Art Historian to Speak Here About Evolution of the National Mall

The National Mall in Washington, D.C., has expanded and evolved throughout its 200-year history, but some say it has become too cluttered with new museums, security barriers, and tents hosting mega-events and national celebrations.

Despite a 2003 Congressional moratorium on construction, various groups are jockeying for new buildings, such as a National Museum of African American History, a Vietnam Memorial Visitors Center, and concessions at the Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument.

Art historian Judy Scott Feldman, president of the National Coalition to Save Our Mall, will address this issue at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 24 in the Frick Fine Arts Building Auditorium, in a free presentation titled “Designing for Democracy: A Third-Century National Mall.”

A frequent and popular lecturer involved in national arts programs, Feldman has taught classes for the Smithsonian on Washington, D.C., art and architecture, medieval art, and sacred spaces. She is a former assistant professor of art history at American University in Washington, D.C., and received her doctorate in art history from the University of Texas at Austin.

Her talk is part of an ongoing lecture series, Designing the Future, Preserving the Past, cosponsored by Pitt’s Department of the History of Art and Architecture and Chatham College’s Interior and Landscape Architecture programs. For more information, call 412-648-2405.

—Sharon S. Blake

Pitt Raises More Than a Half Million Dollars for United Way Campaign

Pitt faculty, staff, and retirees have surpassed their goal of raising a half million dollars for the 2005 United Way Campaign and have contributed $502,963 to the annual effort, which officially ran from Oct. 12 through Nov. 23, although pledges are still being received.
“The University community is to be commended for its commitment to United Way and the people of our region,” said Anne Franks, Pitt’s United Way Campaign manager and director of Administrative Services in Pitt’s Office of Institutional Advancement. “This has been a very successful campaign, in large part because of the outstanding efforts of the coordinators and representatives who worked hard in their individual departments to encourage participation and raise money. We are proud to be a strong partner with United Way, working to improve the quality of life in our community.”

To encourage participation, three prize drawings were held throughout the campaign. This year’s drawings were Oct. 21, Nov. 11, and Dec. 2. Lists of the prizes and winners can be found at www.pitt.edu/~united. Pauline Kraly of the University’s Learning Research and Development Center won the grand prize of two airline tickets. Campaign department coordinators and representatives were eligible to participate in a drawing for a laptop computer. Dora Sciulli, a staff member in The Book Center, was the winner.

It is still possible to make a pledge. Credit card and billed pledges can be made online at www.pitt.edu/~united. Payroll pledges can be made using a pledge form, which can be obtained through Jean McDonough at 412-624-5846 or jean.mcdonough@ia.pitt.edu.

—Patricia Lomando White

Pitt to Host 2006 Chinese Coffee House and Spring Festival Feb. 3

In conjunction with the University’s Chinese Students and Scholars Association (CSSA) and multiple city organizations, Pitt’s Office of International Services (OIS) will host the 2006 Chinese Coffee House and Spring Festival Celebration from 4 p.m. to midnight Feb. 3 in the William Pitt Union’s Kurtzman Room, Assembly Room, and Ballroom. This event is free and open to students, faculty, and staff.

The celebration will include Chinese festival games, cultural food, artifacts, and presentations. Chinese and American artists and students will present traditional Chinese dance, music, and a fashion show for the evening celebration, during which an authentic Chinese buffet-style dinner will be served to participants.

The Spring Festival, held in celebration of the Chinese New Year, provides an opportunity for Chinese students, scholars, and their families to celebrate and share their culture with the Pitt community.

For more information, e-mail Jamie Rayman, assistant director for programming in OIS, at jbrayman@pitt.edu, or Shengnan Wu, president of Pitt’s CSSA chapter, at shw14@pitt.edu.

—Audra Sorman