Manchester Craftsman Guild

MCG Youth & Arts’ mission is to educate and inspire urban youth through the arts. In 1968, Pittsburgh was a city racially divided and economically distressed. Strickland established Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild to help combat the economic and social devastation experienced by the residents of his predominantly African-American North Side neighborhood. Originally located in a residential row house on Buena Vista Street in Pittsburgh’s Mexican War Streets district, Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild initially offered an informal art program and exhibition space for inner-city minority children. Strickland and his father built a kiln in a garage and acquired a few potters’ wheels. Photography was soon added to address the interests of community members and because Strickland understood that artists needed good pictures to promote and help sell their work.The program soon began to gain the notice of Pittsburgh’s civic leaders. Because of his successful track record with Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild, Strickland was asked to assume the leadership of Bidwell Training Center, a career training education program serving mostly displaced steel workers from the same community.