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Bidwell Training Center
Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild
MCG Jazz

By Dennis Nishi, Wall Street Journal

Bill Strickland turned his love of ceramics into a creative outlet for disadvantaged city kids.

Mr. Strickland started a Pittsburgh program in 1968 called the Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild to offer arts classes to kids; now he’s CEO of the 138-employee nonprofit Manchester Bidwell Corp., which also provides vocational training to adults. He won a MacArthur Fellowship “genius” award in 1996 for economic development. Edited interview excerpts follow…

For the complete Wall Street Journal article:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204047504574391001969516552.html?mod=googlenews_wsj#

Pittsburgh, PA— Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild (MCG) Youth & Arts is proud to present a community service project and exhibition by the 2008–09 Arts Leadership & Public Service (ALPS) interns. On view from March 23 – April 26 at MCG’s satellite gallery, Perry Hilltop: Back Again is a student-curated exhibition that reveals how teamwork, talent, and creativity produced a mural that will help bring a message of hope to residents of Perry Hilltop.

Join us at MCG@800 Penn Avenue for a free public reception on Friday, March 27 from 5-7:30 p.m. This student-organized celebration will honor the achievements of the ALPS interns and the community commitment to a bright future in Perry Hilltop. Food and refreshments will be served at this special occasion! (more…)

She’s concocted stunning dresses from 1,000 shredded one-dollar bills, brightly colored tape measures and even a hundred-yard-long zipper. Now catch gifted contemporary art-seamstress Cat Chow at free artist talk and exclusive performance piece at Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild (MCG)….

For the full Pop City Media article:
http://www.popcitymedia.com/popfilter/catchow1112.aspx

Pittsburgh has been home to so many of the musicians, arrangers and composers that created the music known today as jazz. While most people know of Pittsburgh-born legends such as George Benson, Stanley Turrentine, Billy Strayhorn and Billy Eckstein; MCG Jazz will pay tribute to the jazz artisans that have fundamentally stayed in Pittsburgh and have kept the hometown “Jazz Scene” vibrant and world-class. These musicians have been mentors both on and off the bandstand to many generations of jazz musicians. (more…)