Bryce Vine, The Ghost Club to Perform at La Roche University
La Roche University recently announced its Spring Concert lineup featuring rapper Bryce Vine and Pittsburgh alternative rock band The Ghost Club. Hosted by the La Roche Concert Council, the spring concert will take place in La Roche’s Kerr Fitness & Sports Center on Thursday, April 13. Doors open at 7 p.m., followed by the concert at 8 p.m. Tickets are available to the public for $25 and $15 for La Roche students. For more information visit larocheconcerts.com.
Butler Health System and Excela Health Finalize Transaction
Officials at Excela Health (EH) and Butler Health System (BHS) have announced that they have finalized the joining of the two organizations, creating a new health system serving western Pennsylvania. The Definitive Agreement and other legal documentation had been submitted to the state and federal government for review. The transaction was made official on January 1st. The new system will employ approximately 7,300 people, have over 1,000 physicians and practitioners and serve a population of 750,000.
Handmade Arcade Town Hall Feb. 1
Handmade Arcade will host a Town Hall to share its strategic vision for the next three years and invite community feedback at the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council and virtually from 6:30–8 p.m. on Wed., Feb. 1. Registration for the in-person and virtual versions of the event is required. This hybrid event encourages makers, collaborators, volunteers, donors, and other stakeholders to learn how the nonprofit will continue to grow. All attendees are invited to provide feedback on the new strategic plan, whether during the event or via email to tricia@handmadearcade.org.
FCAHS Senior Named among Top 300 Scholars in Science Talent Search
Fox Chapel Area High School senior Arvind Seshan has been named one of the top 300 scholars in the Regeneron Science Talent Search 2023. Arvind is one of only eight students in the state of Pennsylvania, and one of 300 students from across the nation and China chosen to receive this designation. The talent search is sponsored by the Society for Science and is the nation’s oldest and most prestigious science and math competition for high school seniors. The top 300 scholars receive $2,000 for themselves and another $2,000 for their high schools.
Children’s Home to Host Annual Shake Your Groovy Booties Gala
The Children’s Home & Lemieux Family Center will host their annual Shake Your Booties Gala at Acrisure Stadium on Sat., April 22 from 6-7 p.m. Guests are encouraged to “get down” with this year’s theme, Shake Your Groovy Booties. The event promises to be far out with entertainment from the band Dancing Queen and emcee Aditi Kinkhabwala. This year’s Shake Your Groovy Booties aims to raise funds to support the children and families the home serves through all of its programs.
Northland Library to Hold 2023 Garden Gala
Northland Library’s Garden Gala is back and will be held on Sat., April 22 at the library, featuring dozens of delicious offerings from local restaurants and caterers, accompanied by spirits, wine, beer, and non-alcoholic beverages. Entertainment and a silent auction will also be included. Tickets go on sale Feb. 1 and are $95 for VIP and $75 for regular admission. Visit www.northlandlibrary.org/foundation/garden-gala for more details.
Free Tax Help
North Hills Community Outreach will be providing free tax help for qualified households this year; information can be found at www.nhco.org/free-tax-preparation. Beginning Feb. 1, appointments for AARP tax help at the Ross Community Center can be made by calling State Sen. Lindsey Williams’ office at 412-364-0469. Beginning Feb. 14, appointments for AARP tax help at Rep. Rob Mercuri’s office can be made by calling 412-412-369-2230.
FCAHS Cheerleaders Earn Bid to Nationals
For the first time in school history, the Fox Chapel Area High School varsity cheerleaders have earned a bid to compete at the National High School Cheerleading Championship (NHSCC) to be held at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida, Feb. 10-12, 2023. The competition is the most prestigious high school national championship in the country. Members of the squad are seniors Kathryn Billings, Anna Li, and Isabella Stipetich; juniors Fiona Brown, Mia Pietropaolo, and Sophia River; sophomores, Maurena Cilenti, Mary Ann Frauenholz, Gretchen Shelestak, and Alexandra Vita; and freshmen Catherine Conway, Trista Jackson, and Emma Kurtz.
Carnegie Science Center Welcomes VIKINGS: Warriors of the North Sea
What if the blood-thirsty plunderers you once thought you knew were just misunderstood explorers, farmers, traders, and craftsmen that were highly skilled? For a limited time in Pittsburgh, Carnegie Science Center will host VIKINGS: Warriors of the North Sea, beginning Sat., Feb. 11. Visitors will get an in-depth look into Norse culture, traditions, and beliefs through an exhibition that features more than 140 artifacts including jewelry, keys, weapons, silver hoards, brooches, clothing, and a full-size replica of a Viking ship. Visit carnegiesciencecenter.org/exhibits/vikings to purchase tickets and to learn more.
