The temperatures are dropping, and that means it’s time for hearty, nourishing meals like stews to take center stage. The main difference between soups and stews are that soups have more liquid, where stews have more body to them. They often have a longer cook time than soup, because the ingredients need a low and slow cooking process versus the simmering required for soup. But from the Caribbean to Ireland, cultures all over the world have enjoyed making big batches of stew for its simplicity and health benefits. Try some of these recipes this winter to make sure that even when the weather is chilly, your kitchen is warm.
You might think “summer” when you hear “Mediterranean,” but it gets cold in countries like Italy and Spain. Plus, the Mediterranean diet never goes out of style with its focus on healthy, savory ingredients. Pro tip: This recipe leaves a lot of leftovers, and sometimes it’s even better the next day.
Brat girl summer came and went, and a new remix album made it a brat girl autumn. But it remains to be seen if we can keep the brat hype going into winter. For another take on brat, try this beer bratwurst recipe full of umami flavor and healthy proteins.
A classic from St. Patrick’s Day, this Irish lamb and curry stew can still be enjoyed any time of year and goes great with a slice of Irish soda bread. There’s even a little bit of Guinness in it to get the party started.
The curry in this recipe from Liz Fetchin gives it an extra kick, but it’s an allergy-friendly recipe that anyone can enjoy. Tomato stew is rich, flavorful, and makes for a great weeknight dinner because of how fast and easy it is to make.
Pull this recipe out for a celebration. Whether you’re having a decadent Christmas dinner or just toasting a friend’s success, Kapustnica demands festive sharing. It’s also a chance to learn about Slovak tradition and hospitality—those Slavic countries are stew pros.
This recipe has been a TABLE crowd favorite, and it’s easy to see why. The Caribbean-influenced spices, beef tripe, and cassava give it a complex and satisfying flavor that will warm you up on any cold night.
You may not think to include sweet ingredients into your stew but the Dutch do things differently with their apple pear syrup addition. To balance out those sweeter nuances, this Dutch Treat Beef Stew also features beer and garlic. It’s the perfect middle between each ends of the flavor spectrum all with tender chunks of beef.
What could possibly be more warming than a stew recipe? One full of green chile. This ingredient is the star of the show in a mix of pork shoulder, potatoes, tomatoes, dry white wine, as well as other seasonings and herbs. Try serving this stew alongside a warm flour tortilla instead of bread.
There’s nothing wrong with choosing a classic for dinner. Beef Stew is oh-so-popular for a reason; it’s undeniably delicious. The juicy beef along with melt-in-your-mouth potatoes and carrots meet a more modern twist with plenty of wild mushrooms. Serve a salad and rolls on the side for a hearty cold-weather meal.
For more ways to warm up your cold hands and put a smile on your face, try:
The Baptism of Fire installment in The Witcher book series comes to life on screen this October 30 with the release of season four on Netflix. We couldn’t let the latest season of The Witcher come ravage us without a White Honey Cocktail in hand. Modeled after Gerald himself, our recipe comes in honor of season four. The homemade honey simple syrup and luxardo cherry are luscious, sweet, and utterly smooth. But, bourbon and apple bitters bring down a sharp sword with a bite. It’s the perfect representation of Geralt’s love for Ciri and Yennefer versus his Witcher nature.
What is to Come in The Witcher Season 4?
The fourth season of The Witcher takes a huge turn from the series’ previous season. Most significantly, the departure of Henry Cavill means we see Liam Hemsworth taking over Geralt of Rivia. This season’s storyline also comes from Andrzej Sapkowski’s novel, Baptism of Fire, where Geralt is recovering from injuries as well as embarking on a pivotal journey. His main quest is to find and rescue Ciri. She is now traveling alone after the end of season three and discovering more about her own powers. We’ll even see Geralt form a new band of companions that bring him to book fan-favorites archer Milva and philosopher Regis.
Movies bring us together no matter where we are from. The impact that these films leave on us create connections that last a lifetime and memories that stay in our brains. One of the ultimate ways to enjoy the atmosphere that movies create is through the Three Rivers Film Festival, a celebration of art and creativity. This festival focuses on uplifting independent filmmakers through public viewings from November 12 to the 23 this year in Pittsburgh.
