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The Creative Student's Guide to Pittsburgh Art Education and Careers

...for students of art, design, fashion design, photography, film/video, advertising, interior design and other creative fields.

Visit our Complete Directory of
Pittsburgh Art Schools and Art Colleges!

by C.J. Gustafson
ArtSchools.com Contributing Writer

art schools in Pittsburgh The origins of Pittsburgh are found at an area called the Point, the place where the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers form the head of the Ohio River. During the French and Indian War in the mid 1700's, British forces captured Fort Duquesne, already on the Point, and built a larger fort that they named Fort Pitt after British statesman and general, William Pitt. The city took its name from this fort - calling it Pittsborough and later changing it to Pittsburgh.

According to the 2000 census, Pittsburgh's population of 334,563 occupies 58.4 sq. miles. Its location at the convergence of several river valleys makes it a close second to San Francisco for hilly terrain. The Strip District calls out to anyone who loves to sample ethnic food, visit international markets, and do some serious shopping, while an area called the South Side is a great location for leisurely pub-crawling. There are four Carnegie Museums in Pittsburgh, two of which focus on visual arts.

The Carnegie Museum of Art offers a distinguished collection of contemporary art that includes film and video works. The Heinz Architectural Center, opened as part of the Museum in 1993, is dedicated to the collection, study, and exhibition of architectural drawings and models. The second Carnegie venue is The Andy Warhol Museum. The facility's permanent collection is comprised of more than 4,000 examples of the Pittsburgh-born artist's works including paintings, drawings, prints, photographs, sculpture, film, videotapes, and resource documents.

The Mattress Factory is a contemporary art museum that exhibits room-sized works of art created at the center by resident artists. They also maintain a permanent collection of 13 works. The Frick Art and Historical Center provides the public with a look at the life and times of industrialist and art collector Henry Clay Frick. Exhibitions of fine and decorative art are also presented at the Center. In addition to the collections and exhibits provided by the museums, Pittsburgh also has many public works of art located throughout the city.

Diverse Arts Scene

art degrees in Pittsburgh The variety of artistic styles and venues in Pittsburgh is an indicator of the diversity of the city's art scene, and of its population. In an review published in the Saturday, March 16, 2002 edition of the Post-Gazette, art critic Mary Thomas wrote, "A dip into the Pittsburgh art scene this week confirmed that it's thriving and diverse, feeding a multiplicity of exhibitor and audience tastes. In four days I found exhibitions and events with qualities that ranged from lighthearted immediacy to thought-provoking profundity."

This range of interests and mediums is reflected in the numerous Pittsburgh community groups and professional organizations that support artists and provide resources. The Pittsburgh Photo Section has been active since 1885, meeting three times a month. They offer group support, exhibits, events and workshops for photographers. The American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA) has a chapter in Pittsburgh, and the Associated Artists of Pittsburgh is an artists' group comprised of about 500 individuals. The Pittsburgh Center for the Arts exhibits and sells work by contemporary regional artists and provides educational opportunities.

Art Schools and Programs

In addition to the arts organizations described above, there are several schools and colleges in Pittsburgh that offer visual arts education opportunities. Some examples are the International Academy of Design and Technology -- Pittsburgh, The Art Institute of Pittsburgh, Chatham College, Duquesne University, Department of Art, La Roche College Department of Graphics and Design, Pittsburgh Technical Institute, and Point Park University.

art student in Pittsburgh The University of Pittsburgh includes the Henry Clay Frick Department of the History of Art and Architecture, the History of Art Department, and the Studio Arts Department. The University's campus at Johnstown has a Fine Arts and Studio Arts Program. Students who wish to study visual arts at the prestigious Carnegie Mellon University can select from programs in the College of Fine Arts, the School of Architecture, and the School of Design.

Community organizations and schools that offer certificates, workshops and lectures in the visual arts include the Academy of Science and Art of Pittsburgh, the North Hills Art Center, Pittsburgh Filmmakers, the Pittsburgh Glass Center, South Arts, Inc., and St. Mary's Lawrenceville Arts.

Participants in Pittsburgh's schools and workshops can earn Advertising degrees, Architecture degrees, Interior Design degrees, and Graphic Design degrees, among others. They can also study computer animation, sculpting, painting textiles, and a wide range of other mediums, and receive training for architectural careers, photography careers, fashion careers, and a number of other careers in the visual arts.

The large number of museums, arts organizations and educational opportunities in the city defy Pittsburgh's image as a rough and rowdy steel town, giving visual arts students many reasons to pursue their studies and art careers in the river city.

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