The Role of Arts and Culture in Building Global Cities

The Role of Arts and Culture in Building Global Cities

Join us for a happy hour, including a musical performance by Hugo Cruz and Caminos Trio and an insightful discussion with Dr. Kendra Ross, Janis Burley Wilson, and Dr. Ariel Armony. Together, the speakers will explore Pittsburgh's cultural history – from August Wilson to countless jazz legends – and engage with attendees on how we can become a truly global city.

When: Friday, September 6
Where: Morgan-Lee Arts Center
(Located in the Hill Dance Academy Theatre building)
2900 Bedford Ave Pittsburgh, PA 15219

Time: 4 - 6:30PM
Musical performance & happy hour: 4PM
Conversation/Q&A: 5PM

Musical performance by: Hugo Cruz and Caminos Trio

Hugo Cruz is a Cuban-born, award-winning drummer and composer and the leader of the jazz fusion group Caminos. The band uniquely blends Afro-Cuban, Cuban, jazz, funk, and R&B rhythms and melodies, creating a contemporary sound that honors traditional Cuban forms.

Featured speakers:

• About Dr. Kendra Ross

Head of Social Impact at Duolingo and holds a PhD in Community Engagement. She is passionate about cultivating greater equity through arts and culture, education, and technology.

Ross is an award-winning musical artist, educator, executive, and entrepreneur in Pittsburgh, PA. She has graced the stages of legendary venues such as New York City's The Blue Note, Highline Ballroom (opening for Gregory Porter/Blue Note Jazz Festival), BB King’s Bar & Grill (opening for Lalah Hathaway), and the Arena Theater in Houston (opening for Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds). In 2007, she celebrated the release of her debut album, New Voice, for which she was voted New Artist of the Year by the readers of Soultracks.com. The album features contributions from Eric Roberson, Ray Angry, and Maurice Brown, among others. Her talent has also been recognized through her collaborations on high-profile recordings, including the hit “Get By” from acclaimed hip-hop recording artist Talib Kweli’s gold-selling album Quality (2002), Quincy Jones’ Q: Soul Bossa Nostra (2010), and social justice anthem, “Which Side Are You On” (2015) by Kweli and noted hip-hop producer and scholar, 9th Wonder for their collaboration entitled INDIE 500.

• About Janis Burley Wilson

Prior to taking the helm at the AWAACC, she was Vice President of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust for 15 years. Her reinvention of the Pittsburgh jazz scene elevated her to Director of Jazz Programs in addition to her other roles. Burley Wilson’s curation diversified the Pittsburgh arts community with programs like the Gallery Crawl, a downtown quarterly art showcase which she created in 2004.Burley Wilson launched the Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival (PIJF) in 2011 and is one of the few women in a curatorial and directorial role in jazz. In addition to leading as President, she is the Artistic Director of the AWAACC, curating the successful Soul Sessions music series, the Highmark Blue & Heritage Festival, TruthSayers speaker series and a host of education and community engagement programs like AWCommunity Days. Most recently, she gracefully pivoted the AWAACC with a menu of virtual programming that has engaged new audiences around the globe. She is most excited about the upcoming permanent exhibition, August Wilson: The Writer’s Landscape that will open in 2022. A shrewd arts administrator, under her leadership, the August Wilson African American Cultural Center is financially stable, ending the last two years with a surplus. The organization is bound for a bright and sustainable future.

• About Dr. Ariel Armony

Author of Emerging Global Cities: Origin, Structure, and Significance, Dr. Armony leads the University of Pittsburgh’s global engagement as the Vice Chancellor for Global Affairs and Director of the University Center for International Studies, home to the University’s top-ranked thematic and area studies centers. He also holds faculty appointments in the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs and the Department of Political Science in the Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences.

In his role as Vice Chancellor for Global Affairs, Armony works to advance the University’s global plan “Embracing the World,” which places global learning, research, partnerships, and community engagement at the center of the University’s mission. The plan takes a strategic approach to international partnerships, encourages concerted decision-making that leads to transformational action across all Pitt campuses, and guides Pitt toward real-world impact through global learning and research.

This program is part of the 2024 J. T. Ryan Jr. Memorial Lecture Series, presented by the John T. Ryan Memorial Fund.

This event is free and open to the public, thanks to donor and partner support! If you would like to support accessible programs like this, please consider making a donation when you reserve your free ticket.