Carnegie Institute and Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, 1895.
Horse-drawn carriages used the circular drive to deliver visitors to performances in Carnegie Music Hall. Andrew Carnegie disliked the twin Venetian towers, calling them “donkey’s ears.” They were removed as part of the building’s 1907 expansion.
Housed in the Information and Reference Services Department at CLP - Main, the Pittsburgh Art, Artist and Architecture files contain index cards with art events, architecture, and names of Pittsburgh artists and architects. The cards point to associated references in books or files with catalogs, mounted pictures, magazine and newspaper clippings, and other ephemera unique to Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. Coverage is strongest between 1920-2000. This resource includes Associated Artists of Pittsburgh Annual Exhibition Catalogs and Carnegie International Exhibition Catalogs.
For more information about these collections, contact Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh:
Phone 412.622.3114
Email info@carnegielibrary.org
Circulating and reference books about Pittsburgh Art and Pittsburgh Architecture at CLP - Main.
This is an extensive clippings collection containing information about art events, art galleries, art festivals, art organizations, and other subjects which have some connection to Pittsburgh.
The clippings file includes catalogs, mounted pictures, newspaper and magazine clippings, postcards, and other ephemera. Carnegie Library art librarians collected these documents before the development of the internet. This file includes rare and unique items not easily found in other places. Coverage generally begins in the 1930’s and continues to around 2000.
The key to this file is on index cards. Consulting the index cards with a librarian is the first step to finding information about a particular topic.
This file consists of index cards listing names of over 2500 visual artists who have some connection to the Pittsburgh area, whether they were born or worked in the region. With coverage ranging from 1930-2000, the cards refer to entries in catalogs, local directories, citations in one of the Library’s reference resources or to supplemental folders. These folders contain newspaper and magazine clippings, opening event announcements, exhibition catalogs, obituaries and other ephemera.
Founded in 1910, the Associated Artists of Pittsburgh is still an active organization. CLP-Main holds an almost complete set of their annual exhibition catalogs from 1910-2010. A corresponding card index includes artists’ names and the years that their work was included in the Associated Artists’ annual exhibitions.
Carnegie Institute, known today as Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh, was founded in 1895. A year later, the Institute held the first Carnegie International. This was known as the Annual Exhibition from 1896-1914, the Annual International Exhibition from 1920-1933, and the International Exhibition from 1934-1939. From 1940-1949 the annual exhibition featured American paintings. After 1950, these exhibitions were not held every year. From 1950-1970, they were titled the Pittsburgh International Exhibition, and Carnegie International starting in 1982. CLP-Main holds the exhibition catalogs from 1896-2018.
This file consists of index cards with the names of over 1000 architects and firms with some connection to Pittsburgh. With coverage ranging from about 1930-2000, the cards point to specific information on an architect or company mentioned in the Library’s reference resources, local directories, catalogs, or to folders containing newspaper and magazine clippings and other ephemera. This is not an index of architects currently working in the Pittsburgh area, but this information is also available at the library.
This file consists of index cards containing information about specific buildings, architectural styles, areas, building types, houses, and other structures built in the Pittsburgh region during the 20th Century. The index cards refer to journal articles, citations in books, the architect or designer, or to folders containing newspaper and magazine clippings and other ephemera. Carnegie Library art librarians collected these documents before the development of the internet. This file includes rare and unique items not easily found in other places.
Index card file in the Information & Reference Services Department at CLP - Main. See the Family and Local History Department for more details.
Catalogue of the annual exhibition of the Pittsburgh Architectural Club, 1910-1916.
Charette: Journal of the Pittsburgh Architectural Club, 1920-1974. See also: Online digital version from Carnegie Mellon University.
Associated Artists of Pittsburgh (AAP) exhibits, promotes, and supports the work of visual artists who call Pittsburgh and the surrounding region home.
The AAP mission is to enhance the region's cultural vitality and promote visual arts excellence by showcasing artists' work through contemporary exhibitions, providing community-based education programs, and facilitating a broad dialogue to engage artists with one another and the community. Currently, AAP has over 600 artist members.
AIR is a printlab designed to support working artists. They initiate and facilitate projects with professional artists, creating an active laboratory environment where artists, students, and the community interact. AIR provides facilities and equipment, technical assistance, and printmaking expertise.
Established in 1895 through a bequest to Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh from the estate of successful Pittsburgh merchant Julius D. Bernd, this collection of books about architecture and related arts is still funded by his generosity today, well over 100 years later. Many of the earlier titles, ranging from 1540-1850, acquired by the Library through the Bernd fund can be found in the Rare Book Room at CLP-Main, while other Bernd titles can be found interfiled in the general collection.
Dedicated to the development of artists and creative entrepreneurs representing marginalized voices. BOOM Concepts offers artist studios in auxiliary locations across Pittsburgh’s unique neighborhoods, spaces, and resources catered to each artist’s creative and professional goals.
A nonprofit artist residency and experimental gallery in Pittsburgh, PA that serves as a platform for emerging artists to develop their practice and create new works for exhibition. Bunker provides a unique environment for artists to advance their careers and build community.
HathiTrust was founded in 2008 as a not-for-profit collaborative of academic and research libraries now preserving 18+ million digitized items in the HathiTrust Digital Library.
Four Carnegie Museums: Carnegie Museum of Art, Carnegie Science Center, Carnegie Museum of Natural History, and The Andy Warhol Museum.
Public Art & Design is in charge of maintaining and preserving the City of Pittsburgh’s collection of monuments, memorials, and works of historical and modern art.
