RECAP // Factory 500 Weekend: Pittsburgh Opera + Troy Hill Art Houses

Factory 500 members on the Pittsburgh Opera's rehearsal stage for The Rake's Progress 

This past weekend, Factory 500 members were treated to back-to-back exclusive contemporary art experiences! 

On Friday, April 22, Factory 500 members received a behind-the-scenes tour of the Pittsburgh Opera's production of Igor Stravinsky's The Rake's Progress. British artist David Hockney designed the jaw-dropping sets, props, wigs and costumes, drawing from the visual aesthetic of William Hogarth's famous series of engravings that originally inspired the opera. 

Members got to examine gorgeous, one-of-a-kind set pieces and costumes up close, seeing the intense cross-hatching that Hockney employed to mimic the feel of Hogarth's engravings. 

The next day, over 50 Factory 500 members gathered in Pittsburgh's Troy Hill neighborhood. To an outsider, it looked like a curious decision - what were contemporary art enthusiasts doing gathered in an ordinary neighborhood?

Factory 500 members gather at The Pear and the Pickle, Troy Hill's newest neighborhood cafe. 

Indeed, from the exterior, 1812 Rialto Street blends seamlessly into the block of family homes. But as soon as our members entered the door, they embarked on what they described as an "unexpected," "completely astonishing," and "delightful" adventure!

The entire house, known as "La Hüitte Royal," is the work of a German artists named Thorsten Brinkman who transformed the once vacant house over the course of two years. Members crawled through tunnels, climbed ladders, practiced their golf swings and traversed a series of spaces designed from top to bottom. The house is the first Troy Hill art house commissioned by Even Mirapaul. 

At 1718 Rialto Street, we explore "Kunzhaus," the second of Evan Mirapaul's art houses, which just opened in March 2016. Polish contemporary artists Robert Kusmirowski drew from the history of the house and its occupants as well as elements of his own past. 

Factory 500 is the Mattress Factory's premiere membership program, chaired by Susan Lammie. The group tours private collections, artist studios, local businesses and other interesting arts destinations in Pittsburgh several times throughout the year. Don't miss out — join today!