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August Wilson House, Duquesne University, Nancy 
Beard Foundation Team Up to Support Emerging 

Artists through August Wilson Fellowship  
By Laura E. Quain 

Duquesne University Master's Graduate 
Corporate Communication and Integrated Marketing Communication  

 
 

Abstract  
August Wilson House, Pittsburgh's Duquesne University and the Nancy Beard Foundation have 
partnered with to create a fellowship aimed at supporting scholars and artists of color, in an attempt 
to bring August Wilson's creative legacy "full circle." 

 
Keywords 

Duquesne University, August Wilson House, August Wilson Fellowship, Nancy Beard Foundation 

In early 2018, a $100,000 fellowship program was established between The August 
Wilson House and Duquesne University. The program will allow scholars and artists of color 
to engage in literary, cultural, and artistic expression that will both advance their own work 
and serve the interests of the university and the community, according to a Duquesne 
University press release. The fellowship is fully supported by a grant from the Nancy Jones 
Beard Foundation. 

Beginning in  fall 2018, the three-year grant allows two 
Duquesne University students per academic year to live as “scholars-in-
residence” in a Duquesne University apartment, while developing their 
art, participating in research using university resources, developing 
presentations, teaching, and participating in educational events both on 
and off campus.  All work created by students will be featured in 
Wilson’s Hill District childhood home at 1727 Bedford Avenue. 

The program furthers Duquesne's partnership with The August 
Wilson House, in efforts to support education in the humanities. “This gift helps bring 
August Wilson’s legacy full circle by honoring his extraordinary career while encouraging 
the work of great artists and scholars of the future,” said Duquesne University President, 
Ken Gormley. “It allows the University to strengthen its engagement with the Hill District 
and its commitment to advancing the arts and culture in Western Pennsylvania.” 

The intention is that the home, which is currently being restored, serve as a 
community arts center and eventually house fellowship recipients.  According to the August 
Wilson House website, the restoration project aims to celebrate the personal memory and 
community history of August and The Hill, celebrating Wilson's legacy by "advancing the 
art and culture of the African diaspora and impacting the cultural landscape."  The two-
room home, restored to its 1950s look, will become an "intimate interpretive site," with 
various rooms housing digital and audio displays and artifacts about Wilson's life and plays.  

Laura Quain 



Q U A I N :  A U G U S T  W I L S O N  H O U S E ,  D U Q U E S N E  U N I V E R S I T Y ,  
N A N C Y  B E A R D  F O U N D A T I O N  T E A M  U P  T O  S U P P O R T  

E M E R G I N G  A R T I S T S  T H R O U G H  A U G U S T  W I L S O N  F E L L O W S H I P  
A u g u s t  W i l s o n  J o u r n a l    |    V o l .  1    |    S p r i n g  2 0 1 9  

 

 
I S S N  2 5 7 7 - 7 4 3 2  ( o n l i n e )  D O I  1 0 . 5 1 9 5 / a w j . 2 0 1 9 . 1 8  a u g u s t w i l s o n . p i t t . e d u  

 2 

A series of small artist studios and community gathering spaces is also planned. Outside 
space will be used for annual productions of the American Century Cycle plays, perhaps 
"growing into a biennial August Wilson Festival." 

Through the August Wilson Visiting Fellowships, both local and national artists 
and scholars will be provided immersive work, research, and community exchange 
opportunities in return for partnering with Hill District organizations and Pittsburgh arts 
groups and universities. Ultimately, the Wilson House will be a catalyst in the Hill’s re-
emergence, linking with other Hill institutions (some being restored themselves) into a 
network of revival. 

According to Sairah Aslam, a staff writer for The Duquesne Duke, the fellowship was 
created to help relieve some of the uncertainties associated with artistic endeavors by 
providing a platform through which underrepresented artists can showcase their work to the 
Duquesne community, the Hill District, the City of Pittsburgh and beyond. The partnership 
works to connect the work of emerging artists to the legacy left by Wilson. “As a young artist, 
he [August] didn’t receive the support he deserved,” said Paul A. Ellis, Jr., executive director 
and general counsel of the August Wilson House, and Wilson’s nephew. “This program will 
allow fellows to work in the same community as August [did] and draw inspiration from it to 
create immersive and enduring work.” 

The first fellow, Natasha Trethewey, was announced in September 26, 2018. 
Trethewey is a poet and Pulitzer Prize recipient, has served twice as the Poet Laureate of the 
United States, and is currently a Board of Trustees Professor of English at Northwestern 
University, according to a Duquesne University press release. As Poet Laureate, Trethewey 

held an official position, was expected to present one major poetic 
work, and to appear at certain national ceremonies. This 
announcement was a part of a ground-blessing ceremony at 
which Duquesne University President, Ken Gormley, joined 
actor/director Denzel Washington and area dignitaries at the 
August Wilson House. The event celebrated the completion of the 
first phase of fundraising toward restoration of the house. As of 
now, the founders of the fellowship plan to sustain the program 
for the first few years as is. They will eventually look towards 
expanding it both by the number of fellows and the type of work 
they do, according to Aslam. 

According to Duquesne University media relations manager, 
Ken Walters, university Honors College students have held an 
active role in the refurbishment of the 1727 Bedford home since a 
strategic plan was developed in 2011. This has included developing 

effective programs, one of them being their annual block party in The Hill District, which 
usually happens on or around Wilson’s birthday, April 27. By hosting the annual block party, 
organizers hope to bring the community together. Students also work in collaboration with 
the Daisy Wilson Artist Community, Inc., which was named after the playwright’s mother, 
who created a home for her family in The Hill. There, August grew up inquisitive, loyal and 
an incessant reader, eventually becoming a Black Nationalist, then poet and playwright. 

