Dan Law is Associate Director at the Andy Warhol Museum, a vital role at the largest single-artist museum in the country. This position carries with it a huge amount of responsibility for both the preservation of Warhol’s legacy and the fulfillment of the museum’s mission.
Law has been at the helm of the Pop District, a community engagement initiative with a multi-pronged approach to taking the museum beyond just art on walls. Along with a workforce development program, the Pop District is creating a new live music venue in the North Shore, the Factory. Law is a veteran of live music as the former organizer of Thrival, an extremely popular Pittsburgh music festival in pre-COVID times. Law shared some of his thoughts on Pittsburgh’s live music scene, his interest in Warhol, and his vision for the museum with TABLE readers.
Dan Law on Warhol’s “Business Art” and Building a New Live Music Venue
What have you learned in your time as an arts and culture professional in Pittsburgh?
Dan Law: It’s difficult to identify one core lesson, but perhaps it’s safe to say that the way our community defines “arts and culture” is significantly changing. As a result, arts and culture professionals must embrace that change to best serve our city.
What got you interested in Warhol. How do you see your work preserving his legacy at the museum?
Dan Law: Starting my museum career in development six years ago, I quickly became interested in the “business art” of Warhol, whether through fundraising or conceptualizing and building The Pop District. (Warhol once said that “Being good in business is the most fascinating kind of art. Making money is art and working is art and good business is the best art.”)
The relationship between art and commerce is so often attributed to Warhol that the interplay can be seen as somewhat trite. However, Warhol’s keen understanding of business lives within the core of his artistic genius and you can’t overstate its influence on his practice. Deploying good business to sustain world class Warhol art and archives in Pittsburgh seems to be exactly in line with Andy’s legacy.
The Pop District project at the Warhol “takes the museum outside.” What are some ways people can engage with the Warhol rather than just looking at works of art?
Dan Law: Programs and events. There are myriad ways to engage but I encourage folks to explore our award-winning learning programs led by our fantastic Learning and Public Engagement team.
We have teen-focused programs and through the growth of The Pop District, our adult workforce programs include paid fellowships with the museum, a free, state-licensed diploma program in digital marketing, and free networking events focused on creative professionals of all types. And, of course, our live music series has been a mainstay for nearly two decades.
From having worked on Thrival and now on The Factory music venue project at the Warhol, how do you see the future of live music in Pittsburgh?
Dan Law: Looking ten to fifteen years out, I think Pittsburgh has the potential to be one of America’s most dynamic club and theater scenes. With The Factory, as well as other live music and cultural spaces across the city, we’ll have the diversity in the physical size of rooms and the scope of content that can elevate us steps above similar markets. We’ll be able to occupy a leadership position in the national scene. It will require the focus, strategic patience, and prioritization of city and regional leaders. But, the artistic and cultural output will pay dividends for generations to come. We’ll be both glad and proud that we built all of it.”
Story by Emma Riva / Photo by Becky Thurner Braddock
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