WQED

Joe Negri (June 10, 1926 – May 30, 2026) 🎸

It’s been a sad few days in the neighborhood since we heard of the passing of our dear friend Joe Negri this past Saturday, just a few days shy of his 100th birthday.

Many of you knew Joe best from Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood ()where he portrayed both Handyman Negri, the fix-it man in the Land of Make Believe, as well as himself as the owner of Negri’s Music Shop, where he introduced children to a wide variety of genres and instruments through performances from musical guests.

Others knew Joe from his tenure as a dedicated educator who taught jazz guitar at , , and , one of the first to do so in higher education.

Pitt professor of music Deane Root put it best in this quote from : “Joe Negri radiates life as an art form. He crosses generations and he brings out the best in the musicians he plays with.”

To our beloved friend, thank you for sharing your love of music with us, all of southwestern Pennsylvania, and the rest of the world. ❤️

Squonk’s Joy Machine at Three Rivers Arts Festival | Voice of the Arts 🎭

’s Joy Machine is coming to Three Rivers Arts Festival to celebrate the grand opening of Arts Landing with ! Their most interactive spectacle yet, they’re reimagining the boisterous art of play and music making by inviting audiences to power the performance with their energy . 🤸

📅 6/5 - 6/7
📍 Three Rivers Arts Festival

Dad’s Dog and Burger | What’s Cookin’ 🔪

The regulars at stop by 3-4 times a week and after one bite, it becomes quite clear why that’s the case. 🌭

An Unlikely Refuge: Surviving the Holocaust in Shanghai

In this documentary, we examine the Pittsburgh connections to a little-known story of the Jewish people that found refuge in Shanghai during the Holocaust. Hear the stories of a Chinese diplomat who saved thousands of lives by providing visas, a woman who taught scores of refugee children, and the remembrances of a Pittsburgh man born in the Shanghai ghetto.

An Unlikely Refuge: Surviving the Holocaust in Shanghai, now streaming on WQED+ (wqed.org/plus).

Westinghouse High School Turns 100 🎂

Today marks the 100th anniversary of Westinghouse High School’s building anniversary. Over the course of the past century thousands of amazing alumni have graduated from “The House” such as Patricia Prattis Jennings, the first African American woman to earn a contract with an American national symphony when she joined as principal keyboardist.

This clip of Patricia singing the Westinghouse Forever chant comes from our 2005 Black Horizons Special “Westinghouse High School: A Legacy of Excellence.” In honor of this momentous date, we’re rebroadcasting this special documentary tonight at 9:00PM on WQED and also have it available to stream on WQED+ right now. 🫶

Many thanks to and for their assistance in helping us to digitize and archive our stories from over the years.