Kamins Make Historic Gift to Museum of Natural History
Daniel and Carole Kamin have made another historic gift to Carnegie Museums: a $25 million gift to the Museum of Natural History to update its largest exhibition and support its scientific mission for generations to come. A portion of the money will be used in the next few years to renovate the museum’s Dinosaurs in Their Time exhibition, which opened in 2007, and the gallery that houses the exhibition will be renamed the Daniel G. and Carole L. Kamin Hall of Dinosaurs. This gift is the largest individual monetary gift to the museum since Andrew Carnegie founded Carnegie Museums in 1895, and it follows the Kamins’ earlier 2024 gift of $65 million to Carnegie Science Center. “Twice in the past year, Dan and Carole Kamin have demonstrated their profound commitment to the work of our museums through transformational gifts totaling $90 million,” said Steven Knapp, president of Carnegie Museums. “We are deeply grateful for their unparalleled endorsement of our museums’ power to inspire and inform, and we are honored to be a part of their great legacy of generosity in the Pittsburgh region.”
The People Pick Carnegie Music Hall
Carnegie Music Hall has earned the praise of the American Institute of Architects, winning the AIA People’s Choice Award in the 41st annual Design Pittsburgh Awards. The 130-year-old concert venue, which reopened last year after a $9 million renovation, garnered 3,447 votes to win top honors.
Plans for ‘The Factory’ Approved
The Andy Warhol Museum recently received approval from Pittsburgh’s Planning Commission for its updated plan to build a performance and event space across the street from the museum. Inspired by Warhol’s famous Silver Factory in New York City, the new design for “The Factory Creative Arts Center” calls for a three-story, standing-room venue that can hold around 900 people. The event space is a cornerstone of the museum’s Pop District initiative, a 10-year strategic expansion announced in 2022 to transform the six-block section of the museum’s North Shore neighborhood into a cultural and economic hub.
“Harris’ work is proof of African American culture, proof of what we really were, really are, where we’ve come from, and how we actually live. I appreciate challenging and refuting the negative stereotypes that plague the Black community through Harris’ lens.”
–Charlene Foggie-Barnett, Charles “Teenie” Harris community archivist
Visions of a Just World
Twelve winners from more than 100 submissions were recently recognized as part of the second iteration of Envisioning a Just Pittsburgh, an inclusive call for art that encourages artists in the region to share their visions for a just and equitable Pittsburgh. Taking first place in Visual Arts was Unseen Hands by Matthew Raffaele and Emily Powell. The Inclusive Call for Art is a joint initiative of Carnegie Museums, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, the University of Pittsburgh, 1Hood Media, and the August Wilson African American Cultural Center. A full list of winning submissions can be found at carnegiemuseums.org/envisioning-2024.
