Pittsburgh Public Theater

As a part of its 50th anniversary, Pittsburgh Public Theater (PPT) celebrated its history with temporary artist-designed murals and a visual timeline throughout its space. We worked closely with PPT staff to design vinyl options that would stay in the space for a few months or several years, but ultimately could be removed as needed.

Several artists were invited and compensated to create design concepts, and two were chosen to execute their designs. Artist Sean Morrissey created a four-part wall mural using elements from the physical theaters that have housed PPT since its doors opened in 1975. Morrissey layered muted architectural elements alongside important elements of theater production—including lighting, sound rigs and seats—allowing viewers to focus on the environment, tools, and many roles behind the scenes that help to shape the theater experience.

A second wraparound wall mural, by artist Alecia Dawn Young, weaves data visualization of the city of Pittsburgh’s Appalachian Mountain region with the theater’s seasonal production runs. An overlay of space and time, this piece is meant to recognize Pittsburgh’s unique geographical and cultural landscape, which has cultivated PPT’s creative legacy as one of the region’s prominent theaters. Peaks and valleys visible throughout the layers highlight elevation patterns of the city’s mountainous geography while the PPT production history is showcased from 1974 through 2023.

The third part of the project featured a comprehensive visual timeline indexing every production staged over the institution’s 50-year history. Designed in-house by artist Eriko Hattori, the timeline begins with a striking vinyl mural in the entryway lobby, where the title of each play forms concentric rings resembling a tree trunk. A color-coded circular timeline continues throughout the building, offering visitors a curated glimpse of past productions, complete with photos, cast lists, and leadership credits. One hallway showcases a collection of testimonials, and a printed rack card with a map helps guide guests through the full experience.

Photos by Kitoko Chargois and Sean Carroll

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LOCATION
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA

INDUSTRY
Non-Profit Theater

SERVICES
Curation, Design, Project Management, Documentation, Signage

TIME FRAME
23 months

ARTWORK
Total Concepts Commissioned: 4

Total Artworks Commissioned: 3