Look for the striking modern building featuring a dramatic, curved metallic prow and a massive wall of glass running right down Liberty Avenue. This is the August Wilson African American Cultural Center, and its story is as thrilling as the legendary plays written by its namesake!
Back in 1996, Pittsburgh NAACP President Tim Stevens wanted to bring the national convention to the city, and part of his pitch was building a dedicated museum. After years of planning and funding from the city and local foundations, the center finally opened its doors to the full public in September 2009. Check out your app to see a lively snapshot from that grand opening milestone. The sleek exterior you are looking at was led by the brilliant architect Allison G. Williams, whose team gave it this unforgettable, sweeping shape.
Inside, the space is just bursting with creativity, housing galleries, classrooms, and a stunning 500-seat theater. Take a look at your screen to peek inside that beautiful performance space where so much magic happens.
But the story of this center almost took a tragic turn. By 2014, struggling with construction debt, the building was forced into a sheriff's sale, which is a public auction for repossessed property. It was actually bought by the mortgage holder, Dollar Bank, for just over nineteen hundred dollars! A private developer planned to swoop in and build a hotel right on top of this cultural landmark. But Pittsburgh's leaders and local foundations refused to let that happen. They banded together, formed a nonprofit consortium, and fought off the developer by buying the center back for nearly eight million dollars.
Today, it is a massive success, celebrating Black artists locally and internationally with a rock-solid financial foundation. If you want to explore the galleries, keep in mind they are open Thursday through Sunday afternoons.
Take a moment to soak this beautiful beacon of culture in. Whenever you are ready, let's head over to the Gulf Tower for our next stop.
