The Andy Warhol Museum is a treasure chest filled to the top with amazing works of art, cool films and videos, and rich archives that document all periods of Andy Warhol’s life. As the global keeper of Warhol’s legacy, we display these things and share our stories about them with our visitors, now nearly 120,000 a year. We don’t just show artwork and give tours however, we also have a dynamic performing arts program that brings some of the hottest emerging international acts to Pittsburgh, PA, where we’re located.
The museum opened in 1994, and in the years since has played a very big part in transforming Pittsburgh into the hip city that it is today. Visitors come from all over the world to what I like to call the “new” Pittsburgh—a city no longer covered in soot, but one that is thriving and energetic. We like to think that our outreach to our many diverse neighborhoods has also helped shape our community, and education is one of our major priorities. We have an incredibly active team of artist educators who are out in schools on a daily basis teaching about Andy and his life. We aim to help give voice to kids who might not otherwise have it, and as such, we focus on queer youth and kids from disadvantaged backgrounds. Ultimately, like Warhol, we hope that our outreach helps to make the anomalies of society, the paradigms.
Back within the cool environment of our renovated 1911 warehouse, the walls are alive with activity and our visitors have ample opportunities to make their own work. Visitors to The Warhol can create their own screen test on our 6th floor, just like Andy did. They can also explore Warhol’s art-making processes and learn how to silkscreen in The Factory, modeled after his New York studio the Silver Factory.
Some of my favorite pieces in the museum right now are:
Andy Warhol, Camouflage, 1987, © The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc.
Andy Warhol, Diamond Dust Shoes (Random), 1980, © The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc.
Andy Warhol, Andy Warhol’s Television, gallery installation (sixth floor), © The Andy Warhol Museum
Andy Warhol, Heinz Tomato Ketchup Box, 1964, © The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc.
Andy Warhol, Rorschach, 1984, © The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc.
I hope that you GOOD people can join us soon, maybe even on a GOOD Friday, when the museum stays open ’til 10:00 p.m., we have a bar up and running, and everyone there is having a blast. Find out more about us at www.warhol.org.
Eric Shiner is the Director of The Andy Warhol Museum
