Visitor's Guide To The Carnegie Museum Of Art
If you have found yourself and maybe your children spending a little too much time gaming and reading social media, a trip out for some culture might be in order. Art Museums speak to the creative centers of our brain and help to spark imagination and inspiration. The Carnegie Museum Of Art, located in Oakland, is a great place to unplug and and learn by seeing and experiencing art first-hand. This renowned museum attracts visitors from all over the world, but lucky for us in Pittsburgh, it is right in our back yard. So schedule a vacation day while the weather is still nice and head over to the Carnegie Museum Of Art for a day of art and culture.
Carnegie Museum Of Art
4400 Forbes Ave.
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
(412) 622-3131
www.cmoa.org
The Carnegie Museum of Art is a favorite place for Pittsburghers to visit for field trips and family outings. If you find that you haven't been there since that field trip 20 years ago, be sure to plan a trip in the near future. In addition to a magnificent collection of historical art pieces, the museum hosts an ever-changing array of interesting and innovative exhibits throughout the year. Who knows, you may spark a new interest and find a reason to visit more often.
History Of The Museum
In 1886, industrialist Andrew Carnegie had a vision to build a library in Pittsburgh and along with it a gallery to showcase the development of pictorial art in America. The museum opened in 1895 as part of the library's original branch in Oakland. The museum was one of the first modern art museums in the United States. In 1907 it underwent a large expansion which added the Hall of Architecture, the Hall of Sculpture and the Bruce Galleries we see today, still directly funded by Carnegie. Later, the Sarah Mellon Scaife gallery added another 125,000 square feet to the museum and opened in 1974. This is where the children's studios, theater, gift shop and cafe are also located. The gallery has been renovated several times since then, with the most recent renovation in 2004.
Admission
Regular admission to the museum is $19.95 for adults, $11.95 for kids and students (ages 3-18) and $14.95 for seniors (age 65 and older). Children under two are admitted for free. If you are a member, your admission is also free. If you arrive at the museum after 3 p.m. on a weekday, admission is 50 percent off. Admission covers the Museum of Art, The Museum Of Natural History and all special exhibitions, audio programs, films and drop in tours. Other discounts are available for active U.S. military, students and teachers. See the museum's website for a full list. Museum hours are Monday through Wednesday, Friday and Saturday 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Thursday 10 a.m.-8 p.m. and Sunday noon-5 p.m. To schedule group tours contact the group visits office at (412) 622-3289.
Get There/Parking
The Carnegie Museum of Art is located in Oakland, in the east end of the city of Pittsburgh. The museum is close to the University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon University, UPMC and Magee Women's Hospital. You can take the bus to the museum using the South Craig Street at Forbes Ave. route, which stops in the museum parking lot or the Fifth Ave. route, which will drop you off three blocks from the museum. Parking is available in the lot at the rear of the museum and ranges from $4-16 depending on how long you stay. Parking is $6 if you arrive after 5 p.m. and all day on the weekends.
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Upcoming Exhibits
The museum has two interesting exhibits which run through October. The first is "Teeny Harris Photographs: Cars." This exhibition contains 25 photographs by Charles "Teenie" Harris, a photographer who studies the micro economy of the Hill District from the 1930s-70s. His work includes photographs of repair shops, gas stations and car dealerships, as well as celebrities interacting with their cars. This exhibition is a selection of works from the Carnegie Museum of Art's archives showcasing automobiles. The exhibition runs through Oct. 31.
A second Exhibition showcases works by Jacqueline Humphries, a contemporary artist known for her atmospheric paintings. These paintings are painted with fluorescent paints, which are enhanced by back-lighting. This exhibit runs through Oct. 5. Other upcoming exhibits include "HACLab Pittsburgh: Imagining the Modern, Silver to Steel" "The Modern Designs of Peter Muller-Munk" and "Jane Haskell's Modernism: A Pittsburgh Legacy." See the museum's website for exhibition dates and locations.
Little-Known Facts
1. Saturday art classes are available for kids ages 5-10. Kids can take one of the four-week courses offered throughout the year.
2. You can become a member of the Carnegie Museum of Art. Your membership gets you free admission to the museum, discounts on merchandise and classes, and your membership fee helps to support the financial needs of the museum.
3. Do you love art? You can help visitors to the museum learn more by volunteering to help with children's classes, do research and data entry or help with the museum's many projects and programs. You can also volunteer to be a docent. After a prerequisite course, a docent helps to engage and inspire visitors to the museum while they are touring the permanent exhibits.
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Jennifer Stockdale is a native of the greater Pittsburgh, PA area. She is a restaurant marketer and wine enthusiast and one of the hosts of the East Coast Wine Geeks Podcast. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.
