When Sky Meets Steel (2025)

Watercolor on Paper

What family stories make an impression on you?

Picture it: Hill District - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
My mother has always told me the story of waiting for her father: a World War I| veteran, Hill District grocery store owner, and - construction worker on the iconic US Steel Tower, to walk home after work. The labor history of Black Pittsburghers isn't often taught about. But, thanks to the advocacy of Nate Smith, a labor leader who fought for a more equitable workforce, marched 800 people to the site of the Steel Tower, AND laid down in front of a bulldozer, people like my grandfather were able to build this city.

My mother never had a picture of this wholesome moment, but I felt called to bring it to life through watercolor.