Press Release — Hidden in Plain View: Pittsburgh’s Public Art
Media Contact:
Bonnie Baxter
Founder/Executive Director
DOORS OPEN Pittsburgh
412-583-1424
bonnie@DoorsOpenPgh.org
Hidden in Plain View: Pittsburgh’s Public Art
PITTSBURGH, August 16, 2022 – DDOORS OPEN Pittsburgh invites the public to connect with Pittsburgh arts, including several tours of public art installations across a variety of neighborhoods and a rare, behind-the-scenes tour of a historic stained glass studio.
Enjoy a special evening Guided Walking Tour on Friday, August 19, as you stroll the streets and alleyways of downtown Pittsburgh on the Light-Based Public Art Tour to discover a magical series of illuminated art installations, many of which have been added to Downtown in the last two years. Artists Cerith Wyn Evans, Erwin Redl, and Andrea Polli will be featured, and the tour will be led by local arts administrator, curator, and writer Rachel Klipa.
The weekend of August 27-28 brings two opportunities to tour East End public art with the City of Pittsburgh’s former Public Art Manager and co-founder of the Sprout Public Art Program, Morton Brown, who leads the Mellon Square & Bakery Square Public Art Tour. Learn more about Mellon Park’s history and hear first-hand stories regarding the sculpture park there, as well as how the first ever public art program was recently initiated in Bakery Square, which Morton administered.
If you think you know the Cultural District downtown, you might want to jump on tickets for Uncovering the Cultural District on Saturday, August 27, to put your knowledge to the test. This two-hour Guided Walking Tour, hosted by acclaimed storyteller Alan Irvine, winds you through the Cultural District to discover some of its smaller treasures tucked away between the massive theaters between Penn and Liberty Avenues. This former Red Light District has many stories behind its walls; Alan will share how the City managed to transform the area into the family-friendly area it is today.
In September, Morton Brown again offers us two action-packed weekends in a row with two sessions each of his East Liberty Public Art Tour on September 3 and 4 and the Allegheny Commons Public Art Tour on September 10 and 11.
In East Liberty, get a new perspective on objects you’ve crossed or driven around time and time again, such as the “Shady Liberty” pedestrian bridge that leads from Ellsworth Ave. over to the Eastside commercial development and the “Joy of Life” sculpture by Virgil Cantini that sits on top of the fountain in front of the East Liberty Branch of the Carnegie Library (FYI: not its original location!).
Over on the Northside, Morton Brown will take his Allegheny Commons walking tour past significant monuments and sculptures in what was once Allegheny City, then provide a detailed re-telling of the history of Allegheny Center, including how the Children’s Museum and MuseumLab came to be within the historic Old Allegheny Post Office and how public art was used to bring new life to a once desolate area.
On Sunday, October 9, for a true behind-the-scenes Insider Tour experience, you’ll want to grab tickets for the Historic Pittsburgh Stained Glass Tour. Pittsburgh Stained Glass Studios owner Kirk Weaver is a third-generation glass artisan who inherited this century-old business from his grandfather, and their lineage of work is quite impressive. As a leader in restoration and conservation of stained-glass windows, pieces from the studio have been installed in prestigious National Landmark buildings and hundreds of churches throughout the country. See examples of both historic and new glass works on this exclusive tour.
All tours require pre-registration, which closes at 5 pm the day prior to the tour. Please visit https://doorsopenpgh.org/ for more information.
Guided Walking Tours are typically 90 to 120 minutes. Tickets prices vary from $15-$30. For more information: https://doorsopenpgh.org/guided-walking-tours-2/
Insider Tours typically last 45-60 minutes. Ticket prices vary from $15-$20. For more information: https://doorsopenpgh.org/insider-tours-2/
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DOORS OPEN Pittsburgh, a nonprofit 501(c)3, is best known for presenting its large-scale, open-house event downtown each October that celebrates our city’s heritage and architecture by providing the opportunity to explore a diverse collection of buildings, often with behind-the-scenes access.
Since its inception in 2016, DOORS OPEN Pittsburgh has expanded to include: Neighborhood Events, Guided Walking Tours, Insider Tours, Virtual Storytelling, and Bus Tours, and has hosted over 20,000 tour-goers to date. We are supported, in part, by a generous grant from PA Department of Community and Economic Development/The Pennsylvania Tourism Office/visitPA.com
You can read the complete story at https://doorsopenpgh.org/about/
DOORS OPEN Pittsburgh, Inc. (501c3).