Greensburg ArtsWalk 2024 will be a day of art and fun

This Saturday, downtown Greensburg will come alive with art, activities, performances and more. Greensburg ArtsWalk 2024 is an opportunity for community members of all ages to explore the vibrant local arts scene — and have a fun day out.

Presented by the Westmoreland Museum of American Art, Seton Hill University and the Westmoreland Cultural Trust, the event began in 2018 and — except for a two-year break in 2020 and 2021 during covid-19 — has become an annual tradition.

In addition to enjoying a jaunt around the participating businesses in downtown Greensburg, attendees can enjoy programming at the museum, the Seton Hill Arts Center and the Seton Hill Performing Arts Center, and at the Westmoreland Cultural Trust.

At the Westmoreland Museum of American Art, artworks by students from Hempfield Area High School and Middle School will be on display for the community.

Hempfield Area High School students also will perform music at the museum. There will be cover songs with original compositions mixed in, according to Elle Marshall, public programs and community engagement manager at the Westmoreland Museum of American Art.

“We want to make sure that, when we get involved with those in the community, we’re showcasing different forms of art,” Marshall said.

That includes a poetry reading by students from Greensburg Salem Middle School, who will share poems inspired by works in the museum’s collection.

From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., there will be a hands-on, all-ages studio drop-in activity for anyone to enjoy. The museum will be open — with free admission — from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Programming for ArtsWalk will take place between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.

“It’s an opportunity to have a positive impact on the community by attracting different visitors,” Marshall said.

The Westmoreland Cultural Trust will center its events around the Palace Theatre, with a jam-packed schedule starting at 10 a.m. Saturday.

“There will be live art, art for sale, food, music, fun and activities for the children,” said Sandee Williamson, director of development at the Westmoreland Cultural Trust.

They will be featuring their “Art in the Alley” exhibition, in Wilcox Way between The Palace Theatre S&T Bank courtyard and the Union Trust Building. The display is a permanent fixture but recently got a refresher and will feature new work by a pair of artists, Beck Scassellati and Nancy Rusbosin.

They will highlight a special project — a collaboration between the Greensburg Professional and Business Association and Greensburg Salem High School. Students from the high school painted skateboards with a variety of designs, and they will be displayed at participating businesses across downtown Greensburg. One of those locations is The Palace Theatre.

The skateboards are available to bid on in a charity auction. The student artists will be honored in an 11 a.m. ceremony during ArtsWalk.

“The Westmoreland Cultural Trust is going to act as a hub to honor these students, give them a certificate and be kind of a conduit to the crowd that may want to stop and watch the children being honored, as well as then going back to the businesses and bidding on their skateboards and making it a really good, supportive community event,” Williamson said.

“The Westmoreland Cultural Trust’s mission is to provide culture, activity and arts to the community, and we do that with community events that don’t exclude those — as much as we can — from attending because of pricing constraints,” Williamson said. ArtsWalk is one such event.

Seton Hill University will feature programs and activities at its Arts Center and Performing Arts Center. Several programs will be held at the Performing Arts Center, and the Arts Center will house demonstrations and activities, as well as art exhibitions and sales.

“One of the things about ArtsWalk every year is that we get to invite the community into our arts spaces,” said Pati Beachley, chair of the art and design department at Seton Hill University. “Oftentimes, people from Greensburg and beyond have not seen our facilities or the work that our students produce.”

Since ArtsWalk falls toward the end of Seton Hill’s spring semester, attendees will be able to interact with students’ senior exhibitions.

There will be an art sale where students and alumni can set up tables to sell their creations. This will include artists from the ACRE program, with which Seton Hill is partnering.

In the Center’s Art Yard, weather permitting, there will be raku and a foundry pour. The center will host activities and demonstrations such as 3D printing and family-friendly art-making throughout the day.

“It’s a great way to invite the community in, have an open house and have our students interact with the community,” Beachley said.

Several businesses and locations in downtown Greensburg will participate in ArtsWalk, including 12th Octave Studios, Greensburg Hempfield Area Library, McFeely’s Gourmet Chocolate and more. Attendees will be provided with a map of participating businesses, as well as locations where the Greensburg Salem High School skateboard decks will be on display.

Parking and admission are free, and the event will take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information, visit greensburgartswalk.com.