City of Pittsburgh Names an Advisory Committee and Researcher for the City Collection Equity Audit
The Department of City Planning’s Public History, Art, and Design Division Launches Phase 2 of the Audit
PITTSBURGH — The Department of City Planning’s division of Public History, Art, & Design has announced the Advisory Committee and Audit Researcher to kick off Phase 2 of the City Collection Equity Audit of monuments, memorials, and historical and modern art.
“To create a city that’s welcoming and inclusive of all people, we must begin to dismantle biased systems that led to public spaces and objects that are not representative of the wide range of lived experiences across our great City,” said Mayor Ed Gainey. “This committee’s work is an important step toward examining how we can better create space for equity and representation in our public art program.”
In 2020, the city launched this audit to identify inequities and biases within the City’s permanent collection. The goal is to proactively review the City’s Collection, which has been formed over the past two centuries, to identify objects that perpetuate inequitable or misrepresentative histories, and to determine representation gaps that will inform future public art policies and programming.
The Advisory Committee was formed through an open call for nominations, and they will provide perspectives and feedback on the audit process, define the Researcher criteria, and review research findings throughout the audit.
The members of the Advisory Committee are Samuel Black, Kent Bey, Lenora Dingus, Mary Martin, Miguel Sague Jr, Kirk Savage, and Sara Tang.
In partnership with the Advisory Committee, the Audit Researcher will create the research process and conduct a full review and analysis of the collection. This position was awarded through a Request For Proposals conducted through the City’s Office of Management and Budget.
Keenan Saiz has been selected as the Audit Researcher.
The research and analysis of Phase 2 of the City Collection Equity Audit will take place through the end of 2023. For updates on the Audit, please visit the project’s EngagePGH page: https://engage.pittsburghpa.gov/collection-audit
