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Courtesy Karamu House
Established in 1915, Karamu has served the community for more than 100 years.
Karamu House, the country’s oldest Black performance arts institution, was awarded a $4 million grant to support infrastructure and capital improvements for its Fairfax neighborhood campus. The challenge grant, endowed by the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation, will match up to $4 million in donations from other donors dollar-for-dollar through the end of 2024.
“This new partnership and collaboration will allow us to complete the infrastructure and capital improvements of Phase IV of our master plan,” said President and CEO of Karamu House Tony Sias. “These enhancements include renovations in the Education and Administration Building, bringing construction of the main building to a close. We are elated knowing these funds and the new relationship will add to the bright future of Karamu.”
Phase IV will bring renovations in their Education and Administration Building, completing renovations of the campus’s main building and is part of Karamu’s larger capital improvement plan to support community mobility and redevelopment in Fairfax.
“The new and renovated structures will not only add to the growth and development of the Fairfax community but will also allow us to achieve our commitment to continued revitalization,” Karamu board of trustees chair Michael Jeans said. “This is another incredible example of the Foundation’s commitment to urban engagement and improving the quality of life for all citizens.”
Previous phases in Karamu's capital improvement plan renovated its Jelliffe Theatre and renamed Bank of America Arena Theatre. The plan has also created a gift shop, gallery, outdoor theatre, bistro and additional entrance.
"The outdoor theater, the bistro, the new entrances, all of that will be completed by the end of this year," said Karamu House chief development officer Dr. Sadie Winlock. "We're hoping that the matching grant from the Mandel foundation will start construction no later than the spring or early summer of next year, and the finish date depends upon construction."
Founded over a century ago, Karamu House is featured in the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture and the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. In its time as a Cleveland institution, Karamu has hosted and worked with legendary artists like Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston.
Karamu, which means, “place of joyful gathering,” in Swahili, continues to live up to its name today as, “a beating heart for the entire community, regardless of race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identification, or age.” More information about Karamu’s arts education and community programming like live jazz, spoken word and comedy performances can be found on its
website.
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