August Wilson African American Cultural Center
Celebrates Juneteenth, Pride Month
and Black Music Month Throughout June
PITTSBURGH, PA, June 2024 – “June is bustin’ out all over” and the August Wilson African American Cultural Center (AWAACC) is bursting with great music celebrating Black Music Month and community events throughout the month.
Programming includes:
June 18 - Juneteenth Celebration
2:00 – 6:00 pm Guided Tours of August Wilson: The Writer’s Landscape Exhibition
Explore the first-ever permanent exhibition dedicated to the life and works of Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright August Wilson. Born and raised in Pittsburgh’s Hill District, Wilson drew his greatest inspiration from the city and its people. Many of his works in the American Century Cycle, which almost exclusively take place in Pittsburgh and represent each decade of the 1900s, were largely informed by Wilson’s observations of the environment that surrounded him. To bring Wilson’s story to life, August Wilson: The Writer’s Landscape guides visitors through three sections, or acts: The Coffee Shop, The Office, and The Street. Schedule Your Tour!
7:00 pm Soul Sessions: Howie Alexander
Don’t miss 2024 B.U.I.L.D. Artist-in-Residence, Howie Alexander at Soul Sessions, a series of intimate concerts featuring some of the most talented artists of today. Join us as we celebrate Black Music Month, Supper Club Style with live music and soul food cuisine. Pittsburgh’s own Howie Alexander grew up in a home filled with jazz, R&B, and funk. He began playing piano when he was 15, and 27 years later, with performances with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Poogie Bell, Ciaro, and Stanley Turrentine on his resume, the Duquesne University graduate performs as sideman or headliner at venues from Pittsburgh to Monaco. He has been a piano instructor at the Afro-American Music Institute since 1994, and now serves as Artistic Director. Howard Alexander’s B.U.I.L.D. residency is made possible by the Richard King Mellon Foundation. Buy Tickets Today!
Carmi’s Soul Food will be providing food for purchase throughout the day.
June 28 - Pride Celebration
5:00 – 8:00 pm Pride and Joy Community Day
Get ready for a special Pride edition of Community Day at the August Wilson African American Cultural Center to celebrate unity, diversity, and love in the LGBTQIA+ community. This event is a vibrant and inclusive gathering that welcomes people of all backgrounds to come together in a spirit of joy and celebration. Enjoy a day filled with music, art, performances, workshops, and activities that honor the contributions and experiences of LGBTQIA+ individuals. The event features Latrice Joy J-Love and J’adore Mongciel J-Love.
AWCommunity Days is a quarterly event, proudly co-presented by UPMC/UPMC Health Plan and Citizens. Generous support of FREE programming at AWAACC provided by Allegheny Regional Asset District (RAD).
Pride and Joy
7:00 pm - 12:00 am
Join AWAACC for the 2nd Annual Pride and Joy event. Let’s come together to honor the resilience, pride, and joy of Black queer people and create a supportive and inclusive environment where everyone can feel seen, heard, and valued. It is sure to be an unforgettable evening of celebration, empowerment, and community building all in the name of Pride and Joy! This event is a gathering of love, support, and celebration for the Black LGBTQIA+ community, honoring their unique experiences, identities, and contributions. Enjoy a night filled with music, performances, and fun. This is an 18+ event.
Opening Acts, Hosted by KNOXX:
8:00-8:15 pm – Lia, a witty, creative, passionate writer, and R&B singer
8:25-8:45 pm – NEEKJAME$, Pittsburgh-based music artist, community activist, and social change maker
8:50-9:00 pm – Miss Money, Hip Hop Mogul and City Icon, best known for her viral hit “On The Nephs,” a nod to the unique lingo of The Hill District
9:00 – 9:45 pm – Siya
9:00 pm – 12:00 am – Afterparty with DJ ROJO, brings a mixed bag of House, Techno, Club, Funk, R&B and more
Food available by QUICK-E
This event is proudly sponsored by BACARDI
Siya, the Bed-Stuy Brooklyn-bred rapper and actor whose brand-new BET+ syndicated television series Angel premiered this month, makes her long-awaited return to the front line with the MIXED EMOTIONS EP. MIXED EMOTIONS is the first new music from Siya since Mad Energy (December 2019), including “No Race” and “Circle Watchin.” It was her first album on her own after parting ways with artist, songwriter, producer, and actor Durrell ‘Tank’ Babbs and his R&B Money LLC label. After her debut album on the label in 2016, SIYAvsSIYA, she went on to release a series of mixtapes culminating with two EPs in 2017: Commitment (with “Don’t You (Say Yes)” featuring Tank); and 383 –For Roosevelt, in homage to the Eleanor Roosevelt housing projects in Bed-Stuy where her grandmother raised her, with “Houston Girls” featuring Kirko Bangz, and “Hot Girl.” Siya’s movie career began in 2016 on the Netflix crime drama Deuces from writer-director Jamal Hill. Siya was then seen in two 2018 releases: The First Purge and the undercover police drama Street Dreams – Los Angeles.
