Local mosaic artist Daviea Davis is developing a following at Summerset at Frick Park. Several residents own her art.

Roz Sherman saw a piece in the newspaper that Davis did for Nine Mile Run. Roz tracked it down and finally purchased it when it was put up for auction to benefit Nine Mile Run Watershed Association. “Something about that piece just spoke to me,” she recalls. She also likes how Summerset at Frick Park is in the corner of her piece.

Another neighbor, Barb Wein, had a thank you party for everyone who helped her move to Summerset at Frick Park and had Davis guide her guests in making their own stained glass pieces to take home. Since then Barb has had friends and family gather at her home to complete two pieces, one of the ocean and one of the forest, following Davis’ instructions. Barb wanted to participate in making the art with others. “Different people worked on different ones,” she explains, so it represents many hands coming together. Barb had the pieces hung were she can see them everyday. “I love the glass and the colors,” she adds.

Davis’ following extends beyond the neighborhood as well. Her work graces many places in Pittsburgh, including The Pittsburgh International Airport, the Point Brugge Cafe, Gilda’s Place, The Falk School, the C.C. Mellor Memorial Library, Allegheny County Children and Family Court and The Pittsburgh Community Food Bank.

Davis has been making mosaic art for eighteen years. She started doing mosaics with tiles and then moved onto using cut glass on wood. Eventually, her medium shifted from wood to repurposed windows.

The “ah-ha” moment came when she was commissioned to do a mosaic countertop for a garden store. She decided to experiment by using an old window for the countertop. When she finished the project, she went to lift it and saw the light filtering through it and loved the transparency. From that moment on she focused on using windows because the “daylight is the magic.”

While Davis’s Three Rivers pieces (including the one at the airport) have been very popular, she has been doing more nature scenes recently. She did a piece for the Nine Mile Run Watershed Association and “loved it.” Davis said that’s when she “started thinking about what’s happening on the ground.”

Davis has featured Frick Park in many of her works and has worked with Nine Mile Run Watershed Association and Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy. Not only does her art showcase the local natural beauty, it is environmentally green as well. Davis recycles glass pieces from local stained glass artists and repurposes windows that have been taken out of old homes.

We’ve called upon Summerset at Frick Park builder and resident Murray Rust to explain some of the energy efficient features that they’ve built into the homes here.

“At Summerset, we strive to create a community whose construction leaves a light footprint on the natural surroundings and allows our residents to have a comfortable, healthy lifestyle while using a minimum of the earth’s natural resources,” Murray explains.  After building homes in the Summerset at Frick Park community, Murray decided to build a home for himself and his wife Shirley. The Rusts built their home with a focus on energy efficiency and their home was certified to have a HERS (Home Energy Rating System) index of 53. This means that their home should consume only 53% of the energy of a similar home that was built to the standard building codes.

One of the ways that the Rusts save energy in their home is by using a tankless hot water heater. Instead of keeping a large reserve of water hot as a traditional hot water heaters does, the tankless hot water heater heats water only as it is used.  Because it is not constantly keeping stored water hot, this saves energy. It also takes up far less space than a traditional hot water heater.

Murray also notes the long-term value of owning an energy efficient home. “Energy efficiency is a major focus [at Summerset at Frick Park] as the savings for the homeowner and for society at large will continue for the life of the home.”

Summerset at Frick Park residents took part in this year’s National Night Out, held August 2, 2011. This program is designed to increase neighborhood awareness and to raise community spirit.

This national effort is not only to deter crime in neighborhoods but also to strengthen ties among residents and encourage them to look out for one another.

Neighbors at Summerset at Frick Park were asked to turn on their porch lights in support of National Night Out and head to Crescent Park for a community gathering that included appetizers, cold lemonade and treats for the kids.  Fire fighters and police officers showed the children the police car and the fire truck.  The fire fighters explained nearly every piece of equipment to a large group of curious children. This National Night Out celebration also served as an impromptu birthday party for two residents who had birthdays on that day.

Lisa Brown, from the Nine Mile Run Watershed Association, was on hand to update residents on how Nine Mile Run is now clean enough to support a variety of fish species and  is now home to thousands of fish. Although not clean enough to swim or wade in, this represents a vast improvement over the conditions in the stream ten years ago.  While the main attraction for the children was to climb on the fire truck, many residents saw this event as a chance to show appreciation to the city’s police and fire departments for their dedication and service.

Don’t miss out!

October 15, 2011 – A Taste of Summerset At Frick Park – Come join us at Crescent Park at Summerset at Frick Park, from 1-4 p.m. for an afternoon of music, food and entertainment.  This festive afternoon will include cooking demonstrations and live music.  Local specialty food trucks will be on hand to sell their favorite fare. Musical acts, including Latin American music by Besame, will be featured throughout the afternoon.