The success and longevity of the exhibition can, in large part, be attributed to the Museum's namesake: Andrew Carnegie. The expertise, travel, insurance, packing and transportation required to organize and mount an international art exhibition was an expense that few could afford. Without Carnegie's enthusiastic support, the annuals never would have taken place.

Carnegie was exceedingly generous to the city that had made him one of the nation's wealthiest men. Although Pittsburgh had not attained cultural fame at the turn of the century, it was a world leader in industrial production, and the city's high standing in global manufacturing and commerce stirred ambitions for cultural prominence as well.

Through the first two decades of the exhibitions, artwork was divided about equally -- half were American and half comprised of international artists -- mostly French, English and German, with additional entries from Ireland, Scotland and eastern European countries. One of consequences of these international events, both in Pittsburgh and in Europe, was the erosion of differences between national traditions and even individual artists. By and large works were traditional oil on canvas and they exhibited a familial resemblance, American and European alike. Some critics referred to the art at the annual exhibits as a "standardized product" lacking innovation. Critical voices were few, however, compared to reviewers who endorsed the policies that continued to lead the Carnegie annual along the path it had first taken in the 1890's.