WONDER
& LIGHT
Creativity is always in season
Be inspired with works that move, entertain, and educate. Explore the galleries in the Cultural District–all free and open to the public. Find public art all around the neighborhood, including light displays, sculptures, murals, and more.
The Three Sisters
Sister Bridges
November 23 - December 31
This winter, Allegheny County, in partnership with Shiftworks Community + Public Arts, unveils The Three Sisters, a dynamic light show illuminating Pittsburgh's Sister Bridges. Created by artists Marques Redd, and Mikael Owunna, the installation draws inspiration from indigenous cultures of Latin and Central America, with each bridge representing a ‘sister’ goddess and staple crop. The light Display will debut on Light Up Night and will run from November 23rd through December 31st.
Aurora
Mellon Square
The Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy is bringing a new light display and holiday experience to one of Downtown’s most iconic urban parks. The 25' light display is designed by Pittsburgh-based artist Joshua Challen Ice and features hundreds of diamond-shaped panels that change colors when the wind blows or when people touch them.
Willet’s Window
First Presbyterian Church
See it lit up on Light Up Night!
Designed by American portrait painter, muralist, and stained glass studio owner William Willet, this medallion window at First Presbyterian Church is the first of its kind in the U.S. It showcases 35 biblical scenes inspired by medieval art in a neo-Gothic style, a contrast to the “modern” stained glass styles of its time, with a unique exterior of iron-reinforced bars that echo French cathedral designs. The window will be inaugurated on Light up Night, after which it will be lighted permanently.
Garrison Canal
Garrison Place
Ongoing
Andrea Polli, created this original work, which turns the Garrison Place alleyway into an imaginary underwater future world of big data. Visitors to the Canal “swim” below a wave of thousands of shimmering lights that transform color and animate in response to real-time changes in the local weather conditions from a weather station Downtown. Garrison Canal can be viewed in Garrison Place, between the 900 block of Liberty Avenue and Exchange Way.
Good Service
Market Square Moment
8 Market Square
This new installation will be on view starting November 2024
This new platform showcases large-scale reproductions of local art in the heart of one of Downtown’s busiest hubs! The inaugural installation features a painting by Rigel Richardson titled “Good Service.” Inspired by the nature found in backyards and gardens in Millvale, “Good Service” depicts different natural and human flows coming together in a fleeting, vibrant portrait of life.
Plastisphere: A Sinking Reality
Ongoing
Plastisphere: A Sinking Reality is the latest work of La Vispera, an artist collective formed by Kelly Jimenez and Alejandro Franco. This striking display uses discarded single-use plastics to raise awareness about the impacts of these unsustainable materials on the ecosystem. Tne project uses the windows of the building to simulate the appearance of an aquarium. Each panel was crafted using plastic waste to evoke both the beauty and fragility of the natural world, while calling attention to the detrimental impacts of throwaway culture and the overconsumption of single-use plastics.
Art For All, All Year Long
Looking for more art around ‘tahn? Check out our Downtown Public Art page for more free exhibitions and installations.