August Wilson House

Please note that there will be no Art for August Gallery Hours tomorrow.

Beginning next week, we will be offering expanded Gallery Hours throughout June and July to give our community additional opportunities to experience the incredible work of this year’s Art for August artists.

We invite you to join us during one of our upcoming Gallery Hours and spend some time with the art, the stories, and the creative spirit that make August Wilson House such a special place.

We look forward to welcoming you!

Thank you for continuing to show up for the August Wilson house and for the community!

SMALL BUSINESS SUPPORT IN ACTION

As part of the 10th Annual August Wilson Birthday Celebration Block Party, presented by Dollar Bank, we’re excited to share that ALL vendor fees have officially been refunded to participating vendors.

That means every vendor who paid to participate in this year’s Block Party will receive back:
✅ Their vendor fee
✅ Their payment processing fees

Refunds are being sent back to the original payment method used during registration and may take up to 7 business days to appear depending on your bank or payment provider.

A HUGE thank you to Dollar Bank, Morton Stanfield, & Jason Jones for making this possible and for continuing to invest directly into small businesses, entrepreneurs, and the community as we celebrated 10 years of the Block Party.

This is what community partnership looks like. 🖤



Vernard Alexander
Orlana Darkins Drewery

Thank you Mellon Foundation!

American theater history lives on 1727 Bedford Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.   August Wilson House (@augustwilsonhouse) preserves and activates the childhood home of legendary playwright August Wilson.   Born and raised in Pittsburgh’s historic Hill District, Wilson lived in a two-room apartment with his mother and five siblings. When he was four years old, his mother, Daisy, taught him how to read at the kitchen table.   Wilson started his career as a poet, joining the Centre Avenue Poets Theater Workshop. After co-founding the Black Horizon Theater with Rob Penny, he began to produce plays. As opportunities drew him away from his hometown, his work filled with scenes and memories of the Hill District. The neighborhood provided inspiration for nine of his 10 plays in the “Pittsburgh Cycle,” which documented African American life in the 20th century. This earned him two Pulitzer Prizes, in 1987 for “Fences” and 1990 for “The Piano Lesson.”   But as his career rose, Wilson’s childhood home fell into disrepair. His beloved Hill District lost about 75% of its residents through policies that drove unemployment and urban displacement.   Prior to his death, Wilson knew of the desire to restore his childhood home. But he never wanted it to become a museum—rather, he wanted the space to be directly “useful” to the community and a place of refuge for artists.   After renovations led by family, community members, and historic preservationists, August Wilson House opened to the public as a community arts center in 2022.   “Our tagline is, ‘claim what is yours,’” says executive director Denise Turner. “We want people to find creativity around every corner of the house and take a little piece of that with them.”   Today, AWH offers free arts programming, playwriting Fellowships, and has an accessible outdoor theater where Wilson’s plays are remounted. Its “Art for August” program commissions visual artists to create works inspired by the playwright. At the center of the house lies a historical reproduction of Wilson’s apartment, kitchen table and all. It is here that visitors get a true sense of where it all started.

Good morning! It’s August Wilson Block Party day. We are getting ready to set up in the rain but looking at the rain dying off as we move into the Block Party so that is the good news.!

- Volunteers will see you at 7 AM. 
- Food, vendors, and vehicles see you between seven and eight.

- All other vendors see you at 8:30 lined up on Bedford. Please remember you are dropping off your items in your spot and then going to park and coming back to set up. Due to the rain you may want to bring plastic or a tarp to put over your items while you park your car. You must move your car prior to setting up your tents.

- Performers, please follow instructions Given as to what time to arrive :

Looking forward to a great day!

This is a family affair ❤️

From books to activities to moments that matter—this is a space where families can connect, learn, and celebrate together.

Make it a day out with your people.

TOMORROW!!!

Don’t miss it.

More info: www.augustwilsonbirthdaycelebration.com