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WHEREAS, we celebrate the life of Barbara Luderowski as an artist, a leader and a true visionary who made a significant impact in Pittsburgh which had a national and international reach and who will be forever known in the world of installation art; and,
WHEREAS, Barbara was born to be an artist. Born January 26, 1930 in Flushing, New York, raised as an only child in Connecticut, Barbara's Father was an architect, her Mother was involved in the arts, and her Aunt was a sculptor and so became Barbara. She attended the alma mater of her parents, Carnegie Tech, until she realized college was not the right fit for her. Barbara decided to go to The Arts Student League of New York then to Cranbrook Academy of Art in Michigan; and,
WHEREAS, Barbara came to Pittsburgh in 1972, she fell in love with the North Side. She was a sculptor. She and her daughter, Taya, moved to a condemned property in the Mexican War Streets; and,
WHEREAS, Barbara's vision extended beyond herself and her own creativity as a sculptor. She sought to create a community of like-minded individuals. She purchased the abandoned Stearns & Foster mattress warehouse in 1975. She turned it into a living space, studios for artists, theater, and a food market; and
WHEREAS, Barbara founded the Mattress Factory museum of contemporary art in 1977 and served as President and Co-Director until her death, May 30, 2018. Barbara's leap of faith was a shot in the arm that gave life and revitalization to her North Side neighborhood through the development of the museum and the expansion of educational and community outreach programs. Barbara's 41 years of leadership saw the renovation and construction of three gallery buildings, six artist apartments, an administrative office, an educational studio, a garden, and a museum parking lot; and,
WHEREAS, Barbara impacted the lives of everyone around her, including fellow artists, her colleagues and staff, community members and stakeholders. Her champions...
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