Cast Your Vote for an American Hero!

This photograph is of one of three entries of Pittsburgh Artist (and my friend), Karen Mesaros in the Pittsburgh All-Star Public Art Project competition. To coincide with Pittsburgh’s hosting of Major League Baseball’s All-Star game held on July 11, 2006, the purpose of the project was/is to depict and/or express actual events, places and people from the Pittsburgh region’s past, present and potential future that represent our city’s brightest citizens, hopes and amenities. These public art objects will be placed together or individually, outdoors along the Fifth Avenue/Forbes Avenue corridor in Downtown Pittsburgh, and other possible locations throughout 2006. The public is supposed to vote for their favorites at:

http://www.artinstitutes.edu/pittsburgh/PASPAP_VOTE/index.html

You can view the stars via a clickable map on the site. Then follow the instructions for submitting your vote.

The top vote getters/grand prize winners will be announced on September 12th.

A Little Background

I am proud to say that I am a sponsor for this star, which depicts Sgt. Michael Strank, USMC, a Slovak-Rusyn immigrant to Franklin Boro (near Johnstown, PA) who gave the command and helped raised the flag at Iwo Jima. A movie directed by Clint Eastwood, (and based on the best-selling book by James Bradley) about the tragic life stories of the six men who raised the flag will be released in August 2006.

The Strank star is being displayed in the window of a storefront located at 820 Liberty (a few storefronts down from the parking garage entrance).

More Shining Stars

Karen also has two other entries, which also qualify for the grand prize competition:

The Czechoslovak “Pittsburgh Agreement”–A 1918 proclamation authored by Tomas Masaryk and signed by Slovak and Czech dignitaries before 20,000 supporters in downtown Pittsburgh. This event lead to the declaration of the European nation formerly known as Czechoslovakia. This star is in the old Lerner storefront on 5th Ave.

“Nathaniel Irish”– Local Revolutionary War officer and one of the founders of Pittsburgh–located at PPG.

Please cast your vote and help Karen get the grand prize!”