Vanka Murals - St. Nicholas Croatian Catholic Church
24 Maryland Ave
10 am - 4 pm
This location is also a shuttle bus stop.
Wheelchair Accessible Entrance: YES
Wheelchair Accessible Restrooms: NO
Public Restrooms: YES
Photography Allowed: YES
NOTE: Photography without flash is permitted for personal use.
There are 25 assistive listening devices available free of charge for visitor use. We will, however, use a microphone for any group presentations if needed.
YOUR EXPERIENCE
Whether it’s your first time to view them or your hundreth, the Vanka Murals are always an incredible sight! The Church will be open for visitors with docents on duty to answer questions. You can choose to join a guided tour at 11AM or 12:30PM, or, take your time and explore the space on your own with printed information.
ABOUT THIS BUILDING
St. Nicholas Croatian Catholic Church was built in 1900. It is the first purpose-built Croatian Catholic Church in the United States. After an interior fire in 1921, the church was rebuilt under the direction of the original architect, Frederick Sauer. The building's large central dome was removed and the height of the two bell towers was increased. Inside, the brick walls were replastered and painted white and remained that way until Croatian immigrant artist Maxo Vanka was hired to paint them.
In two cycles—1937 and 1941—the artist painted 25 one-of-a-kind murals inspired by the stories and religious traditions of the immigrant congregation of St. Nicholas as well as their new home in Pittsburgh. Vanka's murals are provocative. They contrast old world and new world experiences. They call out injustice, the contributions and sacrifices of immigrants in America, and they celebrate Motherhood. They are universal and timeless. The murals capture their time in history while always remaining relevant to our world today. In the 1980s, St. Nicholas Croatian Catholic Church and the Vanka Murals were placed on the National Register of Historic Places with a national level of significance.
Recognition of their mutual importance to the history of Pittsburgh as well as the United States was instrumental in successfully attaining a] nearly $500,000 Save America's Treasures Collections Grant to help ensure the long-term preservation of the Vanka Murals.