August Wilson African American Cultural Center facts for kids
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August Wilson Center
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August Wilson African American Cultural Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
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| Former names | August Wilson Center for African American Culture (2009–2019) |
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| Address | 980 Liberty Avenue Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania United States |
| Coordinates | 40°26′36″N 79°59′45″W / 40.4433°N 79.9957°W |
| Owner | August Wilson African American Cultural Center |
| Type | Theater |
| Capacity | 472 |
| Current use | Performing arts center |
| Construction | |
| Opened | September 17, 2009 |
| Architect | Allison G. Williams, Perkins and Will |
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The August Wilson African American Cultural Center is a special place for art in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It is a U.S. organization that showcases the amazing talents and history of African Americans. They do this through many different types of art, like music, dance, and visual arts. These programs celebrate African American culture from Western Pennsylvania, across the nation, and around the world.
The center's building is located on Liberty Avenue in Downtown Pittsburgh's Cultural District. It has art galleries, classrooms, and a theater with 500 seats. There is also a gift shop, a cafe, and many other rooms for art activities. The center first opened its doors in 2009.
Contents
History of the Center
The August Wilson Center started as an idea in 1996. Tim Stevens, who was the president of the NAACP in Pittsburgh, wanted to bring a big NAACP meeting to the city. As part of his plan, he suggested that Pittsburgh should have an African American Museum.
How the Center Was Built
Later in 1996, the Mayor of Pittsburgh, Tom Murphy, asked two City Council Members to help make the museum happen. They brought together many people who cared about the idea. Money for the center came from different places, including the URA (Urban Redevelopment Authority), the State of Pennsylvania, and The Heinz Endowments.
The land where the center stands was bought for a very low price. A special ceremony called a "topping off" was held on August 12, 2008. This means the highest point of the building was finished. Construction was completed soon after. The center officially opened to the public on September 17 and 19, 2009.
Who Designed the Building
The August Wilson Center was designed by Allison G. Williams and her team from Perkins and Will. They worked from their office in San Francisco. Other team members included Greg Lehman, Sally Curtis, and Stacie Velten.
Name Changes Over Time
In February 2019, the center changed its name from "August Wilson Center for African American Culture" to "August Wilson Cultural Center." However, many people wanted the words "African American" to stay in the name. After an online petition, the name was changed again the next month to "August Wilson African American Cultural Center." This is its name today.
Overcoming Financial Challenges
The center faced some money problems starting in 2012. It had trouble paying off the money it borrowed to build the center.
Solving Debt Issues
In January 2014, a federal official said the center's debt situation might be very difficult to fix. A court then decided that the center might need to sell its assets to pay off debts.
In February 2014, people who cared about the center started a website to raise money. After several court cases, the center was sold in November 2014 to Dollar Bank, which was the mortgage holder.
Just two days later, on November 5, 2014, Dollar Bank sold the center to a group of nonprofit organizations for $7.9 million. This group included money from several private foundations, like the Heinz Endowments and the Richard King Mellon Foundation. Public groups also helped, including the Urban Redevelopment Authority and the Allegheny Regional Asset District.
A Stronger Future
By 2019, the August Wilson Center was in a much better financial position. It had extra money at the end of 2018 and was saving money for the future. By 2020, the center continued to improve. Its operating budget grew a lot, and it earned more money from its own activities. The center also gained many more individual donors and hosted many more events. This showed that the center was recovering and becoming very successful.
