Photo by Bridget Fertal

At 4 p.m. on Saturday, July 8, Troy Hill Citizens will host an unveiling of the Rialto Street Mural at 1836 Lowrie St.

The public event will be a commemoration with remarks by the artist and stakeholders with refreshments to follow at Scratch Food & Beverage, 1720 Lowrie St. There will also be a showing of a time-lapse video of the mural’s creation.

The Rialto Street Mural is part of THC’s long-term strategy to beautify and improve the Rialto Street corridor. The 28 x 39 foot mural conjures hand-painted advertisements on brick buildings similar to those popular in the late 19th and early 20th century, hundreds of which can still be seen as ghost signs throughout the Pittsburgh region.

Rialto Street is a main artery into Troy Hill, connecting vehicles, pedestrians and bicyclists to the Route 28, the 31st Street Bridge, and river trails below.  The Rialto city stairs consist of 119 steps and 65 landings, at a 25% average grade.  When travelling up Rialto, the mural can be seen on the left.

“Troy Hill residents have so much pride in their neighborhood, and we wanted to create a visual gateway to the community that pays tribute to our history while embracing our future,” said Brian Schimmel, THC chairman.

THC members, community volunteers, and neighbors donated time, landscape materials, and the wall for the mural. THC received a grant for the project from The Sprout Fund and requested proposals from Pittsburgh-area artists. Phil Seth’s design was chosen for its historical nod to the former Troy Hill incline and its classic style.

Phil Seth is a Pittsburgh Artist, Designer, Printmaker, Endonaut and Creative Mastermind who will be on site to answer questions, sign his work, and commemorate the mural.  Raised in Zelienople PA, Seth currently lives and Avalon PA, home of his painting and screen-printing studio.  Educated at Maryland Institute of College Arts and Pittsburgh Art Institute, Seth continues working everything from traditional oil painting to digital illustration.  For more information visit philsethcreative on instagram or visit his website at philsethcreative.com