Mary Cassatt Garden
Phase one - tree lining, path defining and clean up of the existing space including wayfinding signage. Phase two -idesign competition for area students to create experincial art above the pathway.
Leader
Bridget Little
Location
503 Ridge Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15233
About the project
The Mary Cassatt Garden is a small gateway space in Allegheny West that sits at the corner of Ridge and Allegheny Avenues. This space is an essential space to the North Side because of it's high foot and vehicular traffic from the North Shore to the North Side and historical significance as the former childhood home of Mary Cassatt. Our goal with this project is threefold - to welcome people to the North Side, protect pedestrians as they make their way up Allegheny Avenue and pay homage to it's historical significance of being the childhood home of a celebrated North Sider.
The Steps
We will have a series of work days and have already been in contact with local art departments to get the design competition built in to the ciriculum to inspire the creativity to call out the spaces artistic roots.
Why we‘re doing it
The North Side is an area that has a lot of dedicated neighbors but arguably sees a lot of abuse from outsiders - anything from dumping, to using our neighborhoods as free parking lots for the attractions on the North Shore. The North Shore is heavily separated by the highway that literally rips it in half and the Mary Cassatt Garden is right on this divide. In fact, Cassatt's childhood home was leveled to make room for this highway. Calling out this space for it's historical significance would also welcome outsiders in such a pivotal geographical spot to consider the North Side for it's history and many amenities while protecting the pedestrians who walk this space every day. It would create a sense of unity and curiosity for North Siders and visitors alike.