Four local artists receive support to advance their work
The August Wilson Center for African American Culture today announced its 2011- 2012 August Wilson Center Fellows. Established in 2009, the annual cash award support the needs of African American artists and artists of African descent living and working in Southwestern Pennsylvania.
This year’s August Wilson Center Fellows are:
Staycee Pearl, Performance-based & Literary Arts Erika Beras, Media Arts Maryam Abdul-Qawiyy, Literary Artist Kelli Stevens Kane, Performance-based & Literary Arts
Through the fellowships the local artists will have new venues to create and present their own works of art; pursue individualized career advancement; participate in collaborative creative and marketing projects; strengthen community connections; acquire financial services; and collect a regular stipend.
“The August Wilson Center seeks to do more than provide a physical platform for cultural expression in the arts. It also wants to ensure that creative people in Southwestern Pennsylvania have access to the soft-skills and other resources they need to further their craft and careers; enable them to devote more time to their work; and improve and emphasize the civic role of arts in this region,” the Center’s Vice President of Programming and Cultivation Shaunda Miles explains.
The August Wilson Center for African American Culture engages regional and national audiences in its mission of preserving, presenting, interpreting, celebrating and shaping the art, culture and history of African Americans utilizing the rich history, legacy and culture of African Americans from Western Pennsylvania as a foundation. The Center presents a year-round program of dance, music and theatre along with special visual arts exhibitions and cultivation activities for all ages and backgrounds in its state-of-the-art venue in the heart of Pittsburgh’s Cultural District and throughout the region.
More information is available on The Center’s website at www.augustwilsoncenter.org and by calling 412.258.2700.