“Who gets to own the spaces where our cultural futures are shaped?”
In an era marked by attacks on DEI initiatives, immigration and LGBTQ+ communities, Kelly Strayhorn Theater [KST] continues to ask this urgent question. Known as a home for creative experimentation, community dialogue and collective action rooted in the liberation of Black and queer people, KST is creating space for a national conversation.
In May, KST invites leaders in art, activism, urban planning, philanthropy and government to Pittsburgh for Owning Our Future: A Symposium on BIPOC Institutional Ownership.
“As conversations about ownership, equity and cultural representation move from the margins to the mainstream, the critical question of cultural space ownership remains largely overlooked,” said Joseph Hall, KST’s co-executive director. “This symposium will highlight emerging prototypes for cultural space, drawing from national organizations focused on real estate development, media, democratically governed investment funds and more.”
Voicing ideas, uniting the field
Owning our bodies, ideas, and cultures — while having physical spaces to preserve and carry forward our communities — is a shared concern and aspiration among many symposium participants. The event will serve as a platform for attendees across the country to share stories and insights.
One of the symposium’s featured speakers, Shayla Spicer, president and CEO of the Native Arts and Cultures Foundation (NACF) in Oregon, will reflect on NACF’s recent transition, discussing Rematriation — the Indigenous concept of reclaiming ancestral remains, spirituality, cultural traditions and resources — and its connection to cultural space ownership.
In July 2020, NACF and Yale Union (YU) announced the transfer of ownership of the historic Yale Union building in Portland from YU to NACF. Through programming centered on Indigenous communities and conscious stewardship, the building became a hub for Indigenous arts, culture and Native social justice.
While the challenges may vary by region, communities across the country are confronting similar pressures on cultural space and sustainability. Ken Ikeda, CEO of the Community Arts Stabilization Trust (CAST) in San Francisco, will join the Radical Financial Innovations panel. In the early 2010s, the tech boom in the Bay Area drove up real estate costs, forcing artists and nonprofits into crisis. CAST formed in response, using tools like New Markets Tax Credits, bonds and program-related investments to secure and steward affordable, inclusive spaces for the arts.
“Community ownership of art spaces is one of the few ways we can assure that arts organizations are able to stay in place — for generations — to build legacies, relationships and dreams that persist through changes in real estate and politics,” Ikeda said. “To shape community narratives and history.”
From challenge to catalyst
Located in the heart of East Liberty and originally built in 1914 as a movie theater, KST reflects both the neighborhood’s cultural richness and the consequences of urban renewal — including disinvestment and displacement. More recently, KST has faced challenges of its own, with its building lease set to expire in 2029 and no option for purchase.
Of course, ownership struggles extend far beyond Pittsburgh. The recent government takeover of the Kennedy Center and the dismantling of its Social Impact Team have sent shockwaves through arts communities nationwide.
Despite these threats, KST sees this moment as an opportunity — to foster dialogue, spotlight solutions and reimagine ownership. The Owning Our Future symposium will confront barriers like redlining, discriminatory lending practices and insufficient philanthropic support for BIPOC institutions.
“This will also be a chance to think beyond the brick-and-mortar,” Hall said. “To reflect on the ownership of our bodies, ideas and expressions. As the federal government continues to stoke fear toward the very communities who support and advance this country — BIPOC, LGBTQ+ and immigrant communities — we want to stand up and exercise our freedom in thought and discussion.”
“The role of the arts is to examine culture,” he added. “And we are doing exactly that.”
To learn more about Owning Our Future: A Symposium on BIPOC Institutional Ownership, taking place May 15 to 18, visit Kelly Strayhorn Theater’s website. The event includes presentations from leaders in art, activism, urban planning, philanthropy and government, plus panel discussions, performances and more. Pay what moves you: Single tickets from $15–$40; symposium passes from $150–$300.
This article was written by Mingsi Ma, marketing specialist at Kelly Strayhorn Theater.
