Public art project spreads colorful handmade "portals" across Pittsburgh
By: KDKA-TV producer Ashley Funyak
A local group is taking their fiber art to the streets of Pittsburgh this summer.
The says the public art project is called "Portals." The project features nearly 300 handmade works of art that are "crocheted, knit, woven, embroidered, or made with mixed-media materials" in a circular form.
"Portals transform everyday public spaces into vibrant expressions of collective artistry, through the accessible medium of fiber," the guild says on its website.
The portals were made by local artists and crafters. The guild says they have local partnerships with Citiparks, the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, as well as local business owners who have agreed to display the works of art. Each portal made is also being documented specifically made for the project and the group's website.
"Visitors and contributors can experience Portals at a growing list (of) Pittsburgh-area sites including Contemporary Craft, Brew House Arts, Creative Citizens Studio, Arsenal Park, Ormsby Park, Blue Slide Park, Schenley Park Gazebo at Flagstaff Hill, Mellon Park, and local businesses like Otto Finn, Crystal Bead Bazaar, La Gourmandine, and Clarissa's Boutique," says the Guild.
The portals will be on display through August.
The project is in partnership with Contemporary Craft as part of the 25th Fiberart International exhibit. Cheryl Hooper is the lead artist for the project, which is also made possible through Contemporary Craft's Public Art Fund.
