April Events at the August Wilson Center

 

Monthly update | April April Events Spring is here, and with it comes an exciting lineup of August Wilson African American Cultural Center events! From captivating art exhibitions to enriching youth programs and thought-provoking discussions, there’s something for everyone this month. Whether you're joining us for a live performance or exploring the works of visionary artists, AWAACC is the place to be. Check out upcoming events Celebrate August Wilson's 80th Birthday at the Center Saturday, April 5 | 10AM-2PM Saturday, April 5, 10-11am August and the 4Bs workshop Family friendly workshop! Join DS Kinsel for "August and the 4Bs", a hands-on art-making session in celebration of August Taught Us… August Wilson credited his education to the "Four B’s": The Blues, the art of Romare Bearden, the writing of Amiri Baraka, and the work of Jorge Luis Borges. This session will explore these influences and highlight how great artists draw inspiration from across disciplines. Participants will engage with the Four B’s through collage, painting, and storytelling activities. Click here to register. Saturday, April 5, 11:30am-12:30pm Artist Talk & Closing Reception Join us in commemorating the closing of August Taught Us… with an artist conversation with DS Kinsel and Jessica Lanay, scholar, poet, and AWAACC Literary Curator, followed by refreshments. Space is limited. Click here to save your spot. Breaking the Cycle: Real Men Real Talk Tuesday, April 15 | 6-8PM In partnership with the African American Male Wellness Agency. Join us for an empowering conversation on Black men’s mental health and wellness. Let’s talk, heal, and grow together! Admission is FREE, registration is required. Register The Real Men, Real Talk (RMRT) initiative is a mental wellness program created by the African American Male Wellness Agency (AAMWA). This program aims to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health in the African American community and provide safe spaces for men to discuss their mental health openly. Youth Writers Camp Final Sessions April 12 & April 26 And Save the Date for our May 2 6-8pm Showcase! Youth Writers Camp is an inspiring and creative space for middle and high school students passionate about writing. This four-week camp provides an opportunity to explore various forms of writing, from poetry and plays to short stories and songwriting, while connecting with contemporary issues like social justice and the literary legacy of August Wilson. Through discussions, reading, writing, and sharing, students will express themselves freely in a supportive and nurturing environment. Save the date for the May 2 Showcase Intermission: An Artful Networking Series Thursday, April 17 | 6-10PM It’s National Poetry Month, which means we’re celebrating Intermission-style with featured performances by Poet Diarra Imani and Joshua Stone Quartet and sounds by Selecta. Joy Priest from the Center for African American Poetry & Poetics and Darin Lee from the City of Asylum will host the evening. Dollar Bank will be providing complimentary professional headshots from 6:00-7:00pm. Spots are LIMITED to the FIRST 15 REGISTRANTS. Register here. Food available for purchase from Hysyde. RSVP Poetry Unplugged: Always August featuring The Last Poets Friday, April 18 | 7PM Join us for the highly anticipated annual event, Poetry Unplugged: Always August, sponsored by Citizens. This special evening will feature nationally renowned and award-winning spoken word artists as they take the stage to speak truth to power in the spirit of August Wilson, infusing humor, romance, justice, and equality into their performances. The Last Poets will headline, celebrating 50 years since they emerged, changing the course of poetry, music, and activism forever. Featured Artists include: Queen Sheba, Jasmine Mans, Black Chakra, Ephraim Nehemiah, and Yex. Orlando Watson will be the MC for the evening, and Mike Smalls (Century Cycle Poetry Slam’s grand prize winner) will perform. As we celebrate what would have been August Wilson’s 80th birthday on April 27th, we are honored to showcase two of Pittsburgh’s finest visual artists, Morgan Overton and Marlon Gist, who will be live-painting portraits of the legendary playwright throughout the event. These stunning portraits will be auctioned off during the evening, offering a unique opportunity to own a piece of Wilson’s enduring legacy. Don’t miss this unforgettable tribute to the life and work of one of Pittsburgh’s greatest native sons, born in the Hill District, and a true American hero. This is a general admission event. VIP tickets include a pre-show Meet & Greet with The Last Poets and priority general admission seating in the theater. Advanced ticket purchases conclude day of show at 5pm. Walk-up tickets are available, but not guaranteed. Secure Tickets Lit Fridays: Abiodun Oyewole Friday, April 25 | 6-7PM Continuing AWAACC's celebration of National Poetry Month, you won't want to miss this edition of LIT Friday, welcoming Abiodun Oyewole, Founding Member of The Last Poets for a conversation about using his poetry to articulate, glorify and protest the impurities of the black experience worldwide. The Last Poets will be featured in April 18th’s highly anticipated annual event, Poetry Unplugged: Always August. As one of the founding members of the legendary Harlem group The Last Poets, Abiodun Oyewole has dedicated almost 60 years to using his poetry to articulate, glorify and protest the impurities of the black experience worldwide, and in America particularly. He has become a fixture in the landscape of black consciousness, using uncompromising verse to scold a nation whose inclination to maintain the colonial yoke around the neck of the disenfranchised has always been at issue. For that, he has been honored and appreciated by millions. Tune in on YouTube TRUTHSAYERS: DR. ANDRE M. PERRY Monday, April 28 | 7PM This special FREE edition of our TRUTHSayers Speaker series features Dr. Andre M. Perry, author of Black Power Scorecard and Know Your Price: Valuing Black Lives and Property in America’s Black Cities. Historically, Black Americans’ quest for power has been understood as an attempt to gain equal protections under the law. But power in America requires more than basic democratic freedoms. It is inextricably linked with economic influence and ownership—of oneself, home, business, and creations. Dr. Andre M. Perry draws on extensive research and analysis to quantify how much power Black Americans actually have. Ranging from property, business, and wealth to education, health, and social mobility, Black Power Scorecard moves across the country, evaluating people’s ability to set the rules of the game and calculating how that translates into the ultimate means of power—life itself, and the longevity of Black communities. Along the way, Perry identifies woefully overlooked areas of investment that could close the racial gap and benefit everyone. Dr. Perry is a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and the director of its Center for Community Uplift as well as a professor of practice of economics at Washington University in St. Louis. Reserve tickets August Wilson: The Writer’s Landscape, the first-ever permanent exhibition dedicated to the life and works of Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright August Wilson. The 3,600-square-foot gallery space features interactive, multi-sensory exhibits, artifacts from Wilson’s Estate, and recreations of ephemera from the 1900s to early 2000s that provides historical context about his writings, augmented by audio recordings of Wilson’s acclaimed work performed by award-winning actors including Ruben Santiago-Hudson, Phylicia Rashad, Keith David, and Stephen McKinley Henderson, creating a portal through Wilson’s life and his body of work, showcasing elements that invite patrons to address the issues of race, representation, family, and community. Reserve free tickets SUPPORT OUR WORK The August Wilson African American Cultural Center is the gateway to Pittsburgh's Cultural District and the second largest Black, multi-disciplinary performing arts center in the Country. We are dedicated to the presentation of art and culture reflective of African Americans and the African Diaspora, as well as learning and exchange between all people. In 2025, we are marking several important milestones: the 15th Anniversary of the opening of our building, the 15th installment of the Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival, and what would have been our namesake August Wilson's 80th Birthday. There has never been a more important time to get involved in the Center's work! With your donation, you join us in uplifting our community, expanding our educational programs, and amplifying the voices of artists. Thank you! Donate