Photo: Joshua FranzosI often speak of our mission to turn our museums “inside out” by looking beyond our walls into the communities we strive to serve in ever-more creative and meaningful ways. Reflecting on a remarkable spring and summer at Carnegie Museums, I was struck by all the ways in which our four museums are expressing that aspiration.
- Once again, in Carnegie Museum of Art’s third iteration of its Inside Out free summer concert series, we celebrated the region’s rich cultural landscape by inviting a diverse group of performers and DJs to fill its Sculpture Courtyard with music and dance on Thursday evenings and Saturday afternoons.
- The USS Requin has long served to connect the people of our region with the ways in which advancements in technology have served the vital interests of our nation.
- As you’ll read in this issue’s cover story, Requin serves as a daily reminder of human ingenuity, service, and sacrifice, which was evident at Carnegie Science Center’s annual Memorial Day ceremony.
- In a celebration of scientific innovation and collaborative economic development at its finest, on June 1 Carnegie Science Center, Astrobotic (the “Moon Company”), and the tri-state region’s Keystone Space Collaborative were joined by Mayor Ed Gainey and U.S. Rep. Summer Lee as they announced plans to develop a Space and Defense Innovation District on the city’s North Side.
- On Juneteenth (June 19), Carnegie Museums, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, and the University of Pittsburgh announced an inclusive Call for Diverse Art that asks contributing writers, visual artists, and performers to envision what “a just and equitable Pittsburgh” would look like. Submissions can be made through early fall, with a public art showcase planned for 2024.
- On June 27, The Andy Warhol Museum unveiled its newest addition to The Pop District—Anatomy of the Human, a stunning mural by local artist Mikael Owunna. Citizens sponsored the installation and is supporting The Warhol Academy—the workforce development arm of The Pop District—with a $350,000 gift.
- In July, Carnegie Museum of Natural History announced it had received a $225,000 grant from the Richard King Mellon Foundation to lead a regional education campaign on the dangers of invasive plant species—partnering with the local Audubon Society, Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, Pittsburgh Botanic Garden, and other groups.
- Finally, in August, we joined our friends at the Allegheny Regional Asset District (RAD) in celebrating The Andy Warhol Museum, the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh, and the Heinz History Center—each of which placed in the top-five of their respective categories in a USA Today survey of the country’s best museums. With the generous support of the Allegheny Regional Asset District, admissions to all three attractions were free for the entire month of August.
These are the kinds of experiences, partnerships, and programs that make the four Carnegie Museums such vital contributors to the vitality of our region.
With best regards for a peaceful and fruitful fall season,
Steven Knapp
President and Chief Executive Officer
Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh
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