Wilson Center revival

Steady progress is being made on an artistic rebirth

Nearly a year after the August Wilson Center was rescued by a trio of Pittsburgh foundations, it is making slow but steady progress toward a revitalized future as a showcase of African-American culture and art.

On Thursday, the board welcomed two new members and vowed to make the once-bankrupt facility “a financial as well as artistic success.” While some may wish for the board to move more swiftly, its careful steps are wise. Pittsburgh has invested an enormous amount of money and time into the center, named for the Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright who grew up in the Hill District. It will take more time for the investment to pay off.

When the August Wilson Center opened in 2009, it was hailed as a jewel of the Cultural District, with multiple exhibition galleries, a theater for the performing arts, an education center, cafe and multipurpose spaces, enclosed in a striking 65,000square-foot building on Liberty Avenue. Within five years, however, it had been closed, acquired by Dollar Bank and on the brink of becoming a hotel.

Its redemption by three foundations cost nearly $8.5 million, so its new stewards are understandably cautious as they forge a new path and a prosperous future. The two new board members — Michael Polite, CEO of the Ralph A. Falbo construction company, and Richard Taylor, CEO of ImbuTec — were excellent picks, and the board continues its search for three more members of similar stature.

The board is also reviving the center’s programming. It has earmarked $300,000 for a 2016 regional arts exhibition featuring homegrown talent and Afro-centric themes, and it has 30 confirmed bookings with dozens more in the works.

After a year of rebuilding, the August Wilson Center is on the verge of a rebirth. Its benefactors — most prominent among them, the Pittsburgh Foundation, the Heinz Endowments and the Richard King Mellon Foundation — deserve thanks, and its upcoming offerings the region’s enthusiastic support.