Carly McCoy
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A freshly painted train engine.Blog
January 26, 2023

Restoring the Pusher Engine

The Pusher Engine, a highlight on the Industrial Tour of the Carrie Blast Furnaces. Photo by Kevin Scanlon. Restoring the Pusher Engine—A Volunteer Story In our recent story on The…
Carly McCoy
Love0
A yellow sunset softly illuminates the stack and stoves of the Carrie Furnaces with an Ore Bridge spanning the foreground of the image.Newsletters
January 18, 2023

Catch Up with Rivers of Steel

Rivers of Steel Recent Newsletters You can stay up to date with all the fresh news and stories from Rivers of Steel when you sign up for our biweekly newsletter. …
Carly McCoy
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BlogHistoric Preservation
January 13, 2023

The Historic Preservation of the Carrie Blast Furnaces

The Carrie Blast Furnaces in 2006. The Historic Preservation of the Carrie Blast Furnaces This past fall, when the tour season ended at Carrie, construction season began. Working along with…
Carly McCoy
Love1
The riverboat is passing under a bridge with the Pittsburgh skyline.Press Room
January 13, 2023

Rivers of Steel is Hiring for the Explorer Riverboat

Join the Team! Rivers of Steel is excited to announce that we are hiring part-time positions for the Explorer riverboat! Riverboat Captain – Do you have your USCG 100 ton…
Carly McCoy
Love0
BlogCommunity Spotlight
January 12, 2023

Community Spotlight—Upgrades at Kelly Strayhorn Theater

By Gita Michulka, Contributing Writer   |   Image: The Sunstar Festival is among the upcoming community events at the Kelly Strayhorn Theater. Community Spotlight—Kelly Strayhorn Theater The Community Spotlight series features the efforts…
Carly McCoy
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An image of the first half of the first page of the National Heritage Area Act of 2022Blog
December 30, 2022

A Christmas Miracle inside the Beltway

By Carly V. McCoy, Director of Communications | Image: The National Heritage Area Act of 2022 A Christmas Miracle inside the Beltway During the final days of the 117th Congress,…
Carly McCoy
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brown, steel toed boots, a orange hard hat, greens protective wear, and safety glasses.BlogCommunity Spotlight
December 15, 2022

Community Spotlight—Battle of Homestead Foundation

A worker's gear from the Battle of Homestead Archives & Special Collections. Community Spotlight—Battle of Homestead Foundation The Community Spotlight series features the efforts of Rivers of Steel's partner organizations,…
Carly McCoy
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An older white man in a hard hat addresses a group of four in an industrial setting.Blog
December 1, 2022

Immersed in the Battle of Homestead

A Landmarks of American History and Culture Workshop As we reflect back on the accomplishments of 2022, one of this year’s highlights was a collaboration with the Archives & Special…
Carly McCoy
Love0
Blog
December 1, 2022

Rivers of Steel’s 2022 Year in Review

A Preservation Story, 35 Years in the Making 2022 Marked a Significant Turning Point in Rivers of Steel's Journey    Setting Out to Save Carrie When Rivers of Steel's founders…
Carly McCoy
Love2
An image of the Monopoly gameboard along with a breakout image of the Carrie Furnaces square.Press Room
November 18, 2022

Pittsburgh Edition of Monopoly

Pittsburgh Edition of Monopoly Available through Rivers of Steel Homestead, PA (November 18, 2022)—Rivers of Steel is excited to share the news of a new Pittsburgh Edition of the iconic…
Carly McCoy
Love2
tudents holding a rope in a lot across from a churchBlogCommunity Spotlight
November 18, 2022

Community Spotlight—Dragon’s Den

Homestead youth engage in a group activity across from Dragon's Den, which occupies the space that was formerly the St. Mary Magdalene church. Community Spotlight—Dragon's Den The Community Spotlight series…
Carly McCoy
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A medium skinned black girl with long curly hair raises a spray can to paint a outdoor mural while another girl paints in the background.Blog
November 4, 2022

Community Collaborations

Community Collaborations In the past couple of years, we’ve had fewer opportunities than usual for student engagement. However, 2022’s student programs resembled something much closer to normal—and for us, “normal”…
Carly McCoy
Love0
Members of local tribes share a recently brewed drink.BlogCommunity Spotlight
October 20, 2022

Community Spotlight—Meadowcroft Rockshelter and Historic Village and Fort Pitt Museum

"Life with a Shawnee Family" at Meadowcroft. Community Spotlight—Meadowcroft Rockshelter and Historic Village and Fort Pitt Museum The Community Spotlight series features the efforts Rivers of Steel's partner organizations, along…
Carly McCoy
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The word "Community" written in graffiti style-writing.Blog
October 20, 2022

Community Spotlight Series

Shining a Spotlight on our Heritage Area Partners The Community Spotlight series features the efforts Rivers of Steel’s partner organizations, along with collaborative partnerships, that reflect the diversity and vibrancy…
Carly McCoy
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Red apples on a tree with text reading Picked An Apple TrailBlog
October 7, 2022

Picked: An Apple Trail

Exploring PA in a Tasty Way—Culinary Trails This week we are excited to shine a spotlight on the Center for Regional Agriculture, Food, and Transformation (CRAFT) at Chatham University.  The…
Carly McCoy
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A four-story red brick barrel house which has "West Overton Distilling Co." and "Old Farm Rye" painted on it.BlogCommunity Spotlight
September 23, 2022

Community Spotlight—West Overton Village and Museums

The West Overton Distilling Company, part of the West Overton Village and Museums Community Spotlight—West Overton Village and Museums The Community Spotlight series features the efforts Rivers of Steel's partner…
Carly McCoy
Love0
2022 Festival of combustion logoPress Room
August 30, 2022

Festival of Combustion Returns to the Carrie Blast Furnaces

The Festival of Combustion Returns to the Carrie Blast Furnaces After a two-year hiatus, the event expands with more activities, demonstrations, and thrills!   Homestead, PA (August 30, 2022)—Rivers of…
Carly McCoy
Love2
Two women bikers on a converted rail road bridge with blue skies, puffy white clouds, green hills and a healthy green river.BlogCommunity Spotlight
July 29, 2022

Community Spotlight—Great Allegheny Passage Conservancy

A ride on the Riverton Bridge with the Veterns Leadership Project. Community Spotlight—Great Allegheny Passage Conservancy The Community Spotlight series features the efforts Rivers of Steel's partner organizations, along with…
Carly McCoy
Love0
canning jars with pickled items surrounded by tomatoes, peppers and beans with a landscape background and some flowersBlog
July 15, 2022

Pickled: A Fermented Trail

A display of pickled and fermented products. Image courtesy of The Pickled Chef, Latrobe. Exploring PA in a Tasty Way—Culinary Trails This week we are excited to shine a spotlight…
Carly McCoy
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Two people, one dark skinned and one white, crouch down to plant flowers in front of a sign that reads "Community Clean-up and Flower Planting May 22"BlogCommunity Spotlight
June 17, 2022

Community Spotlight—Brownsville’s Perennial Project

Youth volunteers help plant flowers in the new Hope Park in Brownsville. Community Spotlight—Brownsville's Perennial Project The Community Spotlight series features the efforts Rivers of Steel's partner organizations, along with…
Carly McCoy
Love0
A group shot of Rivers of Steel's full time staff standing in near the ore yard at the Carrie Blast Furnaces site.Press Room
May 21, 2022

