The Legacy Arts Project (LAP) is a community arts organization that celebrates and preserves arts of the African diaspora in order to center individual and collective health and well-being. This is accomplished through weekly classes for youth and adults, robust summer arts programming, youth artist apprenticeship, artist residencies, and annual events. Since 2004, the LAP has consistently hosted programming, engaging community members of all ages in order to ‘edu-tain’, sharing cultural exploration that builds skills, strengthens identity, and fosters a healthy and inclusive environment. Additionally, the LAP serves as a fiscal sponsor to a number of Pittsburgh-based groups, providing financial management and program/project support.
Founded by Linda ‘Imani’ Barrett, a Hill District native, the LAP has long-standing roots in Pittsburgh. With formidable experiences in the arts from the time of her youth, Imani brought forward her training, exposure, and inspiration from the Pittsburgh Black Theater Dance Ensemble (PBTDE) from the University of Pittsburgh. Her time as a student following the Civil Rights Movement emboldened Imani with a commitment to share the incomparable work of the African diaspora, encouraging people to learn more about themselves and the world around them through exploring the arts.
In 2010, the LAP leadership transitioned from Imani to Erin Perry who received the mantle and continued to build upon the foundation laid by those before. With a focus on the healing power of arts and culture, Erin has focused on building healthy relationships within the community by, first and foremost, beginning with herself. By centering well-being, the LAP is committed to interrogating historical ways of being and doing things, acknowledging the presence of self-determination to create a work- ethic that revolutionizes the workplace, empowering people of all ages to understand their capacity for imagining the world as they’d like to see and participate in it.
The LAP presently hosts weekly community dance classes, a Saturday program for youth, a youth artist apprenticeship, and partnerships with local schools. Additionally, the LAP is an anchor organization in the newly formed initiative of the Heinz Endowments, the Creative Learning Network (CLN), and is responsible for strengthening the arts ecosystem for out-of-school time programming. Likewise, the LAP has recently been granted the distinction of ‘Cultural Treasure’, an initiative of the Ford Foundation and Heinz Endowments that is supporting the work of 16 Black-led/ serving organizations in Pittsburgh.
Summer Immersive Fellowship Description
The Fellow will work with the LAP staff to support the 20th Anniversary of the organization with the development of a Souvenir book that will be used for the annual event, Dance Africa Pittsburgh. The fellow will support the acquiring of advertisements to be included in the book by contacting partners, sharing information, and receiving ads and information. The fellow will work closely with LAP staff to ensure the format of the book, its printing, and distribution to community partners.
Responsibilities
- Work with Erin Perry, Executive Director, and Patricia Ford, Director of Programs to coordinate and organize all content for the above deliverables;
- Support the development of sponsor materials;
- Identify and contact community partners;
- Maintain contact with partners and ensure receipt of advertisements and information.
Deliverables
- Support the finalizing of sponsor deck;
- Develop spreadsheet with partners, contact information, ad info (size/location), payment info
- Support the finalizing of the souvenir book; ensure printing and distribution.
Qualifications
- A commitment to cultural arts, health, and well-being
- An interest in community arts and history
- A keen attention to detail and strong organizational skills
- Ability to work well with others as well as independently