Pittsburgh Receives $1 Million for Arts Project

PITTSBURGH—The city of Pittsburgh has received a $1 million grant from the Heinz Endowments to fund the 250th Anniversary Arts Project, reports the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Curated by Thomas Sokowski, director of the Andy Warhol Musuem, the project will celebrate the city's birthday and includes four main works that span the art spectrum: a public sculpture entitled Transformer, by architect Glenn Kaino, will be erected at the end of August in the Cultural District; on October 17th, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra will present "The Good Life," a work composed by Derek Bermel and written by Wendy Waters; local artists and teens will come together to run after-school programs in economically struggling neighborhoods; and finally, 12 international artists, including Takashi Murakami, Piortr Uklanski, and Lari Pittman, will create a print portfolio that will be exhibited at the Warhol in 2009.