Arts and Culture leaders celebrated in Pittsburgh Magazine’s 40 Under 40 awards
Pittsburgh Magazine recently announced its annual 40 Under 40 awards, celebrating "an exemplary group of people working to make our region a better place." We’re thrilled to not only see members of Pittsburgh’s thriving arts and culture community included in the mix of honorees, but a group of awardees all focused on building a more equitable and inclusive foundation for fellow artists and culture bearers.
“Since the 40 Under 40 program's founding 25 years ago, Pittsburgh Magazine has aimed to select honorees who represent a broad variety of ethnic, demographic and professional backgrounds,” Editor Virginia Linn tells the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council. “The city's arts and cultural scene is vital to Pittsburgh's vibrancy and quality of life, so, it's critical to include representatives from this important community.”
Pittsburgh Magazine and its partner PUMP assembled an independent selection team made up of former 40 Under 40 winners, Pittsburgh Magazine editors, and business, health care, nonprofit, and community leaders to select the honorees from among more than 200 nominees, according to Linn.
"Since 1999, we are proud to have honored 1,000 young leaders who are working to better all aspects of the Steel City,” she adds.
Arts and culture honorees include:
Melanie Marie Boyer
Executive Director of the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and Foundation
Highlight: "She also advises corporations on how to promote diversity in the workplace and serves on a variety of local boards to build a more inclusive Pittsburgh."
Jenise Brown
Museum Educator for the Carnegie Museum of Natural History
Highlight: "This year, she helped create a contract that brings the four museums' minimum wage to $16 per hour, establishes basic rights for workers and provides paid time off for part-time workers beyond the minimum required by law."
Dan Law
Associate Director of The Andy Warhol Museum
Highlight: "Law oversees all aspects of The Pop District, a $65 million initiative bringing public art to the North Shore, a youth-focused workforce development platform and a new campus with a 50,000-square-foot live concert and event venue."
Mary Ann McBride-Tackett
Director of Film Education at WQED Multimedia
Highlight: "After experiencing every side of film production — from wardrobe units to accounting departments — Mary Ann McBride-Tackett wanted to make the industry more equitable by supporting young filmmakers from diverse backgrounds."
Jessica Gaynelle Moss
Artist, Curator, and Administrative Director at Sibyls Shrine
Highlight: "Jessica Gaynelle Moss calls herself a world builder — one who creates spaces that serve as 'portals to see what is possible' for Black artists in Pittsburgh."
Alicia Volcy
Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Studio Volcy
Highlight: "She says she may not be ultra comfortable in the spotlight but wants to serve as an example for the 'girl who's good with art — and could start to own multimillion-dollar buildings.'"
For the full list of this year's 40 Under 40 honorees, visit pittsburghmagazine.com