Catch a little culture with art in Pittsburgh

With a little exploring, students can find out that Pittsburgh is truly a city of burgeoning… With a little exploring, students can find out that Pittsburgh is truly a city of burgeoning artists and art galleries. All over Oakland, students have had the chance to explore plants from Thailand, see prints from 18th century Japan, gaze at magnificent stained glass from Louis Comfort Tiffany and view up-and-coming student artists’ work. Pittsburgh is a city that offers world-class culture in a small-town environment, and most of it is right in your backyard.

One of the most renowned museums that students simply cannot miss is the Carnegie Museum of Modern Art. The museum, located diagonally from the Cathedral of Learning, offers exhibitions of 19th- and 20th-century painting, sculpture, decorative arts and more.

Founded in the late 1800s by Andrew Carnegie, the museum has housed works by brilliant artists such as Henri Matisse and Rembrandt, as well as contemporary artists.

One phenomenal exhibition put on by the museum was created by CMU alumni Jonathan Borofsky. His thought-provoking work, “Human Structures,” was exhibited this past spring. Though this exhibit may have concluded, students can still catch a glimpse of Borofsky’s work through his permanent installation, “Walking to the Sky,” located on the Carnegie Mellon University campus. You can’t miss it; all you have to do is look up to the sky while standing near the crossing of Morewood and Forbes avenues.

Some exciting upcoming exhibits include “Viva Vetro! Glass Alive! Venice and America, 1950-2006,” which celebrates the art of glassmaking. This exhibit will run from May 12 to Sept. 16. If you are more of a fan of architecture, running Sept. 22 to Jan. 13 is “On a Grand Scale: The Hall of Architecture at 100,” which will be displayed in the Heinz Architectural Center.

Connected to the Carnegie Museum of Modern Art is the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, offering a glimpse into the time of the dinosaurs, exploring bizarre beasts and botanical works.

Some of the Museum of Natural History’s upcoming and current exhibits include: “Marshes: The Disappearing Edens,” running until June 17 and “Carnaval,” on display from June 23 to Jan. 6.

Aside from the amazing culture offered at these museums, another benefit of being a University of Pittsburgh student with a valid ID is that you have access to these wonders for free – so take advantage!

If you are in the mood for something a bit more nature-oriented, Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens is also within walking distance from campus. Phipps is a Victorian glass-house structure that provides visitors with an exquisite wonderland of plants, flowers and the natural world. Each of the building’s 13 rooms offers a different theme.

For example, the fruit and spice room houses such exotic plants as the coffee tree, the vanilla tree and the banana tree. The temperature inside is humid and usually quite warm, so visiting this glass-encased Eden is a nice treat when the weather begins to get a bit more brisk. As Pittsburgh is celebrating the “Year of Glass,” Phipps Conservatory will also be featuring glass in its upcoming exhibit, “Chihuly At Phipps: Gardens ‘ Glass.” This exhibit will show the work of artist Dale Chihuly from May 10 to Nov. 11.

The Frick Fine Arts building, located on campus near Posvar Hall, houses the University Art Gallery where several exhibits are periodically displayed. The “Frick” is also where senior art students show their work at the end of the school year in the annual student art competition. A fascinating feature about the Frick Fine Arts building is the enclosed glass courtyard. Here, students can watch the changing of the seasons with the same reverence and wonder of a work of art itself.

Venturing off campus can be tons of fun as well, especially if you’re interested in more modern, contemporary art. Located close to Downtown is the Andy Warhol Museum, the Society for Contemporary Craft and the Mattress Factory. Each of these galleries and museums house unique works of artists new and old.

For some great resources about art in Pittsburgh and for more exciting museums, visit the Studio Arts website at www.pitt.edu/~studio/resourcesdmx.html.