The Andy Warhol Museum Is Building a $60 Million, Six-Block ‘Pop District’ in an Attempt to Turn Pittsburgh Into a Cultural Hub

Pittsburgh is already home to the Andy Warhol Museum and now the artist’s hometown is establishing a six-block Pop District in the surrounding neighborhood.

“The goal of this project is to make sure the next Andy Warhol doesn’t have to leave Pittsburgh to become Andy Warhol,” Sam Reiman, director of the Richard King Mellon Foundation, the new district’s lead funder, said in a statement. “The Warhol team’s innovative strategy will make Pittsburgh a national leader in creating new cultural models for American cities.… and a magnet to attract and retain young creative talent.”

If successful, the Pop District will turn Pittsburgh’s North Shore into a new cultural tourism destination with public art, digital media production, live music, and performances, but also to promote economic development through the arts.

The Warhol Museum also plans to expand Warhol Creative, the workforce development program for young people that it launched in September. Participants will learn skills for the digital economy by working on social media content and other creative projects. The museum aims to work primarily with BIPOC, LGBTQ, and immigrant workers. Longterm, the goal is to create $1 million in annual income for creative talent.