The Andy Warhol Museum pays homage to Pittsburgh’s famous artistic son. Stepping inside, visitors learn more about Andy Warhol and get an up-close look at some of his famous works.
Across the Andy Warhol Bridge from downtown Pittsburgh, the Andy Warhol Museum is located at 117 Sandusky Street in the old Frick & Lindsay Co building, a former warehouse for oil well, mill, and mine supplies. It’s quite befitting that his art collection is housed in a building known for its classical, Beaux-Arts exterior.
About Andy Warhol
Andy was born Andrew Warhola on August 6, 1928. The son of immigrants, he was a first-generation American and grew up in Pittsburgh’s Oakland neighborhood.
When he was in third grade, Andy had Sydenham’s chorea, a possible complication of scarlet fever. While at home in bed, his mother kept him supplied with comics and coloring books. He also played with paper cutouts. These would prove formidable in his artistic development.
Andy developed a fixation of his physical flaws. He had discolored pigmentation and was called “Spot” and “Andy the Red-nosed Warhola.” This, too, would factor into some of Andy’s art pieces later on.
Andy attended the Carnegie Institute of Technology (now Carnegie Mellon University) from 1945 to 1949. After he graduated from college, he moved to New York and it was there that he modified his last name (he dropped the final “a”).
Warhol began his professional career in the 1950s as a commercial illustrator. In the 1960s, you can see where the pop art movement garnered his attention.
In addition to his drawings and paintings, Warhol also produced a range of films. His most commercially successful film, the three-hour-long, double-screen The Chelsea Girls, was produced in 1966.
Perhaps his best-known art is his iconic series of Campbell’s Soup Cans – 32 canvases representing the 32 varieties of Campbell’s Soup sold at the time.
At The Museum
The museum houses the largest collection of Andy Warhol’s art. It includes prints, photographs, sketches, and films. The collection also includes his serial work Time Capsules – 610 containers that the artist filled, sealed, and sent to storage.
There are seven floors and a basement devoted to all things Andy Warhol. There are:
- 900 paintings
- approximately 100 sculptures
- nearly 2,000 works on paper
- 4,000+ photographs
- 60 feature films
- 200 Screen Tests
- 4,000+ videos
The museum also hosts collections from contemporary artists that resonate with Warhol.
The museum is visitor-friendly and accessible. Admission is $20 for adults and $10 for children 3-18, students, and seniors. Museum memberships are also available.
Learn more about the Andy Warhol Museum by visiting Warhol.org.
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