Mattress Factory facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Mattress Factory

The Mattress Factory
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Established	1977
Location	Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Visitors	28,000 (2018)
Founder	Barbara Luderowski
Nearest parking	On site, Street

The Mattress Factory is a cool museum in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It's all about contemporary art, which means art made in our time. This museum was one of the first to show site-specific installation art. This is art created especially for one place, like a room or a building.

You can see amazing permanent artworks by famous artists like Yayoi Kusama, James Turrell, and Greer Lankton. Even the museum's roof is a special light art display! It lights up the night sky in Pittsburgh's Northside area.

Barbara Luderowski bought an old mattress warehouse in 1975. She turned it into the museum we know today. In 1977, it became a non-profit, meaning it's not run for money. Over 40 years, Barbara invited many new artists to fill its spaces. The Mattress Factory, along with its neighbors City of Asylum and Randyland, helped make Pittsburgh a more exciting place.

History of the Museum

In 1975, an artist named Barbara Luderowski bought an old mattress warehouse. It was located at 500 Sampsonia Way in Pittsburgh's Central Northside. At first, Barbara lived and worked there. She also created a place for other artists and thinkers to gather.

This group grew, and in 1977, the Mattress Factory became an official non-profit. This means it's a group that helps the community, not one that tries to make a profit. They had already been showing art and running a small food co-op for two years.

The first big art show opened on May 8, 1982. Since then, the museum has become a very important part of Pittsburgh's art scene. It's known for its programs where artists can live and create art. It also has great educational programs and unique art shows. In 2008, Michael Olijnyk joined Barbara Luderowski as a co-director.

Over the years, the Mattress Factory bought more buildings. These buildings are used for different things:

• 1414 Monterey Street became a new gallery space for art.
• Two buildings on North Taylor Street became homes for visiting artists.
• 505 Jacksonia Street is now a parking lot for museum visitors.
• The land next to it holds Winifred Lutz's Garden Installation, from 1993.
• 516 Sampsonia Way opened as another gallery space in 2013.

Cool Permanent Artworks

As of 2017, the Mattress Factory has 17 artworks that are always on display. These are called permanent installations. Here is a list of some artists who have permanent artworks at the museum:

Gallery

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  Mattress Factory building

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  The Mattress Factory Annex Gallery

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  Garden Installation by Winifred Lutz