Carnegie Trees and Neapolitan Presepio, 2018

Kick off your holidays with a visit to this popular seasonal display, brought to you by the Carnegie Museum of Art Women’s Committee. The 2018 edition marks a first-ever collaboration with 57th Carnegie International artist Karen Kilimnik. Five soaring evergreens are decorated according to Kilimnik’s artistic vision, which has been described as “joyful fantasy and a quest for the romantic sublime.”

See the Hall of Architecture filled with towering Colorado spruce trees, each adorned with handcrafted ornaments from committee members and collaborating organizations. The trees flank the museum’s exquisite 18th-century Neapolitan presepio Nativity scene, rare in US collections, together making up a cherished Pittsburgh tradition. Handcrafted between 1700 and 1830, the presepio is filled with lifelike figures and colorful details that re-create the Nativity within a vibrant and detailed panorama of 18th-century Italian village life.

About the Women’s Committee, Carnegie Museum of Art

Founded in 1957, the Women’s Committee, Carnegie Museum of Art is dedicated to furthering the interests of Carnegie Museum of Art and promoting its cultural and educational value in the community. Since its inception, the Women’s Committee has funded the purchase of art for the collections, contributed to the museum’s infrastructure and gallery renovations, and participated as a major donor in museum endowment and capital campaigns. The Women’s Committee operates as an independent, non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation registered with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.