THE ANDYWARHOL MUSEUM, PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA
Steel City was the birthplace one of the 20th century’s most influential cultural influencers, long before that was a “thing.” Andy Warhol, born to Slovakian immigrants, grew up in Depression-era Pittsburgh, and while the family had few luxuries, his parents cultivated his innate talent and saved enough money to send him to what is now Carnegie Mellon University. After graduation, he moved to NewYork City to pursue commercial endeavors and develop his own aesthetic, including his now famous photographic silkscreen printing technique, but galleries rejected much of his early work due to its homosexual themes.
Warhol was at the forefront of the pop art movement and also expanded his creative repertoire to include film, sculpture, and other mediums. His loft, called The Factory, became a creative hub for artists of all kinds. Profoundly impacted by childhood illnesses and an attempted murder that left him physically and emotionally scarred, Warhol was obsessed with beauty, Hollywood, and celebrity, and famously said, “In the future, everyone will be world famous for 15 minutes.” Warhol died in 1987 from complications from gall bladder surgery and is buried at St. John the Baptist Byzantine Catholic Cemetery. The gravesite is now part of a collaborative project with EarthCam titled “Figment” and is viewable online 24 hours a day.
Andy Warhol Mao
The Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh will celebrate its 25th anniversary in 2019 and boasts the most extensive collection of the artist’s works ranging from paintings, illustrations, sculptures, his entire film and video collection, as well as “Time Capsules”—610 containers that the artist filled and sealed. The seven-floor museum resides in a converted warehouse and also includes The Factory, an underground level featuring an education studio and conservation lab, as well as dedicated space for temporary exhibitions. “Devan Shimoyama: Cry, Baby” (October 13, 2018-March 17, 2019), the first solo show by the Philadelphiaborn artist, explores the complex themes of race and sexuality.