View Over 20 Filmsat the 2025 Three Rivers Film Festival
Each year, filmmakers from all over the world come together to showcase their work to an audience and their peers. The festival is the first time all these films premiere, and, for many, its also the first time that an audience will view their work in general.
This year, the festival runs from November 12 to November 23. Films are shown each day, and some showings include appearances from the cast and crew for Q&As. The genres range from coming-of-age to horror to comedy, so there’s something for everyone to enjoy. There’s even an all ages shorts block at the Harris Theater on Saturday, November 22 that guarantees each short’s content is appropriate for children, too.
Take in a Short Film
If you’re not in the mood to watch an entire film, starting November 16 is the Pittsburgh Shorts Festival. It’s just like the film festival but with short features so more titles can be shown during a block of time. Not to mention, any attending filmmakers will be available for a Q&A after their short.
During the Pittsburgh Shorts week, the festival will host a Filmmakers Conference from November 21 to November 23. There will be a number of panels for creatives to explore, from short-form storytelling seminars to discussions on artificial intelligence in the industry. Plus, there will be many opportunities for networking throughout the whole festival.
This year some of the special panels and speakers feature Independent Film Today, Beyond the Lens: Embracing Diversity, the importance of the Oscars, and keynote speaker Christine Vachon (producer of Past Lives, May/December, Boys Don’t Cry, and more).
For a complete schedule of the showings which will release on October 22 and to purchase tickets, visit filmpittsburgh.org.
Get ready to make this Halloween season your most unforgettable one yet! Whether you’re planning a spooky soirée, looking for kid-friendly fun, or dealing with a massive candy haul, this guide has everything you need. From transforming your office into a haunted haven to mastering themed cocktails and using up that mountain of leftovers, here are your essentials to making your Halloween absolutely perfect (and a little spooky too!)
Just because you’re stuck at the office on Halloween doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate the holiday. We’ve got your simple, fun, and appropriate ideas for turning your workplace into a festive space. Homemade treats as well as sharable lunches ensure everyone—from colleagues to clients—can enjoy the spooky spirit without disrupting the workday.
Elevate your evening with sophisticated, spooky-themed treats and beverages designed specifically for grown-up celebrations. Rather than subcumb to the basic, add an air of elegant indulgence to your Halloween party this year. Try our spooky coffee cake with skull decorations on top or delicious cocktails that taste so good it’s scary.
Perfect for a chilling movie night, we’re here to help you find the best horror and Halloween holiday films to stream on all your favorite apps and websites. Plus, we also suggest the ideal cocktail pairings to sip while you watch, enhancing the atmosphere of your fright night and making it a night to remember.
Take the stress out of hosting with a curated list of spooky songs and a complete menu plan too! Ensure your party atmosphere is perfect from food to music all while enjoying the celebration yourself for once thanks to our easy-to-play Spotify playlist. Just for the record, a zombie cocktail 100% goes with Michael Jackson’s Thriller.
Halloween really is a holiday for the kiddos after all so why not get them in on all the fun in the kitchen too? These simple, hands-on recipes get children involved so that your little one grows up with a fun, creative, and memorable activity for the whole family. Think Slime Popcorn that can form into monsters or completely customizable candy bark.
Solve the annual problem of overwhelming excess candy by crafting those leftover treats—like chocolate bars and peanut butter cups—into delicious, crowd-pleasing baked goods. We’re turning candy corn into Rum Pecan Candy Corn Blondies, Twix into an Easy Twix Cold Cake No Bake recipe, and also Butterfingers into a Rum Buttermilk Butterfinger Cake. You’ll never look at Halloween candy the same way again.
Everyone needs a cocktail (or mocktail) to truly bring the life to a party. Our collection of inventive and thematic drink recipes, leave your bar fully stocked with creative potions that look amazing and taste even better. Wow your friends with your new mixology skills with cocktails based on Halloween characters like witches and vampires as well as brews for your favorite movies.
