Pittsburgh: a global arts epicenter in 2026

With marquee moments, from hosting the 2026 NFL Draft to celebrating America’s 250th anniversary, Pittsburgh is ready to showcase what it’s made of.

Whatever the reason for a visit, there’s one thing every visitor shouldn’t miss: the ever-evolving arts scene.

From global exhibitions to experimental projects by homegrown talent, Pittsburgh’s inspiring lineup of events in 2026 offers reason enough to plan a trip.

59th Carnegie International  May 2, 2026 – January 3, 2027 | Carnegie Museum of Art

At the heart of Pittsburgh’s creative calendar is the 59th Carnegie International, the longest-running exhibition of international art in North America, organized every four years by Carnegie Museum of Art, and among the world’s most prestigious recurring art exhibitions. Curated by Ryan Inouye, Danielle A. Jackson, and Liz Park, the Kathe and Jim Patrinos Curators of the 59th Carnegie International, this highly anticipated edition brings together new commissions, existing works, and site-specific installations. It will be the most collaborative and far-reaching edition to date.

Since 1896, the Carnegie International has introduced groundbreaking artists and movements. In 2026, the tradition continues as Pittsburgh once again becomes a gathering place for artists, thinkers, and culture seekers.

Art at the new Pittsburgh International Airport Terminal

From the moment visitors land in Pittsburgh, they’ll get their first taste of the city’s creative spirit inside the new state-of-the-art airport terminal at Pittsburgh International Airport. More than 80 percent of the art and cultural installations throughout the new facility come from local artists and organizations, offering travelers an immersive welcome.

Arts Landing: new cultural waterfront  Soft Launch: April 2026; Grand Opening: June 2026 | Cultural District

A four-acre destination in the heart of the Cultural District of Downton Pittsburgh, Arts Landing will offer a vibrant and welcoming hub of art, recreation and urban beauty. Designed as a multi-use venue featuring a great lawn that embraces the Allegheny River and the iconic Three Sisters Bridges, a sculptural bandshell for live performances, a lush Garden Walk setting the stage for public art installations, a family-friendly play area and more, Arts Landing adds yet another layer to Pittsburgh’s already dynamic arts scene.

25 Years of glowing art with the Pittsburgh Glass Center

The Pittsburgh Glass Center marks its 25th anniversary, celebrating a quarter-century of a vibrant community of local and relocated glass artists. The celebration features the exhibition Gathered Locally – 25 years of Glass Art at Pittsburgh Glass (February 2 – April 19, 2026), which spotlights the many glass artists who currently live and create in the city. Following this, Gathering Glass: A Fine Intoxication (May 1 – July 31, 2026) will document the career of PGC co-founder and preeminent Pennsylvania glass artist Kathleen Mulcahy and will also feature works from late co-founder Ron Desmett. Visitors can also experience the excitement of molten glass in motion during HOT Jam, free reoccurring evenings of live glassblowing demonstrations and exhibitions held on the first Friday of every month.

More Must-See Shows

Beyond the International, the year’s lineup of exhibitions is packed with fresh perspectives and can’t-miss experiences:

Sharmistha Ray: Emergent Realities  December 12, 2025 – July 5, 2026 | Wood Street Galleries

Step inside Ray’s three-channel animation where ecology, memory, and the cosmos collide in one exhibition.

Michael Zagaris: 60 Years of NFL Photography  April 17 – November 8, 2026 | 707 Gallery

Go beyond the game-day hype. Zagaris’s candid, behind-the-scenes photography chronicles six decades of professional football through a cultural lens.

Carnegie Mellon School of Art MFA Exhibition 2026  February 13 – April. 12, 2026 | SPACE Gallery

A showcase of boundary-pushing work from emerging artists shaping the next era of creativity. Catch emerging voices before everyone else does.

Lewis Hine Pictures America February 21 – May 17, 2026 | The Frick Pittsburgh

See over seventy rare photographs from the “father of documentary photography.” Featuring iconic imagery of Ellis Island immigrants, child laborers, Pittsburgh’s steel industry, and the Empire State Building, this exhibition is a powerful reminder of America’s past and progress.

French Moderns June 20 – October 11, 2026 | The Frick Pittsburgh

Showcasing over 60 masterpieces from Cézanne, Renoir, Matisse, Degas, and others who defined modernism, this exhibition captures France as modernism’s epicenter and highlight the movements that reshaped nineteenth- and twentieth-century art.

Start planning an art-filled getaway at visitpittsburgh.com.

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