Colorful knitted blankets soon will cover the Andy Warhol Bridge as part of a public art project if the Allegheny County Council approves.
“It's a positive community project,” said Amanda Gross, 29, of East Liberty, lead artist for the Knit-the-Bridge project. “The point is to knit stronger communities.”
A county council committee gave the plan its blessing Tuesday, sending the idea to the full council.
Preparations have been underway for months as 1,242 people in knitting groups, schools and nursing homes have knitted large blankets to help cover the Warhol Bridge, formerly the Seventh Street Bridge.
Organizers hope to begin covering the bridge by the second week of August, weather permitting, and plan to leave the display up for up to four weeks, said Darla Cravotta, special projects coordinator for the county.
The bridge towers will be covered in machine-made knitted fabric, while the walkways will be covered with the handmade blankets. After the blankets are removed, they will be washed and distributed to homeless shelters, nursing homes and animal shelters. Funding for the project came from foundations, businesses and individual donations.
“I think this is very cool,” said Councilwoman Barbara Daly Danko, D-Regent Square. “I would never have thought of this in a million years.”
Gross said they do not need more knitters for blankets, but they need volunteers to knit a black border that will go around the blankets. Volunteers are also needed to join the blankets together for the bridge. People can obtain more information, including the dimensions for the border, at knitthebridge.org, or contact Gross at 412-804-1540.
Bobby Kerlik is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at 412-320-7886 or bkerlik@tribweb.com.
