October - The Start of August

October - The Start of August

August Wilson Center for African American Culture Groundbreaking Ceremony

PITTSBURGH, Oct. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- The August Wilson Center nationally distinguishes itself from other cultural centers because it is the first African American Cultural Center to be found in a central downtown location. "It will bring together people from all walks of life and foster mutual understanding and appreciation rooted in the values and ideals that drive the evolution of dynamic cultures worldwide," says Neil Barclay, president and CEO of the August Wilson Center.

Today, the official groundbreaking ceremony for the August Wilson Center for African American Culture will occur at 10 a.m. at the corner of Liberty Avenue and 10th Street in downtown Pittsburgh.

The center was named after the late playwright August Wilson, a Pittsburgh native. Wilson's most noted achievement is a 10-play cycle often called the Pittsburgh Cycle. Wilson is also the first African American to have two plays on Broadway concurrently and is one of seven American playwrights to win two Pulitzer Prizes. All but one of Wilson's plays takes place in the Hill District of Pittsburgh, where Wilson grew up, and each play illustrates the African American experience of life.

The August Wilson Center for African American Culture is a non-profit organization that celebrates the contributions of African Americans not only in Western Pennsylvania but throughout the world and will include presentations of dance, music, art, theater and other cultural, educational, and artistic events.

The center, designed by architect Allison Williams, principal at the international design firm Perkins+Will, features a state-of-the-art 500-seat theater.

The approximately 65,000 square-foot, multi-disciplinary facility also includes a 4,000-square-foot permanent exhibition gallery devoted to Western Pennsylvania's African American cultural history, a 4,000-square-foot changing exhibition gallery for African American artists from Pittsburgh and beyond, a Music Cafe, an education center with two "smart" technology - enhanced classrooms, a community center and street-level gift shop.

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Source: The August Wilson Center for African American Culture

CONTACT: Saul Markowitz of Markowitz Communications, +1-412-577-5140, or
Erika Wirkkala of TRE Communications, +1-412-512-3179, both for The August
Wilson Center for African American Culture

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