Downtown Pittsburgh’s newest art venue has opened as part of
Robert Morris University’s (RMU)
Downtown expansion.
Located at 600 Fifth Ave., the 2,000-square-foot Media Arts Gallery will host student and faculty work, exhibitions by local and international artists, and lectures, meetings and events. The gallery opened just seven weeks after RMU announced its $5 million renovation plan for the 100,000-square-foot property that houses the gallery.
“The idea is that it will be a major cultural attraction and part of the university’s move to revitalize the Downtown building,” says Timothy Hadfield of RMU who is planning exhibitions and events in conjunction with the
Society for Photographic Education,
Pittsburgh 250 and
AIGA. “We want it to be more than a gallery—it can be used by alumni, trustees and visitors.” The London native—who has taught at
Carnegie Mellon and
Savannah College of Art and Design—is thrilled with the opportunity to connect with events like the Downtown Gallery Crawl. “We can really be part of the culture of the city as a whole, and tie into local events.”
Anne Chen of
EDGE studio was project architect; contractor was
Landau Building Company. Future plans for the gallery—which features wood floors and uniquely shaped apertures that capture natural light—call for adding a movable pod for viewing film and video, and a sculpted bulkhead to direct lighting.
The gallery’s inaugural exhibition,
Brit by Brit—
Contemporary Ceramics by Rod Bugg and Stephen Dixon, runs through April 19. Also on view are models and renderings that illuminate EDGE studio’s design process.
Writer:
Jennifer BaronSource:
Tim Hadfield, head, media arts department, Robert Morris University
Photograph copyright Brian Cohen