Pitt-starter is our occasional series of posts about Kickstarer and other crowdfunding projects that are of interest to the Pittsburgh community. You can check out previous Pitt-starter posts here.

I am very excited to share this Kickstarter project with you.  First, because I think this is a great chance to learn about a Pittsburgh artist who has been painting this city for decades.  And second, because I had the opportunity to meet Robert Qualters earlier this year and I think he is one of the many Pittsburghers that should be on your radar.

Robert Qualters – Penn Station Rotunda, 2006, acrylic and collage on canvas, 42×48″

Robert Qualters is one of those artists where you have probably seen his work around town but you might not have known much about the artist. His paintings are hanging in some of the offices and restaurants and he has painted several murals for Mercy Hospital and Pittsburgh public schools.

I hope you will take a moment to visit the Kickstarter page for “Robert Qualters: A Life in Film” to check out the video and some of the paintings of Pittsburgh.  The Kickstarter trailer gives you a glimpse into his studio which is located in Homestead.  I’ve had the chance to visit another artist in this building and you would have never guessed this old school was home to a wealth of Pittsburgh talent.

Another fun fact about this project is that one of the filmmakers, Elizabeth Seamans, was Mrs. McFeely on Mr. Rogers Neighborhood.

This Kickstarter project is to fund a film about his work which will debut in 2014.  A retrospective of his paintings will be on display at Pittsburgh center for the arts starting February 7, 2014.

The Qualter’s Kickstarter project also offers some unique rewards and the chance to pick up a signed and numbered print from the artist or an original painting from Qualters.

Follow Robert Qualters on Facebook – facebook.com/qualtersart and Twitter @qualtersart

Some other posts about Pittsburgh art and film:

• CAPA students help to select pop artist’s piece for Peduto’s office (post-gazette.com)
• Watch the Trailers and Vote for Your Favorite Pittsburgh Film Projects (iheartpgh.com)
• A Souper Pitt-Starter: Warhol’s Soup Cans in the Nude (iheartpgh.com)
• Unusual Acquisition Tradition (online.wsj.com)
• Pittsburgh Steel Mill, 6 x 6 in. (paintedjournals.wordpress.com)