By SHARON EBERSON

The artfully designed 4-acre Downtown park Arts Landing was given a blockbuster welcome on April 17, 2026, when local and state dignitaries including Governor Josh Shapiro attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony, a week before thousands of football fans invade Pittsburgh for the NFL Draft.

Underneath the sparkling white bandshell, named the Dollar Bank Stage, Pittsburgh Cultural Trust leader Kendra Whitlock Ingram and Highmark Health CEO David L. Holmberg, who spearheaded the funding and creation of Arts Landing, were joined by Gov. Shapiro, County Executive Sarah Innamarto, Mayor Corey O’Connor, State Senator Wayne Fontana, State Rep. Aerion Abney, Anastasia James (the Trust’s Director of Galleries & Public Art), and City Councilman Khari Mosley.

The late sculptor Thaddeus Mosley, Khari’s father, is represented among the public artworks with several Touching the Earth pieces.

The $31 million “civic space” in the Cultural District features a performance lawn, pickleball courts, and Downtown’s first playground, all part of a $600 million revitalization plan that includes contributions from the state and county, and local businesses and foundations.

Gov. Shapiro touted the first phase of improvements that have been completed at Point State Park, and said there would be more announcements upcoming. Arts Landing also is the future home of the Three Rivers Arts Festival, June 12-14, 2026, and a space for Downtown residents and visitors to enjoy year-round.

In her opening remarks, Whitlock Ingram noted that arts and culture account for “more than 1700 jobs and generate more than $175 million for the region. That’s $1 billion of cumulative economic impact since we reopened after the pandemic. That is the power of arts-driven Downtown revitalization, and Arts Landing is the next chapter in our story. This transformational new civic space builds on the Cultural Trust impact by creating a place Downtown where people will gather, they will stay longer, and they’ll return more often.” And this morning, many of you have already walked through the first experiences here at Arts Landing. Some of our signature features, this great lawn and Dollar Bank stage that will now serve as the permanent home of the Dollar Bank Three Rivers Arts Festival.”

“This art space developed by the Cultural Trust is going to give Pennsylvanians a place to gather, to play pickleball, to listen to music, to enjoy art installations from some of Pittsburgh’s finest artists,” Gov. Shapiro said. “Most importantly, what we built here is a place for community in the heart of downtown. The Shapiro-Davis Administration, well, we were all in on this project. We invested thanks to the great contributions of our members of legislature as well, $8 million to cover the construction costs. But I want to be clear, this is just the very beginning of the progress that we are making toward completing Downtown Phase One that we announced back in October of 2024.”

Speakers expressed their admiration that the park was finished on time, within 22 months from greenlight to being ready for next week’s NFL Draft.

Among the features of Arts Landing, in addition to The Grable Playground:

• The Colcom Foundation Overlook provides views of the skyline and bridges.
• The Buhl Foundation Lawn Ledges provide “respite and the best seats in the house.”
• The PPG Lane and the Fisher Family Garden Walk are new places for a Downtown stroll, surrounded by nearly 100 newly planted trees and native landscaping.

During the ceremony, State Rep. Abney noted that Arts Landing was an example of what was possible creatively, as it lies in the shadow of Pittsburgh CAPA. Hearing themselves mentioned, CAPA students lining outdoor spaces that overlook the bandshell, emerald-green manicured grass and public art, erupted in cheers.

The ceremony on Friday opened, fittingly, with the University of Pittsburgh marching band, Pitt cheerleaders and Panthers mascot. The park officially opens to the public from April 23-25, to coincide with the 2026 NFL Draft coming to Pittsburgh, with the The Pitt Block Party at Arts Landing. The free event is “a three-day celebration built for Panther faithful, football diehards and anyone looking to experience the city at its best during Draft week,” including “an immersive football experience that celebrates Pitt’s longstanding football legacy.”

Learn more about the Pitt Block Party here. For more information about NFL Draft Experience in Pittsburgh, including transportation tips and road closures, visit NFLDraftPittsburgh.com.

Still to come at Arts Landing:

• The Highmark Courtyard provides flexible recreational space, including artist-designed mural pickleball courts and a fitness track (finishing touches coming in July).
• The Giant Eagle Foundation Backyard offers a relaxing atmosphere with tables, seating, overhead lighting, and games (finishing touches coming in June).
• The BNY Visitor Center will feature public restrooms, a water refill station, and 24/7 security “to ensure that Arts Landing is a safe and welcoming destination for everyone.”

The idea for reinventing the space that once included a Goodyear Tire establishment and sagging, multistory garage came, said Holmberg, came from his grandchildren.

“As an adopted Pittsburgher, I moved here 14 years ago and I got the privilege of living Downtown and seeing the best of what this city has to offer, what the best of what people have to offer here, and the best of who we are,” Holmberg said. “At the same time, I had the privilege of seeing some of the things that we needed help with. And one of the things that really stood out for me was the fact that we needed places where people could not only work, they could live, but they could play. And that’s why this project was so important. In fact, it was inspired by my grandkids, Jackson and Emerson, who pointed out to me that there wasn’t a playground anywhere in the city. Today, we have a very special playground that preludes the arts and really drives a whole different level of fun, and opportunity, and inspiration.”

Categories: Arts and Ideas, Feature Stories, Our Posts, Venue

Tags: 2026, Arts Landing, Cultural District, Cultural Trust, David Holmberg, Dollar Bank Stage, Downtown, Governor Josh Shapiro, Kendra Whitlock Ingram, Mayor Corey O'Connor, NFL Draft, Pittsburgh, Playground, Public Art, Thaddeus Mosley