Carnegie Museum of Art

Carnegie Museum of Art is a major museum of international art located in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh. Founded by industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie in 1895, it was one of the first museums in the United States with a strong focus on contemporary art of the period. The museum is a component of the Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh and is housed in a complex of buildings that includes the adjacent Carnegie Museum of Natural History.

History

The institution was established by Andrew Carnegie with the explicit goal of showcasing the "Old Masters of tomorrow," making it a pioneering force in collecting and exhibiting contemporary art. Its inaugural exhibition, the 1896 Pittsburgh International, later known as the Carnegie International, set a precedent for presenting new artistic developments from around the globe. Key early figures in its development included director John W. Beatty and subsequent leaders like Homer Saint-Gaudens, who expanded its ambitions. The museum's growth paralleled the cultural ascent of Pittsburgh during the Gilded Age and its subsequent transformation into a modern city. Throughout the 20th century, it continued to build its collection through purchases from the Carnegie International and significant gifts, such as the Sarah Mellon Scaife collection.

Collections

The museum's holdings are particularly renowned for their strength in French Impressionism and Post-Impressionism, featuring major works by artists like Claude Monet, Vincent van Gogh, and Paul Cézanne. Its collection of American art from the late 19th century onward is extensive, including paintings by Winslow Homer, Mary Cassatt, and John Singer Sargent. The museum also possesses significant works from the European avant-garde, including pieces by Marc Chagall and Willem de Kooning. Other notable areas include a comprehensive collection of architectural drawings, models, and fragments, as well as robust holdings in photography, decorative arts, and modern sculpture. The Hall of Architecture contains one of the world's largest collections of architectural plaster casts.

Architecture

The original 1907 Beaux-Arts building was designed by the architectural firm Alden & Harlow. A major expansion in 1974, known as the Sarah Scaife Gallery, was designed by architect Edward Larrabee Barnes, which added significant modern gallery space. Further renovations and additions have continued, including work by the architectural firm SmithGroupJJR. The museum complex is physically connected to the Carnegie Museum of Natural History and the main branch of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, forming a large cultural and educational nexus in the Oakland district. The Heinz Architectural Center, established in 1990, is a dedicated wing for the study and exhibition of architecture.

Notable exhibitions

The museum is famous for organizing the Carnegie International, one of the oldest and most prestigious periodic surveys of contemporary art worldwide, which has featured artists from Pierre-Auguste Renoir in its early years to Andy Warhol, Joseph Beuys, and Julie Mehretu in more recent editions. Other significant historical exhibitions have included "Pittsburgh International" and "1955 Pittsburgh International." It has also mounted major solo exhibitions for influential figures such as Georgia O'Keeffe, James Turrell, and Joan Mitchell. The museum frequently collaborates with other institutions like the Whitney Museum of American Art and the Tate Modern to present traveling shows.

See also

* Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh * Andy Warhol Museum * Museum of Modern Art * Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum * Philadelphia Museum of Art

Category:Art museums in Pennsylvania Category:Museums in Pittsburgh Category:Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh Category:1895 establishments in Pennsylvania