PITTSBURGH, PA — The August Wilson African American Cultural Center (AWAACC) invites the public to engage directly with artists shaping the region’s creative and civic landscape through a three-part Featured Artist Talk Series connected to Envisioning a Just Pittsburgh: 3rd Annual Juried Exhibition. The series is free and open to the public.

Held over three consecutive Sundays in March from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM at 980 Liberty Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222, the talks—moderated by AWAACC Curator and Exhibition Manager Kimberly Jacobs—highlight artists from this year’s juried exhibition, offering deeper insight into the creative processes and powerful narratives behind their work. Each session explores how art and storytelling serve as catalysts for imagining a more equitable future for Pittsburgh and beyond.

“These conversations allow us to move beyond the gallery wall and into the lived experiences, research, and personal histories that shape each work,” Jacobs said. “Through this series, we invite the public into dialogue with artists who are actively shaping what justice can look like in Pittsburgh.”

Now in its third year, Envisioning a Just Pittsburgh is a regional call for art that brings together visual artists, writers, performers, and interdisciplinary creatives whose work challenges audiences to consider justice in all its forms—social, cultural, environmental, and personal. The exhibition, presented in partnership with the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh, the University of Pittsburgh, and 1Hood Media, is on view at AWAACC through March 29, 2026.

Featured Artist Talk Schedule

  • Sunday, March 8, 2026 – Living Archives: Voice, Memory & Identity
  • Sunday, March 15, 2026 – Memory, Legacy & Imagination Across Generations
  • Sunday, March 22, 2026 – Collective Voices, Youth & Participatory Futures

Attendees are encouraged to RSVP in advance. To RSVP, visit: awaacc.org/events

ABOUT AUGUST WILSON AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL CENTER

The August Wilson African American Cultural Center is a nonprofit 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 organization welcomes more than 100,000 visitors locally and nationally each year.

Through year-round programming across multiple genres — including the annual Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival, Black Bottom Film Festival, AWCommunity Days, TRUTHSayers speaker series, and rotating art exhibitions — the Center provides a platform for established and emerging artists of color whose work reflects the universal themes of identity that Wilson explored and that continue to resonate today.

Major support for AWAACC’s operations is provided by the 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, visit awaacc.org.

Media Contacts

Ki Ki B. Jones, Nice 2 Media Marketing & Promotions, LLC: (443) 252-3923 | kbrown@awaacc.org
Khalil Waldron, Director of Marketing and Communications: (412) 742-4771 | kwaldron@awaacc.org