The Kelly Strayhorn Theater, Hill Dance Academy Theatre and Afro American Music Institute were the big winners among 16 cultural organizations chosen Thursday to receive grant money from the Heinz Endowments.

The 16 groups are the first grant recipients through the Pittsburgh’s Cultural Treasures program the Endowments launched last summer. The amount of the awards totals $5.4 million.

The Kelly Strayhorn Theater led the way with a grant of $750,000.

Hill Dance Academy and Manchester Bidwell Corp. each received $500,000.

The organizations chosen were identified as leaders in producing work that seeks to advance the people and culture of Black communities in Southwestern Pennsylvania.

“Pittsburgh’s Cultural Treasures is a wonderful opportunity not only to support cultural organizations that offer so much to Southwestern Pennsylvania, but also to encourage growth within those organizations and collaboration among them,” said Heinz Endowments President Grant Oliphant.

“We are grateful to be able to invest like this in the future of local Black cultural organizations and the amazing contributions they will continue making to our region.”

Pittsburgh’s Cultural Treasures is part of America’s Cultural Treasures, a national initiative by the Ford Foundation to increase support to arts groups and cultural organizations representing communities of color across the U.S.

The Heinz Endowments was among 10 regional foundation partners in seven cities that Ford selected to join the initiative, also providing each region with $5 million in funds to develop a regional Cultural Treasures program. The Endowments has matched those funds with an additional $5 million and will explore ways to expand the work to other arts and cultural groups of color in the future.

The 16 groups receiving the first and largest grants through Pittsburgh’s Cultural Treasures were selected from among 165 Black-led organizations identified by local foundations and cultural leaders.

“Black ingenuity, creativity and grit are the bedrocks of this country — from plantations to factory production lines and proscemium stages,” said Shaunda McDill, Heinz Endowments arts & culture program officer.

“Scarcity often creates a challenging environment within which to find joy and celebration. However, Black people continue to do it,” she said. “We hope we will find both joys and an opportunity to celebrate with this announcement.”

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