When Janis Burley took over as leader of the August Wilson African American Cultural Center (AWAACC) in 2017, she knew what kind of organization she wanted to develop.
“My vision for the center, then and now, is to be a world-class performing arts center recognized for the power of our programming and a leader in African American arts and cultural presentation,” she tells Pittsburgh City Paper.
Burley, who had previously served as vice president of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, came in hot, launching programming that highlights Black talent while honoring the legacy of the AWAACC’s playwright namesake. Her efforts as AWAACC’s president, CEO, and artistic director have demonstrated the space’s impact on the region and the need to preserve it.
This year marks AWAACC’s 15th anniversary, a milestone partly achieved through Burley’s leadership and ideas, including the Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival, an event she founded and continues to curate. The festival, sponsored by Highmark, has been a platform for local, national, and big-name, award-winning acts in the genre, including Patti Labelle, Eric Benét, Branford Marsalis, and many others.
The festival adds to other regular AWAACC programming, ranging from the permanent August Wilson: The Writer’s Landscape exhibition to the Soul Sessions music series, the Highmark Blues & Heritage Festival, and the TruthSayers speaker series.
Under Burley, AWAACC has served as a voice for Black communities and creatives in Pittsburgh, a city with a notoriously racist history. Burley has sought partnerships to help further the experiences and perspectives of Black artists, including through the Envisioning a Just Pittsburgh initiative, and the B.U.I.L.D. Residency Program sponsored by RK Mellon, which has resulted in projects like the 2024 exhibition, Collections in Black: A Celebration of Black Comic Book Culture.
This October saw the launch of the AWAACC Fuel the Future campaign, a $1.5 million fundraising drive focused on empowering Black artists and expanding access to programming. The initiative officially kicked off on Nov. 21, with a gala and award ceremony highlighting AWAACC’s contributions and mission.
“For the August Wilson Center to be sustainable and continue to be a force on the cultural scene, we need financial support,” Burley explains.
Fuel the Future will also back upgrades for the AWAACC building — designed by Allison Williams, a Black woman architect — which Burley describes as “one of the most iconic structures” in Pittsburgh’s Downtown. These upgrades include installing a new HVAC system and lighting, updating security, and doing outside maintenance.
“Our building, it must be preserved and cared for, so we will be focusing on literally cleaning house,” says Burley.
In addition to Fuel the Future, Burley says audiences and artists can support AWAACC by taking advantage of everything it has to offer.
“We have tours, educational materials, and we commission artists to create work inspired by August Wilson’s legacy,” she says. “We also honor the power of storytelling in all that we do: dance, theatre, music, spoken word, literature, and visual arts. All of our stories matter, and we are committed to protecting, preserving, and amplifying our stories.”
This article appears in The Big Winter Issue: Winter Guide/People of the Year.
