Dear ARLIS-ians, Tours registration is now open! The Local Arrangements Subcommittee has a variety of fantastic tours planned for you featuring historic and contemporary art, architecture, culture, and more located throughout the rolling hills of the Pittsburgh region. We are excited to see you all soon in the City of Bridges and showcase the amazing tours the city has to offer! Museums
Pittsburgh is home to many amazing, diverse museums. Immerse yourself in Yayoi Kusama’s installations during a visit and tour at The Mattress Factory museum of contemporary installation art, or explore our fraught kinship with plastics during a tour of the Everlasting Plastics exhibition from the U.S. Pavilion’s entry to the 2023 Venice Architecture Biennale at the Carnegie Museum of Art’s Heinz Architectural Center. |
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| Infinity Dots Mirrored Room installation at the Mattress Factory by Yayoi Kusama, 1996. Photo courtesy of the Mattress Factory. |
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Architectural Gems
Nestled in the scenic Laurel Highlands of Southwestern Pennsylvania are some of Frank Lloyd Wright’s most famous organic architectural masterpieces, and we are excited to be offering guided tours of both Fallingwater and Kentuck Knob. |
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| Kentuck Knob - terrace hexagon reflections (summer 2021). Photo courtesy of Kentuck Knob. |
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Cultural Art
The Steel City has a diverse immigrant past and present. Immerse yourself in the awe-inspiring murals of Croatian artist Maxo Vanka on a guided tour at the historic St. Nicholas Croatian Catholic Church in Millvale and discover how these striking works were painted by Vanka in 1937 and 1941 to reflect the culture and lives of the working-class immigrant congregation. Be sure to take a tour of the beautifully decorated Nationality Rooms in the University of Pittsburgh’s gothic Cathedral of Learning, and learn about the rich heritage of different ethnic groups in the Pittsburgh region. |
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| Croatians in America, Maxo Vanka (1937). Maxo Vanka Mural, St. Nicholas Croatian Catholic Church. Photo courtesy of Save Maxo Vanka. |
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Immersive Art Installations
Interested in exploring immersive art installations outside of a museum setting? Travel outside the city into nature to The Ruins Project, an outdoor long-term collaborative mosaic art installation amidst the ruins of a former coal mine in Fayette County, Pennsylvania. Or, stay in the heart of the city and walk through the Troy Hill Art Houses, three wild and zany whole house art installations, each completely different and created by a different artist or artists. |
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| La Hütte Royal art house by Thorsten Brinkmann (2013), Troy Hill Art Houses. Photo courtesy of Troy Hill Art Houses. |
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Creative Hands-on Experiences
Engage both your mind and body with our hands-on tours! Learn how to weave on a small, portable frame loom at Contemporary Craft, or head to the University of Pittsburgh’s Hillman Library to learn about the history of ex libris (bookplates), browse examples from the Pitt Archives and Special Collections, and create and take home your very own bookplates and stickers for your laptop or e-reader at the Text & conText Lab! Into makerspaces? Design and construct your own “speaking” self-portrait with crafting and repurposed materials at Assemble, and learn best practices for integrating technology into makerspaces to bring back to your own spaces! |
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| Contemporary Craft. Photo courtesy of Jill Chisnell. |
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Public Architecture
Stretch your legs in between conference sessions with a guided walking tour of downtown Pittsburgh’s architecture! Explore architectural landmarks, spectacular interiors, and significant urban spaces. |
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| Trees of Mellon Square with Omni William Penn behind, Pittsburgh. Photo courtesy of Anne Kramer. |
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Academic Libraries & Archives
Pittsburgh is proud to be the home of world-class institutions of higher learning, and we are thrilled to offer open hours at both Carnegie Mellon University’s Architecture Archives and the University of Pittsburgh’s Frick Fine Arts Library - both hosted by our very own ARLIS/NA members! |
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| Frick Fine Arts Library at the University of Pittsburgh. Photo courtesy of the University of Pittsburgh. |
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Tours Registration Information
Register for tours using the following link: Tours: 52nd Annual Conference - Art Libraries Society of North America (arlisna.org)
You must be registered for the conference in order to register for tours. Guests 15 and older also must be registered for the conference in order to register for tours. Children are required to register for tours unless otherwise noted; see individual tour descriptions on Sched for details.
Note that adding a tour to your Sched itinerary does NOT mean that you have registered for the tour.
Please consult the Tours category on Sched for detailed tours information, including date, time, transportation, price, accessibility, and accompanying children.
Tours are offered starting early Tuesday, April 2 through Saturday, April 6, so make sure to book your travel arrangements accordingly.
Please contact Tours and Transportation Coordinator Shoshana Vegh-Gaynor with any general questions about tours, and Emily Clifford with any questions about registering for tours. |
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