The Office for Public Art produces publications for a range of audiences, including artists, developers, organizations, and members of the public who are interested in learning more about public art.
Publications
Browse below to explore all of our publications, from self-guided walking tours to resource guides and reports about several of our own public art programs.
Self-guided Walking Tours
Pittsburgh Art in Public Places
This guidebook features tours of three Downtown neighborhoods, the North Shore, and the North Side. Each tour takes 80–120 minutes and is designed to be self-guided.
The book is available to download for free.
Neighborhood Self-Guided Walking Tours
Interested in a self-guided walking tour of a specific neighborhood? Download a PDF of one of OPA’s guides for the following neighborhoods:
- Cultural District (PDF)
- Grant Street Corridor (PDF)
- Retail District and Firstside (PDF)
- North Shore (PDF)
- Northside (PDF)
- Oakland (PDF)
OPA also offers self-guided walking tours in Arabic, Nepali, and Somali:
Resource Guides
Artist Residencies in the Public Realm: A resource guide for creating residencies and fostering successful collaborations
OPA has facilitated numerous artist residencies in the public realm with a variety of communities, organizations, and artists. In this guide, we describe how to structure a residency in a way that results in successful collaborations. The guide is intended for organizations that would like to develop an artist in the public realm residency, as well as for artists who are interested in initiating their own collaborative projects in the public realm.
Add Value, Add Art: A public art resource guide for developers
In 2010, the Urban Redevelopment Authority of the City of Pittsburgh commissioned OPA to develop a resource for developers and property owners interested in including works of public art in their projects or proposals. The guide outlines various project types and best practices for artist selection, budgeting, contracts, and more, and is a valuable resource for both public and private entities.
Reports
Pittsburgh Artists Working in Community: A Case Study of Aesthetic Perspectives in Action
This case study of OPA’s engagement of the Aesthetic Perspectives framework was commissioned in 2019 by Animating Democracy, a Program of Americans For The Arts, and written by Susannah Laramee Kidd of Metris Arts. The report examines how we have used this critical framework in the development, programming, and evaluation of our Artist Residencies and Civic Engagement projects.
Aesthetic Perspectives: Attributes of Excellence in Arts for Change
Developed by Animating Democracy, this framework offers a shared language for equitably evaluating arts for social change. To learn more about Aesthetic Perspectives, or to download the framework, visit the Animating Democracy website.
Temporary Public Art and Placemaking Report
In 2015,OPA and Neighborhood Allies launched a new partnership that resulted in the creation of the Temporary Public Art and Placemaking initiative. Through this multi-year pilot program, six community-based organizations collaborated with six artists to create dynamic temporary public art projects in their neighborhoods.