"The power of Pittsburgh is us. That we have each others' backs" Vanessa German at Bill Peduto's Inauguration

One of the highlights of mayoral inauguration on Monday, which receieved a standing ovation from the crowd in Heinz Hall and has been shared on Twitter was the poem by Pittsburgh artist Vanessa German.

“Let’s rise to become change agents of a 6 block radius” inspiration from Vanessa German @billpeduto inauguration http://t.co/BUjeWPumpJ

— GTECH Strategies (@GTECHstrategies) January 8, 2014

Vanessa German: “This is the power of Pittsburgh. The power of Pittsburgh is us. That we have each others’ backs.”

— Hill Consensus (@HillConsensus) January 6, 2014

@vstpgh We are mighty. We are fighters. We show up! Says Vanessa German, writer and poet! pic.twitter.com/ck0oHYwkn7

— Constance George (@ConnieCatGeorge) January 6, 2014

hat is just a few of the highlights. If you haven’t had the chance to watch this yet, here is the video from the Post-Gazette

Vanessa has a long history of advocating for Pittsburgh and the neighborhoods of Pittsburgh. She is also the force behind the “Stop Shooting We Love You” yard signs that you may have seen around the city. These signs are part of the Love Front Porch.

Here is the story behind the yard signs…

STOP SHOOTING, WE LOVE YOU

One day when, taking a break on the porch from my sculptures, I heard a round of 21 gunshots. I waited. I grieved. I worried for my neighbors, my students, the victims, the shooters, their families. I noticed the signs for political candidates in the yards around me and I thought maybe I could do something. Out on the porch, I began printing yard signs that encouraged peace and nonviolence with messages like “Stop Shooting: We Love You” and “No Guns: Keep Summer Fun.” I began distributing them around the neighborhood to friends and community members who, like me, saw this as an opportunity to say “STOP!”, not with judgment, but with love.

In November 2013 Vanessa German was the speaker at Creative Mornings Pittsburgh. Creative Mornings is a monthly talk that was started by Tina Roth Eisenberg, who is a designer based in New York. There are now Creative Mornings talks held each month in cities around the globe.

Vanessa’s message has spread way beyond Pittsburgh. Tina Roth Eisenberg is also the author of the popular design blog, Swiss Miss. Last month Vanessa’s Creative Mornings talk was featured on Swiss Miss.