Alma Thomas: A Life In Color
Publications and Documentation

Alma W. Thomas broke color barriers on and off the canvas, yet did not receive national attention until she was 80.

“Miss Alma Thomas” is the first documentary film that explores Thomas’ incredible life through the lens of curators, art specialists, scholars, and her family, and features award-winning actress Alfre Woodard as the voice of Alma Thomas. Released in conjunction with a major four-city museum retrospective, thousands will have the opportunity to learn of her life, work, and continuing influence.

August Wilson Cultural Center
General Operating

August Wilson African American Cultural Center (AWAACC) is a Pittsburgh based arts organization that presents performing and visual arts programs that celebrate the contributions of African Americans not only in Western Pennsylvania but nationally and internationally.

AWAACC strives to present and support the best and brightest creators and performers in an effort to document, celebrate and amplify the culture of African Americans and the African diaspora.

Braddock Carnegie Library Association
Capacity Building

Since 1889, the Braddock Carnegie Library Association (BCLA) has provided tools for dynamic, engaged learning, and resources for meeting life’s challenges. It is a place where neighbors meet, exchange ideas, share cultures, resources and creative strategies with one another, while strengthening communities. A comprehensive building renovation will create: more access, sustainability, and continued evolution for the building itself and the people who engage with it. Support of the overall BCLA capital campaign organizational infrastructure ensures a platform for a successful campaign.

While renovations take place from approximately June 2021-August 2022, the Braddock Carnegie Library will offer a temporary location at 526 Braddock Avenue to maintain continuity of programs and services and their presence as a source of information, resources, and support for the community.

CalArts
Fellowships and Residencies

The California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) provides an interdisciplinary arts education for students from around the world. The vision for CalArts— founded in 1961 when Walt Disney spearheaded the merger of the Los Angeles Conservatory of Music and the Chouinard Art Institute—was to create a multidisciplinary artistic community that brought together students, teachers, and artistic disciplines.

In 2020, long-time CalArts faculty member and acclaimed artist, Charles Gaines, made a remarkable, personal financial commitment to establish a Fellowship that will open doors for MFA Art students at CalArts who identify as Black or from the Black diaspora, or have Mexican or Central American heritage.

The Charles Gaines Fellowship for MFA Art Students will create an access point to increase representation on campus and contribute to a diverse pipeline of creative arts leaders by reducing their financial burden and enabling them to more easily launch their careers.

Carnegie Museum of Art
Fellowships and Residencies

Carnegie Museum of Art (CMOA) launched the Margaret Powell Curatorial Fellowship in 2020. Named for the late Margaret Powell, who served as CMOA’s curatorial assistant in Decorative Arts and Design, this two-year fellowship enables a recent college graduate from an underrepresented background to gain two years of immersive professional experience in CMOA’s curatorial division. The Fellowship is designed at the post-baccalaureate level to fill a gap identified in CMOA’s assessment of similar programs around the country: the lack of full-time employment for young curatorial professionals after completing their education.

CMOA aims to broaden the professional pipeline for people who may not have considered a museum-based career as a viable option. Fellows will accumulate valuable experience in curatorial work, explore and confirm their interest in continuing in a museum career, and build a solid foundation from which to launch a career and/or pursue advanced levels of education.

Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council
Projects/Exhibitions/Performances

The Arts Council created the Black Arts Action Committee as a way to better connect with and understand the needs of the Black arts community. The Arts Council recognized that as an organization, securing new ways to support and uplift, through direct input and guidance from the community is crucial.

The Arts Council hopes to gain a prioritized list of strategies and/or ideas to support the Black arts community through the Black Arts Action Committee. The Arts Council also will collaborate with the committee and receive feedback for programs and initiatives the Arts Council develops.

MoBBallet
Capacity Building

Launched in 2015 by Theresa Ruth Howard, MoBBallet (MoBB) preserves, presents, and promotes the contributions and stories of Black artists in the field of Ballet, illustrating that they are an integral part of dance history at large. MoBB’s mission is to illuminate the lesser-known history and legacies of international professional Black ballet artists that have been muted, or oftentimes eradicated from the larger canon of dance history, by being the digital platform that compiles it in one online location.

In addition MoBBallet curates and facilitates forums for stimulating and dynamic conversations about race, diversity, equity, inclusion and art. MoBBallet promotes larger discussions within the dance community, as well as provides a platform and network for emerging dancers, educators, teachers, and choreographers.

Not Forgotten Home & Community Services
Arts Education

An organization whose mission is to endorse the uniqueness of all individuals through inclusion and opportunity, Not Forgotten Home & Community Services (NFHCS) serves adults in the Greater Pittsburgh area with intellectual disabilities; many of those served also have physical disabilities.

C-ART is a new innovative mobile art program geared towards intellectually and physically disabled adults, but also an inclusive program that will encourage all members of the community to participate in art and other programming. With C-ART, NFHCS will designate a vehicle solely committed to the idea of taking art on the road to parks, schools, and other locations in communities throughout Western Pennsylvania, including even the homes/programs of individuals in need. The potential of clients that C-ART will serve and reach will be expanded exponentially.

Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra
Fellowships and Residencies

The Paul J. Ross Fellowship Program is a two-year pre-professional program designed to enable young musicians identifying as Black or African American to dedicate themselves to the pursuit of an orchestral career. Fellows work closely alongside members of the Pittsburgh Symphony to train and prepare for professional auditions and opportunities, with substantial financial and professional development support, and robust mentorship in a welcoming and inclusive environment.

The Paul J. Ross Fellowship is named in honor of the late Paul J. Ross, the violinist who, in 1965, was the first African American musician to receive a full-time contract from the Pittsburgh Symphony. The legacy of Paul J. Ross is notable for nurturing, mentoring, and supporting young musicians, and his devotion to sharing his joy of music. Formerly known as OTPAAM (Orchestra Training Program for African American Musicians), the fellowship program was begun in the 2007-2008 season to promote diversity in orchestra settings to better reflect the diverse communities and audiences the orchestra serves.

Shantanique Moore, flute, who was named the eighth OTPAAM Fellow for the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 seasons, has accepted an extension through the 2021-2022 season and is the first Paul J. Ross Fellow.

The Westmoreland Museum of American Art
Publications and Documentation

Stephen Towns: Declaration & Resistance, January 30, 2022 - April 24, 2022, examines the American dream through the lives of Black Americans from the late 18th century to the present time. Using labor as a backdrop, Towns highlights the role African Americans have played in shaping the economy, and explores their resilience, resistance, and endurance that have challenged the United States to truly embrace the tenants of its Declaration of Independence.

Through underwriting publications such as ​Declaration & Resistance​, AE&E Fund helps create lasting documentation upon which artists build their careers and can inspire future generations and scholarship.

Women of Visions, Inc.
Capacity Building

Women of Visions, Inc. was co-founded in 1981 by a diverse group of African American women in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, looking for opportunities that had not been afforded to them in the traditional art world. The members of Women of Visions, Inc. work in a variety of artistic mediums, which include: painting, fiber art, collage, mixed media, printmaking, photography, ceramics, jewelry-making, and three-dimensional works.

Women of Visions, Inc. seeks to promote the arts, culture, and history of women of African descent, by helping each other to excel as artists and to grow professionally through exhibitions, community collaboration, educational programming, and other progressive opportunities.