KNOXX, the designer, went from making her own clothes to owning her own brand — and is making a name for herself in the process. There is something distinctly New York about Knoxx. Of course, you notice it in her accent, but it’s also in the way she moves, the way she thinks, and the way she designs. It was something the judges of The Hype, the HBO Max streetwear design competition show on which she became a fan favorite, couldn’t help but mention. Hailing from Elmira, New York but now based in Los Angeles, the self-taught designer started the brand in 2011 with the original name Damn Pigeon — a slyly cocky reference to the idea of “shitting on the competition.” At the time, the label was part of a new generation of designers fusing cut-and- sew high fashion with the silhouettes and sensibilities of streetwear. Over a decade later, it’s still going, making appearances in Vogue and WWD Magazine this year. Her new position as designer and creative director at Los Angles based brand Alte Volant will be a journey you do not want to miss.
For tickets and more information, go to awaacc.org.
About August Wilson African American Cultural Center
Major support for AWAACC’s operations is provided by Richard King Mellon Foundation, Henry L. Hillman Foundation, Heinz Endowments, and the Allegheny Regional Asset District (RAD). AWAACC’s programming is made possible by generous support from its donors. For a complete list, please visit awaacc.org.
The August Wilson African American Cultural Center is a non-profit cultural organization located in Pittsburgh’s cultural district that generates artistic, educational, and community initiatives that advance the legacy of Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright August Wilson. One of the largest cultural centers in the country focused exclusively on the African American experience and the celebration of Black culture and the African diaspora, the non-profit organization welcomes more than 119,000 visitors locally and nationally. Through year-round programming across multiple genres, such as the annual Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival, Black Bottom Film Festival, AWCommunity Days, TRUTHSayers speaker series, and rotating art exhibits in its galleries, the Center provides a platform for established and emerging artists of color whose work reflects the universal issues of identity that Wilson tackled, and which still resonate today. www.awaacc.org.
Top Photo: Actor/Rapper Siya
Bottom Photo: Pianist/Educator Howie Alexander
June 18 - Juneteenth Celebration
2:00 – 6:00 pm Guided Tours of August Wilson: The Writer’s Landscape Exhibition
Explore the first-ever permanent exhibition dedicated to the life and works of Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright August Wilson. Born and raised in Pittsburgh’s Hill District, Wilson drew his greatest inspiration from the city and its people. Many of his works in the American Century Cycle, which almost exclusively take place in Pittsburgh and represent each decade of the 1900s, were largely informed by Wilson’s observations of the environment that surrounded him. To bring Wilson’s story to life, August Wilson: The Writer’s Landscape guides visitors through three sections, or acts: The Coffee Shop, The Office, and The Street. Schedule Your Tour!
7:00 pm Soul Sessions: Howie Alexander
Don’t miss 2024 B.U.I.L.D. Artist-in-Residence, Howie Alexander at Soul Sessions, a series of intimate concerts featuring some of the most talented artists of today. Join us as we celebrate Black Music Month, Supper Club Style with live music and soul food cuisine. Pittsburgh’s own Howie Alexander grew up in a home filled with jazz, R&B, and funk. He began playing piano when he was 15, and 27 years later, with performances with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Poogie Bell, Ciaro, and Stanley Turrentine on his resume, the Duquesne University graduate performs as sideman or headliner at venues from Pittsburgh to Monaco. He has been a piano instructor at the Afro-American Music Institute since 1994, and now serves as Artistic Director. Howard Alexander’s B.U.I.L.D. residency is made possible by the Richard King Mellon Foundation. Buy Tickets Today!
Carmi’s Soul Food will be providing food for purchase throughout the day.
June 28 - Pride Celebration
5:00 – 8:00 pm Pride and Joy Community Day
Get ready for a special Pride edition of Community Day at the August Wilson African American Cultural Center to celebrate unity, diversity, and love in the LGBTQIA+ community. This event is a vibrant and inclusive gathering that welcomes people of all backgrounds to come together in a spirit of joy and celebration. Enjoy a day filled with music, art, performances, workshops, and activities that honor the contributions and experiences of LGBTQIA+ individuals. The event features Latrice Joy J-Love and J’adore Mongciel J-Love.