As the weather turns cool, the kitchen promises warmth and rich flavor—and nothing delivers quite like braising. Forget complicated techniques that make eating at home a hassle. This slow, gentle cooking method is the secret to transforming simple meats, hearty vegetables, and even firm fruits into incredibly tender, flavorful masterpieces. By searing ingredients before simmering them in a small amount of liquid, braising creates complex, satisfying dishes with fall-apart results and a luscious sauce every single time. Get ready to embrace the art of the low and slow with the recipes below.
Radicchio and fennel are two vegetables that can lean more on the bitter side. In order to mellow out these flavors, still allowing them to shine, we’re braising these two ingredients. Braising with vermouth and chicken or vegetable stock goes a long way here.
Duck is one of our favorite meats to prepare in cooler weather for the warming nature of its fat. For this duck leg, we reccomend braising in a mixture of chicken broth, onion, garlic, green chiles, ground cumin, ground coriander, and dried oregano. Plus, cumin carrots are the perfect side to create a fulfilling dinner.
Another recipe that uses green chile for braising is our oxtail. Green chile works so well when braising because it adds a gentle amount of heat while reinforcing the flavors of the meat. We’re layering it here with onion, garlic, thyme, tomato paste, red wine, beef stock, cloves, and allspice.
A classic recipe for braising is our Beef Short Ribs with Cheddar Cheese Grits. By searing with salt, pepper, and paprika then slow roasting in a beef stock, it infuses each short rib with a savory punch. The Cheddar Cheese Grits here balance out the succulent meat and make for a fantastic dinner.
Did you know you can braise more than vegetables and meats? Braising apples can turn this sweeter snack into a delightfully savory surprise. Think Golden Delicious variety in dry white wine, white balsamic vinegar, fresh garlic, chile Colorado sauce and seasoned with salt, pepper, fresh thyme, andblack cumin seeds.
These two star ingredients show us just how tasty the simplicity of winter citrus and beets can be. This Braised Beet and Grapefruit Salad offers a vibrant contrast, where the earthy sweetness of the slowly cooked beets is perfectly cut by the sharp, zesty tang of fresh grapefruit.
This Apple and Mustard Braised Pork is the ultimate cozy weekend meal, highlighting the transformative magic of braising. By slowly simmering the pork in a rich liquid featuring tart apples and sharp mustard, the meat becomes incredibly tender and succulent. You could even save the leftovers for over rice during the week.
Sophisticated palettes will appreciate the addition of Mostarda Mantovana. Here the lamb is gently simmered for hours, ensuring the meat is fork-tender and deeply infused with aromatic liquids. Then, the richness is contrasted by the Mostarda Mantovana, an Italian condiment of candied quince in a potent mustard oil.
The process of braising in this pork belly recipe allows the belly’s substantial layers of fat to slowly render into the cooking liquid. It basically creates a self-basting environment that leaves meat incredibly tender and moist. What emerges from the long, gentle heat is perfect, fall-apart succulent meat cloaked in a deep, concentrated glaze.
We’re rubbing a tender pork tenderloin with a vibrant blend of spices and then slow-cooking it in the oven or crockpot for hours. The pork gets braised in a rich liquid of apple cider, apple cider vinegar, and chicken broth, along with sliced apples, onions, and garlic. The apples and cider here balance the sourness of the sauerkraut.
This Braised Cabbage and Beans recipe is a hearty, plant-based dinner that’s for a soul-warming meal on a cold day. It starts by crisping up wedges of green cabbage before slowly simmering them alongside nutritious beans, onions, and garlic in a vegetable stock. The long cooking time softens the cabbage and tenderizes the beans into one brilliant medley.
This ideal pairing makes a great partner to any of the recipes above. This Braised Red Cabbage with Apples transforms the tart red cabbage and apples into a savory, German-inspired side. The balsamic vinegar and a touch of brown sugar balance the cabbage’s natural bitterness while allspice infuses the dish with warm fall spices too.
There’s nothing better than warming the soul with a homemade bowl of soup. Now that the weather is beginning to cool, there’s a good chance you’re gravitating towards a hearty, filling bowl of goodness for lunch and dinner. From chicken noodle to exotic butternut squash, we’ve got you covered with the below delicious homemade soup recipes.
French Onion Soup has a special place in our hearts because it requires a central technique for good cooking — caramelizing onions. Browning or carmelizing onions is an exercise in patience and expands basic cookery chops in building flavor. It’s a cooking tenet applicable anywhere but should be mastered here in all its melty goodness.
