Best Iconic Works Of Art In Pittsburgh
The Dinomite Days Dinosaurs
Throughout the city
Pittsburgh, PA
(412) 622-3131
carnegiemnh.org
Price: Free
Hours: 24/7
In 2003, the Carnegie Museum of Natural History sponsored an event called Dinomite Days to bring awareness to the museum's amazing dinosaur fossil collection. Hundreds of dinosaur statues were created and placed all over the city, and then auctioned off to raise money for the museum. Luckily, many of those dinosaurs are still here in the city and are among the most beloved free public art in Pittsburgh. Carnegie Museum maintains an online photo gallery of all of the artist-designed dinos. Check out the auction page to find out more about these fantastic, Pittsburgh-themed creatures. Keep your eyes open particularly around the universities in Oakland. A city favorite is Splatasaurus, a Steeler dino that guarded the main gate to Heinz Field during the exhibit.
Related: A Guide To Walking Tours of Oakland
"Time Capsules" and "Campbell's: Ode to Food" by Andy Warhol
The Warhol
117 Sandusky St
Pittsburgh, PA 15212
(412) 237-8300
warhol.org
Price: Adults - $20, Students with ID and children (ages 3-18) - $10, Free to Carnegie Museum members
Hours: Mon - Closed, Tues to Thurs, Sat and Sun - 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Fri - 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Andy Warhol is perhaps the most recognizable Pittsburgh artist, and a huge collection of his work has a home at The Warhol museum. There are two cannot-miss pieces here - "Time Capsules" and "Campbell's: Ode to Food." "Time Capsules " are part of the archive collection at the museum and are an incredible, somewhat accidental work by Warhol. For three decades, Warhol filled basic cardboard boxes with trinkets, mementos and random items that inspired him in his everyday life. He'd collect items and put them into a box, seal them and send them to storage. The curators are still working to catalog each of the 610 boxes that make up "Time Capsules." At any given time, one of the boxes may be opened and viewable to the public, giving museum-goers a rare look into Warhol's life before his death in 1987.
Known simply as "The Campbell's Soup Cans" to Pittsburghers, Warhol's "Campbell's: Ode to Food" is undoubtedly his most famous work and artwork that helped make Pop Art an artistic movement. Visit The Warhol to see these two works, but give yourself plenty of time to take in the entire collection as well. It is well worth the price of admission.
"Water Lilies" by Claude Oscar Monet
Carnegie Museum of Art
4400 Forbes Ave
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
(412) 622-3131
cmoa.org
Price: Adults - $17.50, 65+ - $14.95, Students with ID and children (ages 3-18) - $11.95, Free to Carnegie Museum members
Hours: Mon - Closed, Tues and Wed, Fri and Sat - 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thurs - 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Sun - 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.
At Oakland's Carnegie Museum of Art, in Gallery 8, resides one of the most famous paintings in the world - "Water Lilies" by Oscar Monet. Given to the museum by Mrs. Alan Scaife, the piece is one of six from the large panels Monet painted of water lilies between 1915 and 1926. Nearly 20 feet long and over six feet wide, "Water Lilies" is an extraordinary work of art that deserves the wide-eyed stares it gets from patrons of the museum. Take the time to view it closely, at a distance and at several different angles. An audio guide is also available if you'd like to know more history about this piece and other pieces throughout the museum.
Related: Best Museums In Pittsburgh
Fred Rogers by Robert Berks
North Shore Drive at Art Rooney Ave
Pittsburgh, PA
(412) 687-2990
fci.org
Price: Free
Hours: 24/7
An icon in his own right, Fred Rogers of "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood," is now immortalized in an iconic bronze statue. Artist Robert Berks created this piece as a 7,000-pound, eleven-foot-tall statue outside of Heinz Field on the North Shore, facing the Allegheny River. This statue, part of The Tribute to Children park funded by the Colcum Foundation, is another amazing work of public art that Pittsburghers are fortunate to have. What makes this statue a popular visiting site is that kids and adults alike can crawl onto Mr. Rogers lap, something that all can admit wanting to do at one point during childhood.
What are your favorite works of art in Pittsburgh?
