PITTSBURGH ARTIST MIKAEL OWUNNA UNVEILED HIS ‘ANATOMY OF THE HUMAN’ IN THE MUSEUM’S POP DISTRICT ON TUESDAY. CITIZENS BANK ALSO ANNOUNCED ITS PARTNERSHIP WITH THE ANDY WARHOL MUSEUM TO EXPAND FELLOWSHIPS OFFERED BY THE WARHOL ACADEMY ON TUESDAY | PHOTO: COURTESY OF MIKAEL OWUNNA

Pittsburgh’s arts scene just received a boost to expand programming that will foster the development of emerging artists.

Citizens Bank announced Tuesday it has partnered with the Andy Warhol Museum and committed $350,000 to grow The Warhol Academy’s fellowship opportunities.

With this donation, 28 fellowships will be created at the academy for aspiring young artists pursuing digital content creation, filmmaking and post-production. 

Citizens Bank and The Andy Warhol Museum — which celebrates its 30th anniversary next year — will work together to nurture the arts and promote inclusivity, ensuring that the legacy of Andy Warhol continues to inspire and resonate with audiences for generations to come.

Patrick Moore, director of The Andy Warhol Museum, said in the release: “The Warhol Academy fellowships offer a unique opportunity for participants to gain valuable skills and expertise, and we are grateful for Citizens’ support in making this program possible.”

The partnership also includes the sponsorship of local artist Mikael Owunna’s year-long public art installation, “Anatomy of the Human,” in The Pop District, an initiative led by the Warhol Museum to transform the eastern North Shore through the power of arts, economic development and creativity.

“Together, Citizens and The Andy Warhol Museum aim to empower aspiring artists and promote the region’s vibrant arts and culture scene, creating a stronger economic future for Pittsburgh residents,” a Warhol Museum press release reads.

The partnership makes Citizens the largest corporate supporter of The Pop District’s public art campaign and The Warhol Academy’s creative economy fellowships for diverse young professionals.

“Citizens is committed to supporting the communities in which we live and work, and we believe that arts and culture are not only the foundation of a strong community, but also drivers of economic strength,” said Brendan Coughlin, vice chairman and head of consumer banking at Citizens, in the release. 

At Tuesday’s announcement, Owunna unveiled his new installation that explores technology, art and African cosmologies. 

Owunna, a Nigerian American multimedia artist, filmmaker and engineer, also serves as the president of the City of Pittsburgh’s Public Art and Civic Design Commission.

“I am ecstatic to work with The Andy Warhol Museum on this commission for The Pop District, and it’s particularly meaningful to me as a queer artist from Pittsburgh,” Owunna said in the release. “I took inspiration from Warhol’s layered silk screen techniques to create a piece entitled ‘Anatomy of the Human,’ which presents the four spiritual elements of the human soul as described in West African Igbo spiritual science. I cannot wait for the public to see this work.”