Tupac Amaru Shakur Center for the Arts

The site where the center was located, 2016.

The Tupac Amaru Shakur Center for the Arts, based in Stone Mountain, Georgia, was a performing arts center supported through the Shakur Family Foundation. The Shakur Center's mission was to provide opportunities for young people through the arts, and offers programs such as drama, dance, and creative writing classes. The organization also ran a Performing Arts Day Camp for youth ages twelve to eighteen.

The center, located off of Memorial Drive was named in honor of the late American rap artist Tupac Amaru Shakur, and was founded by his mother Afeni Shakur. The Center was closed in 2015.[1]

History

The center was founded in 1997 by Tupac Shakur's mother Afeni Shakur in the interest of preserving her son's legacy.[2] It is designed to bring quality arts training to young people including some students that face many social-economic issues such as poverty.[3] Many students have enriched their artistic abilities through this center and some have even received part-time jobs.[3]

In July 1999 the foundation began its first annual summer session of PA camps with twenty campers.[4] The camp continued to grow throughout the years. On June 11, 2005 The Tupac Amaru Shakur Center for the Arts Peace Garden and visitor centre was opened.[5] The peace garden was designed as a tribute to Tupac Shakur as well as others who have died. In 2006 the music video for the single Pac's Life for the self-titled album was shot at the The Tupac Amaru Shakur Center for the Arts.[6] Tupac's mother Afeni Shakur also went to Africa in 2006 and fostered a relationship between The Tupac Amaru Shakur Center for the Arts and The Nelson Mendela foundation.[7]

After 2006 the foundation showed signs of growth as many additional programs were created such as after school programs, dance classes and cultural exchange programs. Fees for these program resemble prices similar to those of joining a local sports league.[8] The foundation has also held Tupac birthday concert celebrations since 2009.

As Tupac's catalogue of unreleased music decreased, the foundation began facing financial struggles. Despite these struggles, Afeni Shakur resisted selling the center and never officially announced the center's closure. Eventually, the property was sold in August 2015.[1]

Programs

The foundation offered acting, after school and dancing classes. In addition, they offer yearly leadership and arts programs. They had also set up cross cultural exchanges with Japan and South Africa.

References

  1. 1 2 Lee, Christina. What Happened to the Tupac Amaru Shakur Center for the Arts?. Rolling Stone. 6 July 2016. Retrieved 22 July 2016.
  2. ↑ "Tasf.org". Tasf.org. Retrieved 14 January 2015.
  3. 1 2 "Tupac Remembered". Books.google.com. Retrieved 14 January 2015.
  4. ↑ "How Long Will They Mourn Me?". Books.google.com. Retrieved 14 January 2015.
  5. ↑ "Tasf.org". Tasf.org. Retrieved 14 January 2015.
  6. ↑ "2Pac - Pac's Life ft. T.I., Ashanti". YouTube. Retrieved 14 January 2015.
  7. ↑ "Billboard". Books.google.com. Retrieved 14 January 2015.
  8. ↑ "Tasf.org". Tasf.org. Retrieved 14 January 2015.

External links

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