Rivers of Steel is Hiring

Join the Team! Rivers of Steel is excited to announce that we are hiring! UPDATE: Thank you for your interest. These positions have been filled. Manager of Tourism – Rivers…
Carly McCoy
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Blog
May 20, 2022

Post/Industrial Ambassadors

Industrial relics inside the Henrichshütte Iron and Steel Works in Hattingen, Germany. Rivers of Steel in the Ruhr Valley Augie Carlino, president and CEO of Rivers of Steel, shares an…
Carly McCoy
Love0
In this mural, Christ is mounted to the cross and World War I era soldiers menace him with their weapons.BlogCommunity Spotlight
May 5, 2022

Community Spotlight—The Murals of Maxo Vanka

Christ on the Battlefield, a mural by Maxo Vanka at the St. Nicholas Croatian Catholic Church in Millvale, PA. Community Spotlight The Community Spotlight series features the efforts Rivers of…
Carly McCoy
Love0
A black and white image of three strikers pointing across the river at blast furnaces.Blog
April 30, 2022

May Day & the Legacy of Labor

Strikers from Local Union 1397 in Homestead point towards the Carrie Blast Furnaces. Image from the Rivers of Steel Archives. May Day & the Legacy of Labor In honor of…
Carly McCoy
Love0
A white man with a goatee, glasses, and a bandana over his long hair plays an acoustic guitar standing in front of the glass window of a bar front with patrons gathered in the foreground.Blog
April 28, 2022

Reawakening: Homestead Live Fridays

A musician plays at Blue Dust during Homestead Live Fridays in the fall of 2021. Reawakening: Homestead Live Fridays 2022 By Jordan Snowden“I feel like when I walk around Homestead;…
Carly McCoy
Love1
A Charcuterie board with meats, bread, crackers, cheese, olives, etc.Blog
April 19, 2022

Chopped: A Charcuterie Trail

A charcuterie board, image courtesy of Parma Sausage in the Strip. Exploring PA in a Tasty Way—Culinary Trails This week we are excited to shine a spotlight on the Center…
Carly McCoy
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A sign along a trail reads "Now entering Steel Valley Trail dot org, almost 10 miles, 100% volunteer maintained"BlogCommunity Spotlight
April 18, 2022

Community Spotlight—The Steel Valley Trail

A sign greets travelers along the Steel Valley Trail. Community Spotlight The Community Spotlight series features the efforts Rivers of Steel's partner organizations, along with collaborative partnerships, that reflect the…
Carly McCoy
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A bowl full of decorated pysanky eggs.BlogHeritage Highlights
April 7, 2022

Heritage Highlights: The Practice of Pysanky Eggs

Image of pysanky eggs created and photographed by Lisa DiStefano-Bauer Heritage Highlights Rivers of Steel’s Heritage Arts program strives to represent the region’s diverse cultural heritage—from traditional, ethnic customs and…
Carly McCoy
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A twilight image of the Allegheny River from the North Side with one of the yellow three sisters bridges spanning the image with the downtown skyline on the far right.Blog
April 6, 2022

History, Function, & Artistry: Embracing Architecture

The City of Bridges. All images in this story are courtesy of Jeffrey Bowser, Instagram: fort_frick_412. A Look at the Society of Architectural Historians' 2022 Annual International Conference By Jordan…
Carly McCoy
Love1
Blog
March 24, 2022

Jane Swisshelm—Newspaper Woman!

A detail Jane Grey Swisshelm's Self-Portrait, circa 1840-1845 / Senator John Heinz History Center, Courtesy of N.N. Moore. Woman's History Month Feature: Jane Grey Cannon Swisshelm To celebrate Women’s History Month,…
Carly McCoy
Love2
Blog
March 23, 2022

Folk & Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Grants

Apply Now—Folk and Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Grants Applications are due April 18, 2022.  Rivers of Steel is excited to announce the official call for applications for the 2022 – 2023…
Carly McCoy
Love2
The riverboat is passing under a bridge with the Pittsburgh skyline.Press Room
March 23, 2022

Rivers of Steel is Hiring for the Explorer Riverboat

Join the Team! Rivers of Steel is excited to announce that we are hiring an additional part-time captain and deckhands for the Explorer riverboat! Riverboat Captain – Do you have…
Carly McCoy
Love0
Press Room
March 19, 2022

Rivers of Steel Announces Folk Arts Apprenticeship Grants

Rivers of Steel Announces Folk Arts Grant Opportunity Call for applications for the 2022 – 2023 Folk & Traditional Arts Apprenticeship grants through the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts  …
Carly McCoy
Love2
A Literary LookBlog
March 11, 2022

A Literary Look: Jane Swisshelm’s Autobiography

A detail Jane Grey Swisshelm's Self-Portrait, circa 1840-1845 / Senator John Heinz History Center, Courtesy of N.N. Moore. Jane Grey Cannon Swisshelm’s Autobiography, Half a Century A Literary Look is a…
Carly McCoy
Love1
A two story clapboard house with five windows on the upper level, and four on the bottom with an offset door to the left.BlogCommunity Spotlight
March 10, 2022

Community Spotlight—The Ambridge Bicentennial House

An early rendering of the Bicentennial House by Cochran Associates Architects. Courtesy of AHEDEC. Community Spotlight The Community Spotlight series features the efforts Rivers of Steel's partner organizations, along with…
Carly McCoy
Love0
Press Room
March 10, 2022

Rivers of Steel Awards Round 26 Mini-Grants

Rivers of Steel Awards Eight Mini-Grants Funding for local nonprofits provides $60,000 for heritage tourism, community development, and placemaking initiatives   Homestead, PA (March 10, 2022)—Rivers of Steel recently awarded…
Carly McCoy
Love2
A black man wearing a work life vest on a boat with a bridge the skyline in the background.Blog
February 25, 2022

Profiles in Steel: John Mahn, Jr.

John Mahn, Jr., at work on the Explorer riverboat. Profiles in Steel Rivers of Steel's Profiles in Steel series shines a spotlight on the talented members of our organization's community. …
Carly McCoy
Love1
Josh Gibson with a crowd of young ballplayersBlogCommunity Spotlight
February 24, 2022

Community Spotlight—Josh Gibson Foundation

Josh Gibson with a crowd of young fans. Image from the Josh Gibson Collection of the Rivers of Steel Archives. Community Spotlight The Community Spotlight series features the efforts Rivers…
Carly McCoy
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Press Room
February 10, 2022

Rivers of Steel is Hiring

Join the Team! March 17, 2022  Update: Please note that the application window for all positions posted below has closed.  Thank you for your interest in Rivers of Steel.  Rivers of…
Carly McCoy
Love0
Identicaly houses are closely groups in a grid in a black and white photoBlogCommunity Spotlight
February 9, 2022

Community Spotlight: Glass Plate Negatives Tell a Story in Donora

Image: An image from the Bruce Dreisbach Collection of what is now the Cement City Historic District in Donora, PA. Built 1916-1917 as housing for employees at American Steel &…
Carly McCoy
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BlogHeritage Highlights
February 8, 2022

