The Mattress Factory is a museum of contemporary art that serves as an engaging and unusual learning environment, fostering creative thinking in audiences of all ages and backgrounds. Exhibitions, museum programming, and interpretive materials encourage people to experience, investigate, understand, and participate in the creative practice living artists undertake to make new site-specific, room-sized works called installations.
The Museum’s unusual galleries are located in two creatively reused buildings on Pittsburgh’s historic North Side. Both buildings house a growing and distinctive permanent collection, featuring artists James Turrell, Yayoi Kusama, Winifred Lutz, and Rolf Julius, as well as innovative exhibitions that change throughout the year.
Since 1977, the Mattress Factory has supported more than 500 artists through a world-renowned residency program. Each year artists come to Pittsburgh, live at the museum, and create new work. During their time, the museum supports them completely while they experiment, take risks, and explore the creative process.
Each exhibition is paired with a variety of engaging and inventive educational programs including hands-on art projects, workshops, lectures, and tours. The Mattress Factory encourages all viewers, regardless of their background, to discover connections between art, creativity and their everyday lives.