Category: Excursions

Excursion: Pittsburgh Hollywood

August 2015

  • Pittsburgh Film Office Movie Tour
  • Duquesne Incline
  • WQED
At the overlook of the Duquesne Incline. Image by Chongjin Wang.

Artist Alexis Gideon joined us at the library to present his stop motion animated films. Gideon writes, scores, directs, and performs each of his films live. He shared his process and movies before we departed.

We then took the Official Film Office Movie Tour, a three hour behind the scenes visit to locations where movies such as the Dark Knight, Flashdance, and Inspector Gadget were shot. We went up the Duquesne Incline, enjoyed snacks, and watched a few scenes from movies filmed in Pittsburgh.

With WQED personality, Rick Sebak. Image by Chongjin Wang.

Our last stop was the studio of WQED. We learned the history of WQED as we toured the WQED-FM 89.3 studio, the Fred Rogers Studio, Studios B and C, the HD Sony Master Control Room. Plus, we hung out with Rick Sebak!

Excursion: Play

July 2015

  • Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy Frick Park
  • Ferguson Park in Wilkinsburg
  • Randyland
Youth playing at Frick Park.

We met with experts in the field of play to explore, analyze, and discuss the history and importance of playgrounds in the region. We visited the “Blue Slide Park” with Ernie Detorre and the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy; Frick Park Playground at Braddock and Forbes Avenue with Dick Wilford, Park Foreman; Ferguson Park in Wilkinsburg with Patrick Shattuck; and toured Randyland with Randy Gilson.

At each stop we considered the formal, conceptual, experiential, and community facets of the location.