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Master Craftsman
What Bill Strickland hath wrought
by Arthur Greenwald
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"You see things and you say ‘why?’" wrote George Bernard Shaw. "But I dream things that never were; and I say ‘why not?’"
Bill Strickland is your basic "why not?" kind of guy. As the founder, President and CEO of the Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild, he transforms the lives of Pittsburgh Public School kids by exposing them to the arts.
Strickland knows that transformation first-hand. He drifted through high school until a gifted teacher, Frank Ross, opened his eyes to ceramics, jazz, and a world of learning. Strickland’s talent with clay brought a measure of fame, but more importantly, it ignited a passion in him to help others the way Ross had enriched him.
So even as he put himself through college, Strickland raised money to launch his neighborhood arts training program in a cramped Manchester row house. Today, Strickland’s old neighborhood is itself transformed, thanks in part to the magnificent Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild complex, replete with theatre, audio studio and restaurant. Strickland and his colleagues have bestowed new vision on many thousands of kids, over 80% of whom go on to college. He also oversees a career training center, concert series and now an initiative to train better non-profit managers. And just for the challenge of it, a few years back he trained to become a commercial airline pilot.
Last year, his many inspiring successes won a MacArthur Foundation "genius" award. Why? Maybe it’s his infectious anything-is-possible attitude. Talking with Bill Strickland, you get the idea you don’t want to be standing in his way when there are children to help.
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In this video clip, meet founder, President and CEO of the Manchester Craftsmen's Guild, Bill Strickland.
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LindaKoch Lorimer
