Interactive public art installation by Pittsburgh artist John Peña in which visitors place magnetic shapes on the sculpture to show the current time and weather.
John Peña brings Local Time and Weather to Arts Landing starting Wednesday, April 29, 2027, and it stays through Thursday, September 30. It's a dynamic, interactive installation that asks you to do something most gallery art tells you not to: touch it. The piece comes with magnetic shapes that you place onto the sculpture's surface to reflect the current time and weather, so the work changes based on who's there and what the day looks like outside.
There's a specific story behind how it came together. Peña created it in collaboration with the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh's Tough Art residency, a program that challenges artists to design pieces that can survive the rigors of a hands-on environment. This was the residency's first major collaboration for an offsite public art installation, so the piece was built to be handled, not just looked at.
Peña is a Pittsburgh-based multidisciplinary artist known for his work across public art, comics, and sculpture, with a practice that pulls from personal experience, natural history, and community engagement. Local Time and Weather is one of six artworks woven throughout Arts Landing, which the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust has turned into a series of paths, gathering places, and open views meant for reflection, play, and connection.
Every week we pick 🏆 the 5 best 🏆 things to do in Pittsburgh and send them to your inbox. Just one weekly email, no spam.
By submitting your email, you accept our Privacy Policy
You can find it at Arts Landing, 803 Penn Ave, Pittsburgh PA 15222, from April 29 through September 30, 2027. Admission is free.
