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By Lois Thomson

The steel industry in Pittsburgh shut down operations decades ago, and many towns in the Mon Valley suffered as a result. However, the Rivers of Steel organization is an arts and heritage preservation corporation that aims to highlight the artistry and innovation of that Pittsburgh region.

Rachel Sager, a mosaic artist from Whitsett, Fayette County, is one of the winners of the Rivers of Steel Artists Series. Her profile can be seen at: https://riversofsteel.com/artist-profile-rachel-sager/

According to Chris McGinnis, arts director for Rivers of Steel, "A lot of our programming is focused on preserving the legacy of the people, culture, industrial development, and technological advancement in the area, and how that influenced the people who lived here, and built the cities and communities surrounding Pittsburgh."

McGinnis runs the art programming for Rivers of Steel, which includes all types of events, workshops, and projects. He explained that one project, the Mon Valley Creative Corridor, is an initiative focused on rebranding the area with attractive cultural assets in small towns and main streets with lots of character. "We're trying to help Mon Valley communities leverage the type of activities, assets, and cultural presence they have to attract new businesses – and people who may decide to make their homes there," said McGinnis.

One of the more recent programs of Rivers of Steel is the Featured Artists Project that launched in the spring. McGinnis said he and his team conceived the idea during the pandemic as a way to try to keep a spotlight on the folks they work with in the area. An artist is highlighted each month, and in selecting the winners, McGinnis said the team looks for people who are professionals in their field – whether visual artists or painters, brewers or chefs, performers or dancers, or tattoo artists or designers.

"We want to make sure we're branching out to include disciplines that aren't just visual arts,” McGinnis said. In making the selections, he added they wanted to be sure the artists have reached enough of a level within their careers that this could be an added boost. "We wanted to use this as a way to promote people whose careers could be influenced by having a feature like this,” he said.

The project considers artists who live in Mon Valley towns that may be as close to Pittsburgh as Mt. Oliver or Carrick, or Monessen, Monongahela, Brownsville and further south up the river.

"We like to be able to shine the light on the artists we work with in the region," McGinnis said, "and also shine the light on the Mon Valley as a place of culture and creativity, and a place worth visiting."

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