PITTSBURGH
WHERE GLOBAL AND LOCAL MEET
Founded in 1895, Carnegie Museum of Art’s (CMOA) collection spans the
19th, 20th, and 21st centuries with depth in certain earlier areas, including
Old Master prints and drawings. It was the first museum in the United
States with a strong focus on contemporary art, instructed by its founder,
Andrew Carnegie, to collect the “old masters of tomorrow” at the inception
of the Carnegie International in 1896. The International remains a significant
thrust of the museum and an important source for acquisitions. Other
original exhibitions feature contemporary artists from around the globe,
significant historical paintings and sculpture, photography, works from the
museum’s impressive permanent collection, special projects of the Hillman
Photography Initiative and The Heinz Architectural Center, and world-class
decorative arts and design.
The global and local in art meet in exciting ways at Carnegie Museum of
Art. The museum serves as an open forum and an anchor for the arts in
Pittsburgh, and participates in regional art exhibitions such as the Pittsburgh
Biennial, even as its original exhibitions tour to major institutions across the
country. At the happy-hour and discussion series, Culture Club, visitors relax
after work while engaging big ideas with curators and other specialists in the
field. On the newly-redesigned CMOA blog (blog.cmoa.org), curators and
staff, as well as outside voices, reflect on stories told through the collection,
while director Lynn Zelevansky's column Inside the Museum invites feedback
on the larger forces and discussions shaping the museum. The widelyacclaimed 2013 Carnegie International artists and projects reached directly
into Pittsburgh neighborhoods with art focused on the uniqueness and
resonance of place. Through these and other channels, the Museum of Art
makes its mission and focus transparent to the public, in Pittsburgh and
well beyond, acting as an emissary for the city and the region.
Carnegie Museum of Art is an important regional asset that draws diverse
audiences from around the world, while striving to make the art in its
galleries accessible to all who visit. The museum is also a strategic partner
in regional education initiatives, and a national leader in training educators
to use art museum visits to build 21st-century learning skills that apply
across the curriculum. Programming and exhibitions at the museum
frequently explore the role of art and artists in confronting key social issues
of our time. The museum’s original exhibitions often tour to other majormarket venues, and draw national and international attention through
coverage in popular media outlets.
Admissions
Education Programming
Children’s programs
Adult programs
Drop-in gallery programs
328,000*
14,600
8,100
19,000
Collections
30,000 objects
Approximately 1,800 works of art at any given
time on view, including paintings, sculpture,
works on paper, photography, film, video,
decorative arts, and architectural casts.
The Teenie Harris Archive, acquired by Carnegie
Museum of Art in 2001, contains some 70,000
prints and negatives by acclaimed African
American photographer Charles “Teenie” Harris.
Among the most recent acquisitions are
significant works by over 20 of the artists in
the 2013 Carnegie International, including Wade
Guyton, Zanele Muholi, Frances Stark, Vincent
Fecteau, and Nicole Eisenman. Other major
acquisitions include a monumental modernist
chandelier by Henry Van de Velde, a portfolio
of architectural photography by Ezra Stoller, a
tintype with hand-applied oil paint by Duane
Michals, and a 1934 print by Pablo Picasso.
Facility
33 galleries, totaling 110,570 square feet
(more than 2.5 acres of gallery space)
*shared with Carnegie Museum of Natural History
(over)
EXHIBITIONS AND PROGRAMS
n
Silver to Steel: The Modern Designs of Peter Muller-Munk (November 2015–
April 2016) situates Peter Muller-Munk (1904–1967) among the most
influential designers of his generation. With more than 120 works of handwrought silver and popular mid-century products, this exhibition presents the
untold story of a man who rose from anonymity as a silversmith at Tiffany & Co.
to become a crucial postwar designer. Silver to Steel features examples of
Muller-Munk’s previously undocumented work: cameras, radios, power tools,
refrigerators; and total environments for gas stations, international expositions,
and mass-transit vehicles.
n
HACLab Pittsburgh: Imagining the Modern (September 2015–May 2016)
untangles Pittsburgh’s complex relationship with modern architecture and urban
planning. In this experimental presentation at the museum’s Heinz Architectural
Center, architects-in-residence over,under highlight successive histories of
pioneering architectural successes, disrupted neighborhoods, and the utopian
aspirations and ideals of public officials and business leaders. These
intertwined narratives shape the exhibition, which includes abundant archival
materials, an active architecture studio, and a salon-style discussion space.
n
A stunning retrospective of a multifaceted career, Storyteller: The Photographs
of Duane Michals (October 2014–February 2015) showcased the groundbreaking work of a photographer who pushed the boundaries of the art form,
garnering national and international praise. Born in 1932 and raised near
Pittsburgh in a steelworker family, Michals was a pioneer in the 1960s when he
broke away from tradition, adding hand-written messages to his prints and
producing narrative photographic sequences. He is credited with broadening our
understanding of the possibilities of photography from the 1960s to today.
n
Faked, Forgotten, Found (June–September 2014) unveiled conservators’
forensic analysis of five Renaissance paintings in the museum’s collection that
have undergone significant scientific analysis and conservation. Visitors
learned how curators and conservators discovered a portrait of Isabella de
Medici attributed to Alessandro Allori beneath the surface of a work repainted
in the 19th century. The exhibition offered a behind-the-scenes perspective on
the intersection of art and science taking place in the museum every day.
n
The Hillman Photography Initiative, inaugurated in 2013, extends CMOA’s
global reach through programming that serves as a living laboratory for
exploring the rapidly-changing field of photography. The initiative reaches
participants around the world with online and museum-based projects related
to how images are produced, shared, and preserved or lost.
EDUCATION
n
The Museum of Art tailors education programs to a variety of audiences. Its
Children’s Studio offerings range from preschool play dates to high school
workshops. Its flagship studio art series, The Art Connection, for grades 5–9,
has served young people for over 80 years, and gave valuable early instruction
to prominent artists, including Andy Warhol. Adults find rich offerings, whether
they are art enthusiasts or simply looking for a casual, cultural experience,
including screenings, artist talks, parties, quiz nights, and artist-led workshops.
In 2014, exhibition-related programs, and programming through the Hillman
Photography Initiative, the Heinz Architectural Center, and the Children’s Studio
enriched more than 59,000 individuals.
A museum conservator works on the portrait of Isabella de´Medici.
­
Duane Michals, A Letter From My Father, 1960-1975, The Henry L. Hillman Fund
Alberto Giacometti’s Walking Man I (center) has been a museum highlight since 1961.
PHOTO: TOM LITTLE
CARNEGIE INTERNATIONAL
n
The 2013 Carnegie International won the museum international acclaim, with
media attention and visitorship from around the world. With its unique position
as the second oldest major survey of global contemporary art, the most recent
International had a lasting impact that was felt throughout surrounding
communities, including in the Art Lending Collection at Braddock Carnegie
Library, a permanent collection of nearly 200 works by international artists and
artists from the Braddock community. Another exhibition component, The
Playground Project, sparked larger community discussions about the
importance of play, childhood, and appropriate risk. Finally, dozens of artworks
from the exhibition have since joined the museum’s collection, strengthening its
legacy as Pittsburgh’s preeminent contemporary art destination.
4400 Forbes Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
412.622.3131
www.cmoa.org
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