Hotline Ring was a BIG Hit!

Dear Lovers of the Arts, 

It has been a year. For all of us. We experienced a global pandemic together that shut down the world. We asked ourselves hard questions and re-examined how we support each other and sustain through this time. 

Last year, you were with us when we announced Hotline Ring, a virtual fundraiser led by Kelly Strayhorn Theater, that brought together the aligned missions of 1Hood Media, Braddock Carnegie Library Association, Boom Concepts, Dreams of Hope, PearlArts, and The Legacy Arts Project. With your support, we created an historic event that raised $130,000 and showcased a dynamic representation of regional and national artists, projects, and programs. 

We are excited to announce that the Hotline Ring Collective will come together again on Thursday, July 15, 2021 from 6pm to 10pm to weave our values, our care, and our vision for the future.  

Our vision remains – a future of abundance and shared resources fueled by inclusive arts experiences through affordability, multiple forms of access, a range of aesthetics, outreach, and education. As organizations in community with or led by queer, Black, people of color, unity draws us together to create systemic change, divest in state-sanctioned violence, and build space for healing. 

The pandemic exposed, in real time, the longstanding injustices against Black people that energized a racial justice movement. In Pittsburgh, it sparked urgency to address racial inequities and make change, together. At the same time, it reignited a global passion for art. While we confronted the truths of oppressive, destructive systems, we also felt more deeply the joy of art. Art is a means to not only lift our spirits, but to survive unknown and painful times.

As we begin to see a light at the end of the tunnel, we are working to regain our footing from the setbacks we are still enduring. Arts organizations, large and small, were hit hard and fast by the COVID-19 economic crisis. But we are encouraged by the relationships we have cultivated as institutions, individual artists, and independent collectives. We’ve chosen to work together with intention for mutual aid, collaborate on projects, and mentor one another. We partner and work together because art, creativity and culture bring us joy as we navigate the truth of our realities, affirm our lives, and nurture the well-being of our communities. 

Thank you for showing up for us. We are here because of you, and we look forward to continuing to create with you.

With abundant and joyful gratitude,

The Hotline Ring Collective