Baking and breaking bread have been connective human activities for millenia.  Now, an old tradition is being renewed.  Brick bread ovens are spring up across America and Europe.  In our area, Braddock has a community bread oven; Polish Hill may be the next community to continue this trend.  The PHCA has been talking with Ray Werner, the guy behind “Bricks for Bread: The Pittsburgh Community Brick Oven Project.”

Ray has “built” the beginnings of an oven as his part of “Gestures: An Exhibition of Small, Site-Specific Works,” which opens tomorrow at the North Side’s Mattress Factory.  The “Gestures” show runs through June 21 (opening reception from 7 to 9 p.m. tomorrow is $10; more at mattress.org).

Bring a brick to the opening and Ray will give you a slice of brick-oven-baked bread and tell you more about his vision of “a community of community brick ovens.  I just know how a community brick oven can bring people together.”

Read about the pioneer Braddock Oven and Ray Werner here.

Another article about the Braddock Oven is here.
(the above photo shows the Braddock Oven, photo by Pam Panchak of the P-G)