Office of Public Art walking tours to focus on environment

The Office of Public Art is offering six walking tours this winter and spring. Some tours focus on artists whose work examines environmental problems in southwestern Pennsylvania while others educate visitors about major green buildings.

The first tour, slated for Friday, is a visit to the Bloomfield studio of Ann T. Rosenthal, an artist, educator and writer. Participants will meet Ms. Rosenthal, who will outline her approach to art and her environmental philosophy. The tour is from 7 to 8 p.m. and at 431 Dargan St. Parking is available in a large lot at the end of Dargan Street; onstreet parking is also available.

All but one of the other tours will be held at 7 p.m. on a Friday:

Feb. 21: Angelica Ciranni, an engineer and director of sustainability at Advantus Engineers, leads a tour of the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, 1000 Fort Duquesne Blvd., Downtown. Visitors will see artwork by Felix de la Concha and Thaddeus Mosley. Ms. Ciranni will explain the design characteristics of the structure that make the convention center a green building.

March 27: Susan Rademacher, curator for the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy, leads a tour of the Frick Environmental Center in Frick Park, Squirrel Hill. Ms. Rademacher will focus on “Rain Ravine,” a work by artist Stacy Levy. The environmental center, a joint venture between the city of Pittsburgh and the parks conservancy, offers experiential education about the environment.

April 25: Sherrie Flick, a Pittsburgh writer, leads a two-hour walking and writing tour of Chatham University’s Eden Hall campus at noon. Located on 388 acres of rolling woodlands and fields in Richland, the campus was designed to showcase sustainable solutions and experiential learning. Participants will learn about Eden Hall’s design and landscape.

May 29: Artists Dana Bishop-Root and Ginger Brooks Takahashi lead a discussion at the Braddock Community Oven, 1135 Braddock Ave. The duo will talk about how artists can use their work to expose and resist environmental injustice in communities. Also participating will be Aaron Henderson, an artist chosen to work with North Braddock Residents for Our Future as part of the Office of Public Art’s environment, health and public art initiative.

June 5: The Office of Public Art and Riverlife lead a tour of public art and Downtown’s riverfront. The tour coincides with the Three Rivers Arts Festival. Participants will learn about permanent and temporary public artworks and how the city’s riverfronts, once dominated by industry, have become places for recreation.

Each tour costs $8 and advance registration is required. Tours are held rain or shine. To register, visit www.publicartpittsburgh.org or call 412-3912060, ext. 237.

The Frick Environmental Center in Squirrel Hill collects the energy it uses.

Post-Gazette In 2014, Shauna Kearns, then a student in Chatham University’s food studies program, chops wood at the Braddock Community Oven, one of the sites on the Office of Public Art walking tours this winter and spring.

Post-Gazette The amphitheater on the Eden Hall campus, home to Chatham University’s School of Sustainability in Richland.

The Eden Hall Farm barn stands on Ridge Road in Richland. Eden Hall, once a summer home of H.J. Heinz executive Sebastian Mueller and a vacation spot for Heinz employees, is owned by Chatham University.

Duane Rieder for Chatham University The Office of Public Art will host a walking tour at Eden Hall.