August Wilson: The Writer’s Landscape: The first-ever exhibition dedicated to the life and works of August Wilson is now open! Learn More

News & Stories

2024

Feb 09

Karla Ferguson: Curator, World Changer, Mother, Warrior

Ferguson’s Work Shines in Tim Okamura’s Onna-Bugeisha: Warriors of Light on Display Now Through February 18, 2024 at Pittsburgh’s August Wilson African American Cultural Center Closing Reception with Ferguson and Okamura Set for February…

Feb 09

Bomb Magazine Interview with Tim Okamura & Jessica Lanay

My first encounter with Tim Okamura’s work was in a small, dimly lit gallery in a brooklyn museum in 2012. The moderate relief from his art’s build-up of paint gave…

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2023

Oct 31

Best Pittsburgh concerts this week: The 1975, Grace Potter, Blues Fest, Joni tribute and more

The 6th annual festival, showcasing connections of the blues from Africa to the Americas, will feature a Friday night concert with Bobby Rush, the two-time Grammy winning Arkansas-bred bluesman.

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Oct 27

Citizens bank gifts Pittsburgh Film Office $200,000 toward CREATE PA jobs initiative

Western Pennsylvania’s film industry just received some great news at a time when this region’s creatives have been desperately searching for a win.

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Oct 25

‘It feels great to be back’: Black Bottom Film Festival returns to August Wilson Center

True cinephiles like Janis Burley can’t hide the glee in their voices while discussing movies. Burley is the president and CEO of Downtown’s August Wilson African American Cultural Center.

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Oct 20

August Wilson African American Cultural Center Unveils an Inspiring ’23-’24 Season Celebrating Arts and Culture

September 27, 2023 (Pittsburgh, PA) – The August Wilson African American Cultural Center (AWAACC) is proud to announce its captivating ’23-’24 season lineup, showcasing an array of remarkable events, exhibitions,…

Oct 20

The 6th Black Bottom Film Festival Presented By Citizens

Celebrating the Tapestry of African American Cinema October 10, 2023 (Pittsburgh, PA) – The Black Bottom Film Festival (BBFF), proudly presented by Citizens, returns for its sixth edition, illuminating and…

Oct 10

Black Bottom Film Festival To Honor Academy Museum Head Jacqueline Stewart At 2023 Edition Curated By Micheaux Film Festival

Pittsburgh’s Black Bottom Film Festival (BBFF), hosted by the August Wilson African American Cultural Center (AWAACC), has inked a curatorial partnership with LA’s Micheaux Film Festival for its upcoming sixth…

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Sep 12

Best Pittsburgh Concerts this Week: Jazz Fest, Old Dominion, Melvins, $uicideboy$ and More

The festival returns for a 13th edition with a stellar lineup of jazz and R&B artists over four nights at the August Wilson African American Cultural Center, Downtown, and Highmark…

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Sep 12

The 13th Annual Jazz Festival is a Star-Studded Affair

The 13th annual Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival returns to the August Wilson African American Cultural Center and Highmark Stadium Thursday through Sunday.

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Jun 20

LEDISI Returns to Pittsburgh with a Tribute to Nina Simone

The Evening Continues with the Taste of Jazz Party Featuring Selecta, Hubb’s Groove, Kevin Howard and Jonathan Barber, Plus Food and Beverage Tastings Presented by Area Restaurants Tickets Are On Sale Now…

Feb 06

PITTSBURGH OPERA SEEKS BIPOC DANCERS FOR ITS PRODUCTION OF WE SHALL NOT BE MOVED AS PART OF ITS 2022-23 SEASON

We Shall Not Be Moved premiered at Opera Philadelphia in 2017 and was directed and choreographed by Bill T. Jones, who will direct and choreograph Pittsburgh Opera’s production in the…

Jan 18

August Wilson Society (AWS) Announces 2023 Biennial Colloquium: March 2-4, 2023

 Pittsburgh, PA – The August Wilson Society (AWS), in collaboration with the August Wilson African American Cultural Center (AWAACC) and University of Pittsburgh Library System (ULS), is pleased to announce…

