How We Recorded an Audio Tour for Hartwood Acres Park
Here’s how we collaborated across organizations to record a unique audio tour for a one-of-a-kind sculpture garden in an historic park.
Jack Youngerman Totem: Lamina: Limbus:, 1979. Photograph by Bright Archives.
Introduction
Client
Shiftworks Community + Public Arts and Allegheny County Parks Foundation
Industry
Nonprofits and Arts
Services
Audio tours and audio engineering, mixing, and mastering
Hartwood Acres is a 629-acre park in Allegheny County just north of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Originally the estate of John and Mary Flinn Lawrence, it was purchased by the County and has been open to the public since the mid-1970s.
The Carol R. Brown Sculpture Garden surrounds the Hartwood Acres Mansion, which was designed by Alfred Hopkins for the Lawrence family. The sculpture garden features 14 outdoor sculptures recently restored by the Allegheny County Parks Foundation in collaboration with Allegheny County, Carnegie Museum of Art, and Shiftworks Community + Public Arts. Artists with works in the collection include Dee Briggs, Lila Katzen, and Jack Youngerman.
As part of the final phase of the $5 million restoration project, Shiftworks contacted Bright Archives to produce an audio tour of the newly reopened sculpture garden.
Primary Goal
Shiftworks Community + Public Arts needed professionally produced recordings for the audio tour.
Our Solution
The audio tour project involved a complex set of moving parts, a diverse team of collaborators, and an accelerated timeline.
Key players in the restoration and development of the Sculpture Garden included Allegheny County, the Allegheny County Parks Foundation, and Shiftworks Community + Public Arts, along with support from a talented group of interns from the University of Pittsburgh—Audrey Desnain, Layne Shaffer, and Samantha Wert—who contributed by conducting research and writing content for the audio tour.
Lila Katzen Coronet: Homage to David Smith, 1978. Photography by Bright Archives.
Shiftworks took the lead in overseeing the project, providing us with the materials we needed, including the requirements and scripts. We had a total of 15 scripts—one for each sculpture and one for the entire tour—amounting to 70 minutes of content.
Bright Archives provided the recording studio and the audio engineering expertise.
We also brought in the incredibly talented voice actor, Kelsey Robinson, whose beautiful voice really brought the recordings to life.
We completed the recordings across three sessions in the studio, with a strong focus on preserving the authenticity of the scripts. We took special care with pronunciation, cadence, tone, and overall quality.
Throughout the process, we provided real-time feedback to ensure everything stayed on track and aligned with the collective vision for the project. Once the recordings were complete, we moved on to editing, mixing, and mastering the final product.
The Results
Katherine Barbera and David Bernabo of Bright Archives with Kelsey Robinson. Photography by Jason Tracy.
The new audio tour of the Carol R. Brown Sculpture Garden premiered at Hartwood Acres Park in May 2025, marking the successful completion of the multi-year restoration project.
That month, the Allegheny County Parks Foundation also graciously hosted a grand opening for the sculpture garden, and we were thrilled to attend. The event, held in the Hartwood Acres Mansion, brought together the incredible team of individuals from across the County who made this project possible.
Visitors can now experience the tour both in person by using the QR codes placed on signs in front of each sculpture and online at https://acsculpturegardentour.org/.
Conclusion
We want to extend our heartfelt thanks to the Allegheny County Parks Foundation, Allegheny County, and of course, our wonderful friends at Shiftworks for helping bring this new resource to life.
It was a pleasure working on this project. If you find yourself in the Pittsburgh region, we encourage you to visit the beautiful Harwood Acres Park and experience the audio tour for yourself.
Do you want to produce your own audio tour or audioguide?
Whether you're looking to create a self-guided tour for your museum, historic site, or landmark, we can help bring it to life. From scripting and recording to final production, we'll guide you every step of the way.
