The Great Train with Stevo Sadvary

Saturday, February 6, 2021, 4:00 pm EST

This proposal will tell the story of what may be the world’s largest mosaic train. The Great Train mosaic was designed for The Ruins Project, an abandoned coal mine in Southwestern Pennsylvania that has become a concrete canvas for mosaic artists worldwide. The Ruins Project sits along the Youghiogheny River and the Great Allegheny Passage (GAP), a former railroad line that was reclaimed and is now a popular bike trail. The Great Train is quickly becoming a tourist hotspot to locals and travelers of the GAP. When Stevo discovered The Ruins Project he was instantly charmed and wanted to pay homage to the history and spirit of coal mining. Stevo grew up in a small mining town in the next county. As well as most men in the area, his father and grandfather were miners. Both men would die as a result of mining accidents. Stevo thought that doing this site-specific installation of a mosaic train in The Ruins would be a wonderful way to honor his father and grandfather.

Rachel Sager, the owner of The Ruins Project felt an instant connection with Stevo’s family history and invited him to become a part of the story as an independent artist. Rachel understood that Stevo liked to work big, having created several large outdoor mosaic murals in Pittsburgh. Rachel offered him the longest wall, 66 feet long and 8 feet high. They agreed that an image of a steam locomotive used to haul coal from the mine site to Pittsburgh was a perfect tribute. The train would also connect The Ruins Project to the legacy of the GAP bike trail. Stevo’s love of trains didn’t hurt the project either. Topics covered:

  • The rich history of coal mining
  • Stevo’s family connection to the mines
  • Stevo’s tribute to his father and grandfather
  • The spiritual nature of The Ruins Project
  • The Ruins first Go Fund Me, fundraiser
  • How the donors are represented in the artwork
  • Processes and products used in making the mural
  • Locally produced Youghiogheny stained glass used in the mural
  • Use of metal appliqués and epoxy adhesives
  • The history of the Pittsburgh & Lake Erie Railroad (P&LE)
  • The relationship between the P&LE and the coal mines
  • Some humorous events that happened along the way
  • Use of Photoshop to facilitate the design process

The goal of this presentation is to get artists excited about large outdoor projects while discussing the steps to achieve an enduring, meaningful, piece of mosaic art. The attendees will learn about:

  • Ways to work within a budget
  • Improvising with available color tile choices
  • The whimsy of tile placement and color usage
  • Getting out of the studio and into the forest
  • Getting volunteers and donors excited
  • Tools necessary to work on a large outdoor freeze/thaw mural
  • The importance of high-quality photos to show off artwork

Stevo Sadvary is a mosaic artist in the Pittsburgh area with over 25 years of experience. He has worked and developed art with clients, schools, businesses, landscape architects, community organizations, interior designers, hotels, a library, developers, city parks, architects, and churches. Stevo not only keeps a full-time creative based studio operation running by himself he also teaches part-time as a visiting artist for schools and arts organizations. He has given presentations many times about his artwork and about his extensive public art portfolio. Stevo is excited to share his story of “The Great Train” at The Ruins Project.  stevosphere.com