National Network for Equitable Library Service

Is a painting of a can of soup really art? Born in 1928 to immigrant parents, Andy Warhol became famous for paintings of things once deemed unworthy of "art," like soup cans, celebrities, and dollar bills. As a child, Andy loved to draw. He took classes at the Carnegie Museum of art, where his teacher told the class,"everything you look at has art." In college, many teachers didn't appreciate Andy's understanding of art. He annoyed them by doing things his own way-like by cutting a painting into four parts and submitting it as separate assignments. But later, his unique approach would lead to people everywhere reevaluating their ideas. "I just paint things I always thought were beautiful ... things you look at and never think about," Andy said.