Mish, who is known off-stage as Miss Michelle Johnson, is a vocalist, songwriter and choreographer whose heart belongs to her hometown, Pittsburgh, PA. The C.A.P.A Middle/High School graduate has taken audiences through a storm of song and style at venues including the Pittsburgh Hard Rock Cafe, The Rex Theater, and The Greer Theater. 

Alumni Theater Company (ATC) is a year-round program providing talented Black youth in grades 6-12 with high quality performing arts training and a platform to express their ideas. Currently in its 15th season of creating bold theatrical work that gives fresh voice to the experience of young Black artists and highlights their rich contribution to our community. 

Through the power of the arts, Dreams of Hope provides the region’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, asexual, and allied (LGBTQA+) youth a welcoming environment to grow in confidence, express themselves, and develop as leaders. Youth voices and lived experiences are essential to the work of Dreams of Hope. Young people devote time, creativity, emotion, and so much more as Board members, teaching artists, and program participants. The power of young people pushes Dreams of Hope to grow and change with each year.

Winston Nunley (Windafire) (all pronouns) is a Black, Caribbean, and Latine artist who uses music, spirituality, storytelling, and meditations to connect our shared humanity. In 2018, they and Onika Reigns co-founded Black Dream Escape, a therapeutic arts practice which centers Black and Indigenous rest and sleep. Black Dream Escape released their album All This Beauty, which is available on all platforms, in September. In 2019, their first single, “Alive With Pride” was produced by Liz Berlin through Creative Life Support, and had its debut as an opening act for Big Freedia at People’s Pride Pittsburgh. They are an active member of Dreams Of Hope and served as their ambassador to the International Congress Of Youth Voices in Puerto Rico.

E! the Dragnificent! Is a 17 year old trans drag queen who goes to Pittsburgh CAPA in the downtown area. She has been doing drag for 7 years now, but has been fabulous for all of her life! She has performed in the Cleveland Drag Showcase 2 years, and was a headliner for the Austin International Drag festival in 2017. When she’s not doing drag she sings Jazz with her grandpa and his band at places like Sprezzatura in Millvale and the Third Street Art Gallery in Carnegie. 

Balafon West African Dance Ensemble, Inc.  provides an insightful, woman-centered perspective on West African tradition and culture as a source of healing and balance by providing quality education and entertainment to audiences of all nationalities and walks of life.

Established in 1965, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Pittsburgh is the region’s premier evidenced-based youth mentoring agency—earning national recognition for program quality and organizational excellence. Our target population includes children ages 6-18 from single parent families, low-income households, and underperforming schools. In many cases, these children have incarcerated parents, encounter bullying in school, and face other challenging circumstances that increase their susceptibility to negative outcomes. At BBBSPGH, we make meaningful, monitored matches between adult volunteers (“Bigs”) and children  (“Littles”) in Allegheny, Greene, and Washington counties. 

The Bloomfield-Garfield Corporation (BGC) exists to improve the quality of life for all in Garfield and surrounding neighborhoods through active community engagement. Community-based and board driven, one of the BGC’s main goals is to get as many people in the community as possible to participate in efforts aimed at physical revitalization, an improved economy, and strengthened well-being.

The Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council is the region’s primary arts service organization that provides advocacy, professional resources, research, and grant making to artists and nonprofit organizations in 10 counties within Western Pennsylvania. They are a membership organization with more than 600 diverse artists and arts organizations of all disciplines. They exist to help our community thrive, and assist artists and arts administrators to grow their skills and art practices. The Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council’s mission is to expand the reach and impact of the region’s diverse and vibrant arts and culture community by providing leadership, advocacy, capacity building, and connections.