Experience shows that the less stress you bring to the dinner table, the smoother the ride. Try this very simple, healthy, and nutritious Alphabet Soup. Serve with crusty bread and butter. Perhaps you garnish with a bit of popcorn to keep the kids interested.
Vegetable soup is soul-soothing goodness, perfect for long wintery days or stormy summer nights (especially when you need to use up the yellow squash and zucchini from your garden).
This Caramelized Fennel, Onion and Pea Soup recipe is a warming and delectable winter soup created by fusing together varying local ingredients seasoned with warm spices and decadent textures.
This Spicy Sausage and Greens soup is a tantalizing, nutritious meal perfect for any time of year. Don’t let the short list of ingredients fool you. This delicious recipe is packed full of flavor.
This particular recipe pairs the veggie virtues of farm-fresh squash with a bit of Southeast Asia in the form of yellow Thai curry and coconut milk. Liokareas Cold Fused Leek Olive Oil adds a note of complexity!
Everyone we know has a childhood winter lunch memory of tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. Warm yourself with a cup of homemade soup (and a few memories) by whipping up a batch for yourself. Share with kids and grandkids to pay those fond memories forward.
Our Vegetarian Italian Wedding Soup made with Impossible Burger meatballs will warm you up in the best possible ways. Celebrate your Meatless Monday Zuppa with a twist and twirl.
A little bit of citrus and tang in a soup can wake you right up on those chilly days. This Lemon and Fregula Chicken Soup is similar to a traditional chicken soup but with small ball fregula pasta, broccoli, and plenty of lemon. Make a huge pot and freeze it for the next time you feel a cold coming on.
The simplicity of Roasted Pumpkin Soup makes for a quick and easy recipe that you can make in just an hour or two. A fresh pie pumpkin turns into a smooth, delicious treat with the help of chicken or vegetable stock ad plenty of seasonings. Just don’t forget toasted sesame seeds and fresh herbs for garnish.
In case noodles are not exactly your thing, try a chicken soup that uses filling wild rice instead. This recipe packs a bowl full of chicken or turkey breast, a homemade poultry broth, long grain wild rice, celery rib, carrot, and onion. It’s a little creamy and each spoonful is surely better than the last.
There’s nothing wrong with plain old squash but we like to think that a bit of extra spice makes everything better. This Curry Squash Soup features a coriander crème along with a hefty handful of turmeric, vegetable stock, orange zest, and coconut milk. Plus, you’ll also make a pepita brittle to garnish with.
Clam chowder and seafood gumbo are great but Tuscan Clam Soup is meant for the fall and winter time. Fresh clams cook in a deeply rich tomato sauce that infuses garlic cloves, parsley, dry white wine, and black pepper. You’ll want a few slices of country bread on hand to sop us all the broth.
You may believe you can only get Pork Wonton Soup at your local Chinese restaurant but it’s actually a breeze to make at home too. Once you have your ingredients ready, all you have to do is bring your broth to a boil, create pork meatballs, then add the bok choy and wonton wrappers. In not even half an hour you have dinner ready.
Not every soup has to include meat or cream. In fact, vegan soups are an opportunity to allow fresh produce to shine. This Vegan Mushroom Potato Soup combines three types of mushrooms along with shallots, garlic, Yukon Gold potatoes, thyme, red pepper flakes, and vegetable stock. Though you can feel free to experiment with other types of wild mushrooms and russet potatoes.
Joumou is a traditional Haitian soup that relies on pumpkin, beef, and pikliz. Pukliz is similar to a pickled slaw but with lots of spice and heat. Cooking up these ingredients along with habanero or Scotch bonnet chile is sure to clear out your sinuses and warm even the coldest of bones.
Everyone should have a tomato soup recipe in their back pocket and this one specifically uses heirloom tomatoes. The addition of fried basil and a basil oil take it beyond what you get in a can and add that homemade feel.
French Onion Soup with its bubbly golden cheese and rich onion broth are a must for the cold months. To make life as easy as possible, we’re showing you how to make a delicious serving all in one pot.
