AACOA

2020 marks the Ryan Art’s 10th Annual African American Celebration of the Arts (AACOA) Program. Each year, a committee of volunteer artists donate thousands of hours to celebrate and elevate the black arts and the community of Sto-Rox through an ongoing series of programming.

With increased library partnership and communication, training and partnership with Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council, and the Heinz Endowments, the organization and the collective of artists committed to the mission strive to make AACOA no longer a Black History Month Event but transition it into a year-long program and make it a primary theme of Ryan Arts programming and identity.

Our collective of passionate artists, volunteers, and community organizers are preparing for the bigger and better 10th Annual AACOA; we are excited to create programming that integrates the celebration of African American arts and community learning. Through this work, we will advance the field of black arts through an ongoing series of new works, events, and workshops that will not only showcase the talents of our community but also serve as a model for the importance of compensating black artists, activists, and organizers both from the Sto-Rox community and beyond for their time, efforts, and talents.

The 2020 AACOA committee:

Willie Dawson – President
Tamara Mudd – Treasurer
Gina Beavers– Communications
Joann Elliot-Pugh – Arts Coordinator
Richard E Ashby – Library Director