The Mattress Factory is a

contemporary art Contemporary art is a term used to describe the art of today, generally referring to art produced from the 1970s onwards. Contemporary artists work in a globally influenced, culturally diverse, and technologically advancing world. Their art is a ...

museum located in

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

. It was a pioneer of site-specific

installation art Installation art is an artistic genre of three-dimensional works that are often site-specific art, site-specific and designed to transform the perception of a space. Generally, the term is applied to interior spaces, whereas exterior intervent ...

and features permanent installations by artists

Yayoi Kusama is a Japanese contemporary artist who works primarily in sculpture and Installation art, installation, and she is also active in painting, performance art, performance, video art, Fashion design, fashion, poetry, fiction, and other arts. Her wo ...

James Turrell James Turrell (born May 6, 1943) is an American artist known for his work within the Light and Space movement. He is considered the "master of light" often creating art installations that mix natural light with artificial color through openings ...

, and Greer Lankton. The museum's roof itself is a light art installation and part of Pittsburgh's Northside evening skyline. Barbara Luderowski purchased a derelict Stearns & Foster mattress warehouse in 1975. The museum achieved non-profit status in 1977. Over the next forty years, Luderowski would attract upcoming installation artists to fill its rooms. The Mattress Factory along with its neighbors City of Asylum and Randyland are credited with playing a role in Pittsburgh's revitalization.

History

In 1975, artist and Mattress Factory founder Barbara Luderowski purchased a former Stearns & Foster mattress warehouse at 500 Sampsonia Way in Pittsburgh's Central Northside. Originally, she used the warehouse as a space to live, work and build a community of artists and intellectuals. The community grew and in 1977—after two years of hosting art exhibits and a small food co-op—the Mattress Factory was established as a legal non-profit educational and cultural corporation. Its first exhibition of installation art opened five years later on May 8, 1982, and the museum has since grown to be an integral part of the Pittsburgh arts community, known for its artist residency program, educational programming, and unique exhibitions. In 2008 then-Curator of Exhibitions Michael Olijnyk joined Luderowski in leading the museum as co-director. Over the years the Mattress Factory has acquired more properties for various purposes, including: *1414 Monterey Street, which became a new gallery space *Two buildings on North Taylor Street that became artist residences *505 Jacksonia Street, which is now used as a parking lot for museum visitors, and the adjacent lot, which now houses Winifred Lutz's ''Garden Installation'', 1993 *516 Sampsonia Way, which opened as gallery space in Fall 2013

Sexual Misconduct Allegations

In September 2018, a report published in Pittsburgh's WESA detailed five employees' allegations of sexual misconduct and the mishandling of the situation by the Mattress Factory and its director, Michael Olijnyk. The complaint was filed with the National Labor Relations Board, and in early January 2019, a settlement was reached and the investigation was closed.

Long-term exhibitions

, the Mattress Factory hosts 20 long-term installations. The following is a list:

Gallery

File:MattressFactoryJune2.2007.jpg, ''Repetitive Vision'' installation by

File:MattressFactoryBuilding.jpg, Mattress Factory building File:Mattress Factory Annex Gallery.jpg, The Mattress Factory Annex Gallery File:MattressFactoryGardenInstallation.jpg, ''Garden Installation'' by Winifred Lutz

References

External links

* {{authority control 1977 establishments in Pennsylvania Art museums and galleries in Pennsylvania Art museums and galleries established in 1977 Contemporary art galleries in the United States Modern art museums in the United States Museums in Pittsburgh Tourist attractions in Pittsburgh