OUR MISSION is to cultivate creativity,
facilitate collaborations, educate the creatives,
harmonize artistic tradition and creative technology in the
Greater Westmoreland Region
art works
RIVER
Laying Groundwork for Westmoreland County's First Artist Retreat
The natural beauty of Southwestern Pennsylvania often takes visitors by surprise. But for the artists who call it home, the rivers, mountains, and change in seasons are inspiration. Travel Lemming patrons named our region the 3rd most beautiful globally. Country Magazine called out one of our small towns as 2nd best in the nation. There is a clear need to strengthen our region's arts. It is what motivated River Art Works to seek out property as a place for artists to gather and create.
TODAY'S CREATIVES: Our Future Harmony, Traditional Arts and the Technology Age
FACT: Artistic communities have been the most successful tool to revitalize for over 150 years in the USA.
River Art Works was established in 2018 to help our region solidify and strengthen the arts, which will in turn strengthen our communities. Eventually, we plan to become a retreat career enhancing center for the arts, including creative technologies and business.
We began by building trust with emerging youth in our immediate area with a program called
ArtTEK for TEENS. This program encourages creative youth to learn in-demand creative job skills that include workshops in drone aviation, videography and editing, 3D Print, holograms.
Then we reached out to regional collegiate leaders starting a conversation regarding after graduation needs graduates have voiced. How can we help?
Our latest hurdle to jump is building Westmoreland Arts Coalition. The Coalition has made its’ mission to collaboratively promote awareness of the arts and sustainability of arts organizations in the region.
In other words, we help people enjoy living, learning, and working in our region. This keeps them home.
We continually seek to expand our impact, working within communities.
River Art Works is a 501c3 and EITC tax status with great potential to:
increase tourism, quality STEAM employment training,
reverse population decline and be the first artist retreat in Westmoreland county.
CNN has listed River Art Works as one of a 1000 Points of Light.
Our Goals
To build a retreat for the arts to strengthen traditional, business, and creative technology skills
Bringing the arts community together to strengthen the arts in Greater Westmoreland Region.
Workforce Growth and Community Revitalization
by helping creatives cross the technology divide
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events.
ArtTEK for TEENS
River Art Works has developed a high school after school program based on STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineer, Arts, Mathematics) that prepares artists to be career ready. This can include:
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FAA Commercial Drone Licensed
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comprehensive 3D Print knowledge
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broaden practical technology skills
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3D Print, Drone Pilot, & holography
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learn art business skills.
Why?
River Art Works uses the most artistically interesting technology to entice young artists to reach over the tech divide.
In other words, we offer artists a chance to develop the power of using both sides of the brain. Why business? It is a hard to find class even in colleges. 79% of artists are entrepreneurs.
In turn they become more globally competitive in the arts.
Art Tournament
Mammoth Park, PA
COMING
2025
:30 - 7:00
TOURNAMENT MUSIC FOOD GAMES AUCTION COLOR RUN
PAINT for 30 MINUTES
CROWD DECIDES WINNER
PICK TIME SLOT:
2:00-2:30
3:00-3:30
4:00-4:30
5:30 FINAL ROUND: THE WINNERS
All Art to be Auctioned
end of each round
auction items : 60% donated to
River Art Works Building Fund
40% to the Artist
FOOD: Roast Beef Sandwich, Hotdogs, Pop, Truley Drinks, Beer
PUBLIC TICKETS: $8 Early Bird by Aug 1
ARTIST ENTRY FEE: $30 before Aug10 $40 after Aug 10
includes 16x20 canvas and rent of easel
Artists responsible for supplying media
ARTIST ENTRY & Tickets below
Westmoreland Arts
Coalition
MISSION STATEMENT:
to collaboratively promote awareness of the arts and sustainability of the arts’ organizations in the Westmoreland County region.
Westmoreland art organization leaders have been gathering to plan how best to go forward, to strengthen the reputation and awareness of the incredible creative talent our region has to offer.
Initial groundwork has been developed. We are ready to market and showcase talent, organizations, and businesses in our area that are classified as artistic.
The first step is introduce a website that displays an art trail. It connects talent directly to buyers.
Please join us by becoming a member. All dues are used to market the arts.
We are 100% volunteer.
mission.
River Art Works began in August 2018 with a bold vision of establishing a comprehensive art and creative technology retreat/campus, complemented by education in the business aspects of art. Our own research backs up the need to build a hub, a campus, that supports artists and art organizations alike.
Self-sustainability will be in the form of tourism. Opening the galleries, gardens, sleeping quarters, performance areas, and commissary to the public for income is the goal.
We continuously work toward accomplishing this goal.
Acknowledging the significance of investing in future generations, in 2020 we directed our efforts towards establishing connections with youth, recognizing them as the future artists and leaders. We developed ArtTEK for TEENS, a high school level program that centers on creative tecchnology education:
3D Print, Drone and Video editing, Holograms
Established Westmoreland Arts Coalition
2023 exposed a dire need to quickly begin strengthening the arts community as a whole. After the “hub” was abandoned, Westmoreland and surrounding areas lost 30% of art organizations with two more on the verge of extinction. Our artists are not keeping up with international trends. Colleges that teach the arts are not requiring any business classes. Yet, 34% of artist are entrepreneurs. This needs to reverse.
That is the goal of River Art Works.
River Art Works will serve ALL acclaimed professional art forms and sciences that relate to arts bringing a positive energy to our region
as well as its visitors.
River Art Works will need a core group of citizens, businesses,
and foundations to support the buildout of the retreat.
Interested in supporting River Art Works?
ARTIST INTERVIEWS: https://www.youtube.com/embed/ucdvQFCvJZs
We embrace diversity and equality in a serious way. We are committed to building a team with a variety of backgrounds, skills and views. The more inclusive we are, the better our work will be. Creating a culture of Equality isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s also the smart thing.
phone: 724-547-4121