Contributing Artists
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These artists have contributed artwork to The Firetree Project or provided creative skills pivotal to its development.
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Saige Baxter
Contribution: Concept Development and Marketing In the fall of 2017, Saige brought her enthusiasm and creativity to a table at a coffee shop in Pittsburgh. That day the Firetree concept was born. Her involvement in the project was shortened after she received an artist residency that took her from Pittsburgh to Messejana, Portugal. Hard to say no to that opportunity! |
In 2019, Saige won the prestigious Emerging Artist of the Year Award in Pittsburgh. As a welder and interdisciplinary artist, she creates artwork and installations that are informed by her community engagement work, educational experiences, and family research, which has led her to relive childhood nostalgia through cooking, play and daily rituals. By blurring the lines between sculpture, architecture, play, and materiality, audiences experience artwork and spaces that encourage exploration.
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Alejandro Franco
Contribution: Cosmic Origins Location: Mounted on the shelf beneath the cart. Content: A sculptural assembly of materials representing the forces that must have intersected in some mysterious way within the cosmos to create planet Earth. |
Franco’s artwork breathes new life into obsolete materials. Born in Colombia, he merges his childhood experiences in South America with his many years spent living and creating in the United States. His artistic journey began with acrylic paints, which later evolved into sculptural creations he calls, My Little Contraptions. This collection of miniature set designs revealed to him the poetic potential of castaway objects. Franco's skill and vision with repurposed products have garnered him numerous artist residencies and commissions, including a performance for the 20th anniversary of the Miami based, Locust Projects and a stained glass window for a suite at the 21C Hotel in St Louis. With his partner, he operates the art collective, La Vispera, where they design and fabricate stained glass windows out of single-use plastic.
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Sara Tang
Contribution: The Takeaway Location: Four, wing-shaped panels, two mounted on either end of the Firetree cart. Content: Painted images and/or symbols of the memories or feelings that each of us might take with us when we depart from life on this Earth. |
Sara Tang is a multidisciplinary artist, illustrator, and creative facilitator who uses reclaimed and discarded materials and creative processes to illuminate the mystical and sacred deeply embedded in our lives and surroundings. Sara’s creative practice and process is mindful of drawing people in to a deeper empathic encounter with themselves, with their communities, and with what is strange and beautiful about humanity and existence. Sara is proud and honored to be a member of the #notwhite Collective, JADED PGH, Asian American Pacific Islander Collective, and the Digital Content Curator for Anthropology of Motherhood.
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SaraBeth Post Eskuche
Contribution: Water Catcher Location: Within the steel troughs at either end of the cart. Content: Assembled glass work. |
SaraBeth feels that glassmaking is a beautiful artform. In her home studio and the Pittsburgh Glass Center, this artist investigates the rich versatility of glass not just in sculpture and installations, but also through handblown and engraved cups, plates, and decor for the home. Through these creations and her flame and coldworked glass jewelry, SaraBeth shares a personal message, one of encouragement to others; travel the path that draws you in, the road less traveled that can brighten your internal flame.
SaraBeth works with Crafting the Future, a nonprofit organization promoting access to creative enrichment by connecting BIPOC artists with opportunities that will help them thrive.
SaraBeth works with Crafting the Future, a nonprofit organization promoting access to creative enrichment by connecting BIPOC artists with opportunities that will help them thrive.
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Erin Relac
Contribution: Chime Tassels Location: Two in total, one on each tail section at either end of the cart. Content: Macramé using cotton cord and rope. When a visitor pulls down on either tassel, it will activate a hidden chime below the cart. |
Erin Relac is a self taught fiber artist specializing in macramé. Using cotton cord and rope she creates intricate tapestries, adding additional fibers such as jute, rafia, silk and wool for added color and texture. Many of her pieces are inspired by vintage macrame designs of the 1970's but with added modern touches. In 2022 she was a recipient of the Emerging Artist Scholarship for the Three Rivers Arts Festival.
Erin is a lifelong resident of Pittsburgh, and lives just north of the city with her husband and two children.
Erin is a lifelong resident of Pittsburgh, and lives just north of the city with her husband and two children.
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Zachary Lardas
Contribution: Coppersmith Location: Ball of Light, plants, moons, and many other details. No project can be successful without the skills of a gifted fabricator. Zack is the youngest member of the artisan team at NIKO Contracting Company. When this sculpture found it’s way into that businesses’ construction yard, he willingly assisted in attaching the branches and winching the tree into its upright position. From that point on, he became the go-to person for all things copper. Zack’s good humor, expertise, and creative disposition made all the copper detailing on the tree not only possible, but as good as it could possibly be. |
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Anders Anderson
Contribution: Fabrication Location: Steering mechanism, wheels, tree structure Right from the start Andy was part of our “I’m Ready” marketing campaign. He was a pivotal force in getting the steel fabrication into action mode. In fact, it was Andy who gave Duncan his first instruction on stick welding. A multi-talented artist, Andy co-founded Red Clay Tile Works, a very successful artisan tile company creating a wide range of designs in glazed, relief tile. Andy also creates outdoor steel sculptures that reflect his powers of observation and creative interpretation. |
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Steve Groves
Contribution: Photographer Steve's artful eye caught the many memorable images you see on this website from the inaugural Firetree Celebration in 2018. |
Steve combines his love of music and photography into one inspiring artist portfolio. Perhaps his talents as a trumpet player and vocalist have influenced his skill behind the camera, for it would be easy to suggest that his photographs have the rhythmic phrasing of a musical passage or that of a memorable lyric. Not unlike a song or a sonata, his images can be appreciated and enjoyed time and time again. When not behind the camera, you can hear Steve perform with Uptown Rhythm & Brass (uptown-rb.com)
Many other businesses and individuals were contributors to the creation of Firetree.
No matter how small or large their contribution of time, space, expertise, or funds, each relationship was pivotal to the success of this project. I hope to list them all individually in the future to give them the proper recognition they deserve!
No matter how small or large their contribution of time, space, expertise, or funds, each relationship was pivotal to the success of this project. I hope to list them all individually in the future to give them the proper recognition they deserve!
Copyright 2017-2025, Duncan MacDiarmid