The African American Cultural Center presents a diverse array of performers and exhibits to interpret African-American culture and history at the August Wilson Center. The exhibition shown here— From MLK to March—highlights the little-known comic books and editorial cartoons of the civil rights era.

Presenting African American Arts and Culture in Pittsburgh:

African American Cultural Center

Presenting African American Arts and Culture in Pittsburgh:

African American Cultural Center

The African American Cultural Center (AACC), formerly known as the August Wilson Center, is a newly created 501(c)(3) organization whose sole mission is to own, operate, and preserve the building in which it is housed as a vibrant community asset. The AACC produces and presents African-American arts and cultural programming, including visual art exhibits, theatrical, musical, and dance performances, classes, lectures, hands-on learning, and community events. The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust is under agreement to “operate the Center as a first-class multi-venue, multi-use public entertainment and performance and visual arts facility with a primary focus on the art, culture, and history of African Americans.”


Photo: James Steinkamp

Nearly 250 activities were held at the AACC in 2016, with more than 70 representing African-American cultural interests. Many of the scheduled activities were space rentals, generating income for the facility. A $600,000 Foundation grant in 2016 is supporting the AACC’s building operations.

(Above)The African American Cultural Center presents a diverse array of performers and exhibits to interpret African-American culture and history at the August Wilson Center. The exhibition shown here— From MLK to March—highlights the little-known comic books and editorial cartoons of the civil rights era.
Featured Grants
$600,000

To support building operations for the African American Cultural Center

$600,000

to support building operations

$750,000

toward programming for the African-American Cultural Center

$150,000

toward support of JazzLive International

$750,000

toward programming for the August Wilson Center

$100,000

toward a collaboration between the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre and the Dance Theatre of Harlem to perform at the August Wilson Center

$600,000

toward support of operations

$60,000

toward the search for a new executive director

$750,000

to provide working capital to support start-up of the August Wilson Center

$1,750,000

toward three-year support of a capital campaign to develop the August Wilson Center for African American Culture in Pittsburgh's downtown Cultural District

$250,000

toward program support

$25,000

toward support for the establishment of an African-American Cultural Facility

$1,450,000

toward support of operations, programming and capacity-building for the August Wilson Cultural Center

$1,350,000

toward support of operations and programming for 2020

$350,000

to develop a residency program, provide capacity support to local art organizations, and develop a national collaborative of organizations presenting Black artists

$500,000

to produce a high-quality documentary on the tragedy of infant mortality in the U.S.; its disparate impacts in Black communities; and the solutions arising in Pittsburgh

$150,000

toward projects to support talent attraction and retention, and branding and communications

$1,350,000

toward support of operations

$1,400,000

toward support of operations

$50,000

toward costs associated with the premiere of the Pittsburgh-shot movie DEAR ZOE, highlighting youth mental health, child bereavement, and family trauma