Heritage Highlights: Heritage Craft Kits

Artist Benjamin Aysan writes his name in italic letters. Heritage Highlights Rivers of Steel’s Heritage Arts program strives to represent the region’s diverse cultural heritage, from ethnic customs and occupational…
Carly McCoy
Love0
BlogCommunity Spotlight
January 28, 2022

Community Spotlight: Examining the American Dream through the Lives of Black Americans

By Gita Michulka, Contributing Writer   |   Image: Stephen Towns in his studio by Jermaine Táron Bell Community Spotlight The Community Spotlight series features Rivers of Steel's partner organizations whose work contributes to…
Carly McCoy
Love0
The word "Community" written in graffiti style-writing.BlogCommunity Spotlight
January 14, 2022

Community Spotlight—Murals on a Mission: New Kensington

By Gita Michulka, Contributing Writer   |   Image:  This CommUNITY mural by Shane Pilster inspired the Murals on a Mission: New Kensington project. Community Spotlight The Community Spotlight series features the…
Carly McCoy
Love0
a man stands with sculptures in front of a small scale iron furnaces with an industrail former blast furnace behind themBlog
January 13, 2022

Introducing Industrial Grit and Graffiti

By Carly V. McCoy, Director of Communications   |   Above: Artist Carlos Mare, one of the two lead artists for the Industrial Grit and Graffiti residency, stands with cast iron sculptures…
Carly McCoy
Love0
Two recycled metal birds appear on a sculpture in from the the stack from the Carrie Blast Furnaces.A Literary LookBlog
January 13, 2022

A Literary Look: Life in the Iron Mills

A detail of Jan Loney's Flight sculpture from Alloy Pittsburgh 2021 in front of the stack and stoves of the Carrie Blast Furnaces. Life in the Iron Mills and the Industrial Muse A…
Carly McCoy
Love1
A yellow sunset softly illuminates the stack and stoves of the Carrie Furnaces with an Ore Bridge spanning the foreground of the image.Newsletters
January 6, 2022

Catch Up with Rivers of Steel

Rivers of Steel Recent Newsletters You can stay up to date with all the fresh news and stories from Rivers of Steel when you sign up for our biweekly newsletter. …
Carly McCoy
Love0
Blog
December 30, 2021

Celebrating Silvester—A German New Year’s Eve Tradition in Southwestern Pennsylvania

By Brianna Horan, Manager of Tourism & Visitor Experience | Image: In the Historic Harmony District, the ball is dropped at 6:00 p.m. to ring in the new year on…
Carly McCoy
Love0
A log cabin with a sidewalk in front and a large pine tree to the side.BlogCommunity Spotlight
December 30, 2021

Community Spotlight: Harmony Museum’s Newest Display will Showcase how 19th-Century Settlers Worked

By Gita Michulka, Contributing Writer   |   Image: The Carothers Family cabin in the Historic Harmony District will showcase how 19th-century setters worked. Community Spotlight The Community Spotlight series features Rivers of Steel's…
Carly McCoy
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costumed dancersBlogHeritage Highlights
December 17, 2021

Heritage Highlights: Bulgarian Macedonian National Educational and Cultural Center

Otets Paissii Performing Folk Ensemble. All images courtesy of the BMNECC. Heritage Highlights Rivers of Steel’s Heritage Arts program strives to represent the region’s diverse cultural heritage, from ethnic customs…
Carly McCoy
Love1
Blog
December 17, 2021

Making Spirits Bright

Festive cocktails from the Krampus, Baby pop-up bar at Lorelei, Photo: Tom O’Connor/ Lorelei Instagram @loreleipghBy Brianna Horan, Manager of Tourism & Visitor Experience Making Spirits Bright—A Tasty Holiday Happenings Guide In…
Carly McCoy
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BlogCommunity Spotlight
December 15, 2021

Community Spotlight: Center of Life and CMU Create Urban Furniture in Hazelwood Green

By Gita Michulka, Contributing Writer   |   Image: Project partners from Carnegie Mellon University's School of Architecture and Hazelwood's Arts Excursions Unlimited pose with the newly installed Rocking Cradles in Hazelwood…
Carly McCoy
Love0
The Carrie Blast Furnaces appear across the river with an industrial furnace cap in the foreground.Press Room
December 13, 2021

Rivers of Steel Receives a RACP Grant from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

Rivers of Steel Receives a RACP Grant from the Commonwealth of Pennyslvania Grant funds restoration of the Carrie Blast Furnaces and the Historic Pump House   Homestead, PA (December 13,…
Carly McCoy
Love2
A large Christmas Tree and people ice skatingBlog
December 3, 2021

The Ultimate Holiday Happenings Guide for Southwestern Pennsylvania

The UPMC Rink at PPG Place by Kurt Miller.By Brianna Horan, Manager of Tourism & Visitor Experience The Ultimate Holiday Happenings Guide for the Rivers of Steel Heritage Area Holiday merriment…
Carly McCoy
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Photo by Askar Abayev from PexelsBlog
November 30, 2021

Winter Holiday Cultural Heritage Recipes

A table set for the holidays, photo by Askar Abayev (Pexels).By Brianna Horan, Manager of Tourism & Visitor Experience Winter Holiday Cultural Heritage Recipe Box: In Case You Missed It…
Carly McCoy
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A group in hard hat walk through the ore yard in front of the Carrie Blast Furnaces.Blog
November 24, 2021

Rivers of Steel’s 2021 Year in Review

Looking Back & Looking Ahead Rivers of Steel's accomplishments in 2021 set the stage for bigger things to come!  2021 was a dynamic year for Rivers of Steel. It marked…
Carly McCoy
Love2
Title" The Homestead Strike & the Growth of America as an Industrial Power" appears in text over a historic image of a steel millBlog
November 19, 2021

Educator Opportunity: The Homestead Strike & the Growth of America as an Industrial Power

This summer 72 educators from across the country will convene in Pittsburgh for a National Endowment for the Humanities-funded Landmarks of American History and Culture Workshop presented by Rivers of…
Carly McCoy
Love0
Students look through binoculars on the bow of the Explorer riverboat.Blog
November 19, 2021

“Environmental Science on the Three Rivers” program boosted by Peoples Gas sponsorship

By Gita Michulka, Contributing Writer   |   Image: Students from Carmichaels Middle / High School look for birds during the Environmental Science on the Three Rivers program. Photo by Jason Cohn.…
Carly McCoy
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BlogCommunity Spotlight
November 4, 2021

Community Spotlight: Pennsylvania Trolley Museum creates ‘Rolling Melting Pot’ experience

By Gita Michulka, Contributing Writer   |   Image: Open car at Museum Road, courtesy of the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum. Community Spotlight The Community Spotlight series features Rivers of Steel's partner organizations whose work…
Carly McCoy
Love0
A red clapboard building with dozes of six-over-six windows.Blog
October 22, 2021

A Decade-Long Journey for a 120-Year-Old Building

By Carly V. McCoy, Director of Communications   |   Image: W.A. Young & Sons Foundry and Machine Shop in Rices Landing, PA. Photo by Richard Kelly Photography. The Restoration of the…
Carly McCoy
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Blog
October 8, 2021

Picked, Baked, Chopped, and Pickled—Four New Culinary Trails

By Cynthia Caul, Program Manager at Center for Regional Agriculture, Food, and Transformation (CRAFT) at Chatham University  |   Image: Weatherbury Farms, a stop on the Baked culinary trail. Photo by Emeran Irby.…
Carly McCoy
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A painting of the U.S. Steel Homestead WorksPress Room
September 29, 2021

