The renowned Millvale murals created by Maxo Vanka have long been considered a treasured artistic landmark in Pittsburgh. This year's edition of an annual program that connects contemporary local artists with Vanka's historic work will be showcased at an unexpected venue: the Frick Environmental Center in Frick Park. The exhibition, titled "Maxo Vanka: Gift to America 2.0: New Voices. New Walls," will open with a free public reception on Thursday, December 4.
The exhibition features original works by four carefully selected artists and artist teams, all chosen by the Society to Preserve the Millvale Murals of Maxo Vanka. Vanka's collection of 25 visionary murals, painted on both the walls and ceiling of Millvale's St. Nicholas Croatian Catholic Church, were created during two distinct periods in 1937 and 1941. These powerful works explore profound themes including social justice, the immigrant experience in America, and the universal bond of motherhood.
For this year's program, the society deliberately selected a diverse group of BIPOC and immigrant artists to create original works that reflect their personal stories while drawing inspiration from Vanka's timeless themes. The participating artists include painter Sheila Cuellar-Shaffer, mixed-media artists Fran Flaherty and Juliandra Jones, and the filmmaking duo Ahmed and Lily Raghreb. Each artist brings their unique perspective and cultural background to interpret Vanka's enduring messages for contemporary audiences.
The Frick Environmental Center, which is operated by the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy, typically dedicates its year-round gallery space to nature-themed artwork. However, James A. Brown, the center's education director, was immediately drawn to the possibility of hosting Vanka-related work. "We just started to imagine how cool it would be to bring their residency program over to the Environmental Center," Brown explained. "We observed there was a lot of nature that popped up in some of his work and in the murals themselves."
The Gift to America 2.0 program first launched in 2021 and has since become an important platform for connecting historical artistic legacy with contemporary voices. Greensburg-based artist Sheila Cuellar-Shaffer, who was born in Colombia, has created a newly commissioned piece titled "Where the River Meets the Sea." This striking acrylic painting depicts a Madonna-and-child-like pair, featuring a woman wearing a gold-embossed cloak standing before a landscape that showcases the titular bodies of water.
"I'm thinking a lot about migration and how the Latino-American communities are demoralized right now," Cuellar-Shaffer said about her work. "I'm thinking about the dehumanization of some communities, and I'm hoping that people think about other human beings as human beings and not as enemies or someone they want to get rid of." Her words reflect the same humanitarian concerns that drove Vanka's original murals nearly a century ago.
The other participating artists bring equally compelling personal narratives to the exhibition. Fran Flaherty is a first-generation immigrant mother who originally came from the Philippines, while Ahmed Ragheb was born in Egypt. Their diverse backgrounds and experiences as immigrants to America echo the themes that Vanka, himself an immigrant, explored in his groundbreaking murals.
In addition to the contemporary works, the exhibition will also feature carefully selected pieces from the Vanka Collection, which contains more than 130 original works on paper created by the artist. Maxo Vanka was born in Croatia in 1889 and immigrated to the United States in 1935, bringing with him the artistic vision and social consciousness that would later manifest in his famous Millvale murals.
The choice to host this exhibition at the Frick Environmental Center creates an interesting thematic connection that aligns with the venue's environmental mission. Vanka's original murals, which are currently in the final stages of an extensive restoration project, frequently incorporate natural elements including various plants and animals, as well as sweeping natural landscapes. This environmental thread running through his work makes the Environmental Center a surprisingly appropriate venue for showcasing both his legacy and the contemporary artists it continues to inspire.
The exhibition will remain on display at the Frick Environmental Center until mid-March, giving visitors several months to experience how contemporary artists are interpreting and responding to Vanka's powerful artistic legacy. The show represents not only a celebration of artistic heritage but also a bridge between past and present, connecting the immigrant experience of the early 20th century with the ongoing struggles and triumphs of today's diverse American communities.
