Suspended above Shore Thing like a shimmering cloud, The Pittsburgh Chandelier is one of the most captivating features of Riverlife’s floating platform. Made from over 20,000 individual Capiz shells, it glows in the sun, sways in the breeze, and tells a story that runs deeper than decoration.
Created by artist Fran Flaherty in collaboration with students from Carlow University, The Pittsburgh Chandelier is a tribute to cultural memory, shared labor, and the power of public art to connect people across backgrounds and generations.
What is it?
Technically, it’s a shade structure: a sculptural canopy suspended over Shore Thing’s main gathering space, providing relief from the sun with a side of visual wonder. Built into a 40-foot steel frame designed by Taylor Structural Engineers and fabricated by Technique Architectural Products, it’s both architectural and emotional.
As you look up, thousands of delicate discs ripple in the light, each one made of Capiz shells, a traditional material used in Filipino homes to filter sunlight and cool interiors. The result is a space that feels almost sacred: soft, luminous, and alive with quiet movement.
A material that holds meaning
Capiz shells, known as Lampirong in the Philippines, are not just beautiful—they carry part of this culture. They’ve been used for generations in windows, lanterns, and artworks that balance utility with grace.
For Fran Flaherty, who immigrated to the U.S. from the Philippines, Capiz shells carry the weight of personal and ancestral memory. Choosing this material wasn’t just an aesthetic decision, it was a way of honoring her heritage, while also drawing powerful parallels between traditional Filipino craftsmanship and Pittsburgh’s own history of labor, migration, and transformation.
Built by many hands
Before it shimmered on the river, The Pittsburgh Chandelier passed through many hands. As part of its community-centered creation, Fran and her team brought the project to the Riverlife Chalk Fest over Memorial Day Weekend, where festival-goers were invited to help string shells and add their own flair through signatures, drawings, or written messages.
Some wrote names of loved ones. Others signed with symbols of luck or hope. Each shell became not just a piece of art, but a personal expression woven together into a collective whole.
This community engagement effort added a layer of intimacy to the chandelier’s glow: it shines not just with sunlight, but with memory, pride, and participation.
The sounds of belonging
As the shells catch the wind, they create their own quiet music: soft clicks and shifts that add a calming rhythm to the space. It’s subtle, but unmistakable: a gentle layering of sound that reflects a part of Shore Thing’s first story.
It’s art that doesn’t ask for attention, but rewards those who offer it.
A beacon
The Pittsburgh Chandelier stands as a permanent (if ever-moving) part of this summer’s riverfront experience. It’s a reminder that our public spaces don’t have to be neutral. They can be layered with story. They can honor where we come from and spark where we’re going.
Fran’s chandelier isn’t just a stunning centerpiece, it’s a call to remember what binds us together.
So the next time you visit Shore Thing, take a moment to look up.
What you see—and what you hear—might stay with you long after you’ve left the river.
