Pittsburgh to pay tribute to August Wilson during Black History Month

Pittsburgh officials said Monday that the city will celebrate Black History Month in February by paying tribute to August Wilson, an acclaimed playwright who was born in the city’s Hill District.

The city’s Office of Special Events is partnering with the University of Pittsburgh Library System, which has acquired Wilson’s archive, to present “Highlights from the August Wilson Archive.”

A monthlong display in the City-County Building’s grand lobby will feature photographs, playbills, handwritten notes, play materials and other memorabilia and activities, city officials said.

Online content, which also will be available throughout February, will include a series of interviews with people who knew Wilson, as well as photographs and highlights of the items displayed Downtown.

“August Wilson and his plays have shaped the way the world has learned about Black life in our city,” Mayor Ed Gainey said in a statement. “This exhibit will help us celebrate his life and legacy as we share how his plays helped create a deeper understanding of what it meant to be Black in Pittsburgh.”

A public opening reception for the exhibit is scheduled to start at 6 p.m. Feb. 6 at the City-County Building. The event will include entertainment, refreshments and remarks from Gainey and others involved in the exhibition, as well as people who knew Wilson.

“We are excited to partner with the city of Pittsburgh to bring highlights from the August Wilson archive, a unique collection with deep roots in Pittsburgh, to exhibit Downtown as we celebrate Wilson for this year’s Black History Month,” said Kornelia Tancheva, director of the University of Pittsburgh Library System.