Federal courthouse draws the public in through lobby art exhibitions
Works by members of the Pittsburgh Society of Illustrators and other local artists have been featured. Photograph by David Fonda.
The courthouse on Grant Street in Pittsburgh was built in the 1930s, and as early as 1988 discussions began about renovations for a more modern age, including hanging work by local artists in the courthouse lobby, says Michael Palus, the deputy clerk of the Joseph F. Weis Jr. United States Courthouse.
The court committed to the program: It installed a museum-quality hanging apparatus at its expense to allow for easier installation of pieces, which began in 2010. There are about 60 linear feet of exhibition space, divided between four walls. The artworks displayed are mostly two-dimensional—they include textiles, paintings, drawings and photography—and have a connection to the area.
“I was here when the steel mills closed,” Palus says of the economic shift that threatened the region. Now other industries such as technology and health care are thriving in this former Rust Belt area, and having art that connects to these kinds of experiences is meaningful. While most of the exhibitions feature local artists’ creations, the court had one show of employees’ (and their family members’) works, including a quilt made by a judge’s wife.
The courthouse hung its first installation in 2010 and is booked through 2017. Exhibitions change every quarter and are vetted by a community outreach committee. Palus admits that he wasn’t much of an art connoisseur before the program began, but now he enjoys exploring local art openings and looking for new works to display.
Due to regulations in federal buildings, signage next to the works cannot include prices. But artists can provide information about where to buy them away from the courthouse.
Adds Palus: “We think this is a great avenue for courts interested in connecting to their community.”
This article originally appeared in the March 2016 issue of the ABA Journal with this headline: “Art in the Court: A federal courthouse draws the public in through lobby exhibitions.”
