Culture of the US city
The
culture of
Pittsburgh
stems from the city's long
history
as a center for cultural
philanthropy
, as well as its rich ethnic traditions. In the 19th and 20th centuries, wealthy businessmen such as
Andrew Carnegie
,
Henry J. Heinz
,
Henry Clay Frick
, and nonprofit organizations such as the
Carnegie Foundation
donated millions of
dollars
to create educational and cultural institutions.
Architecture
[
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Cathedral of Learning, Pittsburgh, May 14, 2005.
The
Frank Lloyd Wright
masterpiece
Fallingwater
is about an hour's drive from
Downtown Pittsburgh
. The North Shore has an 1895 neogothic church,
Calvary Methodist
, with an interior designed by
Louis Comfort Tiffany
. The church's stained glass windows are some of the largest and most elaborate work Tiffany ever created. The
Church of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in Pittsburgh
, an opulently decorated edifice with elaborate
Old World
flourishes is one of the finest examples of the so-called
Polish Cathedral style
,
[1]
dominating the skyline over
Polish Hill
. The
Allegheny County Courthouse
(1886), designed by
H.H. Richardson
, is a unique and influential building. At 42 stories, the
University of Pittsburgh
's
Cathedral of Learning
(1937) is the second tallest collegiate building in the world. The tallest skyscraper in Pittsburgh is the triangular
U.S. Steel Tower
. Both
Acrisure Stadium
(2001) and
PNC Park
(2001) are designed to give fans a view of the city skyline.
Conventions
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David L. Lawrence Convention Center, as viewed from I-579 bridge.
The
David L. Lawrence Convention Center
, located on the south bank of the
Allegheny River
, is able to accommodate all sizes of conventions, exhibitions and conferences. Certified with a Gold rating by the
U.S. Green Building Council's
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
initiative, the building is considered the first ever "green" convention center and world's largest "green" building.
Film
[
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The region has hosted over 1,000 film and television works since the first production was filmed in the city in 1898. Since 1990 the
Pittsburgh Film Office
has marketed the greater southwestern Pennsylvania region as a great location for movie, television and commercial productions. The PFO has assisted more than 102 feature films and television productions to southwestern Pennsylvania to generate an economic impact of more than $575 million for the region.
[2]
Pittsburgh Filmmakers
teaches media arts and runs three "
arthouse
" movie theaters and since 1981 the
Three Rivers Film Festival
has brought national attention to local talent and artists of the region.
Theatre
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]
The
Pittsburgh Playhouse
at
Point Park University
has four resident theatre companies. Other theater companies include
Bald Theatre Company
,
barebones productions
,
Bricolage Production Company
,
City Theatre
,
Jewish Theatre of Pittsburgh
,
Quantum Theatre
,
Phase 3 Productions
,
Prime Stage Theatre
,
Pittsburgh Public Theater
, Attack Theater,
Unseam'd Shakespeare Company
,
Terra Nova Theatre Group
,
Cup-A-Jo Productions
,
Hiawatha Project
,
12 Peers Theater
,
Organic Theater Pittsburgh
, Three Rivers Theatre Company,
Carrnivale Theatrics
,
Theatre Sans Serif
,
The Summer Company
,
Throughline Theatre Company
,
No Name Players
,
Pittsburgh Musical Theater
,
Caravan Theatre of Pittsburgh
,
Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera
,
Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre Company
,
Stage Right
, and
Pittsburgh Irish and Classical Theatre
. The
Pittsburgh New Works Festival
utilizes local theatre companies to stage productions of original one-act plays by playwrights from all parts of the country. Similarly,
Future Ten
showcases new ten-minute plays.
Saint Vincent Summer Theatre
,
Off the Wall Productions
,
Mountain Playhouse
, and
Stage Right!
in nearby
Latrobe
,
Carnegie
,
Jennerstown
, and
Greensburg
, respectively, employ Pittsburgh actors and contribute to the culture of the region.
August Wilson
, one of the best known playwrights of his generation, was a Pittsburgh native. The majority of his plays are set in the city as well including the two he won the
Pulitzer Prize for Drama
for (
Fences (play)
and
The Piano Lesson
).
