The Trust's celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Hip Hop kicked off in December 2022. Find information about all of the previous anniversary celebration events below.
Click through the gallery above for photos from the event
Pittsburgh Cultural Trust Hip Hop Summit
The Trust kicked off its celebration of Hip Hop's 50th anniversary with a Hip Hop Summit on December 3, 2022. The full-day event celebrated the four elements of Hip Hop culture (Emcee, DJ, Graffiti, and Breaking) with workshops, a graffiti gallery, a classic Hip Hop film screening, an all-styles dance battle with prizes, and an electrifying emcee and DJ showcase.
Highmark First Night Pittsburgh
Highmark First Night Pittsburgh 2023, a production of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust rang in the New Year to celebrate the beginning of Hip Hop's 50th anniversary with live painting by graffiti artist Ben Holmes and an outdoor gallery of graffiti walls created by some of the region's top graffiti writers.
Winter Gallery Crawl in the Cultural District
At the Gallery Crawl in January, guests went on a fantastic ride through the decades as we celebrated the 50th anniversary of hip hop with An Exploration of DJing! Guided by DJ Blakk Steel, DJ Big Phil, DJ Yamez, and DJ Femi, we grooved through the 1970s, where hip hop music started, and jammed our way to the current hip hop hits!
Pittsburgh Dance Council
In January 2023, the Pittsburgh Dance Council brought RUBBERBAND to the Byham Theater. Choreographer Victor Quijada combines the energy of Hip Hop, the refinement of classical ballet, and the angular quality of contemporary dance.
Trust Arts Education
In February 2023, the Trust Arts Education department presented a very special public performance of their Collaboration Festival program. This performance engaged the audience with a variety of opportunities for interaction throughout and features professional African American artists from the Pittsburgh region.
2023 Pittsburgh Humanities Festival
Kick of the 2023 Pittsburgh Humanities Festival with a celebration of the contributions, experiences, and legacy of women in Hip Hop culture over the past 50 years.
The Legacy of Women in Hip Hop | Monie Love, DJ Perly, & many more
Trust Arts Education Center
Pittsburgh Cultural Trust and Carnegie Mellon University
Spring 2023 Gallery Crawl in the Cultural District
At the Spring 2023 Gallery Crawl, attendees got to create their own masterpieces in a painting session with instruction by local artist Kuwame Kinsel of BOOM Concepts, as well as contribute to the community mural with Max Gonzales and Shane Pilster. At the same time, everyone was able to jam to their favorite rap, trap, and R&B hits to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of hip hop!
Public Art
In honor of the 50th anniversary of Hip Hop, The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust commissioned nine Pittsburgh-based artists to create large scale works that celebrate the Hip Hop element of Graffiti
Dollar Bank Three Rivers Arts Festival
Chali 2na and Cut Chemist took to the Dollar Bank Main Stage on Saturday, June 10.
We partied the night away with UNION following the Chali 2na and Cut Chemist show on Saturday, June 10.
For the 9th year running, Dance Battles returned to the Festival. Competitors duked it out on June 10 in an All Styles battle with cash prizes and trophies for the finalists.