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Shuttered factories, abandoned warehouses and boarded up store fronts are being re-purposed as galleries and performance spaces by people with passion and vision. Art From the Ground Up was created to provide a showcase for some of the most innovative members of Pittsburgh’s emerging arts community.00000176-e6f7-dce8-adff-f6f7706f0000Art From the Ground Up is hosted by Bob Studebaker and is a monthly series highlighting small grass roots arts organizations and individual artists that take non-traditional approaches to the creation, presentation, and even the definition of art.Know an organization Bob should check out? Email him with your suggestions.

Creating a 'Weave of Culture' with the Kente Arts Alliance

Ryan Loew
/
90.5 WESA

Kente Arts Alliance is an organization whose mission is to present art from the African diaspora. TV and radio personality Chris Moore says they are “a great civic resource” and believes that if they weren’t here, “there would be a void.”

Brooklyn native Mensah Wali and Pittsburgher Gail Austin founded the organization in 2007 and have presented a wide variety of artists to Pittsburgh audiences. 

Wali terms it a “weave of culture.” The word Kente is West African in origin and describes a type of cloth common in Ghana.

They brought spoken word artists “The Last Poets” to Pittsburgh as that notable ensemble celebrated its 40th anniversary. Many consider them to be the progenitors of rap and hip-hop.

Violinist Billy Bang came to town for a Kente Arts Alliance Veterans Day production. Bang was a veteran of the Vietnam War, and much of his music reflected his experiences there. He combined native Vietnam folk musicians and a jazz combo to create a unique cultural blend.

The next Kente Arts Alliance presentation will be in late October and will feature Randy Weston’s African Rhythms Quintet.

Bob is a host for JazzWorks. Bob has been working in different areas of the radio industry for 33 years. He thinks “public radio is a forum for ideas and entertainment unavailable on commercial radio and that makes it indispensable.” Bob is a lifelong Pittsburgher who married and raised both of his children in his home city.