Daylight savings time is here, and as the blue skies fade into that gray that could be the official color of Pittsburgh for much of the year, maybe you’re craving happier hues. The lack of natural light can make you feel sad and sluggish, and as the leave fall off the trees, the one thing that makes fall less gloomy falls away with them. We’ve got some suggestions to put a pop of color into the gray.
Find a Pop of Color in Pittsburgh as the Days Get Darker
Sensory Overload at Mattress Factory’s Monterrey Annex
In the Mattress Factory’s Monterrey Annex, Catalina Schliebener Muñoz, Marvin Touré, and Isla Hansen’s installation spaces are overwhelmingly colorful. All three take inspiration from nostalgia and cartoon aesthetics, and the greens, purples, and reds both artists are meant to conjure make-believe and whimsy. We could all use a little bit of that right now.
Visit the Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation
Tucked away in the Carnegie Mellon library, the Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation is featuring forty-six international artists’ drawings of plants from around the world through mid-December. If you miss spring flowers, ducking into the Hunt Institute is a great, totally free way to get that pop of color your mind is looking for.
Spend a Day at Phipps Conservatory
But you can also see actual plants, even out of season ones, at nearby Phipps Conservatory in Oakland. The holiday display is always full of twinkling lights. The orchid room is also a surefire mood-lifter with the brightness and elegance of the flowers. Or, wander the desert room, if you really miss summer that much. Just don’t touch the cacti.
Cheer Yourself Up with a Colorful Meal at Lilith
The soft, pink lighting inside Lilith, Mediterranean-chic tableware and bar, and colorful cocktails and dish presentation always cheer me up. Jamilka Borges and Dianne DeStefano curate a space that feels cozy and happy. It’s hard to feel the winter blues while sipping on a hot pink cocktail from bartender Landon Frame and eating a yuca pierogi on a floral pink and white plate.
Take a Walk to The Color Park
The name says it all. On the banks of the Monongahela, street artists and graffiti writers have covered the riverfront trail with colorful designs, ranging from full-scale murals to small tags. When the sky is white and the river is gray, the paint looks even more colorful. See, there’s an upside to the gray after all!
Story by Emma Riva / Photo of Catalina Schliebener Muñoz’s work, courtesy of the Mattress Factory
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