Stanton Heights Steps Project

Our vision is to transform a set of Pittsburgh city steps -- at the gateway to Stanton Heights as you enter it from Lawrenceville -- into a magnificent mosaic work of public art.

Artist Laura Jean McLaughlin has designed a whimsical, humorous, stunning image of diversity and nature that represents the essence of the neighborhood. The image will unfold on the outside of each of the 44 steps, and full image can be seen in one view. (To view Laura's drawing of the Stanton Heights Steps, and to see the steps that she designed in 2016 on Oakley Street in the South Side, click on the thumbnail photos above.)

Along with a rain garden project that is already underway a few feet down the hill -- and for which the all-volunteer Stanton Heights Neighborhood Association has received $12,500 in grants from Pittsburgh Water & Sewer Authority, Pittsburgh's "Love Your Block" program, and Constellation Energy Company -- and along with a proposed "Welcome to Stanton Heights" sign, Stanton Heights will have one of the most beautiful gateways in Pittsburgh when we complete the project.

The Stanton Heights Steps will promote neighborhood and Pittsburgh pride, as well as provoking conversation and prompting smiles at the project's beauty, creativity, and humor.

Residents of Stanton Heights and other friends of the project will create each of the 44 steps based on a template created by artist Laura Jean McLaughlin, and they will apply the tiles and grout in a process that is expected to take six to eight hours per step.

The tiles have been ordered from Italy. They originally were expected to arrive in late August, but the shipment was delayed; the new estimated time of arrival is late October. We hope to train volunteers to work on the tiles in November -- or possibly in the spring --  and we hope to apply the tiles to the steps next year. Training sessions will be at the Neighborhood Academy in Stanton Heights.

Residents surely will take pride in knowing that they worked on a particular step, and the project will be a source of inspiration for the neighborhood and all who take part!

The neighborhood of Stanton Heights is one of Pittsburgh's gems -- a mostly middle-class, racially diverse neighborhood that's almost entirely residential.

Soon, one of the three major gateways to our neighborhood will show off a wonderful work of art.

Although our own residents have painted the railings of the steps, they continue to be an eyesore. When the steps are transformed into a funky, fun artwork showing qualities unique to our neighborhood, our neighborhood and our city will be a more beautiful place.

Within several years, Stanton Heights will have one of the city's most spectacular gateways. The Stanton Heights Steps will be an important part of this transformation.

We celebrate that the Fine Foundation awarded the Stanton Heights Neighborhood Association a $1,000 grant for this project on Aug. 2, and Park West Gallery Charitable Foundation awarded us a $500 grant on Aug. 14. The Grable Foundation awarded us a $2,000 grant in October. Constellation, an Exelon company, also awarded us $500 in October. The Heinz Endowments awarded us a $2,000 grant in November. The Elsie H. Hillman Foundation granted us $1,000 on Dec. 5.

To donate by check, make it out to the Stanton Heights Neighborhood Association, 4283 Coleridge St., Pittsburgh, PA 15201-1652. Tell us how you would like your name to be listed on this web site or whether you would prefer to remain anonymous.