Rivers of Steel Presents Memory Scenes: A Kathleen Ferri Retrospective

US Steel, Homestead, PA by Kathleen Ferri, collection of the artist. Rivers of Steel Presents Memory Scenes: A Kathleen Ferri Retrospective Exhibition Highlights the Painting Career of the Mon Valley Artist…
Carly McCoy
Love1
Press Room
September 28, 2021

Google Arts & Culture—Pittsburgh: Proud and Powerful

From 1957 - 1974, Jack Boot Displays was commissioned to print mill safety signs for the United States Steel Corporation. This collection is highlighted in the "Safety First in Poster…
Carly McCoy
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BlogHeritage Highlights
September 24, 2021

Heritage Highlights: Greensboro Pennsylvania Art Cooperative

Entrance to the Greensboro Pennsylvania Art Cooperative's ceramic studio. Heritage Highlights Rivers of Steel’s Heritage Arts program strives to represent the region’s diverse cultural heritage, from ethnic customs and occupational…
Carly McCoy
Love1
Two black women with braids look at colorful and geometric art on a gallery wall.BlogCommunity Spotlight
September 24, 2021

Community Spotlight: Kelly Strayhorn Theater

By Gita Michulka, Contributing Writer   |   Image: Community members visit the new Gallery KST to see the exhibition by Women of Visions. Photo by  Lindsay B. Garvin. Community Spotlight The Community…
Carly McCoy
Love0
A group in hard hat walk through the ore yard in front of the Carrie Blast Furnaces.Press Room
September 23, 2021

Rivers of Steel Receives a Save America’s Treasures Grant

Rivers of Steel Receives a Save America’s Treasures Grant from the National Park Service Grant funds critical restoration of the Carrie Blast Furnaces National Historic Landmark   Homestead, PA (September…
Carly McCoy
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A bird from recycled rusty metal.Blog
September 10, 2021

Alloy Pittsburgh: Process & Product

By Carly V. McCoy, Director of Communications   |   Image: Detail of Jan Loney's Flight in front of the stoves and stack for the Carrie Blast Furnaces Number 6 & 7. Alloy Pittsburgh…
Carly McCoy
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The Carrie Blast Furnaces in 1988Blog
September 10, 2021

An Iconic Symbol—the Carrie Blast Furnaces

The Carrie Blast Furnaces in 1988. Photo from the Rivers of Steel Archives. By August Carlino, President and Chief Executive Officer Saving the Carrie Blast Furnaces and Envisioning Tomorrow After…
Carly McCoy
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The Explorer Riverboat with the Carrie Blast Furnaces in the background. and early fall leaves.Press Room
September 1, 2021

Rivers of Steel Announces Mini-Grant Funding Opportunity

Rivers of Steel 2021 Mini-Grant Program Applications Available Homestead, PA (September 1, 2021)—Rivers of Steel is now accepting applications for its Mini-Grant Program, which assists heritage-related sites and organizations, as…
Carly McCoy
Love2
An illustration of a giant green shirt over a photo of the Carrie's Blowing Engine HousePress Room
August 11, 2021

Rivers of Steel Announces Programs for Alloy Pittsburgh 2021

Bradford Mumpower's vision for his Alloy Pittsburgh 2021 installation at the Carrie Blast Furnaces, a larger-than-life representation of the "greens" worn by workers. Rivers of Steel Announces Programs for Alloy…
Carly McCoy
Love1
Blog
July 30, 2021

Aluminum in a Steel World: Pittsburgh’s Industrial Legacies

Aluminum Illustrations, 1948. Illustration of aluminum smelting at Alcoa. Niziol Collection, Rivers of Steel.By Ron Baraff, Director of Historic Resources and Facilities Aluminum—Born of the Pittsburgh Spirit This August, Rivers…
Carly McCoy
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Blog
July 16, 2021

Bringing Mad Max to Life

By Carly V. McCoy, Director of Communications   |   Image: Character from Mad Max: Fury Road.  Image by Jeff Zoet Visuals with J Potosky as Immortan Joe. Getting in on the Action…
Carly McCoy
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Blog
July 15, 2021

Alloy Pittsburgh: Out & About

By Carly V. McCoy, Director of Communications   |   Image: Lori Hepner demonstrates the light wand at the Doors Open Homestead Event. Alloy Pittsburgh—Interrupted When Alloy Pittsburgh returns to the Carrie…
Carly McCoy
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a colorful radiating light behind a chaliceBlogHeritage Highlights
July 2, 2021

Heritage Highlights: Holy Martyrs’ Sawdust Carpets

A sawdust carpet from the Feast of Corpus Christi at the Holy Martyrs Parish. Heritage Highlights Rivers of Steel’s Heritage Arts program strives to represent the region’s diverse cultural heritage,…
Carly McCoy
Love1
Rivers of Steel LogoPress Room
June 21, 2021

Rivers of Steel is Hiring for Two New Part-time Coordinators

Join the Team! Rivers of Steel is excited to announce that we are hiring for two new part-time positions—an Administrative Services Coordinator and Special Events Coordinator. The Special Events Coordinator will…
Carly McCoy
Love0
Well dressed patrons enter Forbes FieldBlog
June 17, 2021

Dreyfuss’s Folly: The Origins of Pittsburgh’s Forbes Field

"Entrance to Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, PA." Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, Detroit Publishing Company Collection.By Ron Baraff, Director of Historic Resources and Facilities The Origins of Pittsburgh's Forbes…
Carly McCoy
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Blog
June 3, 2021

Where Environmentalism Meets Historic Preservation

Men fish in the Monongahela River in front of the Carrie Blast Furnaces, a recreational activity that is far more common today than it would have been 40 years ago…
Carly McCoy
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The Explorer riverboat on the Mon RiveriPress Room
June 1, 2021

Rivers of Steel Launches New Tour on the Explorer Riverboat

The Explorer riverboat travels on the Monongahela River with Pittsburgh's First Side in the background. Rivers of Steel Launches New Tour on the Explorer Riverboat The Uniquely Pittsburgh Sightseeing Tour…
Carly McCoy
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A couple photograph the skyline from the boat,Blog
May 12, 2021

Getting to the Heart of The Hardest Working River

The Explorer riverboat approaches the Monongahela River during the Hardest Working River Tour, which was first offered last fall. Getting to the Heart of the Hardest Working River Kirsten Paine, a…
Carly McCoy
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Ed Parrish shown smiling in his hard hat, sunglasses, and leathers.Blog
April 30, 2021

Profiles in Steel: Ed Parrish, Jr.

