The Pittsburgh Cultural Arts Meetup Group

Let's welcome some new members! And if you joined Meetup a while ago, this event brings lots of new people together and incorporates flexibility tailored to the interests of the group. This event begins at Café Carnegie (inside Carnegie Museum of Art) so people can socialize and get coffee/tea/drink or quick lunch. Because Café Carnegie doesn't require museum admission, we'll gauge the interests of everyone and possibility of smaller groups (perhaps 5-10+ people) exploring the following options from 12-5 PM or even later.

Option A -- Spend the afternoon inside the many galleries and exhibits of the Carnegie Museum of Art and Carnegie Museum of Natural History. Of note is that there will be a docent led tour at 1 PM for the Carnegie Museum of Art with Curatorial Close Look: Black Photojournalism based on the remarkable exhibit Black Photojournalism on display through January 19, 2026.

Visitors can check out the annual holiday displays of Carnegie Trees and Neapolitan Presepio on view through January 11, 2026.

Also closing soon is Fault Lines: Art, Imperialism, and the Atlantic World exhibit on display through January 25, 2026 as well as Charles Harlan on display through February 22, 2025.

There will also be a wonderful Sounds for the Season 2-3 PM concert inside the Hall of Architecture with the holiday Carnegie Trees on display. This concert will feature the Madame Mary Cardwell Dawson Chapter of the National Association of Negro Musicians which is the country’s oldest organization dedicated to the preservation and advocacy of all genres of the music of Black Americans.

We expect at least 10 people will get into Carnegie Museums for free based on those with Carnegie Museums memberships that allow guests. Priority for free admission will be decided by the order of arrival and recognition of members that are relatively new to the group.

Option B -- Walk over to the nearby Phipps Conservatory Winter Flower Show and Light Garden However, advanced timed tickets are required, especially since Phipps usually sells out on weekends. For this reason, it is recommended that advanced timed tickets be ordered before 1/2 to minimize the chance of a sellout.

This is also a chance to check out the Tropical Forest Panama exhibit

Because the Phipps Winter Light Garden is open from 5-11 PM, this also allows the possibility of combining Phipps with Option A, Option C, or Option D for a full afternoon and evening.

When possible, it is recommended people arrive in the afternoon to experience the incredible beauty of the Phipps indoor gardens as the lighting ambiance transitions from daylight to twilight to evening.

Option C -- Walk over to check out the beautiful holiday decorations of the 31 Nationality Rooms inside the Cathedral of Learning where there will be 1-2:30 PM docent led tour. Tickets are $10 Adult and $6 Youth (ages 18 and under). To make reservations, please visit Tours | Nationality Rooms

Option D -- People can discuss if they'd to have lunch or dinner at a nearby restaurant such as The Porch in Schenley Plaza or one of the many restaurants along Craig Street, Forbes Avenue, etc.

In terms of Admission Charges, we'll see if anyone has memberships (e.g., Carnegie Museums, Phipps) which allow them to bring guests in for free. We expect at least 10 people will be able to get into Carnegie Museums for free and several more people for free at Phipps.

Parking The Carnegie Museum has plenty of parking which is conveniently located near the museum entrance at the corner of Forbes Ave & S. Craig Street. Here is a link with more info about parking and directions http://cmoa.org/visit/directions-maps-parking/

Stay Tuned for updates!

1. Rethinking the Rotunda III: José Santiago Pérez’s “As Above” & Charmette Young’s “It Keeps My Hands Busy”
2. Wavelengths: deRoy Gruber – Filkosky – Fuller – Haskell
3. Earth & Ether: The Art of Lucille and Virgil Cantini

Light refreshments will be served in the Cloister. Space is limited. Please register in advance here.

Meetup Considerations
If you can't make the artist discussion, it's OK to arrive before 8 PM to check out the UAG galleries.Depending on interests of the group and weather, the group may go out for dinner/drink at a nearby restaurant in Oakland after 8 PM.

In addition, the nearby Carnegie Museum of Art and Carnegie Museum of Natural History will be open until 8 PM. So people could check out Carnegie Museums and walk over to check out the three UAG exhibitions currently on view through January 30, 2026.

Also nearby is a very special event with award winning novelist Karl Ove Knausgaard at 7 PM at Carnegie Lecture Hall presented by Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures. So people could check out the three UAG exhibitions before attending the Karl Ove Knausgaard lecture.

Parking For those that can't find street parking, the Carnegie Museum has a large parking lot near the corner of Forbes Ave & S. Craig Street. Here is a link with more info about parking and directions http://cmoa.org/visit/directions-maps-parking/

Please join us to check out the remarkable exhibit Transformation 12: Contemporary Works in Wood before it closes January 17, 2026 at Contemporary Craft, 5645 Butler Street, which is open Monday-Saturday from 10 AM - 5 PM.

Please note there will be a free Gallery Tour on Saturday, January 17 at 11 AM. Registration required.

Transformation 12: Contemporary Works in Wood This triennial juried exhibition has a significant international legacy highlighting both emerging and established artists who push the boundaries of clay, glass, metal, wood and found materials—challenging traditional techniques and reimagining craft in innovative and thought-provoking ways. Transformation 12: Contemporary Works in Wood features the work of 19 finalists. Through techniques such as intarsia, marquetry, woodturning, carving, and sculptural construction, these artists transform raw material into compelling work through intricate detailing and bold conceptual inquiry that questions the very nature of craft itself. Together, these artists offer a compelling dialogue between material, technique and artist innovation.

