Project Pop-Up has been an exciting initiative to bring vibrancy and innovation to Downtown Pittsburgh through temporary retail and creative business activations. As the program evolves, we are currently accepting limited applications for a reduced number of spaces. Check back to see available spaces and see if one is the right fit for your concept.
This scaled-back approach allows us to focus on curating high-impact activations that align with our vision of enhancing Downtown’s dynamic atmosphere.
If you’re interested in learning more or discussing potential opportunities, we encourage you to reach out to us directly.
Contact us for more information.
Applications are being accepted on a limited basis.
In collaboration with Downtown property owners and through the generous support of the Hillman Foundation, Project Pop-Up is currently seeking applications from prospective pop-up retail businesses to transform vacant storefronts into vibrant, activated spaces, creating new and exciting destinations in Downtown Pittsburgh.
The goal of this initiative is to implement storefront concepts that will further contribute to Downtown’s growing small business community. Activation can range from six months to one year, with the potential for extended occupancy.
Please contact Cate Irvin, Senior Director of Economic Development at cirvin@downtownpittsburgh.com or 412-325-0157 with questions regarding the program, application, or other Project Pop-Up related inquiries.
Explore the diverse and dynamic businesses, art installations, and exhibitions that have come to life through Project Pop-Up. These participants are bringing new energy to Downtown Pittsburgh with their unique contributions and creative offerings.
421 Seventh Ave
Corner of Seventh Ave & William Penn Place
Handmade, sustainable home décor and gifts.
201 Smithfield Street
Breakfast and lunch, coffee shop, and artisanal charcuterie boards and fine foods. Catering options available.
215 Smithfield Street
A collaborative initiative between Greenwood Plan and Cocoapreneur, hosting Black-owned businesses in the storefronts of this historic building.
This multi-site urban gallery exhibition created in collaboration with Silver Eye Center for Photography features the works from emerging Pittsburgh artists, transforming vacant storefronts in Downtown into an outdoor art experience.
Various works by Evangeline Mensah-Agyekum
529 Liberty Avenue
As a self-taught artist, Mensah-Agyekum primarily works with photography, fashion, and film. Evangeline draws inspiration from the banalities of daily life and the Black experience to explore Blackness, womanhood, and the unique intersections of identity. Much of her work aims to capture individuals, in part by transforming them, portraying undaunted characters through their vulnerability.
Legacy (2018) by Anqwenique Kinsel
604 Liberty Avenue
Anqwenique is a versatile artist and educator known for her talents in opera, classical, jazz, and soul music. As the founder and director of Groove Aesthetic, she delves into contemporary performance and collaborative processes. Legacy pays tribute to the legendary Leontyne Price, the first African American operatic soprano to achieve international recognition.
Stay Awhile (2023) by Sobia Ahmad
817 Liberty Avenue
Ahmad’s ongoing body of work centers on Pando, an ancient aspen tree grove in south-central Utah, believed to be over 10,000 years old. Unified by a single immense root system, Pando stands as the earth’s oldest and heaviest living organism, embodying interconnectedness and oneness. Ahmad’s art explores the transcendental power of everyday experiences, objects, and practices through various slow and contemplative processes.
“Send My Love to the Hill”
Artworks by Charlese Dawson and poem by Jhordan Price
421 Seventh Avenue
This photobook of poetry takes audiences on a tour through the Hill District through the lens of people who are a part of the community. Send My Love to The Hill is a love letter to this historic black community that has nurtured both Dawson’s artistry and humanity. Appropriately, this installation is only yards away from the August Wilson African American Cultural Center whose esteemed namesake described life in The Hill over decades and generations.