Friday Nite Improvs
, an
improv
show at the
University of Pittsburgh
's
Cathedral of Learning
, is Pittsburgh's longest-running theatre show. It has produced a number of professional writers and actors.
Since 1991, the
Gene Kelly Awards
have honored students in drama in the region, giving a platform to some who have gone on to both theater and film careers.
Cuisine
[
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The Slavic-American communities introduced the
pierogi
to Pittsburgh
Traditional Pittsburgh foods reflect the city's multicultural heritage, especially that of the European immigrants of the early 20th century. While these immigrant populations introduced dishes such as pierogis to the city, they are now enjoyed by Pittsburghers in general. Other Pittsburgh food specialties were developed in the city. In general, these dishes are still popular because for many years, they satisfied the hearty appetite of the archetypal Pittsburgher: the hard-working,
blue-collar
steelworker.
- Cabbage rolls
?(aka
Halupki
)? Beef, pork, rice, green pepper, wrapped in cabbage and baked with sauerkraut and tomato soup or juice.
- Chipped Ham
? (aka Chipped Chopped Ham) thinly-sliced processed ham, from
Isaly's
since 1933.
- City Chicken
? cubes of pork and/or veal baked or fried on a wooden skewer.
- Clark Bar
? chocolate candy bar; developed in the city in 1917.
- Essie's Original Hot Dog shop
- an Oakland staple since 1960.
- Halu?ky
? noodles with fried cabbage (Polish), or cottage cheese (Slovak).
- Iron City Beer
? native brew; with a shot of whiskey, a
boilermaker
; with a shot of Imperial, an imp-n-arn.
- Italian sausage
? with grilled peppers and onions.
- Kielbasa
? eastern European sausages.
- Pepperoni roll
- an Italian American snack made of soft white bread with pepperoni and cheese in the middle. Various shops in the
Strip District
as well as
Giant Eagle
sell this snack in Pittsburgh.
- Pierogi
? Polish dish, pasta dough filled with potato and cheese, onion or sauerkraut.
- Primanti Brothers
? sandwich with
fries
and
coleslaw
in it.
- Sarris Candies
- chocolates and ice cream originating in Canonsburg
- Teutonia Mannerchor
- Deutschtown (East Allegheny)
German food
.
- Wholey's
? Founded in 1912 in Pittsburgh's market square and now located on Penn Ave; Wholey's serves a wide variety of seafood and a famous fish sandwich. The Wholey company has been the anchor and main attraction of the historic "strip District" for over 60 years.
Restaurants/nightlife
[
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Pittsburgh is home to several night spots.
Gardens and parks
[
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]
Main entrance to Phipps Conservatory & Botanical Gardens
In addition to numerous large and small neighborhood parks, Pittsburgh has five large city parks covering hundreds of acres:
Several other parks and gardens are in Pittsburgh:
Libraries
[
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The city has an extensive library system, both public and university. Most notable are the
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh
and the
University of Pittsburgh
's University Library System.
Many local history materials are available on-line at
Historic Pittsburgh
, a collection that includes materials from the
University of Pittsburgh
's University Library System, the Library & Archives of the Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania at the
Senator John Heinz Pittsburgh Regional History Center
, and the
Carnegie Museum of Art
.
Pittsburgh History
is an on-line service maintained by the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh.
Literature
[
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]
With the leadership of native
Samuel Hazo
the city hosted a poetry forum.
[3]
Pittsburgh is also renown for its deep and enduring literary culture.
[4]
Pittsburgh literary history goes back to the early 20th century, with dozens of prominent authors, the city for a time was considered more closely identified with literature than with steel.
[5]
Music
[
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]
Lobby of Heinz Hall.
The
Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra
performs in
Heinz Hall
, which also plays host to other events throughout the year. The
Benedum Center
and Heinz Hall provide venues for numerous musicals, lectures, speeches, and other performances, including
Pittsburgh Opera
. Pittsburgh is also home to one of the few professional brass bands in the world, the
River City Brass Band
. Other musical arts groups include the
Pittsburgh Youth Symphony Orchestra
(
PYSO
) and the River City Youth Brass Band. The Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh is an acclaimed semi-professional choir, with performances that are usually free to the public. The
Teutonia Mannerchor
, founded in 1854 and based in
East Allegheny
(Deutschtown) furthers choral singing in
German
and folk dancing.
