project leader
Tom S
location
824 Concord Street
(East Deutschtown)
latest update rss
Thank you to our donors!

the project

On August 29th artist Tom Sarver is holding a free Art Olympic Festival as the culmination of his month-long Fallow Grounds Artist Residency at Pittsburgh’s Neu Kirche Contemporary Art Center.  The main event is Art Olympics, a two-hour competition between teams of professional artists building sculptures out of piles of junk. The highly interactive event allows the audience to get up close to art in progress and to take part in the live commentary.  Some have compared it to Iron Chef.  The event will be held in an urban green space in the East Deutschtown community.  Aside from the competition, visitors of all ages can take part in art activities including puppet making and printmaking.  A marching band will provide music.  

Before the event takes place, community workshops will help to generate enthusiasm in the neighborhood. A children’s group will help to paint a mural at the event site. A sculpture workshop for families at Neu Kirche Art Center, presented with Pittsburgh Center for Creative Reuse, will focus on producing trophies for winners of the show.

the steps

Steps to complete the project include: 1. Develop a project strategy. 2. Set up community workshop on site and at Neu Kirche.  3. Select artists for main event.  3. Implement marketing strategy.  4. Solicit donations.  5.  Recruit event volunteers.  6. Draft schedule for the main event.  7. Hold trophy workshop. 8. Paint a mural on site (with community group).  9. Create event signage.  10. Event weekend: coordinate a production schedule to ensure that the event runs smoothly.  10. Clean up, review documentation & evaluate the project.

why we're doing it

Previous Art Olympic events have brought various groups of people together and sparked community dialogue and collective action. The event embodies the energy and excitement of sports and reality television, but also offers the opportunity for artists to be critical and express their ideas.  Visitors of all ages become more familiar with the process of art making and the elements of performance art.  They engage in conversation about the work and can share their thoughts in an unintimidating environment.  

Neu Kirche Contemporary Art Center is a new arts presence in a neighborhood that was cut off from the North Side of Pittsburgh in the 1980’s by the I-279 highway corridor; leaving a gap in opportunities for the families in East Deutschtown. Neu Kirche Contemporary Art Center is addressing a lack of cultural activities and creative platforms available to this community through high quality art and educational programming.

The Fallow Grounds for Sculpture public art initiative aims to activate vacant lots in the East Deutschtown with imaginative and innovative projects that generate opportunities for cultural and social exchange. Projects like Tom Sarver’s Art Olympics aim to create positive energy in the neighborhood that fosters new connections between people and art.

budget

Disbursement:

Project Budget $1132.41

Expenses

1.     Artist fees to be dispersed to team leaders $316.453 x 3 teams = $949.36

2.     Food for crew & teams $105.93

3.     Event supplies $77.12

Total Expenses $1132.41

Donated Services / Borrowed equipment

PA System – Borrowed from NK Art Center

Marching Band – Fee donated by Lee Parker of NK Art Center

Crew labor was donated by Michael Cuccaro, Dan Stiker and Leah Blackwood



RAISED = $1,258.00
less ioby Platform Fee  $35.00
less ioby Fiscal Sponsorship Fee (5%) $56.62
less ioby Donation Processing Fee (3%) $33.97
TOTAL TO DISBURSE = $1,132.41

 

Updated budget:

1) Twelve artist stipends @ $100.00 each = $1200.00

2) Solar powered PA system rental-  Donated!

3) Uhaul box van rental + gas - no longer needed!

4) Two experienced event staffers @ $100 each = $200.00

5) Marching band - Donated!

6) Water and snacks for event performers, staff and volunteers, $100.00



SUBTOTAL = 1,500
ioby Platform Fee  $35
ioby Fiscal Sponsorship Fee (5%) $75
ioby Donation Processing Fee (3%) $45
TOTAL TO RAISE = $1,655

 

 

Original Budget:

1) Twelve artist stipends @ $100.00 each = $1200.00

2) Solar powered PA system rental, $200.00

3) Uhaul box van rental + gas, $100.00

4) Two experienced event staffers @ $100 each = $200.00

5) Marching band $200.00

6) Water and snacks for event performers, staff and volunteers, $100.00

 



SUBTOTAL = $2,000
ioby Platform Fee  $35
ioby Donation Processing Fee (3%) $60
TOTAL TO RAISE = $2,095

 

updates

Thank you to our donors!

September 2nd, 2015

Dear Friends and Supporters of my ioby crowdfunding campaign for the Art Olympic Festival:

Thank you for helping to bring public art to the East Deutschtown Neighborhood of Pittsburgh!  The Art Olympic Festival project was a big success.  The residents of the neighborhood now have a colorful, long-term work of art in the mural that was created at the event site.  The mural portion of the project began with a workshop with local teenage girls.  I taught the participants basic skills in mural painting and then presented tasks of blocking in color and adding texture to the mural foreground.  The completed mural, spanning the length of an apartment building, was completed in seven days, just in time for the Art Olympic Festival. 

