Steve Hofstetter's Steel City Arts Foundation transforms church into arts hub
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — A well-known comedian has plans to make Pittsburgh a comedy town.
Steve Hofstetter is a comedian known all over the world. He was born and raised in New York but recently moved to Pittsburgh after living in Los Angeles.
He brought his passion project, the Steel City Arts Foundation, along with him to the city. In 2021 in Stanton Heights, he bought an old church, which included a three-bedroom house next door.
He's spent the last two years transforming it into the foundation's hub, which includes a state-of-the-art studio and home for artist residencies.
"That allows for mentorship, use of equipment, which a lot of comedians when they're starting out, can't afford cameras, can't afford lighting, can't afford the things you need to produce an independent show, produce web content, things like that," Hofstetter said.
It's all funded through Hofstetter's wallet, donations and fundraising.
It's been a lot of work, but the foundation's success in giving aspiring comedians and other artists a platform has already been worth the investment for Hofstetter.
He would also like to use the building as a community art space and host small-scale, alcohol-free performances. But before that can happen, there are some zoning hurdles he has to clear. There is no timeline on that part yet.
In the meantime, Hofstetter's foundation has been doing all kinds of stuff around town, including producing shows, shooting a film, and planning a comedy festival this June.