Famous faces
Heinz History Center to reopen July 1 with Smithsonian portraits
The Senator John Heinz History Center in the Strip District has announced it will reopen to the public on July 1, operating at 50 percent of capacity.
Also on July 1, the history center will reopen the Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum, also in the Strip District, the Fort Pitt Museum in Point State Park, Downtown, and Meadowcroft Rockshelter and Historic Village in Avella, Washington County.
All History Center museums will operate at 50% capacity initially and eventually accommodate a larger percentage of visitors as it’s permitted.
The museum will have policies to ensure social distancing and is undertaking the frequent and thorough cleaning of high-touch areas and the addition of hand-sanitizing stations throughout the museums.
“We are eager to reopen the Smithsonian’s home in Pittsburgh and our family of museums, and we’ll do so with the health and safety of our visitors and staff as our top priority,” said Andy Masich, president and CEO of the Heinz History Center.
On July 1, the museum will debut its new exhibition, “Smithsonian’s Portraits of Pittsburgh: Works from the National Portrait Gallery.”
The show features original paintings, sketches, prints, and photographs of more than 100 Americans with Western Pennsylvania connections. Among the people showcased are actress and singer Lena Horne; actor, dancer, director and choreographer Gene Kelly; dancer and choreographer Martha Graham, arranger, composer and pianist Mary Lou Williams; abolitionist and journalist Jane Grey Swisshelm; inventor George Westinghouse; Dr. Jonas Salk, creator of the polio vaccine; author Gertrude Stein and athletes such as Josh Gibson, Johnny Unitas, Joe Namath and Roberto Clemente.
It is one of the largest loans of artwork ever shared by the National Portrait Gallery, the only museum in the U.S. dedicated solely to portraiture.
The Smithsonian’s Portraits of Pittsburgh show includes Gene Kelly’s plaid wool suit from the film “Singin’ in the Rain” and the dagger Alexander Berkman used in his failed assassination attempt on industrialist Henry Clay Frick.
More details on advanced ticketing, timed-entry policies and new procedures will be announced later this month. Visit www.heinzhistorycenter.org for the most up-todate information.