Apple pear syrup or appelstroop adds a tang to various recipes with its distinct flavor. In a Dutch Treat Beef Stew it adds to the depth of flavor and creates a unique taste you won’t find elsewhere.
What’s better than a soup you can prepare entirely in a slow cooker? This Tom Kha Gai from Martha Stewart focuses on lemongrass as a staple to build the rest of the soup upon. It includes a creamy mix of coconut mix, carrots, lime leaves, chicken, mushrooms, and plenty of herbs.
For our Seafood Chowder, we pack a savory broth full of cod, scallops, clams pancetta, potatoes, and tomatoes. To build up the broth we use seafood stock, white wine, dill, tomato paste, and a handful of seasonings.
For more ways to warm up your cold hands and put a smile on your face, try:
Daylight Savings Time starts on March 8, and that means we’re about to spring ahead… which also means we lose an hour of sleep on Sunday night when clocks move ahead at 2 a.m. To combat the (inevitable?) sleepy slump, we’ve curated a collection of easy and hearty recipes to brighten up your days and wake you up too. These dishes will keep satisfied as you return to your normal self and also get through that first day of waking up “earlier.” while you wait for the spring to return and also get you through that first painful day of setting the clocks ahead.
Everyone deserves something to indulge in when the time change hits. Bake yourself a sweet treat with our Dirty Blondies featuring chocolate, hazelnut, and coffee for a pick-me-up. These decadent squares are sure to cure any sweet tooth but the addition of coffee cuts through to make sure each bite isn’t overly sweet. Plus, you can make a whole pan that’ll last you throughout the week.
Nobody can get through Daylight Savings Time without a cocktail to sip while you think over the way your schedule shifts. Thankfully, our Espresso Negroni can work as a wake-up call since it has a shot of your favorite espresso included. But, be careful, too many of these cocktails and you might end up staying awake through the time change.
Since your sleep schedule will most likely get off track, you’re going to want an easy breakfast option to get you through the first few mornings. Our Overnight Oats Parfait can be made the night prior so you can sleep in those 5 extra minutes the next day. You can even customize your parfait to be perfect for you. Try using fresh fruit, nuts, varieties of granola, and even your go-to jam to make a breakfast that’ll help you recharge with great nutrition.
After losing sleep and a long day at work on a Monday, we don’t want to have to worry about making an extravagant dinner either. Sheet pan recipes can be a perfect way to take the hard labor away but still enjoy the just-as-delicious results. For this Sheet Pan Scallops and Corn Supper recipe, all you need to do is coat the ingredients in oil and seasoning, place them on a pan, and cook in the oven. Your homemade weeknight dinner has never been made so easily!
Chili is one of those dinners that you can make ahead of time and chow down on all throughout the week. This Texas Chili packs a punch of heat to wake you up that comes from the cayenne pepper, molé paste, jalapeños, and chili powder. Plus, these leftovers come in handy for when you’re running late to work and don’t have a lunch packed. Simply toss it in a heatable bowl with a lid and head to the office.
We will never deny ice cream for breakfast. We’re suckers for an affogato, especially since it means we get to indulge in two of our favorites: espresso and ice cream. While you may think you can only get an affogato at an Italian cafe, you can actually easily make this treat at home as long as you have an espresso machine. To make things even simpler we recommend using a Nespresso machine. This way with the press of one button you can brew your espresso directly over top of your ice cream.
To get you through the first part of Daylight Savings Time as you wait for the summer, we’ve curated a list of 11 Antidepressant Food Recipes that’ll bring a little light into your life. All the recipes use ingredients that have natural antidepressant properties like eggs, bananas, squash, and so much more. Look forward to meals like Salmon Poke with Yuzu, Butternut Squash and Lentil Soup, Cranberry Pineapple Upside Down Cake, and Creamed Spinach Dippy Eggs.
As the temperature dips and the daylight shrinks, there’s no better way to face a chilly morning than with a breakfast that truly warms you from the inside out. Forget cold cereal or hurriedly grabbed snacks—this collection of hot breakfast recipes is your secret weapon to beating the chill. We’ve gathered soul-satisfying dishes that will fill your home with comforting aromas and fuel your day with rich, nourishing recipes. Get ready to banish the cold, embrace the cozy, and make your first meal the most comforting part of your day for once.
