Art for Sale, Pennsylvania
Where to go for art in Pennsylvania
Philadelphia has many art districts, each offering something different. The Old City Arts District is an affluent neighbourhood full of beautifully re-designed industrial buildings. Chestnut Hill holds many cultural events, specialising in antiques and ancient art - Germantown is similar in style. For those seeking trendy climates, the Northern Liberties district has many galleries that turn into night clubs and jazz venues at night. Finally, the Avenue of Arts is home to the main art museums and other cultural organizations.
In Pittsburgh, there is an amount of large galleries and museums along the North Shore and North Side. The Lawrenceville neighbourhood offers an eclectic array of smaller galleries and boutique shops.
Well known galleries in Pennsylvania
Many people have seen the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art in the film Rocky. The building holds more than 225,000 pieces of art, including work from Vincent van Gogh, Pablo Picasso and Marcel Duchamp.
The Rodin Museum, also in Philadelphia, hosts the largest collection of works by August Rodin outside of Paris, including his famous piece, The Thinker, situated in its courtyard.
In Pittsburgh, the Carnegie Museum also exhibits art by the masters - as well as van Gogh, you will find Edgar Degas, Claude Monet, Robert Adam and many more. An event that has been running for over 75 years, is the art class for children that is held every Saturday.
The Andy Warhol Museum is part of the Carnegie, and is the largest museum in North America dedicated to a single artist.
Art Events in Pennsylvania
First Fridays is held in Philadelphia on the first Friday of every month. Galleries in the Old City Art District open up their doors to the public to showcase their latest work.
In September, Philadelphia Live Arts Festival and Philly Fringe are run concurrently over 16 days providing the public with live music, performances, and a wide range of art.
Artists come from all over the U.S. to exhibit at The Pittsburgh Three Rivers Arts Festival in June, which runs for 17 days. It is a free event and is extremely popular with people of all ages.
Artists from Pennsylvania
Andy Warhol (1928-1987), born in Pittsburgh, was a key figure in the pop art movement; his iconic pieces are recognized throughout the world. Early in his art career, he painted pictures of American products such as Campbell’s soup and Coca Cola. Towards the end, his art was motivated by his catholic beliefs including the famous piece, The Last Supper.
Inspired by Warhol, Burton Morris’s pop art has appeared on many household products including Zippo, Absolut Vodka and Coors Beer. He is particularly popular amongst celebrities.
Described as the “Painter of the People”, Andrew Newell Wyeth (1917-2009) was a well loved artist of the mid 20th century. He painted the American landscape with a focus on its inhabitants.