WHAT’ S NEWS IN GREENSBURG
PHOTOS COURTESY OF THEWESTMORELAND. ORG.
FIRST STANZA OF POEM BY KAREN DIETRICH ON LOCAL BRIDGE
The Westmoreland Museum of American Art announced that the first stanza of Karen Dietrich’ s poem“ Survival” is now on view on the North Main Street Bridge in downtown Greensburg.
The poem is displayed on“ Analog Scroll”— created by visual artist Janet Zweig— as part of the museum’ s ongoing“ Bridging the Gap” public art project.
The remaining stanzas of Dietrich’ s poem will be revealed on the bridge over the next 12 months, and the poem also appears on the museum’ s website.
Analog Scroll, a project featuring southwestern Pennsylvania poets, is a sitespecific artwork that engages both locals and visitors alike and works to“ bridge the gap” from downtown Greensburg to The Westmoreland Museum.
Each poem is displayed line by line, changing periodically until the completion of one poem and the beginning of the next. Analog Scroll uses three-dimensional metal letters held by tracks fastened to the concrete walls of the bridge to display the poem’ s words.
This installation marks the seventh poem written by an area poet for the public art project.
Dietrich explained how the poem’ s title,“ Survival,” is tied to the theme of Bridging the Gap, noting that as she contemplated the theme, it sparked the idea of how we all reconcile different parts of ourselves and bridge the gaps within to survive.
“ I feel very fortunate to have been selected for participation in Bridging the
Gap,” she continued.“ Public art is so important, and Greensburg is lucky to have Analog Scroll as well as other displays of public art, like the Art in the Alley project and the murals in the parklet on Pennsylvania Avenue( both organized by the Westmoreland Cultural Trust).
“ To have my poem displayed on the bridge is an honor, and an experience that is rare for a writer. Usually my words are hidden within the pages of books, not emblazoned on a bridge for all to see. I’ m thrilled to contribute to the arts culture of downtown Greensburg in this very concrete( and aluminum) way.”
Karen Dietrich is a writer and musician living in Greensburg. She is the author of“ Girl at the Edge”( 2020), a psychological thriller from Grand Central Publishing,“ The Girl Factory: A Memoir”( 2013), and several poetry chapbooks. Dietrich also plays drums in the indie rock band Essential Machine.
Funding for the art project was made possible through various sources, including a National Endowment for the Arts Our Town grant program award, The Heinz Endowments, Westmoreland County Tourism Grant Program, Community Foundation of Westmoreland County / Revitalizing Westmoreland, Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area, Carol R. Brown, The Tomahawk Hill Foundation, and an Indiegogo campaign hosted by The Westmoreland Museum.
Technical support throughout the project was provided by Shiftworks Community + Public Arts, the nonprofit formerly known as the Office for Public Art.
To read the full poem or learn more about Analog Scroll, visit thewestmoreland. org / bridging-the-gap.
PHOTO COURTESY OF PBR. COM / TILL-DIRT-DO-US-PART
’ TIL DIRT DO US PART
The Professional Bull Riders( PBR) return to PPG Paints Arena Feb. 13 – 14 with the PBR Lovestruck Buck-Off, which follows a sold-out Steel City debut in 2025. This Valentine’ s Day weekend event will feature the world’ s top bull riders and animal athletes, along with a unique celebration of love.
A highlight on Saturday, Feb. 14, will be Pittsburgh Steelers legend and twotime Super Bowl champion Brett Keisel officiating the weddings of eight couples( a nod to the sport’ s iconic 8-second ride) on the dirt of the riding arena.
Couples were invited to apply through a video submission, with selected pairs receiving a complimentary ceremony, VIP access, Ariat boots for each bride, a wedding photo with Keisel, and other special experiences.
Keisel— who has deep ties to both Pittsburgh and ranch life— called the event a one-of-a-kind way to help couples start their next chapter.
Tickets for both nights are on sale through Ticketmaster and pbr. com.
PBR is preparing to transform PPG Paints Arena into a bull riding arena complete with hundreds of tons of specially blended dirt, more than 50 bucking bulls, and a full-scale production of high-energy competition and celebration.
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