The Story of Steel is the Story of Us

ERNEST FIENE, “NIGHT SHIFT – ALIQUIPPA (ENTRANCE TO THE J&L WORKS), 1936, OIL ON CANVAS, COLLECTION OF THE WESTMORELAND MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART

Turn your gaze to the furnaces, mills and people who helped build modern America. “Steel Valley Visions: An American Legacy” is a new, long-term installation at the Westmoreland Museum of American Art.

It explores Western Pennsylvania’s industrial past through both historic masterworks and contemporary responses. The exhibit remains on view through February 2027. Curated by Erica Nuckles, “Steel Valley Visions” builds on the museum’s landmark 2000s exhibit “Born of Fire: The Valley of Work,” and expands that legacy with recent acquisitions and key loans.

Familiar names — Aaron Harry Gorson, Otto August Kuhler, Francis Komperda, Virginia Cuthbert and Aaronel deRoy Gruber — appear alongside contemporary artists, among them Stephen Towns, Sophie Glenn and Alan Shepp, underscoring how the imagery and materials of the Big Steel Era continue to resonate.

GERRIT ALBERTUS BENEKER, THE IRON WORKER, 1905, OIL ON BOARD. COLLECTION OF THE WESTMORELAND MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART

A centerpiece of the show is “Skywalker Greets Sunrise VI” by Marie Watt; the steel I-beam sculpture recently was gifted to the museum. Watt, a member of the Seneca Nation, and a 2025 Heinz Award recipient, honors Mohawk ironworkers who shaped America’s skyline by bridging Indigenous knowledge, labor history and sculptural form in one commanding work.

Beyond the gallery walls, visitors can explore a listening lounge featuring music from the Big Steel Era as well as contribute personal reflections in an interactive space.