Jan 18

REFLECTIONS ON THE GLOBAL PANDEMIC ARE INSPRIATION FOR DR. IMO IMEH’S NEW EXHBITION THE HOPE OF RADIANCE

 The Hope of Radiance brings together art works and texts created between 2020 – 2022 that are part of Dr. Imo Nse Imeh’s developing project titled Benediction  January 18, 2023…

2022

Aug 09

Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival Expanded To Include “D Byrd@90: Tribute To Donald Byrd And The Blackbyrds” With Musical Direction By Sean Jones And Special Performances Featuring Gary Bartz, Nate Smith, Endea Owens, Frank Lacy, Louis Cato, Brett Williams & The Donald Byrd Cultural Foundation

Pittsburgh’s preeminent Jazz Festival to include A Taste of Jazz featuring food from the City’s most innovative eateries following performance from Ron Carter Foursight at the August Wilson African American…

Jul 15

Poetry on the Vineyard: A Def Poetry Reunion Benefit Performance

Spoken Word Concert with the Original Cast of the beloved HBO show Oaks Bluff, MA – We are excited to announce a special night of Poetry on the Vineyard: A…

Jun 06

August Wilson African American Cultural Center Announces Line-up For Highmark Blues & Heritage Festival – September 14-15, 2022

Featuring funk and reggae legends Steel Pulse; award-winning singer/songwriter Ruthie Foster & roots and soul singer Shemekia Copeland; blues, funk, and R&B singer/guitarist Walter “Wolfman” Washington; multi-Grammy winner Fantastic Negrito; guitarist,…

May 20

Women shine in Pittsburgh production of an opera about a famed female adventurer

“Protagonist, message and means of production all resonate to a unifying theme in the Pittsburgh premiere of the opera “Song from the Uproar: The Lives and Deaths of Isabelle Eberhardt.” This…

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May 18

Song from the Uproar recalls one woman’s incredible life with all-female cast and crew

Song from the Uproar: The Lives and Deaths of Isabelle Eberhardt will mark a few firsts for the Pittsburgh-based DEMASKUS Theater Collective. Besides being the first opera produced by DEMASKUS, it…

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May 02

August Wilson African American Cultural Center Launches First Work in New Residency Program: Missy Mazzoli’s Song From the Uproar: the Lives and Deaths of Isabelle Eberhardt

All-female cast & crew present opera inspired by the life of Swiss explorer and writer May 21 at 2 p.m. & 7 p.m. ET Produced by DEMASKUS Theater Collective, Amanda…

Apr 26

Ron Carter Foursight Quartet, Ledisi, Stanley Clarke, Samara Joy, Incognito With Maysa Leak and More to Perform as Part of August Wilson African American Cultural Center’s Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival September 16-18, 2022

Lineup includes Average White Band, Buster Williams, Orrin Evans Trio, Aymée Nuviola with Gonzalo Rubalcaba and more  April 26, 2022 – Pittsburgh, PA –The August Wilson African American Cultural Center…

Apr 25

A Tour Through August’s ‘Landscape’

August Wilson, America’s Shakespeare, is having a “moment,” to use the words of Constanza Romero-Wilson, the playwright’s widow and chief curator of “August Wilson: The Writer’s Landscape,” a new exhibition at the August…

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Apr 22

How Playwright August Wilson Captured the Highs and Lows of Black America

Throughout the 1960s and ‘70s, playwright August Wilson spent much of his time in diners and coffee shops in Pittsburgh’s Hill District, scrawling notes on napkins about the sights, sounds…

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Pittsburgh exhibit
Apr 22

New Pittsburgh exhibit celebrates hometown playwright August Wilson: ‘Everyone’s life experiences are important’

The American playwright – the author of “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” “Fences,” “The Piano Lesson” and more — set almost all of his work in his hometown, writing about some…

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August Wilson
Apr 22

New permanent exhibit highlights the life and work of playwright August Wilson

August Wilson was not nearly as prolific. He broke through with “Jitney” in 1982 when he was 37, and followed with a staggering burst of creativity. “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,”…

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