The Andy Warhol Museum To Launch “The Pop District” Featuring A Larger Cultural Hub

A larger cultural hub for live music, events, public art, expanded programming, and a home for creative workforce development will be open in “The pop district.” The Richard King Mellon Foundation and the Henry l. Hillman foundation have given a total of $25 million in lead gifts.

The Andy Warhol Museum announced today that it will lead a major new cultural and economic development project to turn a six-block section of the museum’s neighborhood on Pittsburgh’s North Shore into a thriving hub for expansive cultural programming, creative workforce development, and, eventually, a new cultural tourism destination. The concept, dubbed “The Pop District,” intends to establish a museum-led attraction in the city where Andy Warhol was born by combining public art, digital media production, live music, and performance.

According to Patrick Moore, director of The Warhol and project leader, “Andy continues to be emblematic of the American entrepreneurial spirit—a true agent of influence and change. We now have the plan and resources to follow suit as an agent of change for Pittsburgh and an example of how creative communities throughout the country can be activated to boost and sustain a local economy through focusing on opportunities and experiences for young people.”

The Warhol’s physical and programmatic expansion will serve as a catalyst for creative placemaking and economic development. The significance of the project is explained by Dr. Steven Knapp, President & CEO of Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh, the parent institution of The Warhol: “The Pop District will demonstrate the role that museums can and must play in their communities by serving as centers of innovation and catalysts of economic development. This new district on the North Shore will also complement and amplify the vital role of Pittsburgh’s Cultural District, to which it is directly joined by the Andy Warhol Bridge.” The project has already received positive feedback, with The Warhol receiving major funding from the Richard King Mellon Foundation and the Henry L. Hillman Foundation, as well as backing from city, state, and local community groups.

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