Cranberry Artists Network (CAN) Welcomes Nicolette Tolomeo Germain, Abraham Lincoln
Nicolette Tolomeo Germain current collection, Memories Photography, will be featured in the Back Hall Gallery of the Cranberry Township Municipal Center during the month of February 2023. The collection , born from a love of nature and the outdoors, encompass fleeting moments un-altered by modern technology. There will also be a drawing display of Abraham Lincoln by the First Tuesday Drawing Group during the month. A meet-and-greet reception will be held on Feb. 11 from 2-4 p.m. where Rick Miller, a well-known Lincoln re-enactor who modeled for the work, will visit with guests. For more information about CAN, visit www.cranberryartistsnetwork.com.
Butler County Symphony Presents Symphonic Dances On Feb. 4, the Butler County Symphony will present an exciting concert that includes Rachmaninoff’s Symphonic Dances, Weber’s Invitation to the Dance and Shostakovich’s Cello Concerto No. 1 featuring guest cellist, Nicholas Canellakis. The concert will be conducted by Maestro Matthew Kraemer, BCSO music director and conductor. The concert begins at 7:30 p.m. at the Butler Intermediate School Auditorium, 551 Fairground Hill Rd, Butler, PA 16001. A free pre-concert lecture with Maestro Kramer will be held at 6:30 p.m. To purchase tickets or for more information, visit www.butlersymphony.org or call 724-283-1402.
Fox Chapel Area Telethon for Fox Families Care Raises $95,638
Fox Chapel Area School District students held their 33rd annual telethon Dec. 22, 2022 and raised $95,638. This year’s total brings the money raised by Fox Chapel Area students and staff to more than $1,121,266 over the last 33 years for various local and regional charities. The telethon raised money for the local organization, Fox Families Care and involved students from all six schools in the Fox Chapel Area School District (Fairview, Hartwood, Kerr, and O’Hara elementaries; Dorseyville Middle School; and Fox Chapel Area High School). The public may still make donations through the following website: https://www.foxfamiliescare.org/donatenow.
New Name for Tull Family Theater
The Tull Family Theater now has a new name: The Lindsay Theater and Cultural Center. The Corry Family Foundation, the new naming sponsor, is memorializing beloved daughter and sister, Lindsay Nicole Corry, who battled cancer for 18 months before passing away in August 2021 at the age of 30. New signage is being built in exuberant colors favored by Lindsay, who was a photographer and arts lover as well as a successful financier. The Lindsay Theater and Cultural Center’s evolving online presence will embrace new social media hashtags and a new website, including new email addresses for the Theater team. Emailed programming notes, The Weekly Update and The Short List, also will sport a new look.
Trust Cabaret to Present LaChanze
Described as volcanic and a spontaneous force of nature, Tony and Emmy Award Winner LaChanze will perform in a solo concert as part of the Trust Cabaret 10th Anniversary season. LaChanze’s theatre credits are vast, including The Color Purple (2006 Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Lady in Musical), Once On This Island (nominations, Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle), Ragtime, Company, Uptown It’s Hot and If/Then. The concert will be held Monday, Feb. 6 at the O’Reilly Theater at 7:30 p.m. For more information, visit www.TrustArts.org/CabaretSeries.
Blue Man Group Returns to Pittsburgh
More than 35 million people around the world have experienced the smash hit phenomenon that is BLUE MAN GROUP, and now they are returning to Pittsburgh for a limited engagement on their new North American tour. The Blue Man Group will perform at Benedum Center on Feb. 17-19 and tickets are now available.
Visit https://trustarts.org/production/84211/blue-man-group for more info.
Allegheny Land Trust Closes on Eight Conservation Projects at Year’s End
Local conservation nonprofit Allegheny Land Trust (ALT) conserved another 120.5 acres at the end of December 2022 over eight projects across Allegheny County. The conservation easements and donated properties are located in Baldwin, Millvale and Wilkinsburg Boroughs, and Indiana, Moon, Reserve and Shaler Townships. Among the conserved lands is the Reserve/Shaler project, which generated support from surrounding municipalities, local businesses, students in a Shaler Area High School sustainability class and hundreds of individuals. In all of 2022, ALT conserved 290 acres of green space across multiple projects. Every resident of Allegheny County now lives within eight miles of an ALT conservation area.
