The greatest museum for a single artist is practically in our backyard!

As many upperclassmen remember and undoubtedly countless freshmen need to be reminded of, a museum paper is a staple of everyone’s first humanities class. RMU students can observe two world-class art experiences within a half-hour drive, The Warhol and the Carnegie. Recently, my friends and I decided to take witness to the interesting, uncanny, and sometimes even Maccabe Andy Warhol Museum.

The Warhol is located at 117 Sandusky St. just a few blocks from PNC Park. Admissions are cheap, $10 for students. If you plan ahead, half-price admission is a regular occurrence. We found out the hard way that parking is a considerable annoyance, the price was fine but the number of terrible drivers, pedestrians with a death wish, and security guards fighting to lock your car in an apparently “open garage” makes what would be an easy drive an aggravating experience.

Upon seeing the museum, the first thing you notice is the several-story tall “The Andy Warhol Museum” sign. With a grand sign comes a grand museum, the largest in the world for a single artist. Guests are encouraged to start their experience on the 7th floor of the museum and work their way down to the bottom floor which contains a studio where anyone can express their creativity. The museum feels more interactive than most and curiosity as well as creativity are highly encouraged.

The Warhol, to me, felt like a very personal experience. Stark white walls led to artistic works that covered everything from the mundane to the taboo. Some works made me smile while others made me feel uncomfortable and confused. You will observe a barrage of mediums from traditional paintings to film to even floating silver balloons. I often found myself becoming annoyed with the lack of description of Warhol’s work but that is when I found the point. Art isn’t objective. That sounds like such an obvious statement but actually being able to experience it in a practical way makes so much more of an impact.

I will refrain from giving my personal opinion on the art which I experienced. I think the best way to enjoy this museum is to have a totally blind experience walking through for the first time. You get a roughly two-hour snapshot into Warhol’s life. From birth to death, all is covered within the walls of The Warhol. The volume and diversity of work at the museum cannot be overstated.

I give my personal recommendation of The Andy Warhol Museum. I have been going there for a long time and every trip I have made there has been marked with a completely different reception to what I see. I don’t just recommend this museum to first-time viewers but also to people The traveling shows are incredible, it is amazing how close you can get to the art, and I deeply appreciate how tactile of an experience you can have. It is a joy to all the senses when you visit the Warhol.