Also leading up to the event, I held a trophy-making workshop at the Neu Kirche Contemporary Art Center (NK).  Community members of all ages attended the workshop, which was sponsored by the Pittsburgh Center for Creative Reuse.  Participants learned skills in creating assemblage sculpture and repurposing materials.  The resulting pieces, now on display at the NK art gallery, will be awarded to all twelve of the Art Olympic artists.  Throughout the course of the project, I met with community members at the nearby Cityview Church.  I also gave a public artist talk at NK.

The culmination of my project was the Art Olympic Festival, an outdoor festival featuring three teams of artists working over two hours to build sculptures out of junk materials.  The festival was free to the public and included art-making activities for the attendees.  There were many challenges in planning the event.  We struggled working around road construction and gas line repairs in the neighborhood.  In the end, an energy-filled festival was created.  We proved to the neighborhood that educational, creative, collaborative, community-engaging events can happen there. 

The bulk of my ioby funds will be dispersed equally to the twelve professional artists who competed in the competition.  The remainder will be applied to the expenses incurred in the production of the festival event.  The community came together in many ways to support this project.  Your individual contribution was an important building block in transforming this vision into reality.

Thank you again for supporting my project, public art in Pittsburgh, and the work of practicing artists!

Sincerely,

Tom Sarver

Project Manager, Art Olympic Festival 

Check out more photos and updates here.

Craig Freeman and team crowned “Masters of 2015 Art Olympics.”

Winners pictured left to right: Nathan Curtis, Elizabeth Rudnick, David Zak and Craig Freeman(Photo Credit – Larry Rippel.  Winners pictured left to right: Nathan Curtis, Elizabeth Rudnick, David Zak, Craig Freeman)

On Saturday, August 29th at 6:30 PM, Artist Craig Freeman and his team, the Commission for Cosmic Craft Transmission, were declared winners at the Art Olympic Festival in East Deutschtown, Pittsburgh.  Rounding out Mr. Freeman’s team were artists Elizabeth Rudnick, Nathan Curtis and David Zak.  The team members, who are also skilled art installers at some of Pittsburgh’s more prominent galleries, exhibited focus and ingenuity in repurposing the random junk provided for the contest.  Their science fiction theme included the use of screen-printed costumes with a flying saucer logo and team abbreviation, C.C.C.T.  Their performance involved attempting to contact extraterrestrials with the intention of petitioning for a living wage for Pittsburgh artists.  An antenna was raised and their plea was answered by a supportive signal from the beyond. 

Also exhibiting strong showings at the Olympics were Hyla Willis, with teammates Ryan A. Murray, Felipe Garcia-Huidobro and Hannah G. Thompson and D.S. Kinsel with teammates Daryl Collier, Anqwenique Wingfield and Julie Mallis.  Ms. Willis and team invited audience members to participate in the creation of inflated plastic sculptural forms, some of which became props for catching the wind.  Mr. Kinsel and his team, representing the Garfield art studio Boom Concepts, explored the Black Lives Matter theme.  Their performance culminated in a multidisciplinary display of operatic voice, sculptural form and symbolic gesture.

Judges for the competition included Erika Johnson, Executive Director of Pittsburgh Center For Creative Reuse, multidisciplinary artists Christiane D and Maritza Mosquera and Wayne Younger of Cityview Church.  Teams were rated in various categories including: creative use of materials provided, following the rules, adherence to team artist statement, aesthetic quality of the final product, and the performance element during the two-hour long event. 

Developed by Pittsburgh artist Tom Sarver, Art Olympics features three teams of Pittsburgh artists competing over two hours to build winning sculptures out of random junk materials.  The high-energy, reality TV-inspired event allows visitors to get up close and see the art making in progress.  Previous Art Olympic events have been held at the Mattress Factory Museum of Art, the Union Project, Market Square during the Three Rivers Arts Festival, New Hazlett Theater, and Pittsburgh Center for the Arts. 

(Photo Credit – Larry Rippel. )

(Photo Credit – Larry Rippel. )

 

Craig Freeman and team crowned “Masters of 2015 Art Olympics.”