Good Retirement for Women Navigating all the decisions to make before retiring can be confusing, especially if you are a woman living on your own. Janet Bouma will talk about the financial choices involved, what to do about Social Security and Medicare, and what to expect for your retirement lifestyle at Northland Library on Sat., Feb. 18 at 10 a.m. Visit www.northlandlibrary.org for more information.
Students Chosen for Allegheny Valley Honors Bands
Twenty-one Fox Chapel Area School District students were selected by audition to perform with the 2023 Allegheny Valley senior and junior high honors bands. The students chosen include seniors Elijah Conklin (French horn), Caleb Hahl (percussion), Sonny Hur (bassoon), Silas Owens (alto saxophone), and Ethan Tan (clarinet); juniors Elijah Herzer (bass clarinet) and Chloe Kim (clarinet); sophomores Malik Choset (trumpet), Marina Dunham (bassoon), Lindsay Gould (baritone saxophone), Jude Hasenpflug (trombone), Patton Johnson (percussion), and Varad Sant (French horn); and freshmen Elliott Broyles (trombone), Joanna Li (flute), and Joshua Shah (flute); and Dorseyville Middle School eighth-graders Abigail Jones (bassoon), James Saleone (French horn), and Param Thawani (baritone saxophone); and seventh-graders Steven Hu (tenor saxophone) and Claire Lesnik (trumpet).
Ys1 to Perform at New Hazlett
Hip hop artist Ys1 (Yusef Shelton Da First) will perform on the New Hazlett stage with IGNITE, an all-autobiographical concert showing how faith, intention, and staying true to yourself can break the cycle of fear and help to overcome adversity. IGNITE is the third production in the Theater's 10th season of Community Supported Art (CSA), which provides emerging artists with the opportunity to develop new work for the New Hazlett stage. IGNITE has three showings only: Thurs., Feb. 16 at 8 p.m.; Fri., Feb. 17 at 11 a.m. and 8 p.m. Individual tickets and season subscriptions are available for purchase on the New Hazlett website.
Prime Stage Theatre Receives National Endowment for the Arts’ Award
Prime Stage Theatre has been awarded a $10,000 Grant for Arts Projects from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). This grant is one of 1,251 Grants for Arts Projects awards totaling nearly $28.8 million that were announced by the NEA as part of its first round of fiscal year 2023 grants. This grant supports the world premiere stage adaptation of Perseverance which is adapted from the book Perseverance: A Holocaust Survivor’s Journey from Poland to America. For more information and tickets, visit www.primestage.com and The Holocaust Center at https://hcofpgh.org/events.
Art Exhibition Focuses on Equitable, Active Neighboring
Kelly Strayhorn Theater will present Neighbor to Neighbor, a visual art exhibition held in the historic KST lobby, from Sat. Feb. 11 through Sat., May 27, 2023. The opening will be held on Feb. 11 from 6-8 p.m. Presented in collaboration with BOOM Concepts, Neighbor to Neighbor challenges viewers to consider the possibilities around equitable, active neighboring. Participating artists include Takara Canty, Sophia Fang, atiya jones, Maggie Negrete, Jameelah Platt and Danielle Robinson.
Chamber Music Pittsburgh Opens 2023 with Isidore String Quartet
Chamber Music Pittsburgh (CMP) is honored to host the Isidore String Quartet for its Pittsburgh debut this February. The quartet recently won the top honor in the 2022 Banff International Competition. The concert, part of CMP’s 2022–23 MainStage Live season, takes place on Mon., Feb. 13, at 7:30 p.m. at the Pittsburgh Playhouse in Downtown Pittsburgh. The quartet features Adrian Steele and Phoenix Avalon on violin, Devin Moore, a Pittsburgh native and recipient of CMP’s Montgomery Fellowship, on viola, and Joshua McClendon on cello. Individual tickets for the concerts range from $35–53 and can be purchased at www.chambermusicpittsburgh.org.
Fox Chapel Area School District Named National Lighthouse School System
The Fox Chapel Area School District has been named a 2022 “Lighthouse System” by AASA, The School Superintendents Association. This award recognizes districts that serve as a role model for school systems across the country and for their service to all learners. Specifically, Fox Chapel Area was honored in the “Early Learning Area of Redesign,” also receiving recognition for its “Systematic Approach to Serving the Whole Learner with Strength in Early Learning.” Only eight districts from across the nation were chosen, and selected schools serve as models of positive change in public education.