Ed Parrish, Jr. during an iron pour at the Carrie Blast Furnaces, fall 2020. Photo by Richard Kelly. Profiles in Steel Rivers of Steel is excited to launch a new…
Carly McCoy
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A small group of people stand in courtyard, looking up at the Carrie Blast Furnaces.Press Room
April 29, 2021

Rivers of Steel Announces Alloy Pittsburgh 2021 Artists

Alloy Pittsburgh 2021 artists tour the Carrie Blast Furnaces, April, 2021. Rivers of Steel Announces Alloy Pittsburgh 2021 Artists New this year: Community-based Artist Residencies Homestead, PA (April 29, 2021)—Rivers…
Carly McCoy
Love1
A green glazed vase with an illustrative face paired with a white teapot with a figural image of a Black woman.BlogHeritage Highlights
April 16, 2021

Heritage Highlights: Women of Visions

Functional ceramics by Mary Martin, a member of the Women of Visions artists collaborative. Heritage Highlights Rivers of Steel’s Heritage Arts program strives to represent the region’s diverse cultural heritage,…
Carly McCoy
Love1
Blog
April 15, 2021

August Wilson’s American Century Cycle

Denzel Washington and Viola Davis in Fences (Paramount Pictures) A Look at August Wilson's American Century Cycle By Brianna Horan The Carrie Carpool Cinema season kicks off this weekend with…
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Newsletters
April 13, 2021

Catch Up with Rivers of Steel

Rivers of Steel Recent Newsletters You can stay up to date with all the fresh news and stories from Rivers of Steel when you sign up for our biweekly newsletter. …
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The Carrie Blast Furnaces appear across the river with an industrial furnace cap in the foreground.Press Room
April 13, 2021

Rivers of Steel Reopens Mon Valley Attractions

Rivers of Steel Reopens Mon Valley Attractions Expanded hours for the Carrie Blast Furnaces, plus new hours and admission for the Bost Building Homestead, PA (April 13, 2021)—Rivers of Steel…
Carly McCoy
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A black and white image of four white women, two in hard hats and respirators in front of a smoking steel mill.Blog
March 31, 2021

Women of Steel: Steffi Domike

Women of Steel, the production team from the 1985 documentary of the same name— (left to right) Beth Destler, Steffi Domike, Linny Stovall, & Allyn Stewart Women of Steel—Steffi Domike…
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Carrie Carpool Cinema Banner imagePress Room
March 25, 2021

Rivers of Steel Announces the 2021 Schedule of Movie Screenings at the Carrie Blast Furnaces

Rivers of Steel Announces the 2021 Schedule of Movie Screenings at the Carrie Blast Furnaces Homestead, PA (March 25, 2021)—Rivers of Steel is excited to announce the return of the…
Carly McCoy
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Press Room
March 19, 2021

Rivers of Steel Announces Folk Arts Apprenticeship Grants

Rivers of Steel Announces Folk Arts Grant Opportunity Call for applications for the 2021-2022 Master Artist and Apprenticeship grants through the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts   Homestead, PA (March…
Carly McCoy
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A gray haired woman in a black sweater paints a pastoral scene. Behind her is a wall of her other paintings.BlogHeritage Highlights
March 19, 2021

Heritage Highlights: Kathleen Ferri

Kathleen Ferri painting, image courtesy of the artist, by Bob Donaldson for the Post-Gazette. Heritage Highlights Rivers of Steel’s Heritage Arts program strives to represent the region’s diverse cultural heritage,…
Carly McCoy
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Black and white professional women in hard hats pose outside a millBlog
March 17, 2021

Shining a Light on the Ciloets

A few of the 148 Ciloets who visited the Johnstown Works in 1977. Shining a Light on the Ciloets By Brianna Horan Having a friend at work can be a…
Carly McCoy
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Blog
March 5, 2021

Birding from Explorer

By Angela Biederman, Chief Deckhand  |   Featured Image: Angela Biederman birdwatching on the Explorer riverboat."Birding from Explorer" is an ongoing series of articles by Angela Biederman, Chief Deckhand on the…
Carly McCoy
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Blog
March 2, 2021

Conversations About LightPlay

Conversations About LightPlay A mini-documentary about the LightPlay Exhibition at the Carrie Blast Furnaces  In September of 2020, Rivers of Steel presented the LightPlay exhibition at the Carrie Blast Furnaces.…
Carly McCoy
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Press Room
February 25, 2021

Rivers of Steel Supports Reauthorization Bill

Rivers of Steel Supports Rep. Cartwright and Sen. Casey’s Lead on Bipartisan PA Delegation on Bill to Reauthorize PA National Heritage Areas and Uplift Local Economies Homestead, PA (February 25,…
Carly McCoy
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A Black drag queen poses with children's books while wearing a animal print dress and a matching fancy hat.BlogHeritage Highlights
February 19, 2021

Heritage Highlights: An Interview with Akasha Van Cartier

Drag Queen Story Hour with Akasha Van Cartier Heritage Highlights Rivers of Steel’s Heritage Arts program strives to represent the region’s diverse cultural heritage, from ethnic customs and occupational traditions…
Carly McCoy
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A Black man rakes down manganese from a pile.Blog
February 18, 2021

John Hughey & the Legacy of Black Workers at the Carrie Furnaces

By Ryan Henderson, Interpretive Specialist John Hughey & the Legacy of Black Workers at the Carrie Furnaces A Segregated Workplace & A Segregated City As a major hub for metal…
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Blog
February 5, 2021

Birding from Explorer

By Angela Biederman, Chief Deckhand  |   Featured Image: Angela Biederman birdwatching on the Explorer riverboat."Birding from Explorer" is an ongoing series of articles by Angela Biederman, Chief Deckhand on the…
Carly McCoy
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Josh Gibson with a crowd of young ballplayersBlog
February 4, 2021

Josh Gibson Gets His Due

By Ron Baraff, Director of Historic Resources and Facilities   |   Image of the Josh Gibson with young ballplayers. That Gibson Fellow... “There is a catcher that any big-league club would…
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Press Room
February 3, 2021

Rivers of Steel Awards Mini-Grants

Rivers of Steel Awards Nine Mini-Grants Funding for local nonprofits provides $60,000 for heritage tourism, community development, and placemaking initiatives   Homestead, PA (February 3, 2021)—Rivers of Steel recently awarded…
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National Park Foundation LogoPress Room
January 21, 2021

Rivers of Steel Receives New Capacity Building Grant from the National Park Foundation

Rivers of Steel Receives New Capacity Building Grant from the National Park Foundation Grant expands Rivers of Steel’s ability to update strategic plan to include DEAI initiatives.   Homestead, PA…
Carly McCoy
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Artist Benjamin Aysan with First Lady Frances Wolf and Governor Tom WolfBlogHeritage Highlights
January 8, 2021

Heritage Highlights: Benjamin Aysan

Artist Benjamin Aysan with First Lady Frances Wolf and Governor Tom Wolf Heritage Highlights Communities are built by sharing and traditions are built by sharing across generations. At Rivers of…
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Father John with his wife and son.Blog
January 7, 2021

Cultural Heritage Recipe Box – Ukrainian Orthodox Christmas

Father John Charest with his wife and son.By Brianna Horan, Manager of Tourism & Visitor Experience Cultural Heritage Recipe Box: Ukrainian Orthodox Christmas It’s unlikely that you’d hear the date…
Carly McCoy
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A smiling black woman dressed in a beautiful blue and white print with a matching headwrap with blue and white traditional baskets in the background.Blog
December 31, 2020

Cultural Heritage Recipe Box – Kwanzaa

Local caterer and food scholar Olafemi MandleyBy Brianna Horan, Manager of Tourism & Visitor Experience Cultural Heritage Recipe Box: Celebrating Kwanzaa The holiday of Kwanzaa, observed each year from December 26…
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Four women in a room decorated for Christmas, circa early 1990s.Blog
December 25, 2020

