PITTSBURGH PUBLIC ART

The collection of images for the Pittsburgh Public Art project began in the summer of 2021. The Hill District Community Development Center asked the CREATE Lab to photograph a culturally important mural that would soon be hidden from view by a new building. Pittsburgh, like many cities across the country, has a vibrant art community that actively contributes to city life through it's notable Public Art program. This project quickly evolved into my personal quest to document for posterity all of the public art in the City of Pittsburgh and environs, and to document its changes over time.

The Pittsburgh Public Art Documentation Project is nearing 200 documented artworks. It is meant to be a long-term project providing high-resolution "explorable" images of the current landscape of public art installations in "Greater Pittsburgh" and to document its changes over time. I hope that this ever expanding library of images will be used as a resource by visitors and residents alike to locate and enjoy this aspect of Pittsburgh's public persona. Art Historians, too, now have access to a valuable research and educational tool to study the social and political impact of this part of the city's psyche.

Finally, this project would not be possible without the invaluable support of the Carnegie Mellon University CREATE Lab's management and crew (past and present), and Sibyl Fine King of the Fine Family Foundation. Many thanks to you all.

Richard Palmer, PhD

Panorama Photography Specialist

CREATE Lab, Robotics Institute

Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA, USA

October 2025