Magnolias for Pittsburgh

PROJECT OVERVIEW

Title: Magnolias for Pittsburgh
Photo Credit: Jason Cohn, Kevin Cooke, Veronica Corpuz, Jasmine Gehris
Lead Artist(s):
Tony Tasset

Description:

Magnolias for Pittsburgh located in the heart of Downtown Pittsburgh's revitalized Cultural District, consists of two bronze sculptures of flowering magnolia trees, hand painted in urethane enamel. The trees are hand-sculpted from replica magnolias that hold over 800 sculpted flowers. Surrounded by five real magnolia trees, the sculpture sits in a rich bed of ivy ground cover and features a walkway that meanders through the site. "The intention of Magnolias for Pittsburgh was first and foremost to create a public work with an egalitarian aesthetic that appeals to a wide range of the population," Mr. Tasset writes in his artist's statement. "I wanted to simply create a little magic, fairy tale moment in the daily hustle and bustle of downtown Pittsburgh. Magnolias is meant to have a dynamic relationship with the environment," Tasset continues. "Always looking different as the stillness of the bronzes emphasizes the change of the seasons." Currently, the face of downtown Pittsburgh is changing through the transformative power of art. The corner that currently features Magnolias for Pittsburgh was once the site of "Doc Johnson's House of Love Aids and Marital Potions." It is fitting that this work of art represents the growth of a newer, stronger downtown area. Magnolias for Pittsburgh is part of a $2-million public art program established by the Sports & Exhibition Authority at the onset of the David L. Lawrence Convention Center expansion project, with support from the Vira I. Heinz Endowment, the Hillman Foundation, The Pittsburgh Foundation, the Richard King Mellon Foundation and Anonymous. The mission of the program is to present a collection of artwork "of great artistic merit, ambition and imagination commensurate with the building's architectural design."

PROJECT LOCATION

Streetscape
Downtown Pittsburgh's Cultural District at Seventh Street and Penn Avenue
701 Penn Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222
United States

click the map to enlarge
PROJECT TEAM

Pittsburgh Cultural Trust
Sports and Exhibition Authority
Pittsburgh Cultural Trust
PROJECT DETAILS

Permanent
$540,000
Public
Painting, Sculpture
Painting
Sculpture, painting, bronze
2006
2007
VIDEOS

Embedded thumbnail for 2007 Public Art Network Year in Review: Magnolias for Pittsburgh