While at Contemporary Craft, check out:

1. Collective Collections of the Allegheny Metals Collective on display through February 28, 2026. Founded in 2015, the Allegheny Metal Collective (AMC) is a Pittsburgh based group of traditional metalsmiths, fine jewelers, enamelists, and mixed media artists. To celebrate its tenth year, AMC members have created a cohesive exhibition that showcases their distinct artistic voices.
2. All Of It – A Solo Exhibition by Rosa Leff on display through February 28, 2026. When people hear Puerto Rico, they often tell stories of their cruise stop in San Juan or brief vacations. But few venture beyond curated experiences. Puerto Rico is not a postcard stereotype, nor is it an extension of another Latin American culture. This exhibition offers glimpses into the everyday moments and overlooked landscapes that lie beyond the familiar tourist trail. From weathered paint and spontaneous alleyways, these images and objects reveal the layered stories of place and people. Let the unexpected reframe what you thought you knew.
3. Gift Store As part of Contemporary Craft’s mission, their goal is to support nationally recognized craft artists, as well as new and emerging talent. The CC Store represents over 150 artists nationwide, offering handmade, one-of-a-kind art pieces in ceramic, fiber, glass, jewelry, metal, mixed media, paper, wood, and furniture. Each of these pieces has spent countless hours in the hands of an artist before reaching us. When you purchase work at Contemporary Craft, you directly support the livelihood of working artists and helping to advance the economic ecosystem of the craft community.
4. Check out Contemporary Craft’s Studios that offer in-person craft classes and workshops in metals/jewelry making, wood, fiber, mixed media, book binding, and paper arts at every level from beginner-friendly to mastery. Check out the full list of workshops and register on their upcoming workshops page! Or learn more about their Open Studio Rental program. Scholarship money is also available for all Workshops and for Open Studio Rental. Click to apply! Consider supporting the Studio with a purchase from their Wish List!

Meetup Considerations Depending on the interests of the group and the weather forecast, the group will discuss other Saturday afternoon options, such as walking around Lawrenceville, having lunch at a nearby restaurant, etc. Stay tuned for updates.

For those that may be interested, Hop Farm Brewing is located only 1 block away from Contemporary Craft. It is open from 12 PM – 11 PM on Saturdays, while the kitchen is open from 3 PM - 10 PM.

Parking and Accessibility Contemporary Craft has its own small parking lot. Street parking is available as this part of Upper Lawrenceville is not usually very busy. Public transportation is available as PRT Buses 87 and 91 have bus stops next to Contemporary Craft.

Please join Pittsburgh Arts and Lectures as they welcome Padma Lakshmi who will discuss her latest book, Padma's All American. The lecture will include audience Q&A which will be followed by a book signing and other Padma's All American merchandise that will be available in the lobby.

Based on the award-winning Hulu series Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi.

“I never had to leave the country to taste the world’s flavors. Wherever you live, come along with me.”

This book is a love letter to the people who create and evolve American cuisine every day. It is also a road map to the foods that give America its vibrant palate.

When Padma Lakshmi arrived in New York City in the 1970s, she witnessed firsthand the cuisines of the immigrant communities around her: uniquely their own and yet quintessentially American. Here, in this very personal book—the result of seven years of traveling and tasting, listening and observing for her show Taste the Nation—Lakshmi compiles dozens of recipes from the immigrant and Indigenous communities she visits, as well as many from her own family, showing us what really comprises American cuisine.

For Lakshmi, food is a lens. Through it, we can explore the influence of an eclectic array of cultures—and come to see, clearly, who we are and how we eat as a nation. Padma’s All American gives us a kaleidoscopic view of the vast range of incredible dishes she delighted in tasting on her travels, from coast to coast, and everywhere in-between.
From Indian coconut rice and Peruvian tamales with chicken to Afghani dumplings with leeks and scallions—from Oaxacan mushroom tacos to a strawberry, cardamom and cream cake that will be your new favorite celebration treat—Padma’s All American is filled with mouth-watering recipes, adapted here for the home cook—along with profiles and stories from the people who inspired the dishes. Padma’s All American is a joyful book—a reflection of who we truly are as a nation, from one of our most essential culinarians.

Padma Lakshmi is an Emmy-nominated food expert, television producer, and New York Times bestselling author. She is the creator of the critically-acclaimed Hulu series Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi, and served as host and executive producer of Bravo’s Top Chef for nineteen seasons. She is co-founder of the Endometriosis Foundation of America, a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador and an ACLU Artist Ambassador for immigrants’ rights and women’s rights. She is the author of Easy Exotic, Tangy, Tart, Hot & Sweet, The Encyclopedia of Spices & Herbs, her New York Times best-selling memoir Love, Loss, and What We Ate, and the best-selling children’s book Tomatoes for Neela.

Padma's All American is available to pre-order through bookseller White Whale Bookstore that will be set-up in the lobby with many books available for purchase by other authors that have been part of the Pittsburgh Arts and Lectures series. There will also be book signing with Padma Lakshmi.

TICKETS Because this lecture may sell out, it is recommended people purchase in person tickets by January 25. For online tickets (see below), it us OK to wait until the day of the lecture.
In person tickets start at $31 Padma Lakshmi | Official Ticket Source | Carnegie Music Hall | Mon, Jan 26, 2026, 7:30pm | Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures for the upper balcony (where it is easier for a group to sit together) Tickets may also be purchased by phone (412) 622-8866 or at the door starting at 6:30 PM

Online tickets are $31 Padma Lakshmi Online | Official Ticket Source | Online Event | Mon, Jan 26, 2026, 7:30pm | Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures The viewing link will be emailed on the day of the event. Viewers will have access to the recorded program for one week.

Parking While many visitors find street parking, the Carnegie Museum has plenty of parking which is conveniently located near the museum entrance at the corner of Forbes Ave & S. Craig Street. Here is a link with more info about parking and directions http://cmoa.org/visit/directions-maps-parking/