Contact:	  Stephanie	  Sun,	  Marketing	  Manager	  ssun@contemporarycraft.org	  412.261.7003	  x29	  www.contemporarycraft.org	  FOR	  IMMEDIATE	  RELEASE	  	  	  	  Inspiring	
  Evening	  with	  Pittsburgh	  Cultural	
  Producers	  on	  Creativity	
  and	  Pressing	  Social	  Topics	  Explore	  the	  role	  of	  creativity	  for	  social	
  services	  and	  journalism	  	  Over	  15,000	
  Pennsylvanians	  are	  known	  to	  be	  homeless	
  either	  being	  on	  the	  streets,	  doubled	  up	  with	  family	
  or	
  friends,	  or	  in	  shelters,	  on	  any	
  given	  day.1	  In	  addition	
  to	  exploring	  the	  public	  issues	  of	  homelessness	  through	  Contemporary	
  Craft’s	  (CC)	  current	  exhibition	
  -­‐	  Shelter:	  Crafting	  a	  Safe	  Home,	
  CC	
  decided	  to	  focus	  the	  next	  The	  Space	  Between	  session	  on	  the	  notion	  of	  home,	
  access,	  and	  equity	  in	  Pittsburgh.	  CC	  invited	  Gisele	  Fetterman,	  an	  access	  and	  equity	
  advocate	  and	  the	  First	  Lady	
  of	  Braddock,	  PA,	  and	  Douglas	  Heuck,	  a	  journalistic	  innovator	  and	
  the	  founder	  of	  Pittsburgh	  Quarterly	  as	  the	  featured	  speakers	
  on	  Thursday,	
  November	  16,	  2017	
  at	  6	  PM.	  	  

A	  salon-­‐style	  speaker	
  series,	  The	  Space	  Between,	  joins	  together	  fascinating	  local	  cultural	
  producers	  in	  an	  evening	
  of	  inspiring	  and	  revealing	  discussion.	  The	  theme	  of	  this	  event	  will	  focus	  on	  how	  creativity	  supports	  the	  speakers’	  work	  in	  social	
  services	  and	  journalism	
  and	  intends	
  to	  activate	
  a	  discussion	  on	  the	  topics	  of	  homelessness.	  During	  the	  event,	  featured	  speakers	  will	  talk	
  about	  their	  backgrounds,	  the	  way	  they	
  approach	
  the	  creative	  process,	  their	  personal	  connections,	  and	  how	  they	  incorporate	  art	  into	
  their	  work.	
  The	  featured	  speakers	  will	
  also	  engage	  the	  attendees	  in	  discussions	  through	  their	  personal	  journeys	  and	
  CC’s	  current	  exhibition,	  which	  the	  attendees	
  are	  invited	  to	  arrive	  early	  to	  experience	  the	  exhibition	  before	  the	  event.	  The	  Space	  Between	  is	  free	  and	  open	  to	  the	  public	  at	  CC’s	  Strip	  District	  gallery	  with	  RSVP	  on	  the	  website:	  http://contemporarycraft.org/event/the-­‐space-­‐between-­‐2017-­‐11-­‐16/	
  The	  Space	  Between	
  is	
  presented	  in	  conjunction	  with	  Shelter:	  Crafting	
  a	  Safe,	  a	  thought-­‐provoking	  exhibition	  that	
  explores	
  the	  pressing	  public	  issues	  of	  displacement,	  housing	  insecurity,	  and	  the	  universally	  identified	  human	  need	
  for	  shelter.	
  Featuring	  14	  artists	  from	  the	  US	  and	
  abroad,	  the	  exhibition	  examines	  creative	
  responses	
  to	  difficult	  topics	
  through	  the	  inclusion	
  of	  artworks	
  that	  convey	  personal	
  stories	  and	  experiences	  to	  demonstrate	  the	  local	  and	  worldwide	  impact	  insecure	
  housing	  has	  on	  individuals	
  and	  society.	
  Shelter	  will	  be	  on	  view	  through	
  February	  17,	  2018.	  	  For	  additional	  details	  on	  The	  Space	  Between,	  please	
  contact	  CC’s	  Marketing	  Manager	  Stephanie	  Sun	  at	  ssun@contemporarycraft.org.	
  	  	  

1	  "Homelessness	  in	  PA."	  PA	  Department	
  of	
  Community	  &	  Economic	  Development.	  https://dced.pa.gov/housing-­‐and-­‐development/community-­‐services/homelessness-­‐in-­‐pa/.	
  	
