Randyland is an
art museum located in
Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania. It is widely regarded as one of
America
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
's most colorful
public art landmarks. Randy Gilson is the creator of this
museum, which dedicates to his
outsider art.
Randyland has played an important role in the cultural rejuvenation of Pittsburgh with its neighbors
City of Asylum and
Mattress Factory. Randyland has received international attention through
viral
Viral means "relating to viruses" (small infectious agents).
Viral may also refer to:
Viral behavior, or virality
Memetic behavior likened that of a virus, for example:
* Viral marketing, the use of existing social networks to spread a marke ...
listicles. It is among the most photographed places on
Instagram
Instagram is a photo and video sharing social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. The app allows users to upload media that can be edited with filters and organized by hashtags and geographical tagging. Posts can ...
.
History

Randy Gilson was born in
Homestead, Pennsylvania. Early in life he suffered from homelessness and poverty. He moved to
Pittsburgh's Northside in 1982, where he was a community
activist
Activism (or Advocacy) consists of efforts to promote, impede, direct or intervene in social, political, economic or environmental reform with the desire to make changes in society toward a perceived greater good. Forms of activism range fro ...
planting over 800 street gardens and 50 vegetable gardens.
His
guerrilla gardening spans otherwise vacant lots across
Manchester, the
Mexican War Streets, and surrounding neighborhoods.
The property that would become Randyland was purchased on a credit card for $10,000 in 1995. Gilson uses
dumpster diving and
upcycling to fill his home with colorful oddities that include
pink flamingos, mannequins, and plastic dinosaurs. The houses and fences are adorned with murals depicting neighbors dancing and smiling.
In late 2016, Gilson's partner Mac McDermott was diagnosed with terminal
prostate cancer
Prostate cancer is cancer of the prostate. Prostate cancer is the second most common cancerous tumor worldwide and is the fifth leading cause of cancer-related mortality among men. The prostate is a gland in the male reproductive system that sur ...
.
Upon hearing the news, Randyland fans raised over $20,000 and sent Randy and Mac on their first vacation. The couple visited the
Grand Canyon
The Grand Canyon (, yuf-x-yav, Wi:kaʼi:la, , Southern Paiute language: Paxa’uipi, ) is a steep-sided canyon carved by the Colorado River in Arizona, United States. The Grand Canyon is long, up to wide and attains a depth of over a m ...
and
Hollywood
Hollywood usually refers to:
* Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California
* Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States
Hollywood may also refer to:
Places United States
* Hollywood District (disambiguation)
* Hollywood, ...
. Afterwards, Gilson retired from his restaurant job to spend more time with the ailing McDermott. Following the announcement,
Foo Conner joined Randyland as co-director.
The neighborhood around the museum experienced explosive growth in 2016-2019.
Randyland itself reportedly doubled in attendance.
The courtyard was completely overhauled to accommodate the traffic. Under Conner's curation, the facility embraced being a
Selfie Museum as a vibrant backdrop for photos.
David Paul Francis "Mac" McDermott died on January 10, 2019.
As Gilson's partner, he was posthumously given the title of co-founder. Journalists noted that McDermott may have downplayed his role when alive but was a backbone of the museum. Later that year, Randyland received the Mayor's Award for Public Art for 2019. Conner left the museum early 2020.
Because it is outdoors, Randyland was one of the only art museums opened in Pennsylvania during the
COVID-19 pandemic.
Gilson came out of retirement. The Courtyard was changed to a socially distanced playground throughout quarantine. Many of the original murals have been painted over. As of 2022, Randyland is still free and popular tourist attraction.
Exhibits
File:Randyland Courtyard.jpg,
File:Randyland Outside Fence Mural.jpg,
File:Randyland Welcome Wall.jpg,
File:Randyland Mirror Wall.jpg,
File:Randyland outdoor living room.jpg, alt=Portrait photo showing outdoor living room exhibit at Randyland. The photo shows outdoor furniture with coffee table, old phones, old TV set., Outdoor Living Room
In popular culture
* The documentary ''The Spirit of Pittsburgh'' features Randy Gilson's gardening alongside
Fred Rogers.
* The documentary ''Pursuing Happiness'' features Randy Gilson as one of the happiest people in America.
* When a blizzard postponed
Guster's Pittsburgh concert, they instead recorded a
viral music video in the alleyway near Randyland.
* Randy Gilson succeeded
Rick Sebak as the Mardi Gras King of Pittsburgh.
* A teenager's "Summer Bucket List 2017", which included Randyland as a place to visit, went viral.
* ''
Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown'' calls Randyland an essential for the "Perfect Day in Pittsburgh".
Awards
*Mayor's Award for Public Art 2019
References
External links
*
{{authority control
Art museums and galleries in Pennsylvania
Art museums established in 1995
Houses in Pittsburgh
Modern art museums in the United States
Museums devoted to one artist
Museums in Pittsburgh
Outsider art
Visionary environments
Tourist attractions in Pittsburgh