Randyland facts for kids
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| Established | 1995 |
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| Location | 1501 Arch Street Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15212 |
| Visitors | 200,000+ (2019) |
| Founder | Randy Gilson |
| Nearest parking | Street |
Randyland is a super colorful art museum located in the North Side area of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It's famous for being one of America's most vibrant public art landmarks. Randy Gilson started this unique museum. He creates amazing art using "found objects," which are everyday items that people might throw away.
Randyland has helped make Pittsburgh's art scene even better. It's near other cool places like City of Asylum and the Mattress Factory. Lots of people around the world have seen Randyland online. It's one of the most photographed places on Instagram!
Contents
The Story of Randyland
Randy Gilson was born in Homestead, Pennsylvania. When he was younger, he faced tough times, including being homeless and poor. In 1982, he moved to Pittsburgh's Northside. There, he became a community activist. He planted over 800 street gardens and 50 vegetable gardens. He used a method called "guerrilla gardening." This meant he planted gardens in empty lots in neighborhoods like Manchester and the Mexican War Streets.
In 1995, Randy bought the property that would become Randyland. He used a credit card to buy it for $10,000. Randy loves to decorate his home using "upcycling" – taking old items and making them into something new. He uses things like mannequins, plastic dinosaurs, and pink flamingos. The fences around his property have bright murals showing neighbors dancing and smiling.
A Special Time for Randy and Mac
In late 2016, Randy's partner, David Paul Francis "Mac" McDermott, became very ill. When fans of Randyland heard the news, they raised over $20,000. This money allowed Randy and Mac to go on their first vacation together. They visited the Grand Canyon and Hollywood. After their trip, Randy stopped working at his restaurant job. He wanted to spend more time with Mac. Around this time, Foo Conner joined Randyland as a co-director.
Growing Popularity
From 2016 to 2019, the area around Randyland became very popular. The number of visitors to Randyland actually doubled! The courtyard was updated to handle all the new visitors. Under Foo Conner's guidance, Randyland became known as a great place for taking photos. It was a perfect, colorful background for "selfies".
Mac McDermott passed away on January 10, 2019. He was given the title of co-founder after his death. Journalists noted that Mac was a very important part of the museum, even if he didn't always show it. Later that year, Randyland received the Mayor's Award for Public Art for 2019. Foo Conner left the museum in early 2020.
Randyland During the Pandemic
Because Randyland is mostly outdoors, it was one of the only art museums open in Pennsylvania during the COVID-19 pandemic. Randy Gilson came out of retirement to manage it. The courtyard was changed into a fun, socially distanced playground during that time. Many of the original murals have been painted over with new designs.
As of 2022, Randyland is still a free and very popular place to visit.
Exploring Randyland's Art
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The Courtyard of Randyland
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Outside Celebration Mural
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Randyland Welcome Wall
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Randyland Mirror Wall
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Outdoor Living Room
Special Recognition
- Mayor's Award for Public Art 2019