Professionally, Wilson won two “Best Drama” Pulitzer Prizes for his plays about the 
African-American experience in each decade of the 20th Century. Nine of his plays were set 
in Pittsburgh, with the exception of Ma Rainey.  “This work changes our students’ lives by 
encouraging them to look outward—the community is their classroom,” said Kathleen 
Roberts, professor of communication and rhetorical studies and director of the Honors 
College at Duquesne University. “Students can develop a reverence for Wilson’s work and 
also learn how their skills have a use beyond the profession they choose.” 

Natasha Trethewey 



Q U A I N :  A U G U S T  W I L S O N  H O U S E ,  D U Q U E S N E  U N I V E R S I T Y ,  
N A N C Y  B E A R D  F O U N D A T I O N  T E A M  U P  T O  S U P P O R T  

E M E R G I N G  A R T I S T S  T H R O U G H  A U G U S T  W I L S O N  F E L L O W S H I P  
A u g u s t  W i l s o n  J o u r n a l    |    V o l .  1    |    S p r i n g  2 0 1 9  

 

 
I S S N  2 5 7 7 - 7 4 3 2  ( o n l i n e )  D O I  1 0 . 5 1 9 5 / a w j . 2 0 1 9 . 1 8  a u g u s t w i l s o n . p i t t . e d u  

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Additionally, students’ skills benefited The August Wilson House outside of 
refurbishment, as they worked to create the organization’s website and Facebook pages, 
planning events, engaging with other community groups, and developing sponsorship 
opportunities.  According to the Honors College website, participating students analyze the 
needs of a community near Duquesne University; select and carry out a project that will 
meet an important community need and contribute to their own academic growth; reflect 
on their experience and examine their work in light of what others have written about civic 
engagement and service-learning; and document their project, studies, and reflections to 
assist others who are interested in forging links between universities and communities. Each 
semester, Duquesne students engage in a social justice seminar wherein they work together 
to improve or call attention to the social problems of the Hill District.  

According to the Daisy Wilson Artist Community website, the partnership aims to 
offer educational and service opportunities for Duquesne students and staff in The Hill 
District, promote the arts both at Duquesne University and in The Hill, preserve and 
advance the artistic legacy of August Wilson, and help The Hill community flourish.  

The 2012 Honor Seminar students sought to outline a plan for the Signature 
Partnership of the Duquesne University Honors College and The Daisy Wilson Artist 
Community over a five-year period from 2012-17. The plan addresses three main goals: the 
reintroduction and promotion of the arts will revitalize the culture of Pittsburgh's Hill 
District, preservation of the August Wilson Boyhood Home to help preserve August 
Wilson's legacy and philosophy, and academic and service opportunities to strengthen 
connections between Duquesne University and the Hill District. 

 
Works Cited 

 
Aslam, Sairah.  "New Fellowship Created in the Spirit of August Wilson."  The Duquesne 

Duke.  Feb. 15, 2018.  http://www.duqsm.com/new-fellowship-created-spirit-
august-wilson/. 

"August Wilson House, Duquesne University Establish Fellowship Program."  Duquesne 
University Office of Marketing and Communication.  Duquesne University.  Feb. 2, 
2018. https://www.duq.edu/news/august-wilson-house-duquesne-university-
establish-fellowship-program. 

"Natasha Trethewey."  PoetryFoundation.org. N.D. https://www.poetryfoundation.org/ 
poets/natasha-trethewey. 

"President Gormley Introduces Inaugural Fellow at August Wilson House Ground Blessing."  
Duquesne University Office of Marketing and Communication.  Duquesne 
University.  Sept. 26, 2018.  https://www.duq.edu/news/president-gormley-
introduces-inaugural-fellow-at-august-wilson-house-ground-blessing. 

"The Signature Partnership: Helping the Hill Community Flourish."  Duquesne University's 
Honors College & the Daisy Wilson Artist Community.  N.D. https:// 
sites.google.com/site/duqcandusigpart13/home. 

"Transformation."  AugustWilsonHouse.org. N.D.  http://augustwilsonhouse.org/. 
Walters, Ken.  "Duquesne Students Work to Keep August Wilson's Legacy Alive."  Duquesne 

University Magazine.  Spring 2018. https://www.duq.edu/assets/Documents/ 
public-affairs/magazine/supplements/AugustWilson_Spring2018.pdf. 

 
 
  

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Q U A I N :  A U G U S T  W I L S O N  H O U S E ,  D U Q U E S N E  U N I V E R S I T Y ,  
N A N C Y  B E A R D  F O U N D A T I O N  T E A M  U P  T O  S U P P O R T  

E M E R G I N G  A R T I S T S  T H R O U G H  A U G U S T  W I L S O N  F E L L O W S H I P  
A u g u s t  W i l s o n  J o u r n a l    |    V o l .  1    |    S p r i n g  2 0 1 9  

 

 
I S S N  2 5 7 7 - 7 4 3 2  ( o n l i n e )  D O I  1 0 . 5 1 9 5 / a w j . 2 0 1 9 . 1 8  a u g u s t w i l s o n . p i t t . e d u  

 4 

Author Bio 

Ms. Laura Quain is a 2019 graduate of Duquesne University's Corporate Communication and 
Integrated Marketing Communication Program.  Prior to that, she attended Kutztown 
University where she completed a degree in English/Professional Writing and wrote for the 
school newspaper. 
 

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	August Wilson House, Duquesne University, Nancy Beard Foundation Team Up to Support Emerging Artists through August Wilson Fellowship
	Abstract
	Keywords

	Author Bio

