GEORGIE LEHOOP, A DRUM ARTIST FROM ST. CLAIR, PA., DISPLAYS HIS ARTWORK AT THE DOLLAR BANK THREE RIVERS ARTS FESTIVAL THIS WEEK. | PHOTO BY JILIAN MUSSER

Lotus Billand, of Floyd, Virginia, loves art, and she travels to cities all across the country every year checking out their arts festivals.

Her favorite one? Pittsburgh’s Dollar Bank Three Rivers Arts Festival.

“I have traveled all around the country, and Pittsburgh is the one place that always ends up calling me home,” she said this week as she browsed among the artists’ booths that are spread out in a larger footprint than in recent years along the Allegheny River.

The views of this photographer and author echoed many others who were either showing their works or attending the 65th annual Three Rivers Arts Festival. 

“I love this festival,” said drum artist Georgie Lehoop, of St. Clair, Pa. “This town is very much into art and they seem to enjoy what I’m doing. I do very well here.” 

As the free, 10-day arts and music festival heads into its final weekend, ending Sunday, it’s been blessed with mostly glorious weather and an influx of crowds attending other huge events like Pride Week and the Kenny Chesney concert that have kept the festival hopping since it opened on May 31.

For the first time, the festival’s footprint extends along the Rachel Carson Bridge, where a Green Mountain Energy Stage offers additional entertainment. The Main Stage is at Ninth Street and Fort Duquesne Boulevard.  

ARTISTS’ BOOTHS ARE LINED UP ALONG FORT DUQUESNE BOULEVARD FOR THE THREE RIVERS ARTS FESTIVAL. | PHOTO BY JILIAN MUSSER

Until 2020, the festival’s Artist Market and concerts were held primarily in Point State Park and the shaded, narrow paths of Gateway Center. But the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, which owns and operates the park, said it could no longer accommodate a 10-day festival in the park. Since then, the festival moved to the Cultural District, where different configurations have been tried each year.

While some festival-goers praised the new layout, others said they miss the setup previously held around Gateway Center. The Fort Duquesne layout allows booths to be spread out more, but requires more walking and there is no shade on the Rachel Carson Bridge. 

“I like it spread out more, even though it’s hard to walk around,” said Cathy Kosmann of Brentwood. “Even though all festivals have the same thing, I think this has a bunch of little different niches here.” 

Most of the artists interviewed — among more than 325 appearing at the festival — were enthusiastic about their work and the festival. 

“We were given a job to make you smile, you know, so that’s important,” said Sidney Carter of Atlanta, who has shown at the festival for eight years. He paints an array of musical and dance pieces to ethnic, abstract, still life and cubism. While most of his pieces are displayed at his gallery in Powder Springs, Georgia, he travels to many festivals. 

“Art is the reason for living. In a lot of ways, it’s what makes culture so interesting,” said Lindsay Schmittle, a former graphic design student who is part of the festival’s Emerging Artist program. That provides new artists with supplies for a booth to ensure their first year at the festival is a success. Her business, Gingerly Press, specializes in letterpress printing.

From metal to wood, Schmittle’s materials are all recyclable, earning her “The Best Use of Recycled Materials” award from the festival. “I’ve got a small business partnership with the National Forest Foundation, so $1 from every product goes and plants a little tree,” she said. More than 3,200 trees have been planted from her work. 

DARIN DINAPOLI OF BRADDOCK HILLS FOCUSES ON ABSTRACT AND DRONE PHOTOGRAPHY. | PHOTO BY JILIAN MUSSER

Artist Darin DiNapoli of Braddock Hills, an Emmy Award-winning director/editor/producer/motion graphics artists, runs DNAPPS Productions, which focuses on abstract and drone photography.

He has been at the festival for three years, beginning as an Emerging Artist. “It’s good to see other artists that are doing [festivals] full time and then myself who does it once a year,” said DiNapoli. “Learning from all these other artists and getting to talk to all the people and what they say about my work as well is great.” 

For Billand of Virginia, she’s just glad to be back.

“This art fair specifically, is so important to me because I have so many family members who I’ve adopted on the road that come here. This is a place that we can all come back to,” she said. “The artists that raised me get to come and we get to connect. Pittsburgh puts it on and that’s why Pittsburgh is home in a way.” 

The festival wraps up with these headline performances on the Dollar Bank Main Stage, located at the intersection of Fort Duquesne Boulevard and Ninth Street. These performers will play between 7:30-9 p.m. For a full weekend schedule, go here,

Friday, June 7 | Doom Flamingo

Doom Flamingo is a synth-wave band from Charleston, South Carolina mixing Top Gun guitar riffs and Miami Beach poolside lounge-vibes, contrasted with dark synth sounds reminiscent of old John Carpenter films.

Saturday, June 8 | Sugarhill Gang and The Furious Five

Sugarhill Gang and The Furious Five are Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and GRAMMY® Award-winning artists and legendary pioneers of rap and hip-hop music. Sugarhill Gang lineup includes Wonder Mike, Master Gee, and Hen Dogg. The Furious Five includes Scorpio, Mele Mel, and Rahiem.

Sunday, June 9 | Ben Folds

Ben Folds is widely regarded as a major music influencer. The Emmy-nominated singer-songwriter-composer has created an enormous body of genre-bending music that includes pop albums with Ben Folds Five, multiple solo albums, and numerous collaborative records.

Jilian Musser’s reporting is supported by the Pittsburgh Media Partnership.