A quiche is already luxurious but it only gets better whenever you add in crab and jarlsberg cheese. It makes this quiche a little nutty while carrying the subtle sweetness of crab meat. Try it alongside cooling fresh fruits for a lovely contrast.
Another quiche option that uses the same unique jarlsberg cheese gets its inspiration from Martha Stewart. This recipe from the queen herself uses asparagus and leeks to ensure you get the nutrients you need for the day. Plus the homemade crust ends up perfectly flaky.
What’s better than an omelette? Our Breakfast Casserole with Caramelized Onions, Dates, and Gruyere. We’re packing in a combination of savory ingredients that leave you feeling full all the way till lunch time. Your traditional casserole just got a real upgrade.
For those who love a sweeter breakfast, this Crème Brûlée French Toast Bake uses candied fruit and raisin filled panettone. Simply slice up a loaf and add it to a pan along with eggs, brown sugar, butter, half and half, and vanilla extract. We even include a bit of Grand Marnier for a deeper flavor.
This isn’t your basic boxed pancake mix. These Buckwheat Griddle Pancakes have a buckwheat flour base that can help lower cholesterol levels and keep blood sugar levels in check. Plus, to top these cakes you’ll make a blackberry sauce that’s tangy and carries a bit of heat from the black peppercorn. When beside the vanilla cream in this recipe, it’s a dream come true.
Rather than a breakfast sandwich, try your morning meal in pastry puff form. These puffs pack full ham, bacon and cheddar cheese that’s similar to a hot pocket but so much better for you. If you’re feeling creative, you can even back the blackberry sauce from the pancake recipe above and add it to these breakfast treats instead.
Spice up your breakfast with Cheryl Alters Jamison’s Morning Migas. This skillet sautés tomatoes, green chile, jalapeño chile, onion, eggs, and cheese along with broken tortilla chips that add a delightful crunch. It’s a mix of a breakfast burrito, omelette, and fajita dish all in one.
Sometimes making a hot breakfast recipe can feel like a lot but we’re simplifying the process as much as possible. This Easy Breakfast Bake means you can crack eggs into a pan with a pesto mixture then top with sun-dried tomatoes and prosciutto and bake. Talk about all deliciousness and no work!
We’re sure Popeye would approve of this Creamed Spinach recipe. To match the flavor and texture of this dish, we’re adding a dippy egg on top that lets the warm yolk break over the bed of spinach. Just make sure you have toast or a baguette nearby to sop all the goodness up.
For those who just can’t live without their Pumpkin Spice Latte. These Pumpkin Pancakes use pumpkin puree in the mix for a delightfully fluffy pancake and unmistakable taste. We also make an apple compote with Granny Smith apples, cider, and cinnamon to bring this breakfast home.
Fresh fruit and pancakes go together like bacon and eggs. Learn to make a pancake batter from scratch and then sprinkle in handpicked blueberries for a vibrant recipe. The brightness of the fruit lifts the heaviness that can often weigh down pancakes.
The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust full lineup for the 2025-2026 PNC Broadway in Pittsburgh season features a mix of blockbuster favorites, critically acclaimed new productions, and a return of beloved classics. The upcoming season promises unforgettable experiences for theatergoers. Look for surprises…like the chance to see one of the most Popular (wink wink, hint hint) musicals of the year. All performances will take place at the historic Benedum Center, making for an unforgettable night at the theater. It all starts with the first opening night on November 4, 2025.
PNC Broadway in Pittsburgh Shows in the 2025-2026 Season
The season kicks off with this highly anticipated new musical. Created by Alicia Keys, Hell’s Kitchen is bringing a fresh, contemporary score and story to the Pittsburgh stage. The plot follows 17-year-old Ali and her struggle with an overbearing single mother and a dream to escape the town she knows.
One of the most impactful and heartbreaking pieces of musical theater history makes its way to Pittsburgh. Les Misérables is a story of love, pain, and uprising in 19th century France. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and in the current political climate, no story feels more appropriate.
