Andy Warhol, Progressive Piano, (detail), 1950s, The Andy Warhol Museum, Contribution The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc. © The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc.

The Invention of Andy Warhol

Pre-Mad Men, Andy Warhol took Madison Avenue by storm with his unconventional and wildly successful illustrations for mass-market advertising, setting the stage for his rise as Pop pioneer.

It almost seems like New York City in the 1950s existed only in black and white. Images from the era capture a soon-to-be iconic skyline casting deep shadows over busy city streets populated by stylish women in white gloves and purposeful men in gray flannel suits.

What isn’t pictured is what was just around the corner and fast approaching: The gender-bending, counterculture, Pop-art movements that would revolutionize the city and nation, thanks in no small part to Andy Warhol.

By Barbara Klein

Featured Stories

STEM Where Art & Science Meet

A Life in Lego

How a corporate lawyer-turned-artist transformed a favorite childhood toy into sought-after artwork, inspiring countless kids to rethink what is art and who can make it.

By Cristina Rouvalis

Science & Nature STEM

How I Fell in Love with Science

More than 2,000 area students participate in STEM competitions each year through Carnegie Science Center. For some, it ignites a lifelong passion for science.

By Cristina Rouvalis

Science & Nature

Living in a Bug’s World

In a time of unprecedented environmental change, a small and determined brigade of Carnegie Museum bug scientists is redefining the power and urgency of museum collections. Now, as the team’s intrepid leader prepares for retirement, the hunt goes on.

By Julie Hannon

Art

Museum Collections and the Stories They Tell

In a major reimagining of its postwar and contemporary galleries, Carnegie Museum of Art teases out art’s unique ability to link past and present.

By Eric Crosby, The Richard Armstrong Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art

Science & Nature

Climate Change in Our Backyard

Carnegie Museum of Natural History researchers are on the front lines of climate science, tracking the complex changes unfolding right here in western Pennsylvania.

By Jason Bittel

Community

Out of Many, One

What’s it like to be an immigrant in today’s Pittsburgh? Their journeys reflect a broader American story.

By Reid R. Frazier

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Photo: Pam Curtin

Big Picture

Summer campers explore the natural world and conservation science at Powdermill Nature Reserve, Carnegie Museum of Natural History’s environmental research center in the Laurel Highlands, about 55 miles southeast of Pittsburgh.

Face Time

Nicole Heller

Nicole Heller used to spend her days on hands and knees trying to tease apart the secret world of Argentine ants—an invasive insect that has risen to worldwide prominence thanks to its ability to hitch rides on human trade routes. But after several years debating specialized questions about ant behavior with colleagues, Heller, who spent her formative years in Palo Alto, California, started to yearn for something bigger. “As much as I love ants, I felt like I needed to focus on broader conservation issues,” she says.

Ingrid Schaffner

Abigail DeVille

Liz Whitewolf

Photo Joshua Franzos

Inside the Museums

Study skins of butterfly bats (Glauconycteris variegata) from Carnegie Museum of Natural History's research collection.