A little shine is returning to Downtown’s Smithfield Street.

Once regarded as the city’s prime Downtown shopping destination, Smithfield Street over the last couple of decades has experienced major department store closings, a rise in the number of  vacant storefronts and an increase in vagrancy that has steered some pedestrians away from the area.

But the corner of Sixth and Smithfield streets now has a revitalizing pop of color. Pittsburgh artist duo La Vispera’s recent installation of “Plastisphere: A Sinking Reality” is among new initiatives being pushed by the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership in reimagining Smithfield Street as a vibrant art corridor.

The piece replicates a familiar household fish tank by repurposing discarded single-use plastics across nine, street-level window panels that stretch across the Heinz 57 Center. Through its recycled materials, the artwork confronts the issue of plastic waste and pollution in oceans.

Within the scene, fish swim among colorful coral and rocks to highlight the beauty in underwater life, while a sunken ship is designed “to symbolize our throwaway culture and the unsustainable nature of our consumption practices,” La Vispera explains on their website.

A PANEL FROM LA VISPERA’S RECENT INSTALLATION OF ‘PLASTISPHERE: A SINKING REALITY’ IN THE HEINZ 57 CENTER AT THE CORNER OF SMITHFIELD AND SIXTH STREETS. | COURTESY OF PITTSBURGH DOWNTOWN PARTNERSHIP

The artwork comes in the early stages of the Smithfield Street Reconstruction Project, which is scheduled to begin infrastructure improvements in 2026. It joins other creative placemaking projects along Smithfield Street, including the Paint the Town Purple mural series, Elemental video installation and the 440-feet Rainbow Road street mural.

“This initiative is another example of the power of creative collaboration to transform how people perceive and experience Downtown, making it a more welcoming and vibrant place — all while highlighting the wealth of talent in our community,” Jeremy Waldrup, president and CEO of the nonprofit PDP, said in a release.

The PDP recently released a Request for Qualifications for potential artists to participate in their next art project — six sculptural lighting installations along Smithfield Street. The signature piece will consist of permanent lighting elements to enhance the pedestrian experience.

AN ARCHITECTURAL RENDERING OF PROPOSED IMPROVEMENTS COMING TO DOWNTOWN’S SMITHFIELD STREET | COURTESY OF THE PITTSBURGH DOWNTOWN PARTNERSHIP

The organization invites local artists who are interested in working on the project to apply by July 21.  The PDP will work alongside art consultant Renee Piechocki throughout the selection process. Three finalists will be awarded a $5,000 honorarium for conceptual designs while one artist will receive a $15,000 design fee with an additional $300,000 implementation budget for the project.

The new artwork, scheduled to be completed in the fall of 2028, will mark another step in the PDP’s three-year strategic plan to transform the Golden Triangle, with Smithfield Street as a focal point. Along with the public artwork, other aspects of the Smithfield Street makeover include new street trees, planters, raised intersections and wider crosswalks to create a more welcoming and colorful pedestrian path.