  October	  12,	  2017	  THE	  SPACE	  BETWEEN	  INVITED	  SPEAKERS	  Gisele	  Fetterman	  is	  an	  access	  and	  equity	
  advocate	  and	  the	  First	  Lady	
  of	  Braddock,	  Pennsylvania.	  She	  is	  the	  founder	  of	  Free	
  Store	
  15104,	
  which	  picks	  up	  surplus	
  and	  donated	  goods	  and	  redistributed	  them	  to	  neighbors	  in	  need.	  Free	
  Store	  15104	  aims	
  to	  eradicate	  food	  and	  clothing	  insecurity,	  and	  currently	  serves	  	  close	  to	  1,600	  clients	  a	  month.	  Free	
  Store	  15104	
  inspired	  six	  spin	  off	  locations	  and	  412	  Food	  Rescue,	
  a	  
community	
  wide	  effort	  co-­‐founded	  by	
  Fetterman	  to	  end	  hunger	  and	
  reduce	  food	  waste	  by	  working	  with	  	  	  -­‐	
   m ore	   -­‐ 	  The 	
  Space Between, 2food	  retailers,	  wholesalers,	  and	  other	  food	  providers	  to	  rescue	
  un-­‐sellable,	  but	  perfectly	  good	  food	  to	  feed	  the	  food	  insecure.	  She	  is	  also	  the	  co-­‐founder	  of	  For	  Good	  PGH,	  a	  non-­‐profit	  that	  works	
  to	  advocate	  inclusion	
  and	  inspire	  kindness.	  Its	  first	  initiative,	
  Hello	  Hijab,	
  has	  received	  both	
  national	  and	
  international	  praise.	
  	  Douglas	  Heuck	  has	  been	  a	  Pittsburgh	  journalist	
  since	  1985.	  He	  spent	  20	  years	  at	  the	  Pittsburgh	  Press	  and	
  Post-­‐Gazette,	  with	  most	  of	  that	  time	  as	  an	  investigative	
  reporter.	  He	  penned	
  13	  newspaper	  series,	  ranging	
  from	  living	  on	  the	  streets	
  disguised	  as	  a	  homeless	  man	  to	  the	  last	  in-­‐depth	
  interview	  of	  polio	
  pioneer	  Dr.	
  Jonas	  Salk.	  Heuck’s	  newspaper	  series	  received	  several	  national	  awards	  and	  three	  Keystone	  Distinguished	  Writing	  Awards,	  given	
  annually	  for	  the	  best	  journalism	  in	  Pennsylvania.	  His	  series	  on	  the	  homeless	  was	  cited	  in	  the	  landmark	  media	  law	  case	  “Food	  Lion	  vs.	  ABC	  News.”	  	  In	
  2005,	  Heuck	  left	  the	  newspaper	
  and	  founded	  Pittsburgh	  Quarterly	  magazine,	  judged	
  the	  region’s	  best	  magazine	  every	  year	  since	  it	  began	  publishing	  in	  2006	  by	  the	  Press	  Club	  of	  Western	  Pennsylvania.	
  	  Pittsburgh	  Quarterly	  also	
  has	  won	  a	  prestigious	
  Folio	  Eddie	  Award,	  the	  global	  magazine	  industry’s	  biggest	
  context	  for	  editorial	  excellence.	  Heuck	  is	  also	
  director	  of	  PittsburghToday,	  a	  benchmarking	  project	  that	  compares	  Greater	  Pittsburgh	  with	  14	  other	  regions	  in	  some	  500	  categories	
  and	
  produces	  in-­‐depth	  journalistic	  reports	  on	  key	  regional	  issues.	  
	  ADDITIONAL	  INFORMATION	  Upcoming	  The	  Space	  Between	  Session:	  Thursday,	
  February	
  8,	  6	  -­‐	  7	  PM.	  Featured	  speakers:	  Justin	  Strong	  and	
  Aaron	  Regal.	
  	  FUNDERS	  The	  Space	  Between	
  is	
  sponsored	  by	  Cohen	  &	  Grigsby,	  P.C.	  Shelter:	  Crafting	  a	  Safe	  Home	  is	  made	
  possible	  by	  the	  Mary	  Hillman	  Jennings	  Foundation,	  The	  Pittsburgh	  Foundation,	  Staunton	  Farm	  Foundation,	  the	  National	  Endowment	  for	  the	  Arts,	  The	  Fine	  Foundation,	  the	  Brooks	  Foundation	
  through	  the	  PNC	  Charitable	
  Trusts	
  Grant	  Review	  Committee,	  and	  Cohen	  &	  Grigsby.	  Media	
  sponsored	  by	  90.5	  WESA,	
  91.3	  WYEP,	  and	
  NEXTpittsburgh.	  General	  operating	  support	  for	  Contemporary	  Craft	
  is	
  provided	  by	  the	  Allegheny	  Regional	  Asset	  District,	  the	  Elizabeth	  R.	
  Raphael	  Fund	  of	  The	  Pittsburgh	  Foundation,	  The	  Heinz	  Endowments,	  and	  the	  Pennsylvania	  Council	  on	  the	  Arts.	  	  	  ABOUT	  CONTEMPORARY	  CRAFT	  Presenting	  contemporary	  art	  in	  craft	  media	
  by	  regional,	  national,	  and	  international	  artists	
  since	  1971,	  CC	  offers	  cutting	  edge	  exhibitions	
  focusing	  on	  multicultural	  diversity	  and	  non-­‐mainstream	  art,	  as	  well	  as	  a	  range	  of	  studio	  workshops,	  community	  outreach	  programs,	  and	  a	  retail	  store.	
  Through	
  its	  mission	
  of	  engaging	  the	  public	
  in	  creative	  experiences	  through	  contemporary	  craft,	  CC	  offers	  meaningful	  art	  opportunities	
  for	  145,000	  people	  a	  year	  through	  four	
  core	  values:	  providing	  vital	
  support	
  for	  artists,	  filling	  critical	  gaps	  in	  public	  education;	  sharing	  cross	  cultural	  perspectives;	  and	  using	  art	  to	  build	  community.	  	
  	  CC	  is	  located	  at	  2100	  Smallman	  Street	  in	  the	  Strip	  District	  of	  Pittsburgh,	  PA.	  Hours	  are	  Monday	  through	  Saturday,	
  10	  AM	  to	  5	  PM.	  Exhibition	  and	  informal,	  hands-­‐on	  art	  activities	  in	  the	  Drop-­‐In	  Studio	
  are	
  always	  free	  to	  the	  public.	  Contemporary	  Craft	
  is	
  committed	  to	  making	  its	  exhibitions,	  programs,	  and	  services	  accessible	  to	  the	
  public.	  For	  questions	  related	  to	  accessible	
  accommodations,	  please	
  contact	  us.	  
For	  more	  information,	  visit	  http://www.contemporarycraft.org	  or	  call	  412.261.7003.	  	  #	  #	  #