Winners pictured left to right: Nathan Curtis, Elizabeth Rudnick, David Zak and Craig FreemanAttached Photo Credit – Larry Rippel

Winners pictured left to right: Nathan Curtis, Elizabeth Rudnick, David Zak, Craig Freeman

On Saturday, August 29th at 6:30 PM, Artist Craig Freeman and his team, the Commission for Cosmic Craft Transmission, were declared winners at the Art Olympic Festival in East Deutschtown, Pittsburgh.  Rounding out Mr. Freeman’s team were artists Elizabeth Rudnick, Nathan Curtis and David Zak.  The team members, who are also skilled art installers at some of Pittsburgh’s more prominent galleries, exhibited focus and ingenuity in repurposing the random junk provided for the contest.  Their science fiction theme included the use of screen-printed costumes with a flying saucer logo and team abbreviation, C.C.C.T.  Their performance involved attempting to contact extraterrestrials with the intention of petitioning for a living wage for Pittsburgh artists.  An antenna was raised and their plea was answered by a supportive signal from the beyond. 

Also exhibiting strong showings at the Olympics were Hyla Willis, with teammates Ryan A. Murray, Felipe Garcia-Huidobro and Hannah G. Thompson and D.S. Kinsel with teammates Daryl Collier, Anqwenique Wingfield and Julie Mallis.  Ms. Willis and team invited audience members to participate in the creation of inflated plastic sculptural forms, some of which became props for catching the wind.  Mr. Kinsel and his team, representing the Garfield art studio Boom Concepts, explored the Black Lives Matter theme.  Their performance culminated in a multidisciplinary display of operatic voice, sculptural form and symbolic gesture.

Judges for the competition included Erika Johnson, Executive Director of Pittsburgh Center For Creative Reuse, multidisciplinary artists Christiane D and Maritza Mosquera and Wayne Younger of Cityview Church.  Teams were rated in various categories including: creative use of materials provided, following the rules, adherence to team artist statement, aesthetic quality of the final product, and the performance element during the two-hour long event. 

Developed by Pittsburgh artist Tom Sarver, Art Olympics features three teams of Pittsburgh artists competing over two hours to build winning sculptures out of random junk materials.  The high-energy, reality TV-inspired event allows visitors to get up close and see the art making in progress.  Previous Art Olympic events have been held at the Mattress Factory Museum of Art, the Union Project, Market Square during the Three Rivers Arts Festival, New Hazlett Theater, and Pittsburgh Center for the Arts. 

 

Completed Mural for Saturday's Festival

Our mural is ready for Saturday's festivities!

Thank you!

Photos from Mural Painting Workshop

A group of teenage girls from the East Deutschtown neighborhood learned mural painting skills from local artist, Tom Sarver, during this mural painting workshop.  

The completed mural will function as the backdrop for the Art Olympic Festival event on August 29th.

 

Photos from the trophy making workshop

During a trophy-making workshop, community participants made Art Olympic Trophies for artists participating in the August 29th Event. The pieces were made with materials from Pittsburgh Center for Creative Reuse.

Great progress towards the main event!

     Everything is moving forward towards an exciting day of Art Olympic Festivities.  During an August 4th community workshop at NK Contemporary Art Center, participants of all ages created assemblage sculptures to serve as trophies for the Art Olympic contestants.  The workshop was sponsored by Pittsburgh Center for Creative Reuse (PCCR), an organization dedicated to repurposing materials of all kinds.  PCCR staff provided valuable assistance and advice in construction methods.  

     On August 5th, teenage girls from the East Deutschtown community participated in a mural painting workshop.  The girls learned basic painting skills (blocking in color, mark making and pattern) as they worked on the foreground of a mural.  The mural is located on the grounds of the August 29th Art Olympic Festival event, 824 - 826 Concord Street, Pittsburgh.  Paint for the mural was generously donated by The Home Depot, Ohio Township and Pat Catan's / Prism Art Supplies at Mt. Nebo.  

  Since Agust 5th, I've been working on the rest of the mural, painting the high areas from a stepladder.  The work is going well.  Each session, neighborhood residents stop by to check on my progress.  I hope to complete the mural in two more sessions (by the August 29th event).  I've also been busy collecting junk for the event, organizing the 12 participants, four judges, and five crew members.  

     My main concern is that all the participating artists get paid a stipend for participating.  This is a core value for my projects.  This is why I am opening up my IOBY campaign for an additional five days.  

-Tom Sarver

http://tomsarver.com/

 

photos

This is where photos will go once we build flickr integration

donors

  • Larry Rippel
  • Patricia Scharbo Barefoot
  • Jodi
  • Joann K.
  • Charlie Humphrey
  • Mary Martin
  • Moshe
  • kathryn l.
  • Anonymous
  • James Gallery
  • Shawn Quinlan
  • jason lockyer
  • Carl & Sherry Schwilm
  • Keith T.
  • Mufasa's Best Friend
  • Anonymous
  • Dawnlyn Diehl
  • Anonymous
  • Anonymous
  • Jeff Brunner
  • Randi Morgan
  • Atticus A.
  • Anonymous
  • Scott Andrew
  • Renee Piechocki
  • Kenneth M.
  • Anonymous
  • Jean McClung, John Morris
  • Anonymous
  • LO'L