Manchester Bidwell Corporation renames its iconic building to trailblazer

BILL STRICKLAND, LEFT, AND KEVIN JENKINS unveil the new name of the building—The William E. Strickland Jr. Building, May 18.

It’s now the ‘William E. Strickland Jr. Building’

 

Friends, family, and longtime supporters of Bill Strickland gathered on May 18 to celebrate the momentous occasion of dedicating the non-profit center he founded in his honor.

Since the 1980s, the brick building filled with light, art, music and beauty at 1815 Metropolitan Street on the North Side has housed Bidwell Training Center, Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild (including MCG Youth and MCG Jazz), and many other operations and events under the umbrella organization of Manchester Bidwell Corporation (MBC).

The structure that sees all this varied programming will now be known as the “William E. Strickland Jr. Building.”

“It’s long overdue,” said Kevin Jenkins, MBC’s President & CEO, in a statement to the New Pittsburgh Courier.  “For years now, I’ve wanted to see Bill’s name on the brick and mortar where his life’s work has taken place. His ingenuity, his love for the people of this community, and his unwavering tenacity to do all the many incredible things he’s done over the years—it just makes sense that anyone who walks through these doors now will do so knowing they’re stepping into the Strickland legacy.”

BILL STRICKLAND speaks at the May 18 ceremony (Photo by J.L. Martello)

The staff and faculty of MBC gathered along with longtime donors, friends, and the Strickland family to unveil the new signage on the outside of the building and celebrate with Strickland. Other notable figures who helped to commemorate the occasion included Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey, Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald, and Gregory B. Jordan, PNC Executive Vice President and MBC’s current Board Chair. The evening featured iconic aspects of MBC’s work—culinary arts from Bidwell Training Center, live jazz music from MCG Jazz, as well as photography and ceramics displays cataloging Strickland’s many decades with the organization.

Over the decades, the Courier has consistently reported on Strickland and his trailblazing involvement with the Manchester Craftmen’s Guild, which he started in 1968. In 1972, Strickland took over the Bidwell Training Center. Strickland stepped away as CEO of Manchester Bidwell Corporation in 2018, and he now focuses on expanding the center into new cities in the role of founder and executive chairman. After all, no one knows the model of MCG like Strickland.

JULIE STRICKLAND, MAYOR ED GAINEY, BILL STRICKLAND

Manchester Bidwell Corporation has a simple philosophy; Environment shapes people’s behavior. By constructing an atmosphere of art, light, music, and supportive staff, students learn to become productive members of society at MBC. The affiliates of MBC include the Bidwell Training Center, Manchester Craftmen’s Guild Youth & Arts, Manchester Craftmen’s Guild Jazz, and the National Center for Arts and Technology.

“It’s a humbling honor to do this work,” said Strickland, in a statement. “Dedicating your own life to changing the lives of others isn’t easy, but in many ways it’s also its own reward. I’m so proud of what we’ve created here in Manchester, and now especially of the leadership and staff that are carrying on what I started over fifty years ago.”

BILL STRICKLAND, WITH WIFE, ROSE (PHOTO BY J.L. MARTELLO)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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