On October 20, Pittsburgh will officially welcome a new cultural asset, housed in one of the fastest-growing corridors in the region. The Pittsburgh Walk of Fame, an interactive installation at The Strip District Terminal, will show off the biggest icons from the region who’ve made a national impact, and it will be unveiled with an inauguration ceremony, sponsored by Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield, for the first 10 inductees, including notable figures such as Fred Rogers, Andy Warhol, Nellie Bly and A-list actor and Robinson Township native Michael Keaton, who is slated to be in attendance. The entire project and the nonprofit organization that’s behind it is spearheaded by Nancy Polinsky Johnson, a longtime co-host of various programs on WQED and the former owner and publisher of Shady Ave Magazine. Johnson has been working tirelessly for years now to bring to fruition the Pittsburgh Walk of Fame, the inductees of whom are to be selected via an annual public voting process, and she is excited to be nearing the point where the idea becomes a reality.
What was it that inspired you to pursue this project in the first place?
Thirteen years ago, I went to St. Louis for a family event. And on my way to visit the St. Louis Arch with my then-college-aged son, there was a St. Louis Walk of Fame, and we stopped to look at it. I found it absolutely fascinating. It was really hard for me to tear myself away. And I kept thinking about it after I left. And I had previously, years earlier, been to the Hollywood Walk of Fame, which is very famous, and it was very cool to be there. But I didn’t leave it with the same feeling that I had when I left the St. Louis Walk of Fame, which is, Pittsburgh needs one of these. And I realized that the difference between Hollywood and St. Louis was that the St. Louis stars are all accompanied by a plaque underneath the star that tells you who this person is or was, why they’re noteworthy, and what their connection is to the St. Louis area. My father was a history teacher. I’ve always enjoyed history and having a sense of place when I go somewhere. And on the plane home from St. Louis, I just kept thinking about all of the people from Pittsburgh that could fill a Pittsburgh Walk of Fame, and I got to work as soon as I got home.
Is there a moment you can recall where this project turned from a vision into a reality?
The moment that The Terminal expressed interest in being the host site for the Pittsburgh Walk of Fame. Then I thought, this can really happen. Up until then, it was a vision that was always greeted by two questions from anybody I shared it with: Where’s it going to be, and who’s going to be on it? And I just want to emphasize the tremendous appreciation that I have for Dan McCaffery and McCaffery Interests for doing this.
Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.…