[6]
The
Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble
(PNME) is an American ensemble dedicated to the performance of contemporary classical music. And the
Renaissance and Baroque Society of Pittsburgh
hosts early music concerts of artists from across the country.
Jazz
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Pittsburgh became an important gateway between the north, south, east and west of the U.S., playing a strong role in the development of
jazz
. Jazz came to the city's
African American
neighborhoods after 1925. The
Hill District
became known as "Little Harlem" from the 1920s until the early 1950s. There were hundreds of jazz venues in the community, which later helped to promote the emergence of
bebop
, the most famous was probably the
Crawford Grill
which nightly attracted top national talent.
[7]
A number of influential musicians emerged from the city.
Mary Lou Williams
,
Ahmad Jamal
,
Erroll Garner
, and
Billy Strayhorn
, who was
Duke Ellington
's primary musical collaborator for 28 years, came from the city's East End regions of
Homewood
and
East Liberty
. A number of musicians came from communities outside the city, including:
Maxine Sullivan
(
Homestead
),
Sonny Clark
(
Herminie
) and
Earl "Fatha" Hines
(
Duquesne
). Vocalist and bandleader
Billy Eckstine
was one of the first musicians to be paid a $1 million recording contract.
[7]
Trumpeter
Roy Eldridge
, drummer
Kenneth Spearman "Klook" Clarke
, and influential bassist
Ray Brown
were born in the city; singer
Lena Horne
was raised in Pittsburgh. Bassist
Paul Chambers
, also born in Pittsburgh, played on two of the most important albums in jazz history:
Miles Davis
'
Kind of Blue
(1959) and
John Coltrane
's
Giant Steps
(1960).
[7]
Other noted jazz musicians include:
Eric Kloss
,
Dodo Marmarosa
,
Walt Harper
,
Tommy
and
Stanley Turrentine
,
Horace Parlan
, pianist,
Nathan Davis
, guitarist
George Benson
, and drummers
Art Blakey
,
Roger Humphries
and
Jeff "Tain" Watts
. A young
Lena Horne
also spent her formative years learning jazz and blues in the city's Hill District.
Popular music
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Pittsburgh's role in popular music began with native
Stephen Foster
and his enduring classics of the 1800s. So influential was Foster's works that he has been called the "Father of American music", has had five films made of his life, has heavily influenced such talents as
Nellie Bly
and
Jackie Gleason
and has had two of his songs chosen as state anthems (Kentucky and Florida) as well as the annual selections of
Churchill Downs
.
Pittsburgh is perhaps most associated for the plethora of
Doo Wop
artists that were produced during the 1950s and 1960s, thanks in part to local legendary disc jockey
Porky Chedwick
playing songs that in most other major markets wouldn't risk being played. Several groups such as the
Del-Vikings
,
The Marcels
,
The Vogues
and
The Skyliners
exemplify the regions doo-wop contributions. During this same era notable solo acts such as
Henry Mancini
,
Perry Como
and
Bobby Vinton
came out of the region to reach world fame in the industry. A years long engagement at the city's
William Penn Hotel
also launched the national career of
Lawrence Welk
.
During the 1970s and 1980s rock era Pittsburgh had a major role in the success of both
Wild Cherry
and their most popular song/album
Play That Funky Music
(inspired by a fan's plea to them during a performance at the
North Side's
2001 Club in 1976), and being the home to
Bret Michaels
, known for his fame in the band
Poison
. Both
Joe Grushecky
and
Donnie Iris
achieved one-hit wonder fame and lasting regional rock fame.
Several notable bands emerged from Pittsburgh in the 1990s, including
Rusted Root
,
The Clarks
,
Don Caballero
, and the punk rock bands
Anti-Flag
and
Aus-Rotten
. Rusted Root and The Clarks appeared on the
Late Show with David Letterman
. Formed in 1999, the
garage rock
group
Modey Lemon
toured the U.S. and internationally, gaining favorable reviews. Singer
Christina Aguilera
, a student at
North Allegheny Intermediate High School
, debuted locally at the 1999
Lilith Fair
, before going on to sell over 43 million albums worldwide.
