Vermonica – An Urban Candelabra named after the intersection where it is located: Vermont & Santa Monica in Los Angeles, CA.

On Thursday, May 1 from 6 to 8 pm in the Kelly Strayhorn Theater, the Office of Public Art presents an artist lecture with Sheila Klein. Sheila is an artist from Bow, Washington who has worked on public art projects throughout the country. Originally from Pittsburgh, she is currently in the design phase for a pedestrian bridge that will connect Ellsworth Avenue in Shadyside to the East End Development project in East Liberty.

Please join us as Sheila talks about her past work, current projects, and her design for this new pedestrian bridge.

A reception with the artist follows the lecture.

This lecture is free, but reservations are requested. Please rsvp to opa@pittsburghartscouncil.org or call 412.391.2060 x233.

Happy Arbor Day, everyone!! This is the one day a year everyone should be a tree hugger!

On Monday April 28th at Construction Junction from 11am to 1pm, the Friends of the Pittsburgh Urban Forest will be handing out 1,000 Fraser fir seedlings with Mayor Luke Ravenstahl . Visitors can have up to five trees, be sure to stop by!

Everyone be sure to make it to the polls today and have their voices heard!

The Post Gazette is offering a voter’s guide for any primary day information you may need!

TOMORROW, Saturday, April 19 from 9 am to 12 pm will be the East Liberty Litter Sweep! Join East Liberty residents and volunteers to clean up our community.

The Litter Sweep will begin in the Home Depot parking lot and equipment and refreshments will be provided. After the clean up, volunteers will enjoy a party including food, local vendors, live local music and entertainment!

This project is coordinated by Allegheny CleanWays, in conjunction with the Great PA Cleanup and other partners in a effort to prevent and eliminate litter and illegal dumping. Do your part to make this community as beautiful and healthy as possible!!

Friendship Development Executive Director, Jeffrey Dorsey, speaks at the groundbreaking in front of Rob Stephany, URA Executive Director, Emma Lucas-Darby LCCC board and professor from Carlow University, Charlie Batch, LCCC board member and Steeler, Mayor Luke Ravenstahl and Howard Slaughter, Executive Director of LCCC.

Yesterday, Wednesday, April 16, Friendship Development Associates, Landmark Community Capital Corporation, the URA and many other partners celebrated the groundbreaking for 5000 Penn, three townhomes nine years in the planning. This $800,000 development, on the corner of Penn Avenue and Gross Street, will bring loft-style housing to the heart of the Penn Avenue Arts Initiative.

For more information on the groundbreaking, read the post gazette article, or what Pop City has to say!

Many may have noticed today that the streets surrounding East Liberty Presbyterian Church has been swarmed with camera crews, trailers and onlookers. The silver screen has come to East Liberty again!

The Post Gazette is reporting that the movie is the DreamWorks romantic comedy, “She’s Out of My League,” but filming staff and ELPC staff are saying the movie is “The Shelter,” a suspense thriller starring Julianne Moore about a troubling schizophrenia patient.

They will be filming outside the rest of today and inside of ELPC tomorrow.

TOMORROW, Saturday, April 12 from 11 am to 6 pm, the Center for Minority Health and the Healthy Black Families Program will hold their annual Minority Health Fair at the Kingsley Center, located at the corner of East Liberty Blvd and Frankstown Ave.

Service providers will offer free health screenings, immunizations, blood pressure tests and, for the first time at this fair, teeth cleanings! Don’t pass up this opportunity to utilize important, free health care facilities!