New Sculpture Atop North Side's Mattress Factory Honors Pittsburgh's Bicentennial
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Tucked away on the North Side, The Mattress Company museum was not always easy to find - especially at night.
That's no longer the case.
A new rooftop installation called "Acupuncture" turns on the lights when the sun goes down.
"This entrance is an installation created by a Pittsburgh artist named Ian Brill," says communications director Samantha Strahota Paolo, passing through a corridor of flashing lights. "He created it specifically for our Urban Garden Party, which is our biggest fundraiser for the year."
She says the theme was "Light Up the Night."
This is the 40th year for the gallery, which once really was a mattress factory. The museum is a center for Pittsburgh artists and others who create eye-catching installations.
But on the roof of the seven-story building, we find a newly installed structure, which is clearly one of a kind.
"This is the newest sculpture we have, by German artist Hans Peter Kuhn," the communications director says. "I know that this is the only permanent installation of his in the United States, so we're really fortunate to have it."
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From concept to completion, the towering installation was 10 years in the making. LED lights go on each evening at dusk, as the North Side adds its own personal touch to the Pittsburgh skyline.
"We can see it from all over Pittsburgh," Paolo says. "So you can go up to Mount Washington. You can see it from there. All the sports stadiums. So I think, from all over the city. It's a real landmark piece."
Speaking of landmarks, she adds, "We were also really thrilled to coordinate the unveiling of this piece with the Bicentennial of the City of Pittsburgh. So it's a celebration of Pittsburgh and the North Side as well."
