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…
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…
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…
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,…
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…
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.…
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,…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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,…
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 –…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Rivers of Steel Hires new Vice President & Chief Operations Officer
Rivers of Steel Hires Amy Baldonieri as new Vice President & Chief Operations Officer Homestead, PA (September 23, 2020)—Rivers of Steel is excited to announce that Amy Baldonieri has filled the…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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.…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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,…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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,…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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.…
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…
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…
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:…
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:…