[8]
In the 2000s, Anti-Flag produced five albums, signed to
RCA Records
and appeared several times on the
Vans Warped Tour
. Rapper
Wiz Khalifa
, who signed to
Warner Bros. Records
but left without releasing an album, topped the
iTunes
singles chart by the end of the decade.
Mashup
/laptop music artist
Girl Talk
(Gregg Gillis) found mainstream success. His 2006 album
Night Ripper
gained favorable reviews and
Feed the Animals
(2008) topped year end album lists in national media.
[8]
Since 2010, solo acts such as natives
Jackie Evancho
,
Slimmie Hendrix
,
Wiz Khalifa
,
Daya (singer)
, and
Mac Miller
have achieved worldwide fame.
Josh Groban
was trained in Pittsburgh, having attended
Carnegie Mellon University
.
While it has historically been low-key, Pittsburgh's Hardcore/Metal scene has also gained international attention since the early 2010s, as witnessed by the critical success of the band
Code Orange
. Other extreme bands from Pittsburgh include Signs Of The Swarm and Those Who Fear.
Dance
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Pittsburgh Dance Council
and the
Pittsburgh Ballet Theater
host a variety of dance events. Polka, folk, square and round dancing have a long history in the city and are celebrated by the internationally famous
Duquesne University Tamburitzans
, a multicultural academy dedicated to the preservation and presentation of folk songs and dance.
Museums and art
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Tyrannosaurus rex
skull, Carnegie Museum of Natural History.
Pittsburgh has several visual arts museums, including the
Andy Warhol Museum
, dedicated to the works of Pittsburgh native
Andy Warhol
. The
Carnegie Museum of Art
is home to works by artists including
Edgar Degas
,
Vincent van Gogh
,
Claude Monet
and
Robert Adam
, along with galleries of sculpture, modern art, the Heinz Architectural Center, a large film and video collection, and various traveling exhibits. Installation art is featured outdoors at ArtGardens of Pittsburgh. The
Pittsburgh Center for the Arts
shows contemporary art and provides resources for
Western Pennsylvania
artists.
The town's history museum is the
Heinz History Center
with an annual attendance of 130,000.
The
Carnegie Museum of Natural History
, located in
Oakland
, has extensive dinosaur collections on display, including the most complete
Tyrannosaurus rex
skeleton ever discovered, and an
Egyptian
wing. The building may be distinguished by a life-size statue known as, "
Dippy the Diplodocus
" to the right of the main entrance. Other dinosaur statues are visible around the Pittsburgh area, these were decorated by artists nationwide and sold as a benefit to the
Carnegie Museums
. The
Carnegie Science Center
, located in the
North Side
near
PNC Park
and
Heinz Field
, is more technology oriented.
The
Children's Museum of Pittsburgh
, located on Pittsburgh's Northside, has a variety of interactive exhibits and programs for children and families including a multimedia art studio, Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, water area and theater for performances.
Recreation
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]
Close by the Phipp's Conservatory is the
Schenley Park Golf Course
, a public golf links.
Kennywood Park
is widely regarded by rollercoaster enthusiasts to have some of the best rollercoasters in the world, including several early 20th century wooden coasters: the Racer, the Thunderbolt, and the Jackrabbit. A water park owned by Kennywood,
Sandcastle
, is another local amusement park.
Counter-culture
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Pittsburgh has recently gained attention as a burgeoning center for counter-culture.
[9]
The annual
Pennsic War
, the
Society for Creative Anachronism
's largest re-enactment of pre-17th-century Europe, is hosted nearby.
Anthrocon
, one the world's largest
furry conventions
, returns every summer to the
David L. Lawrence Convention Center
. The Pittsburgh
Cacophony Society
is also very active,
[10]
and in 2008, the Pittsburgh
Burning Man
community launched a winter regional burn event called
Frostburn
.
See also
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References
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External links
[
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