Devan Shimoyama’s City Guide to Pittsburgh

 Devan Shimoyama's City Guide to Pittsburgh

In partnership with Avant Arte

Devan Shimoyama’s City Guide to Pittsburgh

Devan Shimoyama on Trippin
Devan Shimoyama

The Philadelphia-born visual artist delivers a wide-ranging guide covering restaurants and must-visit spots.

Born in Philadephia in 1989, artist Devan Shimoyama has lived in various places including New York and the Pittsburgh suburb of Brentwood, where he purchased a yellow-brick Craftsman house in the summer of 2018. His widely-exhibited works explore identity and desire; often, he creates effeverscent portraits of Black, queer men using the vibrancy of day-glo colours. Through his use of multi-layered collages and mixed mediums – glitter and jewels, in particular – his subjects dazzle in his portraits, appearing as mythical figures with glimmering eyes.

Having lived in Pittsburgh for a number of years now, the artist helps us to tap into the cultural underbelly of the Brentwood suburb with his curation of must-visit spots. Scroll down for a range of places to visit when you're in the area – from museums to gay bars and restaurants.

Round Corner Cantina

Probably [one of] my favourite bars regarding interiors. Also [a] great place to run into friends!

More Info

Pusadee’s Garden

A fancier dinner place. [It's] a beautiful Thai restaurant with great outdoor seating.

More Info

National Aviary

I love birds, and it’s not like a zoo. They do really great work there, and you get to also interact with and feed sloths if you’re lucky enough to get a time slot.

More Info

Bicycle Heaven

The largest transportation museum dedicated to bicycles. A fun spectacle to see.

More Info

Blue Moon

Blue Moon is a really fun gay bar where a lot of queens get their start (including more famous ones like Alaska). They’ve got open mic nights, too.

More Info

Pigeon Bagels

If I’m running errands for art supplies, [this is] a great spot for lox on a bagel.

More Info

APTEKA

A good Polish vegan restaurant that I frequently [go to] with colleagues.

More Info

Duquesne Incline

Ride the Duquesne Incline. It’s pretty special!

More Info

The Mattress Factory

Although this is maybe more of an institution, they do rotating contemporary artist shows that are really wonderful. A must see.

More Info