What’s Up With the Kites on Liberty and Penn Avenues?
The kites haven’t been lost to the trees — they’re part of a public art commission called “A Sudden Gust of Wind.”
PHOTO BY AIDAN MCCLAIN
If you find yourself Downtown on Liberty or Penn Avenues between Sixth and Ninth streets, look up!
A new public art installation has lodged 200 multi-colored kites into more than 80 trees in the Cultural District. But the kites aren’t kites at all. They’re kite-shaped aluminum sculptures from Pittsburgh-based artists Lenka Clayton and Phillip Andrew Lewis.
The “kites” will be on display through March 31, 2025.
THE “KITES” ARE ALUMINUM SCULPTURES | PHOTO BY AIDAN MCCLAIN
“We are thrilled to commission this joyful public art project that encourages audience members of all ages to reconnect with their inner child,” said Anastasia James,irector of Galleries and Public Art for the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust in a press release.
The sculptures “can be interpreted as a colorful aftermath of a celebratory event,” according to the release. Fittingly, the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust will present multiple public programs during the exhibition’s run.
The exhibition’s grand opening, scheduled for April 26, falls on the same date as the Cultural District’s Spring Gallery Crawl. Community flying days are scheduled for May 30 to June 9, which overlap with the Three Rivers Arts Festival. Free kites will be provided — just don’t get them lost in the trees!
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