With her red bandana, bright blue collared shirt, and rousing message, Rosie the Riveter is an American icon. In the poster, she flexes her muscles with a stoic brow raised. Her call to action: “We can do it!” A vision of strength, she empowered and inspired Americans to come together and do their part during the World War II era.
You’re probably familiar with Rosie the Riveter. But what many people don’t know is that this piece of art – like many other world-changing ideas in the 20th century – was born in Pittsburgh. The poster was designed by artist J. Howard Miller, who graduated from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh and was an employee of Westinghouse Electric at the time of Rosie’s inception. You can learn more about the history of Miller’s work here.
At Pittsburgh Tomorrow, we’re inspired by Rosie’s message and energy, and we’re bringing it forward into a new era. We want to catalyze a new generation of civic leaders and innovators to build a new future for the city that built America. And we believe that the only way to do that is to work together.
So, like Rosie, we’re rolling up our sleeves to get to work and build a movement. We want as many Pittsburghers as possible to join us in reinvigorating our region: supporting local businesses and entrepreneurs, providing more opportunities for young talent, welcoming newcomers, and stewarding our environment.
You can find our take on Rosie in the current print editions of The Pittsburgh Business Times, Pittsburgh Magazine, Mt. Lebanon Magazine, Shady Ave, The Pittsburgh Quarterly, Table Magzine, and more – reaching hundreds of thousands of readers. We envision future iterations of this campaign to feature the faces of as many Pittsburghers as possible. At our most recent Pittsburgh Tomorrow Intersection, we took over 50 new Rosie photos for this grassroots public messaging campaign. If you’d like to be a part of it, you can get your Rosie photo taken at the next Pittsburgh Tomorrow Intersection on December 3.
“Let’s Grow Pittsburgh” isn’t a tagline. It’s a rallying cry – a call to commitment for Pittsburghers everywhere. Engage with your neighbor, volunteer with friends, unleash your entrepreneurial spirit. Pittsburgh is the place. Let’s make it happen.