Cultural Heritage Recipe Box – Family Memories

Grandma Rocky's house—Grandma (sitting), Aunt Nancy, Pam's sister Kim and PamBy Brianna Horan, Manager of Tourism & Visitor Experience Cultural Heritage Recipe Box: Family Memories Baking up a batch of…
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Blog
December 22, 2020

Artist Profile: Douglas Lopretto

Artist Doug Lopretto posing with a mural he helped create for the Homestead Streetside Gallery.In 2020, Rivers of Steel Arts launched the Mon Valley Featured Artist Series. Showcasing some of…
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Blog
December 18, 2020

Cultural Heritage Recipe Box – The Tamburitzans

Three young women dressed for the Serbian Pembe dance. Image courtesy of The Tamburitzans.By Brianna Horan, Manager of Tourism & Visitor Experience Cultural Heritage Recipe Box: Serbian (and Italian!) Tamburitzan…
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Blog
December 17, 2020

Migratory Bird Sightings

By Angela Biederman, Chief Deckhand  |   Featured Image: Angela Biederman birdwatching on the Explorer riverboat. Migratory Bird Sightings While much of River of Steel's activity has quieted down, there is…
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Blog
December 11, 2020

Cultural Heritage Recipe Box – Jewish Association on Aging

Residents at the Weinberg Village Celebrating Hanukkah in 2019By Brianna Horan, Manager of Tourism & Visitor Experience Cultural Heritage Recipe Box: Jewish Hanukkah celebrations began last night at sundown, marking…
Carly McCoy
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Photo of group members in traditional dressBlog
December 9, 2020

Cultural Heritage Recipe Box – G.T.E.V. D’Lustigen Isartaler

Group photo of the G.T.E.V. D’Lustigen Isartaler, PittsburghBy Brianna Horan, Manager of Tourism & Visitor Experience Cultural Heritage Recipe Box: Bavarian Bela and Kiki Steinmetz Pater Béla Pater is the…
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Elected Officials and Mr. CarlinoPress Room
November 25, 2020

Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony Celebrates WindStax Wind Turbine

Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony at Historic Pump House Celebrates New WindStax Wind Turbine Congressman Mike Doyle, Lt. Governor John Fetterman, and County Executive Rich Fitzgerald spoke at socially-distanced event. Homestead, PA (November…
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Blog
November 25, 2020

Cultural Heritage Recipe Box

The food mill handed down from Sue Carlino's grandmother.By Brianna Horan, Manager of Tourism & Visitor Experience Cultural Heritage Recipe Box: Winter Holiday Edition The long nights and cold temperatures…
Carly McCoy
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WindStax 40' installed near sculpture and industrial relicsPress Room
November 17, 2020

Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony at the Pump House

Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony to Celebrate WindStax Turbine Installation at the Pump House Congressman Mike Doyle, Lt. Governor John Fetterman, and County Executive Rich Fitzgerald scheduled to speak on November 24. Homestead,…
Carly McCoy
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Blog
November 13, 2020

Exploring the Heritage Area—Ways to Enjoy the Region’s Waterways

Rafting on the Youghiogheny River. Image courtesy of the Laurel Highlands Visitors Bureau.By Brianna Horan, Manager of Tourism & Visitor Experience Exploring the Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area –…
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Blog
November 13, 2020

Artist Profile: Zachary Rutter

Rivers of Steel Arts is excited to launch the 2020 Mon Valley Featured Artist Series. Showcasing some of the exciting creative professionals working across the Mon Valley Creative Corridor, this…
Carly McCoy
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black and white photographs of Cap and Anna PoseyBlog
October 29, 2020

Cumberland “Cap” Posey

By Brianna Horan  |   Images of Cumberland "Cap" Posey and his wife Anna Posey. The Lasting Legacy of Cap Posey For the nearly 12 million immigrants who arrived in the…
Carly McCoy
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street scene with artBlog
October 21, 2020

Art For Everyone

By Jon Engel, co-curator of the Homestead Streetside Gallery   |   Featured Image: Mural by Darryl Bennett, installed on Seventh Avenue, Homestead. Art for Everyone Especially these days, I often find…
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Blog
October 16, 2020

The Steamboat Race of the Century

By Brianna Horan  |   Image: The Christening of the Homestead, October, 1945. From the University of Pittsburgh's William J. Gaughan Collection. The Steamboat Race of the Century In 1949, tens…
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illustration of a steamboatBlog
October 15, 2020

Pittsburgh’s Time as a Steamboat City

By Brianna Horan  |   Image: An illustration of the Steamboat Arabia by Gary Lucy, provided by the Senator John Heinz History Center Pittsburgh’s Time as a Steamboat City What goes…
Carly McCoy
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A Barge on the Mon RiverBlog
October 1, 2020

Southwestern Pennsylvania’s Iconic Barges

By Suzi Bloom, Director of Education   |   Image of a barge on the Monongahela River by Adam Piscitelli, 2016. Southwestern Pennsylvania's Iconic Barges While towboats and barges are not unique…
Carly McCoy
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watercolor by ryan keeneBlog
October 1, 2020

Artist Profile: Ryan Keene

Rivers of Steel Arts is excited to launch the 2020 Mon Valley Featured Artist Series. Showcasing some of the exciting creative professionals working across the Mon Valley Creative Corridor, this…
Carly McCoy
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The Explorer Riverboat with the Carrie Blast Furnaces in the background. and early fall leaves.Press Room
September 9, 2020

Rivers of Steel Announces Mini-Grant Funding Opportunity

Rivers of Steel 2020 Mini-Grant Program Applications Available Homestead, PA (September 9, 2020)—Rivers of Steel is now accepting applications for its Mini-Grant program, which assists heritage-related sites and organizations, as…
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Press Room
September 1, 2020

LightPlay at the Carrie Blast Furnaces

Rivers of Steel presents LightPLAY—a light-based exhibition at the Carrie Blast Furnaces Homestead, PA (September 1, 2020)—Rivers of Steel is excited to present LightPlay, an evening, light-based experience at the…
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Blog
August 20, 2020

Exploring the Heritage Area—Planes & Aviation

Westmoreland County Airshow in Latrobe by Bill Rigsby. Image courtesy of the Laurel Highlands Visitors Bureau.By Brianna Horan, Manager of Tourism & Visitor Experience Exploring the Rivers of Steel National…
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Blog
August 19, 2020

Celebrating National Aviation Day

Photo: Huffman Prairie, National Aviation Heritage Area, courtesy of the National Aviation Heritage Alliance.Across the United States, there is a vast network of National Heritage Areas, each one designated by…
Carly McCoy
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Detail of Report Cover Stating "Economic Impact Assessment" with a photo of the pittsburgh skyline and the explorer riverboatPress Room
August 18, 2020

Rivers of Steel Economic Impact Assessment

Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area Visitor Spending Generates Economic Impact of $92 Million Annually Homestead, PA (August 18, 2020)—Rivers of Steel released an economic impact study today that estimates…
Carly McCoy
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Clusters of Families stand six feet or more apart in the ore yard.Uncategorized
August 14, 2020

Rivers of Steel Reopens More Attractions

Rivers of Steel is Reopening More Attractions In mid-June Rivers of Steel resumed tours and workshops at the Carrie Blast Furnaces. Not only have these programs been well attended, guests…
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Blog
August 13, 2020

