With the G-20 Summit quickly approaching, the Pittsburgh arts community is getting ready to show the world its rich presence, as well as its contribution towards Pittsburgh’s economic vitality.
The spotlight on Pittsburgh over the coming week is a chance for the city to broaden awareness of its arts in the hopes of realizing the dream of Andrew Carnegie, that one day Pittsburgh would be as well known for its art as for its steel. To that end, cultural organizations have come together to encourage and facilitate the media outlets' accessibility to the local arts scene.
The Pittsburgh G-20 Partnership is providing a variety of press and media tours to showcase Pittsburgh’s transformation as a whole. One such tour, titled “Art & Culture Lovers Press Tour,” promises to highlight why “Pittsburgh is one of America’s best arts cities.” The tour will take members of the press on a visit to the Mattress Factory, a contemporary art museum of installation-based art, and a walking tour of Pittsburgh’s downtown Cultural District to view not only the architecture, but also how the former red-light district has transformed into a “home to six world-class theaters, numerous restaurants and public parks.”
To highlight the art in the region to G-20 participants and the media, The Carnegie Art Museum, according to director Lynn Zelevansky, is working with the Andy Warhol Museum to install “art in all areas of the convention center during the G-20, paying particular attention to the press room.”
The Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council has established Pittsburgh is ART to bring arts organizations together. As the website explains, “A collaboration of Arts Council members and other local arts organizations have gathered to develop a collective voice to share our story with visitors of the Pittsburgh Summit and beyond.”
Arts organizations in the region, including Pittsburgh is ART and the The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, are hosting a variety of events over the coming weeks for both Pittsburgh residents and visitors, that bring attention to the culture and art of G-20 nations, as well as the wealth of cultural and artistic offerings here in Pittsburgh.
While the Carnegie Art Museum will close September 24th and 25th, the museum will be open and free to the public on Wednesday night, September 23rd, from 6-8 pm. The evening opening will serve to kick off the G-20 Summit. The museum encourages both residents and visitors to take this opportunity to explore the museum. As Ms. Zelevansky explains, the G-20 “is a great opportunity for the world to see [Pittsburgh] as the vibrant arts and cultural center that we are.”
The coalition’s goal isn't just to tempt world travelers to visit our museums, but also to remind the region itself of the important economic role the arts play, and the important contribution of a lively and vital cultural community to Pittsburgh’s transformation, part of the reason it was chosen to host the Summit. The coalition's website emphasizes the economic impact of the arts with the fact that the nonprofit arts and cultural industry generates $341 million in economic activity in Allegheny County and supports 10,000 jobs. Additionally, the coalition reports that $34 million is generated by local and state taxes and is a boon to the state.
But the arts community's contribution isn't just the larger narrative of jobs and dollars. The organizations are intimately tied to the communities where they are located. Jeffrey Inscho of the Mattress Factory explains that while “arts organizations are banding together for a unified voice” the various organizations do have separate stories to tell. The Mattress Factory Art Museum on the North Side has ingrained itself in its local community and transformed the neighborhood, according to Mr. Inscho.
In fact, the Mattress Factory commissioned Carnegie Mellon University's Center for Economic Development to study the impact the museum has on the North Side. They found that spending by the museum, its employees, and visitors results in $2.8 to $3.2 million in economic output for other businesses in Allegheny County. Additionally, the study found that the Mattress Factory helps to attract “cultural tourists” to Pittsburgh. Connecting its work to the international scene, the Mattress Factory has supported almost 400 artists through its artist-in-residency program, including representation from nine of the Group of 20 nations.
As Mr. Inscho emphasizes, “for a week, all international eyes will be on the city,” providing an opportunity for Pittsburgh arts and cultural institutions to gain the recognition and interest of the world and propel the city as a rival to any world-class arts city.
For more information on cultural and arts events related to the G-20 Summit, visit the Pittsburgh G-20 Partnership’s calendar of events: https://www.pittsburghg20.org/Calendar.aspx
