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No matter where you are in Pittsburgh, chances are you’re steps away from an incredible work of art.
If there’s one piece of advice you should have while exploring Pittsburgh and it’s 90 unique neighborhoods, it should be “Look Up!” The city is filled with so many great public art pieces, ranging from sculptures to an atmospheric physics installation, murals and plenty more. Read on for a few public art features to experience during your next Pittsburgh adventure.
Downtown
Downtown Pittsburgh is filled with public art. Take a stroll down Liberty Ave. and you’ll find Liberty Avenue Musicians, three lively 15-foot musicians paying homage to the city’s jazz legacy. Created by Pittsburgh native James Simon, the musicians were sculpted in clay and cast in concrete.
Also located in the Cultural District is Agnes R. Katz Plaza, known simply as Katz Plaza by the locals. The 23,000-square-foot public space is anchored by a 25-foot bronze fountain and features uniquely granite benches sculpted like human eyes. Visit Katz Plaza during the summer months and enjoy free, live jazz performances.
North Shore & Northside
Located on the North Shore, near Acrisure Stadium are two iconic Pittsburgh tribute pieces. The Southwestern Pennsylvania World War II Veterans Memorial contains hundreds of photographs and is an all-encompassing tribute to those who fought and labored on the home front from the region. Installed in 2013, the memorial includes 24 granite panels containing a variety of narrative subjects. Tribute to Children is a nearly 11-foot bronze statue of Pittsburgh’s favorite neighbor, Fred Rogers. The statue invites visitors to celebrate the life and values of Mister Rogers – and even plays songs composed and sung by the legend himself.
Looking for more of an interactive piece? Check out Cloud Arbor located on the Northside near The Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh. Cloud Arbor mixes art, architecture and physics to create a 20-foot diameter sphere of fog that forms inside a forest of stainless-steel poles. Kids of all ages enjoy this visually stimulating work of art.
Hill District
Another interactive public art piece to visit is We Came from the Stars in August Wilson Park. Local artist Alisha Wormsley collaborated with children from ACH Clear Pathways that explored themes of time and place. This piece is a viewfinder that invites visitors to look into the past, present and future of the Hill District.
The neighborhood also recognizes a critical point in Pittsburgh’s extensive Civil Rights history with Freedom Corner. Located at the intersection of Centre Ave. and Crawford St., the Freedom Corner monument serves as an important gathering spot for individuals who advocate for peace, justice and equality.
Oakland
In addition to being the home of world-renowned universities like Pitt and Carnegie Mellon, along with incredible attractions like Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens and the Cathedral of Learning, Oakland boasts a variety of incredible public art. Across the Carnegie Museums of Art and Natural History is Alphabetosaurus. Created as part of the DinoMite Dates, a public art initiative to celebrate and spotlight Pittsburgh’s world-class dinosaur collection, Alphabetosaurus is an Instagram-friendly dino featuring all the letters of the alphabet.
Explore Carnegie Mellon University’s campus for a treat and experience Walking to the Sky. This sculpture is a 100-foot-tall, stainless-steel structure with 10 realistically painted, life-size figures. The permanent contemporary art installation was created by artist Jonathan Borofsky.
Next time you’re out and about in Pittsburgh, be sure to look up (and around!) to explore all the neat art pieces around you. And, snap a pic to share on social using #LovePGH for a chance to be featured in our marketing materials.
