Sculpture Dedicated As Public Art In Pittsburgh's Cultural District

The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust celebrated a dedication of public art and its commitment to public art in the Cultural District on Tuesday, August 17, 2021. Guests gathered at the Trust's 9th & Penn Parklet where James Rosati's sculpture Duo is on view for everyone to enjoy. The work was donated by Jane C. Arkus, Pittsburgh Cultural Trust Trustee, and her late husband, Leon A. Arkus. The New York Times obituary (2/27/1988) described Rosati's geometric works as, "monumental yet precisely crafted."

"We express our gratitude to the Arkus' for this generous gift of art that fosters the Trust's mission and vision of cultural stewardship. This new public art parklet serves as a beacon in enlivening the 8th Street Block neighborhood in our Cultural District," comments J. Kevin McMahon, President and CEO for the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust.

American artist James Rosati (1911-1988) is best known for his sculptures in stone from the 1960s and the 1972 stainless steel Ideogram that stood over 23-feet tall on the plaza between Towers 1 and 2 of the World Trade Center in New York City. "He is a superlative craftsman, trained in the patient methods of the old sculpture, and is possessed of a very keen, elegant sensibility, at once very poetic and very analytical," The New York Times (1969). He has more than 40 monumental pieces of sculpture located in the United States and around the world. Mr. Rosati was born in Washington, Pennsylvania. For more information, visit jamesrosati.org | Duo jamesrosati.org/artwork/1980/1980s.htm.

The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust's public art, as well as changing exhibitions at the Trust's visual arts galleries in the Cultural District, are free and open to the public year-round. For more information, visit TrustArts.org/visualarts.