You’ve played the game and possibly even seen the movie but now you can experience this murder mystery live on stage. See as all your favorite color-coded characters come to life to solve this whodunnit in Boddy Manor. Guess along yourself to see just how close you come to figuring our the mystery.
After you see Wicked For Good, see the musical as it was originally made for the theater stage. Wicked takes the story of the Wizard of Oz that you know and flips it on its head to reveal the truth of the Wicked Witch of the West. Get ready for an evening with Glinda and Elphaba. Because itt clocks out in less than half the time of the movie version, you’ll enjoy its faster pace and its precise story telling.
Belle, Gaston, The Beast, and all your furniture friends prepare a family-fun musical that will get the kids to love Broadway. With stunning costumes and magical set pieces, you’ll feel the nostalgia of old Disney movies. It’s also a special premiere with this being the first North American production of the musical in over 25 years.
This famous show is about All That Jazz! A toe-tapping adventure takes us to Chicago’s Jazz Age in the Cook County Jail. Here, two prisoners compete for complete reign over the headlines with over-the-top performances. This show is all about big productions and energizing dances…and the nature of fame in a world obsessed with being famous.
First it was a book, then a movie, and now Water For Elephants stars as a stage adaptation. This heartfelt musical takes us to the circus where a young man finds his true home. The story flows from an older version of this man as he reflects upon his past loves and the life he has lived.
This critically acclaimed new musical comedy introduces audiences to a small, isolated town dealing with a serious problem. Their corn is dying. This witty show is packed with country music, groan-worthy jokes, and big laughs, making it the perfect lighthearted escape.
F. Scott Fitzgerald’s tale of romance, loss, and what it means to live the American dream was made for the stage. The larger-than-life character of Jay Gatsby takes us through the whirlwind that is 1920s America. You won’t want to miss your chance to experience this classic novel in an intimate way.
Pittsburgh’s cultural landscape is constantly evolving, and much of that transformation is guided by the visionaries at the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust. We sat down with Anastasia James, Director of Galleries & Public Art, who plays a critical role in shaping the public art experience across Downtown Pittsburgh. She shares information on her curatorial philosophy, the future of accessible art, the impact of public installations, as well as how she translates her vision into the vibrant exhibitions in the Trust’s gallery spaces. Take an inside look how Pittsburgh’s public art scene comes to life.
Anastasia James, Director of Galleries & Public Art at the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust Talks Latest Updates and Future
Great Lawn, Arts Landing Pittsburgh. Rendering by Field Operations, courtesy of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust.
You are very artist-oriented in your outlook. How did your interest in artists and their process come about? How does spending time with artists inform your decision-making?
Anastasia James: My interest in artists and their processes began during my first role as a Curatorial Assistant at The Andy Warhol Museum, working within Warhol’s personal archive. Immersed in that material, I learned that process is as vital as product in shaping an artist’s work. That early experience grounded my approach in close looking and listening, empathy, and deep respect for creative practice—values that have guided me throughout nearly two decades in the field.
At the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, this perspective informs my work commissioning large-scale, site-responsive public art and guiding artists through complex civic projects, including the forthcoming Arts Landing initiative. These collaborations require a balance of vision and pragmatism—translating artistic ideas into the fabric of the city. The artist Sir Isaac Julien, once described me as a “dramaturge,” someone who quietly and carefully shapes the arc of a vision, which I took as the highest compliment. Whether curating, commissioning, or directing public art initiatives, I aim to use my influence with care to help artists and curators realize their ambitious ideas. Ultimately, I believe artists are both the historians and the visionaries of our time. They show us who we are and imagine who we might become, simultaneously helping us see the present more clearly while also charting paths toward more expansive and compassionate futures.
Ben Schonberger, Hi-NRG at 707 Gallery. Courtesy of the artist and Pittsburgh Cultural Trust.
Do you have any particular favorites among the artists you’ve gotten to know and had a chance to work with? What was unique in your experience with them?
AJ: I have had the privilege of working with some of the most visionary artists and cultural producers of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries—including George Lucas and many others—but what stands out most for me are the relationships that develop and then evolve over time.
