Sprout Fund to hold Hot House benefit

Hot House

Presented by the Sprout Fund

Aug. 28

7 p.m. to 12 a.m.

5315 Baum… Hot House

Presented by the Sprout Fund

Aug. 28

7 p.m. to 12 a.m.

5315 Baum Blvd.

$25 Students

www.sproutfund.org

The weekend before Labor Day, the same organization that turned naked building walls from the South Side and Squirrel Hill into vibrant, colorful works of art, will turn the vacated Don Allen Auto City on Baum Boulevard into the best party in town.

“Most people know us from the murals,” said Matt Hannigan, co-founder and deputy director of the Sprout Fund. “Then there are a lot of people who know us just for ‘that really good Hot House party.’”

Since it was founded in 2001, the Sprout Fund has carved out a niche for itself as one of Southwestern Pennsylvania’s premier nonprofit organizations through its commitment to “supporting innovative ideas and grassroots community projects.”

Hot House, a yearly event, is the Sprout Fund’s benefit show and “annual report” to both its supporters and members of the community at large.

“When we launched Sprout Fund, we wanted to find a way to showcase initiatives to a wider audience than we’d normally be able to [reach],” Hannigan said. “It’s a way for people to see what we’ve been supportive of over the last year.”

Past years of Hot House have included a wide array of local music, food, drinks and auctions, creating an atmosphere Hannigan likened to a “county fair.”

“We want to help to give folks a sampling of the sorts of things that are out there that they might not know about,” Hannigan said. “You often hear the complaint that there’s ‘nothing to do in Pittsburgh,’ and while I agree that there’s very little that’s actually presented to people outright, if you do a little searching you’ll find the right opportunities.”

In making Hot House both a unique event and establishing its name in the community, the Sprout Fund has attempted to use locations representative of new development projects in Pittsburgh.

Previous spots have included Bakery Square in East Liberty and the Union Trust Building Downtown.

“We’re really excited about the location for this year,” Hannigan said. “It’s at the intersection of Bloomfield and Shadyside, and that’s where a lot of exciting new things are occurring in the East End.”

Finding a space for an event the scope of Hot House is not an easy task.

“Ideally, we want to partner with a development or building owner that’s involved in bringing something new to Pittsburgh,” Hannigan said. “Acquiring a spot can often be complicated, though. What tends to end up being very important is building a strong, productive relationship with the property owners. We also try to choose a location that’s easily accessible through public transportation.”

The Sprout Fund has also taken note of the emerging growth of student Hot House attendees in previous years.

“When we first started doing Hot House, it took place in June. Since we’ve moved it to the end of August, the amount of students and other young people who have come out has grown tremendously,” Hannigan said. “Last year, 500 of the advance tickets were sold to students, so they’re definitely becoming more of the crowd.”

In addition to providing tickets to students for the discounted price of $25, the Sprout Fund also made it a point to offer volunteer opportunities.

“It’s a great way to get a free ticket,” Hannigan said of volunteering. “There’s a lot of work that goes into transforming a vacant auto lot, and in the days and weeks leading up to it, there will be a lot of work occurring on site.”

Whether people experience Hot House as volunteers or attendees, Hannigan feels that one of the event’s greatest assets is its presentation of what Pittsburgh has to offer.

“It’s a way to see if this is the kind of city where you’d like to settle down,” he said.