Manchester Craftsmen's Guild

The Manchester Craftsmen's Guild in Pittsburgh is a leader in social enterprise. A sprawling complex of art studios, a culinary school, greenhouse, and performance stage, sits in one of Pittsburgh's grittiest sections. Bill Strickland, an African-American from the neighborhood, was transformed as a young man by exposure to the arts. He used grants to launch MCG in 1968 as a hub of learning, culture, and job training. MCG also took advantage of Pittsburgh's rich jazz history, adding a mission to "preserve, present, and promote" jazz. In 1987, he hired an energetic musician, Marty Ashby, to produce its first concert - and Mr. Ashby happily took an 80% pay cut from the Pittsburgh Symphony to oversee MCG ( www.mcgjazz.org )