At the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, my goal has been twofold: to bring global conversations to Pittsburgh, and to ensure that our regional artistic community is integral to that dialogue. I’m interested in what sustainable, long-term collaboration looks like—how artists and institutions can grow together, responding to shifting urgencies and shared questions. The Trust’s ongoing partnerships with artists such as Lenka Clayton and Phillip Andrew Lewis, Thaddeus Mosley, and Sharmistha Ray exemplify this approach. Each collaboration evolves in dialogue with the moment, expanding into new mediums or revisiting ideas seeded years earlier. These sustained relationships model a more ecological form of curating rooted in care, reciprocity, and continuity rather than short-term spectacle ensuring that Pittsburgh remains a place where artists can both exhibit and build the next chapters of their work.
Thad Mosley in front of installation in the Cultural District. Photo by Michael Parente.
How do the visual arts nourish Pittsburghers? How do they help address and resolve moments of crisis, whether social, economic, or personal?
AJ: The visual arts nourish Pittsburghers by creating spaces of possibility, places where ideas, histories, and futures intersect. In moments of crisis, whether social, economic, or personal, art gives us tools for renewal, reflection, and connection. These aren’t abstract beliefs for me—the arts in Pittsburgh quite literally gave me my life’s work. It was here that I first discovered what it meant to live among artists, to learn from their processes, and to see how creativity can build community as well as belonging.
The arts are also a vital economic driver. Pittsburgh’s creative sector supports thousands of jobs across the region—from artists and fabricators to educators, designers, and nonprofit professionals—and plays a central role in sustaining downtown and neighborhood economies alike. When we invest in the arts, we are not only investing in artists, but also the city’s workforce and sustainability.
Kim Bond’s We Are Not Alone, at 707 Gallery. Collaboration with VaultArt. Courtesy of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust.
How does the Cultural Trust look to ensure that its visual arts programming resonates with Pittsburgh’s wonderfully diverse communities? How do you include people who might feel excluded from traditional arts spaces?
AJ: The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust’s visual arts program is rooted in building relationships between artists, audiences, and communities who have often been excluded from institutional narratives. My focus has been on cultivating inclusive, trust-based partnerships that expand access and redefine what participation looks like.
A key example is the Trust’s multi-year and ongoing collaboration with VaultArt Studio, a project of Achieva, which centers artists with disabilities as vital contributors to the city’s cultural landscape. This model: listening before programming, co-creating rather than inviting after the fact, embodies our approach. We also take pride in partnering with smaller non-profits to help them realize exhibitions and program they might not otherwise be able to produce due to funding or space constraints. These collaborations are mutually enriching: they allow us to share resources, amplify underrepresented voices, and introduce different audiences to one another, expanding our city’s cultural network in authentic and lasting ways. This is all to say that, inclusion, for us, is not a static goal but an evolving practice – one grounded in generosity, proximity, and the belief that high quality arts programming should be accessible to everyone.
Additionally, I would be remiss not to note that all of the Trust’s visual arts exhibitions and programs are free and also easily accessible by public transportation from any part of the city.
Work from Frank Lloyd Wright exhibition at 808 Gallery. Skyline Ink Animators + Illustrators, designers. Project for Point View Residences for the Edgar J. Kaufmann Charitable Trust, digital illustration, 2023. Courtesy of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust.
What upcoming performances, exhibitions, or community events are you most excited about, and what makes them particularly meaningful for Pittsburgh audiences right now?
After more than a year of planning and community dialogue, we’ve also refocused programming at Wood Street Galleries—a historic alternative exhibition space operated by the Trust and perched above downtown Pittsburgh’s T station that has, for over 30 years, championed new and emerging forms of media. Responding to the city’s creative pulse, we’re expanding into more experimental territory that integrates sound, performance, and live electronic music.
One of the most exciting new initiatives is Fourth River, a fully subsidized electronic music residency and professional training program launched in partnership with The Rising Artist Foundation and local collective Honcho. The program supports regional musicians through mentorship, workshops, and public industry lectures, culminating in a showcase at Wood Street. For Pittsburgh audiences, this evolution reflects the Trust’s mission—to honor our city’s legacy as a hub of artistic experimentation while creating new points of access and opportunity across art, music, and technology.
Naeem, a grantee from the Fourth River music program. Courtesy of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust.
