Perched atop a hilltop alongside the Allegheny River, the St. Nicholas Church of Millvale boasts the extraordinary murals of Croatian artist Maxo Vanka. These murals blend artistic beauty with unconventional themes, featuring religious symbols, Croatian folklore, and poignant reflections on war, exploitation, and social justice. ⁠The 2nd annual block party features crafts, food, music, and activities under tents, plus docents sharing insights into the murals themselves.

With DJs both inside and out, from 2pm-4 the string quartet CutTime Simfonica® will perform a thoughtful alternation of “party classical” dances and dramatic slow works that enhance the poignancy of the murals. Please note this music will largely be played as background. Featured will be Remo Giazotto’s famous “Albinoni Adagio.” Docents will give an overview of Save the Vanka Murals during the musician break. Parking is very limited, so visit the event page to know where to park, drop off the elderly, or see details on the shuttle bus.

CutTime Simfonica is the brainchild of recent Pittsburgh transplant Rick Robinson (aka “Mr. CutTime”), a retired bassist of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra who started two outreach ensembles in the orchestra creating a hundred symphonic arrangements and two dozen Neo-romantic compositions, some of which blend in urban pop elements to form a smooth on-ramp for new listeners into classical music. His Classical Revolution Detroit series (2010-2022) became the OMG Classical series here in Pittsburgh last summer in local breweries. But it certainly extends further into other non-traditional spaces. He says, “CutTime® means it’s time to cut loose with classical and symphonic music.” Learn more at cuttime.com