Artist Profile: Latika Ann

Rivers of Steel Arts is excited to launch the 2020 Mon Valley Featured Artist Series. Showcasing some of the exciting creative professionals working across the Mon Valley Creative Corridor, this…
Carly McCoy
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Blog
August 11, 2020

Exploring the Heritage Area -Trains & Tracks

A CSX train approaches Station Square, August 2020.By Brianna Horan, Manager of Tourism & Visitor Experience Exploring the Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area – Trains & Tracks! Transforming Travel…
Carly McCoy
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B/W images of train tracks and buildings in WVBlog
July 31, 2020

Mill Marks: A Legacy Stamped in Steel

Photos and Essay by Kevin Scanlon, Rivers of Steel Volunteer Mill Marks The latter part of the 1800s was the era that made Western Pennsylvania a leader in steel production.…
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Blog
July 24, 2020

Nellie Bly—A Pioneering Traveler

A lifelike figure of groundbreaking journalist Nellie Bly will join Franco Harris and George Washington at the Pittsburgh International Airport. Courtesy of Senator John Heinz History Center.By Brianna Horan, Manager…
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Blog
July 16, 2020

Exploring the Heritage Area – Automobiles & Roadways Part Two!

Model Ts on the National Road's Turkeynest Curve, heading down from the historic Summit Hotel. Courtesy of the National Road Heritage Corridor.By Brianna Horan, Manager of Tourism & Visitor Experience…
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Blog
July 9, 2020

Artist Profile: Steven Haines

Rivers of Steel Arts is excited to launch the 2020 Mon Valley Featured Artist Series. Showcasing some of the exciting creative professionals working across the Mon Valley Creative Corridor, this…
Carly McCoy
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Carrie Carpool Cinema Banner imagePress Room
July 7, 2020

Rivers of Steel Presents Double Feature Movie Screenings at the Carrie Blast Furnaces

Rivers of Steel Presents Double Feature Movie Screenings at the Carrie Blast Furnaces Homestead, PA (July 7, 2020)—Rivers of Steel is excited to announce new programming at the Carrie Blast…
Carly McCoy
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Military Style Jeep with american flags in front of a monumentBlog
July 3, 2020

Exploring the Heritage Area – Automobiles and Roadways

By Brianna Horan, Manager of Tourism & Visitor Experience Exploring the Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area – Automobiles and Roadways! Transportation keeps us moving, so it’s a fitting theme…
Carly McCoy
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A black and white street scene of Baum Blvd, showing Motor Square GardenBlog
June 30, 2020

Pittsburgh and the Automobile Industry in the Early 20th Century

Image: A view of Baum Boulevard at South Beatty Street with a view of Motor Square Garden, Pittsburgh Auto Club, and the East Liberty Presbyterian Church steeple. Image courtesy Pittsburgh…
Carly McCoy
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Carrie Blast FurnacesPress Room
June 12, 2020

Rivers of Steel Reopens the Carrie Blast Furnaces for Modified Tours and Workshops

Rivers of Steel Reopens the Carrie Blast Furnaces for Modified Tours and Workshops Homestead, PA (June 12, 2020)—Rivers of Steel is excited to announce the opening of its 2020 season…
Carly McCoy
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A docent leading a group on the Industrial Tour at the Carrie Blast Furnaces.Uncategorized
June 5, 2020

Reopening Rivers of Steel

Reopening Rivers of Steel's Attractions The safety of our employees and visitors is of paramount importance.  Rivers of Steel adheres to the guidelines and restrictions set by the Commonwealth of…
Carly McCoy
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8:46 We remember George FloydBlogPress Room
June 5, 2020

We Remember George Floyd

We Remember George Floyd: Rivers of Steel's Call to Action to Ourselves and Our Region Rivers of Steel condemns the murder of George Floyd. Starting today, we will work aggressively…
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Blog
June 3, 2020

The Restoration of “Miss Carrie”

By Keith Clouse, Rivers of Steel Volunteer Preservation Work on the #101 Locomotive A large part of iron making is providing the raw materials to the blast furnaces in a…
Carly McCoy
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Jack Boot Safety PostersBlog
May 28, 2020

A Home for the Culture of Steel

By Ryan Henderson, Interpretive Specialist To Collect, Preserve, Display & Share A key component of Rivers of Steel’s mission has always been the collection and preservation of materials related to…
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Blog
May 21, 2020

Artist Profile: Shane Pilster

Rivers of Steel Arts is excited to launch the 2020 Mon Valley Featured Artist Series. Showcasing some of the exciting creative professionals working across the Mon Valley Creative Corridor, this…
Carly McCoy
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An aerosol artist works on a mural of a steelworker.Blog
May 20, 2020

Understanding Historic Preservation in a Dynamic Frame: The Graffiti Arts Program at the Carrie Blast Furnaces

By Caitlin Frances Bruce, PhD.   |   Assistant Professor, Department of Communication, University of Pittsburgh Understanding Historic Preservation in a Dynamic Frame: The Graffiti Arts Program at the Carrie Blast Furnaces…
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Blog
May 14, 2020

Artist Profile: Rachel Sager

Rivers of Steel Arts is excited to launch the 2020 Mon Valley Featured Artist Series. Showcasing some of the exciting creative professionals working across the Mon Valley Creative Corridor, this…
Carly McCoy
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Carrie Blast FurnacesBlog
May 8, 2020

Reawakening

By Ron Baraff, Director of Historic Resources and Facilities   |   Image of the Carrie Blast Furnaces Celebrating Our Industrial Heritage Time has taken its toll on sites such as the…
Carly McCoy
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Artwork by Jarrod RussellBlog
May 7, 2020

Artist Profile: Jarrod Russell

Rivers of Steel Arts is excited to launch the 2020 Mon Valley Featured Artist Series. Showcasing some of the exciting creative professionals working across the Mon Valley Creative Corridor, this…
Carly McCoy
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Giving Tuesday LogosBlog
May 6, 2020

Giving Tuesday Gratitude

By August Carlino, President and Chief Executive Officer An Extraordinary Day of Giving   Dear Friends of Rivers of Steel, The hardworking spirit of the people of southwestern Pennsylvania is…
Carly McCoy
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Detail Richard Hass Steel Town Mural on Byham TheaterBlog
May 5, 2020

Exploring the Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area

By Brianna Horan, Manager of Tourism & Visitor Experience Routes to Roots! You might be a Pittsburgher, a Monacan, a Vandergrifter, a Farmingtonian, or a Rices Landing resident. But if…
Carly McCoy
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A young girl holding a sign that reads "amazing."Newsletters
May 4, 2020

May 2, 2020 eNewsletter – A Legacy of Grit and Giving

Giving Tuesday Now | May 5, 2020 Dear Friend of Rivers of Steel— For thirty years, Rivers of Steel has been investing in our region’s communities. Our mission, in short,…
Carly McCoy
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tour group poses for photo with point state park in the backgrounBlog
May 3, 2020

The Spirit of Travel

By Brianna Horan, Manager of Tourism & Visitor Experience    |    Image: Group Tour on the Explorer Riverboat National Travel and Tourism Week Let me be the first to wish…
Carly McCoy
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Tribe by Curtis ReavesBlog
April 30, 2020

Artist Profile: Curtis Reaves

Rivers of Steel Arts is excited to launch the 2020 Mon Valley Featured Artist Series. Showcasing some of the exciting creative professionals working across the Mon Valley Creative Corridor, this…
Carly McCoy
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Blog
April 23, 2020

