32 departments, organizations, offices, and centers across four University of Pittsburgh campuses helped kick off Pitt's Year of Creativity at PARK(ing) Day 2019. 

Every September, people around the world turn metered parking spaces into PARK(ing) spaces for a day: temporary parklets, creative interventions, and social spaces.

For two years, Pitt's Center for Creativity and Department of Parking, Transportation, and Services have teamed up to sponsor a University PARK(ing) Day event on the Oakland campus.

This year, PARK(ing) Day expanded to include Pitt-Greensburg, Pitt-Bradford, and Pitt-Johnstown, and concluded with remarks by Provost Ann E. Cudd officially launching the Year of Creativity.

Read more about PARK(ing) Day!

Thursday, October 3  |  5-7 p.m.

Facilitated by the Pitt Handbell Ensemble

Want to explore a new musical instrument, but think you don't have the time or experience? It's easier than you might expect!

Join the ringers of the University Handbell Ensemble for this one-of-a-kind introduction to the art of handbell ringing. Learn the basics of music notation and ringing, enjoy a short performance by the Ensemble, and chill out over some light refreshments. 

We provide everything you need! Just bring your curiosity.

Register for Ring It On!

Sunday, October 13  |  4-6 p.m.

We're surrounded by lists: playlists, menus, grocery and wish lists.... Umberto Eco said that "the list is the origin of culture." It can certainly be the origin for a good poem. 

Explore list poems and experiment with different ways to write one in this informal workshop. Our emphasis is on play and discovery: no previous writing experience necessary!

Register for Sunday Stanza: Play, Bucket & Wish

Tuesday, October 15  |  3-4:30 p.m.

Is it Impressionism? No, but classical paint techniques don’t apply in this workshop! Learn to make a landscape painting without any paint (mostly).

This is painting: life hacks edition. No previous art experience required!

Register for Resist Art: Tissue

Thursday, October 24  |  6-8 p.m.

Facilitated by Jaime Peer, Frick Fine Arts Library, and Erik Schuckers, Center for Creativity: The Workshop

Have you seen blackout poetry on Instagram or Tumblr? Learn how to create your own, and turn it into a mini-book to keep or share!

The first part of this workshop focuses on writing blackout text, and the second on inventive ways to present it as a physical text.

No experience necessary: amateurs and beginners welcome!

Register for Bound & UnBound: Little Black(out) Book

Friday, October 25  |  3-4:30 p.m.

Do you love to experiment with mixed media? Need a personalized gift for a friend or family member? Create mini custom designs with paper, beads, fabric, and more and showcase them on notecards.

No need for previous artistic experience: just bring your creative ideas and learn to make something truly unique!

Register for Mixed Media (Card) Making

Sunday, October 27  |  4-6 p.m.

Ekphrastic writing is work inspired or stimulated by a work of art. Photographs, because of their senses of immediacy and intimacy, can be especially useful paths to poetry.

Look at ways to approach ekphrasis and use fine art and candid snaps to generate writing. Our emphasis is on exploration and discovery: no writing experience needed!

Register for Sunday Stanza: Picture to Page

Did you know that The Workshop is open on weekends? Come join us in October for special demo days, and check out what we're up to.

Our new Saturday Shareshop features makers working on projects they’re interested in, and invites you to ask questions about their creative processes, the hows and whys of making, and more! This month's focus is on cosplay and costume construction.

Sundays are Letterpress Demo Days. Letterpress was the main form of printing text for 500 years, starting from its invention in the 15th century, and The Workshop has acquired two vintage tabletop presses. Our staff will be working on small projects, and you're welcome to observe, ask questions, and maybe even try your hand at part of the process.

These weekend programs are not guided workshops that takes you from beginning to end on a single project. Instead, they offer opportunities to see and explore different creative forms and elements of the creative process with Workshop makers. 

Check out details on our weekend programs!

October 17-18

From the lab to the lecture hall, creativity abounds on Pitt's campus! As part of the Year of Creativity, this year’s Science as Art celebrates creativity hidden in plain sight.

Under the microscope, everyday items become fascinating, artistic images. But, for each image, it’s up to you to guess what, exactly, is being shown. Is it a microscopic view of an animal, vegetable, or mineral? Or none of these?

The longstanding Science as Art exhibit, curated by Donna Stolz, PhD, and Jonathan Franks, MS, annually showcases works that blend the not-so-disparate fields of art and science. For the first time, the exhibit takes the form of an interactive competition via an online quiz open to all Science participants. So take your best guess: there’s even a prize in store if you have the most correct answers!

Find out more about Science as Art!

Creativity Around Campus

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