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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Mary Anna Babich’s grandparents, Anna and Michael Perkosky, constructed the building at 800 Lincoln Highway / Route 30 in 1947 to relocate their tavern from its original location in South Wilmerding. The new Lincoln Terrace Bar and Lounge was named after Lincoln Highway and the nearby subdivision of Park Terrace. North Versailles Township building codes required a minimum square footage and dollar value for the building, so a second-floor apartment was added. It was in this apartment that Mary Anna’s mother, Mary “Marge” Perosky, and family would reside. In 1947 Theodore “Ted” Babich’s car broke down on Route 30, in front of Lincoln Terrace Bar and Lounge – that unexpected event led to him meeting Mary Anna’s mother. The couple eventually married and began to raise their family in the bar’s second floor apartment.
As Marge and Ted’s family grew, they relocated the tavern to Kmart Plaza at the intersection of Routes 30 and 48 in North Versailles, where the tavern became “Ted’s Bar”. After sitting vacant for a few years, the building at 800 Lincoln Highway was rented to Allegheny County for the offices of the District Justice. The County continued to rent the building for approximately 30 years, after which time it remained vacant until late 2010 when Mary Anna decided it was time to realize a longstanding dream.
Although not an artist herself, Mary Anna has a creative side and a love of the arts; she has always believed that art should be a part of everyone’s life. It is with great excitement and anticipation that she will launch Masterpiece Center for Arts with a two-weekend “Meet the Artists” Grand Opening. The event, scheduled for January 26 and 27, and February 2 and 3 from noon to 3PM, will feature the work of 12 artists and craftsmen who will be conducting classes and workshops at the center.
Masterpiece Center for the Arts will cater to artists and aspiring artists of all ages – from children to senior citizens. Classes and workshops will range from basic drawing and painting, cartooning, Anime, scratchboard/etching, and one-stroke painting, to crocheting, creative writing, videography, henna tattooing and cake decorating. The center will also offer special events such as birthday parties, bachelorette and girls’ night out parties, as well as business and industry sessions designed to encourage team-building and camaraderie – all with an artistic theme. For a full listing of classes and workshops, and bios of the instructors, visit the website at www.masterpiececenter.com.
By: Norma Rowley