The waterways of Pittsburgh give the sense of being at the confluence of something larger than one’s self. Beautiful bridges recall an era of grand public works and the steel barons’ pursuit of an epic city. Immigrant stories are layered into the hillside neighborhoods. Pittsburgh’s past is still present.
My visit reminded me that culture transpires moment-by-moment and over centuries. Through each boom and bust, the city is made and remade. That cycle of growth and decline has an odd effect of the city’s playwrights, photographers, and urban designers. It helps them develop a finer intuitive sense for how we prosper as a people and a place.
Read the full essay at Arts in a Changing America.
Anne L'Ecuyer 