AWAACC Hosts A Free Holiday Community Day Next Week

‘Tis the season to spread love and joy, and there's no better place to share those warm and fuzzy feelings than at The August Wilson African American Cultural Center's (AWAACC) Holiday Community Day set for Saturday, December 16, 11:00 am - 2:00 pm, at 980 Liberty Avenue, Downtown Pittsburgh.  Made possible by the generous support of UPMC and UPMC Health Plan, Allegheny Regional Asset District (RAD), Pittsburgh International Airport and Duolingo, the festivities are FREE and feature three hours of entertainment, shopping, photo booths and a variety of hands-on family activities. 

 

Shop ‘til you drop at the Christmas and Kwanzaa markets located on two floors of the AWAACC, with clothing, jewelry, arts, crafts and many more gift items. Enjoy performances by Alumni Theater Company, The Flow Band and others. Feel the cultural spirit and move to the beat with Kwanzaa dancers and drummers. Take the chill off with free hot chocolate and coffee provided by 2C Premium Coffee. Leave room for a tasty meal and purchase lunch from Food by Chef Dave/ChefnaBox. And experience the magic of the North Pole and take home a photo with Santa and Mrs. Claus.

 

Sign up for a close looking and creative writing activity inspired by Tim Okamura's large scale figurative paintings in Onna-Bugeisha: Warriors in Light. Through close looking exercises, discussion and reflective writing prompts, participants are encouraged to express themselves through poetry in the form of a Haiku. Presented in conjunction with AWCommunity Day and the exhibition Onna Bugeisha: Warriors of Light, on view from November 9, 2023 – February 18, 2024, this is a free gallery activity open to visitors ages 18 and younger, registration is required. 

 

All other AWAACC exhibits also will be open during the Holiday Community Day.

 

Holiday Community Day Schedule:

Performances in the Multipurpose Studio

11:15 am -12:00 pm Alumni Theater Company

12:15 pm -12:30 pm Black Nativity

12:30 pm -12:45 pm Kwanzaa Dancers and Drummers

1:15 pm - 2:00 pm The Flow Band

Gallery Activities

11:00 – 2:00 pm Explore all gallery exhibits

12:45 pm - 1:15 pm Onna-Bugeisha: Warriors of Light Tour and Haiku Activity

 

Community Partners

Young Dreamers Bookstore

Future Kings Mentoring

Cayuga Centers

 

Greet the Sponsors

UPMC/UPMC Health Plan

Allegheny Regional Asset District (RAD

Pittsburgh Airport

Duolingo, with an appearance by Duo, The Owl.

 

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 also 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.

 

Bring your family, tell your friends and head to The August Wilson African American Cultural Center's Holiday Community Day to feel the spirit of Christmas and celebrate the traditions of Kwanzaa. For more information on Holiday Community Day, please visit www.awaacc.org.

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