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This Summer, Century III Mall Will Be Art City USA
By Jason Togyer
The Tube City Almanac
May 08, 2015
Posted in: McKeesport and Region News, Podcast
A unique, three-month-long art project is hoping to breathe some new life into West Mifflin's Century III Mall.
Beginning June 14 and continuing until after Labor Day, more than 100 artists will transform the mall into "Art City, USA," an installation being sponsored by Pittsburgh's Most Wanted Fine Art Gallery and the non-profit Bloomfield-Garfield Corp.
Artists will create several wall-size murals inside the mall --- with the full cooperation of mall management --- and other artists, including painters, photographers and sculptors will show off their talents during a series of free, open-to-the-public events.
Nina Sauer, who founded Most Wanted along with her husband, Jason, says all of the projects will be "family friendly" and some of them --- especially on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays --- will include some kind of participatory or performance element, such as live music or dance.
Local artists are being encouraged to become part of the event. The Sauers organize many public art exhibits during the year; last year, they operated a temporary, or "pop-up," art gallery at the Waterfront in Homestead and Munhall.
But the Century III Mall project is art on a new scale, she says, because of the size of the mall --- once one of the largest in the eastern United States. It also offers a unique opportunity to mix arts and culture with commerce, as shoppers visit the mall's stores.
The project may cause many shoppers to take a fresh look at the mall, which has been struggling for more than a decade. Once home to more than 200 stores, including four department stores, the mall has lost two of its largest tenants and is more than 50 percent vacant.
We talked to Nina recently as she and Jason crossed the country with the Pittsburgh Art Car. You can find out more about Art City USA at the website.
Originally published May 08, 2015.
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