Artist Profile: Katy DeMent

Rivers of Steel Arts is excited to launch the 2020 Mon Valley Featured Artist Series. Showcasing some of the exciting creative professionals working across the Mon Valley Creative Corridor, this…
Carly McCoy
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Blog
April 22, 2020

Growing the Iron Garden

By Ron Baraff, Director of Historic Resources and Facilities   |   Image of the Iron Garden at the Carrie Blast Furnaces Nature's Way of Reclaiming a Built Environment When we first…
Carly McCoy
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Blog
April 20, 2020

The Healing Power of Nature

By Suzi Bloom, Director of Education   |   Image of the Point from the Explorer riverboat An Opportunity to Explore: City Nature Challenge As we prepare to mark the 50th Earth…
Carly McCoy
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Blog
April 16, 2020

Artist Profile: Lindsey Scherloum

Rivers of Steel Arts is excited to launch the 2020 Mon Valley Featured Artist Series. Showcasing some of the exciting creative professionals working across the Mon Valley Creative Corridor, this…
Carly McCoy
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Archival image of workers changing shifts at Homestead Steel WorksNewsletters
April 10, 2020

Spotlight on National History Day

Rivers of Steel Locally Supports National History Day Competition for Students National History Day is a non-profit education organization based in College Park, Maryland.   Each year a theme is selected…
Carly McCoy
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Dandelions sculpture By Carin MincemoyerBlog
April 9, 2020

Artist Profile: Carin Mincemoyer

Rivers of Steel Arts is excited to launch the 2020 Mon Valley Featured Artist Series. Showcasing some of the exciting creative professionals working across the Mon Valley Creative Corridor, this…
Carly McCoy
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Pysanky Egg in a TreeBlog
April 8, 2020

Recipes, Customs, and Heritage Keep Us Close during Springtime Celebrations

By Brianna Horan, Manager of Tourism & Visitor Experience    |    Image of a pysanky egg created and photographed by Lisa DiStefano-Bauer Traditions in a Time of Social Distancing Flowering…
Carly McCoy
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Sculpture entitled The Iron Smelled Like Sweet Rain Image 1 - iron suspended in airBlog
April 2, 2020

Artist Profile: Gwen Sadler

Rivers of Steel Arts is excited to launch the 2020 Mon Valley Featured Artist Series! Showcasing some of the exciting creative professionals working across the Mon Valley Creative Corridor, this…
Carly McCoy
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Rivers of Steel Round logoNewsletters
March 16, 2020

Rivers of Steel Closed Through 4/30

In compliance with Governor Wolf's mandatory shutdown of non-essential businesses, Rivers of Steel will be closed at least through April 30  Any and all programs during this time are considered…
Carly McCoy
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The exterior of the historic Bost Building.Blog
March 14, 2020

Bost Building Closure

As the situation with COVID-19 continues to evolve, Rivers of Steel is committed to do our part in to help slow the spread of the virus. Therefore, the Bost Building…
Carly McCoy
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Angela Biederman's Untitled Bottle Car during the Alloy Pittsburgh 2018 opening reception.Newsletters
January 31, 2020

Community Collaborations Attract National Attention

Community partnerships have always been one of Rivers of Steel's core values. In fact, it's the primary way Rivers of Steel works to showcase our region's assets, tell its stories,…
Carly McCoy
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hero image alloy pittsburgh featuring Oreen Cohen's Spectre and ShadePress Room
January 15, 2020

Rivers of Steel to Receive Grant from the National Endowment for the Arts

Rivers of Steel to Receive Grant from the National Endowment for the Arts Homestead, PA (January 15, 2020)—Rivers of Steel has been approved for a $35,000 Art Works grant from…
Carly McCoy
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Title" The Homestead Strike & the Growth of America as an Industrial Power" appears in text over a historic image of a steel millBlog
January 14, 2020

Educator Opportunity: NEH Workshop

This summer 72 educators from across the country will convene in Pittsburgh for a National Endowment for the Humanities-funded Landmarks of American History and Culture Workshop presented by Rivers of…
Carly McCoy
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The Explorer riverboat at dock with students entering the boat.Blog
October 30, 2019

The Monongahela Explored

Earlier this month, the Explorer riverboat journeyed up the Monongahela River to the town of New Eagle, docking at Tubby Hall Park for a month-long residency in the Mon River…
Carly McCoy
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Press Room
August 15, 2019

Fifth Annual Festival of Combustion

Festival of Combustion sizzles with headline bands, extended hours, fireworks finale Homestead, PA (August 15, 2019)— Rivers of Steel and 91.3 WYEP present the Festival of Combustion, Rivers of Steel’s…
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Blog
August 7, 2019

Immersive multimedia installation to be showcased at the Carrie Blast Furnaces

Historically Evocative Artist Valery Lyman has long been drawn to places around the country that are, as she puts it, “historically evocative.” And in her opinion, Pittsburgh and its surrounding…
Carly McCoy
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Explorer at SunsetNewsletters
June 19, 2019

6 Ways to Explore the Outdoors with Rivers of Steel this June

Summer is officially here this Friday, and we've got some seriously amazing events lined up in the next two weeks that you don't want to miss out on. Twilight Soiree…
Carly McCoy
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LED light installation art by Ian BrillNewsletters
April 30, 2019

April 2019 Enewsletter

Rivers of Steel kicks off Homestead First Fridays with a new site-specific art installation at the Bost Building This Friday night Homestead’s historic Eighth Avenue will light up like never…
courtney
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he Explorer Riverboat cruising the river past the Carrie Blast FurnacesPress Room
April 16, 2019

2019 Press

Quantum Theatre Stages KING LEAR at Carrie Blast Furnaces Hammer time: Local blacksmith shares his craft 10 Fantastical Places to See Street Art in Pittsburgh Industrial buildings tell Pittsburgh's story.…
Jacob Mangone
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African American steelworkers with a mill in the backgroundBlog
March 25, 2019

Artist Profile: Curtis Reaves’ Remnant of Promise

About Curtis Reaves When Curtis Reaves applied to be an artist-in-residence for Alloy Pittsburgh 2018, his artistic vision for a site-specific work at the Carrie Blast Furnaces was nearly fully…
courtney
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Press Room
January 5, 2018

2018 Press Room

December Where is the Mon Valley? October 2018 Pittsburgh Smart 50 honorees Mon Valley students learn about science on the Mon Who's Looking Out for Pittsburgh When the Sun Goes…
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Press Room
January 5, 2018

2017 Press Room

December Cal U honors students premier digital stories on regional historic sites November Obituary: Thomas Labanc | Teacher and Carrie Furnace tour guide melded talents to educate Only in Pittsburgh:…
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Rivers Of Steel PressPress Room
January 5, 2018

2016 Press Room

December Allegheny County begins process to reopen Hot Metal Bridge between Munhall and Swissvale September Festival Review: Thrival taps into a hotbed of potential at Carrie Furnaces Thrival Music Festival:…
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Rivers Of Steel NewsletterNewsletters
January 5, 2018

2015 Newsletters

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2014 Newsletters

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2013 Newsletters

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2012 Newsletters

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2011 Newsletters

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2010 Newsletters

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2009 Newsletters

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