GUIDE TO CITY’S JUNETEENTH EVENTS
Freedom Days at Point State Park is the large-scale event celebrating Juneteenth. Here are some other events commemorating the end of American slavery.
Women of Visions
The Kelly Strayhorn Theater celebrates Juneteenth with the opening of Women of Visions’ “Magnificent Motown!,” an exhibition that finds the artists interpreting the titles of Motown songs into physical artworks.
Women of Visions, celebrating its 40th anniversary, was co-founded in 1981 by a diverse group of African American women in Pittsburgh looking for opportunities that had not been afforded to them in the traditional art world. It is the first show in its 40-year history to include male identifying artists. It is also the KST’s first visual art exhibition in the newly refurbished lobby.
Tickets for timed gallery visits are available on Saturday afternoons and Wednesday evenings until Sept. 26. The opening reception on Saturday from noon to 8 p.m. (admission is Pay What Makes You Happy!) will include virtual remarks from Women of Visions members and announcement of artist awards. Guests can also shop the ORIGINS marketplace (kellystrayhorn.org).
‘Art as Liberation’
“Art as Liberation” will feature 15 Black visual artists and include free food, workshops, music and performances with all proceeds going to the Antwon Rose II Foundation.
It’s presented by Mikael Owunna and 1Hood Media and co-sponsored by City of Asylum, Larry Ossei-Mensah, Orange Barrel Media and the Pittsburgh Glass Center.
It takes place at 4 p.m. Friday at 320 Sampsonia Way, North Side. Parking available at Federal North Garage (1307 Federal St), approximately a 7-minute walk to the tent.
‘Infinite Essence’
“Infinite Essence: Celestial Liberation,” a public art project showcasing the work of Pittsburgh-based visual artist Owunna, will be displayed on digital billboards and kiosks in 11 locations throughout Pittsburgh, from Friday through June 30.
Owunna is described in a news release as “a queer Nigerian-Swedish American artist and engineer whose work represents the intersection of visual media with engineering, optics, Blackness and African cosmologies.” It continues, “In response to negative stereotypes and pervasive images of Black death depicted in the media, Owunna has been working to articulate an alternative vision of the Black body as immortal and transcendent since 2016.
“If I look in the UV spectrum, which is beyond the comprehension of the human eye, the Black body is a site of magic,” he said in a statement.
For the list of sites, go to www.mikaelowunna.com/celestialliberation.
‘Inside Out’
As part of the “Inside Out” series at the Carnegie Museum of Art, Alumni Theater Company will perform on Saturday, accompanied by DJ Wade Anthony.
The Alumni Theater Company is in its 13th season of operating a yearround program providing talented Black youth in grades 6-12 with performing arts training and a platform to express their ideas. Five young women from ATC will share new dance, song and spoken- word performances in honor of Juneteenth.
“Inside Out” is a summertime initiative with pop-up performances, arts activities, local food vendors and more within the museum’s central outdoor courtyard.
It runs from noon to 5 p.m. Inside Out events are free and open to audiences of all ages (cmoa.org/inside-out).
‘A Brand New Day’
African-American Celebration of the Arts presents “A Brand New Day,” a Juneteenth event with dance, arts, drumming, printmaking, refreshments and more. It runs from noon to 3:30 p.m. at Hays Manor, McKees Rocks.
It runs with a Children’s Hour from 10 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. Saturday with storytelling, painting and snacks at the Sto-Rox Library.
Juneteenth Fest
The Sewickley Community Center Juneteenth Festival, an art and music festival at 15 Chadwick St., Sewickley, will feature The Flow Band, Ibeji Drum Ensemble, a gospel choir, spoken word and food. It runs from noon to 5 p.m. (www.sewickleycommunitycenter.com).
‘A Soul of a Nation’
For the second year in a row, ABC News presents “Juneteenth: An Evening of Celebration & Resilience — A Soul of a Nation,” a two-hour special that honors the history and significance of Juneteenth.
This presentation, which includes storytelling, powerful tributes and special musical performances, also celebrates the resilience of the Black community in America.
It airs at 9:01 p.m. Saturday on WTAE.