Presenting contemporary art in craft materials by international, national, and regional artists since 1971, Contemporary Craft offers innovative exhibitions focused on multicultural diversity and contemporary art, as well as a range of hands-on workshops, community engagement programs, and a store.
The Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council builds a more resourced, connected, and informed arts sector, empowering artists and arts organizations throughout Southwestern PA.
The Senator John Heinz History Center is Pennsylvania’s largest history museum and a proud affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution. Devoted to the history and heritage of Western Pennsylvania, the family of museums includes the Heinz History Center, Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum, Fort Pitt Museum, and Meadowcroft Rockshelter and Historic Village. The History Center is home to the Thomas & Katherine Detre Library & Archives.
Historic Pittsburgh is a collaborative effort from multiple institutions in the Greater Pittsburgh region and is hosted by the University of Pittsburgh’s Library System.
Empowers Pittsburgh-area youth and adults at the intersection of arts, community development, and workforce readiness. Through the creative process of hands-on sculpture design and welding, students develop skills and have experiences that help prepare them for the workplace – whether that be in welding, another trade, the arts, or some other field all together. Youth and adults who complete our programs will be stronger, more resilient, and prepared for a bright future.
Contributes to the educational and cultural landscape of Pittsburgh, including hosting an array of events, exhibitions and summer camps. The IF Center has collaborated with dozens of schools and other organizations, locally, nationally and globally.
An artist-centered museum, international residency program and renowned producer and presenter of installation art. We say “yes” to artists, offering time and space to dream and realize projects in our hometown, Pittsburgh, PA. We invite audiences from around the world and around the corner to step inside, immerse and connect with the artistic process.
Their primary mission is to preserve the arts, culture, and music in underserved communities with the restoration of the National Opera House.
Visit PA Photos and Documents to explore photographs and documents exploring African American History and Culture, Disability History, Latinx History and Culture, LGBTQIA+ History, Native American and Indigenous People’s History and Culture, Religion and Spirituality, and Women’s History.
Pittsburgh Center for Arts & Media - providing arts education in Pittsburgh for over 75 years and counting - cultivates a thriving arts community by bringing people together through education, exhibitions, and experiences.
The Galleries at the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust present exhibitions of contemporary art by regional, national, and international artists. The Trust currently operates five distinct exhibition spaces in downtown Pittsburgh’s 14-block Cultural District including Wood Street Galleries, a historic exhibition space dedicated to new and emerging media.
The Galleries at the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust are FREE and open to the public.
A nonprofit, public-access education center; an art gallery; a state-of-the-art glass studio; a community builder; and a hub for innovation and creativity. Anyone can take classes, explore the contemporary glass gallery, and watch the live hot glass demonstrations. World-renowned glass artists come here to both create and teach.
The Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation (PHLF), was founded in 1964 by a group of citizens who passionately believed that historic preservation, rather than massive demolition, could be a tool for renewing communities, creating pride among residents, and achieving sustainable economic development.
A resource for finding and enjoying outdoor murals and public art in the Pittsburgh area.
This collection contains over 18,000 images from a photography project initiated by the Allegheny Conference on Community Development to highlight the redevelopment of Downtown Pittsburgh during the early 1950’s.
Founded in 1965, with more than 200 members who's work represents all visual arts media.
One of the first groups to be affiliated with the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts. The membership of the Pittsburgh Watercolor Society has grown to over 250 artists who enjoy this opportunity to explore and share their broad range of styles and techniques.
ProjectArt’s mission is to create welcoming spaces for historically underrepresented communities, including the city’s growing immigrant and refugee populations.
Tucked away in the heart of Pittsburgh’s North Side, Randyland is an artistic wonderland that unveils the extraordinary power of art in transforming not only spaces but lives as well. Amidst the vibrant tapestry of colors and creativity, the story of Randy Gilson, the founder, takes center stage.
Showcases the artistry and innovation of southwestern Pennsylvania’s industrial and cultural heritage through its historical and 21st-century attractions - offering unique experiences via tours, workshops, exhibitions, festivals, and more.
Their mission is to conserve and protect for permanent public exhibition the nationally recognized Maxo Vanka murals within St. Nicholas Croatian Catholic Church in Pittsburgh, enabling the immigrant artist’s “gift to America” to serve as an enduring catalyst for community engagement and education, inspire social and cultural dialogue, celebrate diversity, and forge connections through reflections on the extraordinary American experience.
Shiftworks Community + Public Arts envisions a region in which the creative practices of artists are fully engaged to collaboratively shape the public realm and catalyze community-led change. Shiftworks builds capacity for this work through civically engaged public art, artist resources, public programming, and technical assistance.
Promotes the power of contemporary photography as a fine art medium by creating original exhibitions, unique educational programming, and a space for artists to learn, create, and connect through a digital lab and education center, The Lab @ Silver Eye. Programs are dedicated to supporting the work of emerging, mid-career, and under-recognized artists and sharing that work with diverse audience in engaging and meaningful ways.
For more than four decades, Charles “Teenie” Harris photographed Pittsburgh’s African American community for the Pittsburgh Courier, one of the nation’s most influential black newspapers. His archive of nearly 80,000 images is one of the most detailed and intimate records of the black urban experience known today. Established at Carnegie Museum of Art in 2001, the archive serves as a steward for the community to discover and engage with its own rich history.
Women of Visions, Inc. is a historic collective of African American women visual artists in Pittsburgh and a contemporary organization of artists supporting the community and each other through exhibitions, education, mentorship, and professional development.
Want to add your Pittsburgh art organization to this list? Contact info@carnegielibrary.org.
Joe Magarac (William Gropper, 1947)