PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK

On Aug. 6, 1928, Andrew Warhola was born in South Oakland.

From soap boxes, pop culture icons, and soup cans, Andy Warhol would become a pioneer in the Pop Art Movement, and his creativity was never bound to one form of media. A photographer, filmmaker and writer, there’s no question why the cultural icon can be found all over Pittsburgh.

PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK

Warhol was the son of Czechoslovakian immigrants and the youngest of three boys. His father, Andrei, died of peritonitis when Andy was only 13. Julia, his mother, aimed to give her son the best, from saving as much money as possible for his college education to joining him in moving to New York.

In high school, Warhol struggled to find his footing. He wrote in “The Philosophy of Andy Warhol,” “I wasn’t very close to anyone…I wasn’t the type they wanted to confide in, I guess.” During his first year at Carnegie Tech, Warhol’s unique take on projects would cause him to fail certain classes.

Every year on Warhol’s birthday, fans gather around his grave at St. John the Baptist Byzantine Catholic Cemetery in Bethel Park. He is laid beside his parents, Andrew and Julia. In collaboration with EarthCam, Warhol’s resting spot can be viewed 24/7 via a live stream.

After his death, the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, which offers more than 100 grants each year to artists in the United States, was founded. Almost $300 million has been gifted to more than 1,000 art organizations. The Foundation has also donated 52,786 art pieces to 322 institutions worldwide.

This year, The Andy Warhol Museum celebrates its 30-year anniversary since opening its doors in 1994. The museum’s touring exhibitions have been seen by more than 12 million people worldwide. Acting as a time capsule for some of Warhol’s most beloved works, the interactive museum engages guests to experience the culture of Warhol. He is the only visual artist in America to have a bridge named after him, Pittsburgh’s Seventh Street Bridge, Downtown.

In 2019, Pittsburgh Magazine named him No. 6 on our list of the Greatest Pittsburghers of All Time.