AWCommunity Days is a quarterly event, proudly co-presented by UPMC/UPMC Health Plan and Citizens. Generous support of FREE programming at AWAACC provided by Allegheny Regional Asset District (RAD).
Pride and Joy
7:00 pm - 12:00 am
Join AWAACC for the 2nd Annual Pride and Joy event. Let’s come together to honor the resilience, pride, and joy of Black queer people and create a supportive and inclusive environment where everyone can feel seen, heard, and valued. It is sure to be an unforgettable evening of celebration, empowerment, and community building all in the name of Pride and Joy! This event is a gathering of love, support, and celebration for the Black LGBTQIA+ community, honoring their unique experiences, identities, and contributions. Enjoy a night filled with music, performances, and fun. This is an 18+ event.
Opening Acts, Hosted by KNOXX:
8:00-8:15 pm – Lia, a witty, creative, passionate writer, and R&B singer
8:25-8:45 pm – NEEKJAME$, Pittsburgh-based music artist, community activist, and social change maker
8:50-9:00 pm – Miss Money, Hip Hop Mogul and City Icon, best known for her viral hit “On The Nephs,” a nod to the unique lingo of The Hill District
9:00 – 9:45 pm – Siya
9:00 pm – 12:00 am – Afterparty with DJ ROJO, brings a mixed bag of House, Techno, Club, Funk, R&B and more
Food available by QUICK-E
This event is proudly sponsored by BACARDI
Siya, the Bed-Stuy Brooklyn-bred rapper and actor whose brand-new BET+ syndicated television series Angel premiered this month, makes her long-awaited return to the front line with the MIXED EMOTIONS EP. MIXED EMOTIONS is the first new music from Siya since Mad Energy (December 2019), including “No Race” and “Circle Watchin.” It was her first album on her own after parting ways with artist, songwriter, producer, and actor Durrell ‘Tank’ Babbs and his R&B Money LLC label. After her debut album on the label in 2016, SIYAvsSIYA, she went on to release a series of mixtapes culminating with two EPs in 2017: Commitment (with “Don’t You (Say Yes)” featuring Tank); and 383 –For Roosevelt, in homage to the Eleanor Roosevelt housing projects in Bed-Stuy where her grandmother raised her, with “Houston Girls” featuring Kirko Bangz, and “Hot Girl.” Siya’s movie career began in 2016 on the Netflix crime drama Deuces from writer-director Jamal Hill. Siya was then seen in two 2018 releases: The First Purge and the undercover police drama Street Dreams – Los Angeles.
KNOXX, the designer, went from making her own clothes to owning her own brand — and is making a name for herself in the process. There is something distinctly New York about Knoxx. Of course, you notice it in her accent, but it’s also in the way she moves, the way she thinks, and the way she designs. It was something the judges of The Hype, the HBO Max streetwear design competition show on which she became a fan favorite, couldn’t help but mention. Hailing from Elmira, New York but now based in Los Angeles, the self-taught designer started the brand in 2011 with the original name Damn Pigeon — a slyly cocky reference to the idea of “shitting on the competition.” At the time, the label was part of a new generation of designers fusing cut-and- sew high fashion with the silhouettes and sensibilities of streetwear. Over a decade later, it’s still going, making appearances in Vogue and WWD Magazine this year. Her new position as designer and creative director at Los Angles based brand Alte Volant will be a journey you do not want to miss.
For tickets and more information, go to awaacc.org.
About August Wilson African American Cultural Center
Major support for AWAACC’s operations is provided by Richard King Mellon Foundation, Henry L. Hillman Foundation, Heinz Endowments, and the Allegheny Regional Asset District (RAD). AWAACC’s programming is made possible by generous support from its donors. For a complete list, please visit awaacc.org.
The August Wilson African American Cultural Center is a non-profit cultural organization located in Pittsburgh’s cultural district that generates artistic, educational, and community initiatives that advance the legacy of Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright August Wilson. One of the largest cultural centers in the country focused exclusively on the African American experience and the celebration of Black culture and the African diaspora, the non-profit organization welcomes more than 119,000 visitors locally and nationally. Through year-round programming across multiple genres, such as the annual Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival, Black Bottom Film Festival, AWCommunity Days, TRUTHSayers speaker series, and rotating art exhibits in its galleries, the Center provides a platform for established and emerging artists of color whose work reflects the universal issues of identity that Wilson tackled, and which still resonate today. www.awaacc.org.
Top Photo: Actor/Rapper Siya
Bottom Photo: Pianist/Educator Howie Alexander
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