Tour d' Art - Pittsburgh and Its Countryside

On your way to the Steel City, stop first at the Westmoreland Museum of American Art in Greensburg to see how the American experience is brought to life through the eyes of artists. Featuring paintings and sculptures by such celebrated American artists as Winslow Homer, Mary Cassatt and Louis Comfort Tiffany, the Westmoreland captures the American spirit in a way few museums do. It'll also serve as an intro to artwork focused on the beauty and history of southwestern Pennsylvania.

Let that art prelude lead you into Pittsburgh. Here you'll start in the Strip District, located on Smallman Street and Penn Avenue, northeast of downtown. Pittsburgh's only historic market district, the Strip District is an old-world-style marketplace abuzz with shoppers checking out an exciting mix of wholesalers, fish and produce merchants, ethnic food shops, antique galleries, gift and specialty shops, craft shops and galleries, textile and interior design sources and a wide variety of sidewalk vendors. A stroll through the Strip is a trip into the essence of Pittsburgh.

Now it's time for some serious art of the comic variety. The ToonSeum is one of only three museums in the United States dedicated exclusively to the cartoon arts. Located in the downtown Cultural District, the ToonSeum features exhibitions on original comic and cartoon art, with new exhibits every two months.

Who better to kick off a day of looking at contemporary art than the king of pop (art) himself, Andy Warhol. Located on the North Shore, the Andy Warhol Museum is one of the four Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh. Opened in 1994, the museum features extensive permanent collections of art and archives on one of the most influential American artists of the twentieth century. The collection covers the entire range of Warhol's work from all periods, including student work from the 1940s, 1950s drawings, commercial illustrations and sketchbooks, 1960s Pop paintings of consumer products and celebrities, portrait paintings and abstract Oxidations from the 1970s. In addition to its extensive permanent collection, the Warhol is constantly redefining itself, using its dynamic interactive programming as tools.

Mattress Factory is a museum of contemporary art that exhibits room-sized installations. Created on site by artists from across the country and around the world, the unique exhibitions feature a variety of media to draw you in to the large-scale pieces.

Day three calls for a trip out to the East End to check out some of nature's artwork. A 13-room "crystal palace," Phipps Conservatory was one of the largest and finest Victorian glasshouses in the country. The botanical gardens feature lush tropical plants, palms, orchids, ferns and desert plants, as well as many special flower shows, exhibits and butterflies. Outdoor gardens and collections include the children's Discovery Garden, Japanese Courtyard Garden, bonsai, butterflies, perennials, annuals, herbs and aquatics. All designed to stimulate all of your five senses.

Helen Clay Frick, daughter of one of America's greatest industrialists and art collectors Henry Clay Frick, also had a passion for art collection and a love for her childhood home located in Pittsburgh's East End. It was her wish that the home and surrounding estate be preserved and opened to the public after her death. Today, the home provides visitors with an intimate glimpse into the life of the Frick family more than a century ago and insight into late-nineteenth-century life in general. At the Frick, you can view fine and decorative arts and artifacts, magnificent exhibitions, vintage cars and carriages as well as take part in educational programs and concerts.