Save the Carrie Deer

Dress for the Save the Carrie Deer event is casual. Please refrain from wearing high heels or open-toed shoes.

In 1997, a group of artists entered the grounds of the Carrie Furnaces in Rankin and Swissvale, to explore the abandoned iron mill as a potential site for their urban art. Inspired by the site, they erected a 40’ sculpture out of the remnants of the Blast Furnace Plant.

Borrowing from the mill’s previous mechanical methods they created their own assembly lines and built jigs and pulley systems. Inspired by the sheer personality and history of the site, they created The Carrie Deer—an artistic homage to natures' remarkable powers of reclamation—and in the process created a monument to hard work, dedication, sense of place, and rebirth that has helped make our region what it is today.

The Carrie Deer has survived 16 years of the site’s evolution from abandoned mill to prominent tourist destination. It has survived scrap collectors, vandals, graffiti artists, weather conditions, and threats of demolition to emerge as a key focal point of revitalization for this National Historic Landmark site. Every year, thousands of people visit the region and tour the site, learning about the Carrie Furnaces’ place in history as well as its place in the growing cultural and educational renaissance of our area.

For this magnificent piece of art to survive into the future, it needs to be restored and maintained. That’s why we are inviting you to join Rivers of Steel at a very special premiere event at the Carrie Furnaces on Saturday, August 16, 2014.  For the first time ever, Rivers of Steel will present an open air screening of the documentary, The Carrie Deer, and kickoff the campaign to restore this iconic sculpture.

The documentary explores the ideas of friendship and collaboration, process and experimentation, the sense of place and history and the inspirational muse of abandoned industrial spaces, how the artists came together to create this impressive tribute and what it means to the present and future use of the Carrie Furnaces site.

Rain or shine...you're covered!  In the event of inclement weather, all activities will be located inside buildings on site. 

$ 125 VIP Reception (6 PM – 8 PM, prior to screening)
$ 200 Early Bird VIP admits 2 (price valid through July 31) includes:

 - VIP reserved parking
 - VIP seating for film screening
 - Meet and greet with the artists
 - Meet and greet with the filmmakers
 - Food and drink by Superior Motors and Dorothy 6
 - Guest host, actor David Conrad
 - Guest host, producer Rick Sebak
 - Silent auction
 - Live music
 - Behind the scenes twilight tour of the Carrie Furnaces site
 - Live interactive kick off to the Kickstarter campaign

$ 10  General Admission (gates open at 8 PM, screening at dusk) includes:

 - Live music
 - Street food vending
 - Film screening*
 - Live interactive kick off to the Kickstarter campaign

*Bring a lawn chair.  Alcohol is strictly prohibited.

CLICK HERE for DIRECTIONS to the Carrie Furnaces.

Save the Carrie Deer sponsors:
Allegheny Conference on Community Development
The Beagle Brothers
The Brew Gentlemen Beer Company
Clear Story
Costco Wholesale
Do What We Love
Dorothy 6 Blast Furnace Cafe
Glyph Inc.
Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council
Industrial Arts Co-op
NakYouOut
Next Pittsburgh
Office of Public Art
Pillow Project
Pittsburgh City Paper
Pittsburgh Filmmakers
Rivers of Steel Heritage Corporation
Sign Creators
The Sprout Fund
Stay Tuned Distillery
Sterling Events
Superior Motors
United Steelworkers
The Waterfront
Zeke's Coffee
Zero Fossil
Zero Waste