Alumna Jonnet Solomon’s National Opera House Mission

The House

The house, located at 7101 Apple Street, Pittsburgh, rose to national significance in 1941, when Mary Cardwell Dawson, a celebrated musician and educator, rented the third floor of the house as an office and rehearsal space for the National Negro Opera Company. The house was a center of community life, providing a home for culture, education, and artistry for Black people in Pittsburgh.

The National Opera House

Jonnet purchased the house in 2000, saving it from being demolished. Since then, she has worked to preserve and restore the building by founding the National Opera House (NOH), a nonprofit organization that aims to not only restore the structure but also to make the house once again a gathering place and arts district for the community. Plans are in place to recreate many original elements of the house and grounds. A museum, focusing on the house’s history, is also in the works.

Vision for the Future

The restored house will serve as a cultural anchor that will be utilized to give back to the Pittsburgh community. Through its mission, the NOH hopes to reinvent Mary Cardwell Dawson’s dream by serving and supporting youth and developing and nurturing a new generation of artists and leaders. Jonnet believes that it is crucial to preserve the house’s history because people of all ages can benefit from understanding the legacy of the building and the artists that it housed. The NOH plans to build on that legacy to create an artistic hub that will in turn support its community. Programs will be designed to serve every age, race, and background.

Partnership with the SBDC

In 2021, Jonnet’s mission led her to the School’s Small Business Development Center (SBDC). The SBDC works to empower entrepreneurs and small business owners with the knowledge they need to grow their endeavors and prosper. SBDC Director Rich Longo and SBDC consultants engaged with Jonnet and NOH staff to begin building the strategic framework of the organization and provide feedback, as NOH pursued funding.

Partnership with the Professional MBA Program 

In summer 2022, the NOH partnered with the School of Business, when a student team in the Professional MBA Strategic Management Capstone Project course took on NOH as their client. The opportunity arose when SBDC Director Rich Longo introduced Jonnet to Executive-in-Residence John Gentner, who was teaching the PMBA course. John saw an opportunity for a student team to partner with Jonnet and to provide the NOH with helpful recommendations and advice. Five students worked as a team on the project: Janetta Bekman, Kyle Burgess, Ricky Delprato, Dylan Kim, and Amanda Mroz.

The team had two goals: first, conduct a strategic analysis of the organization in order to identify challenges and opportunities. Second, develop recommendations for how the NOH could generate revenue to become less dependent on grants and donations.

According to Janetta, the project gave her and the rest of the team the opportunity to grow as professionals. “It forced my group to think outside-the-box. You truly grow the most when you work on a project that is outside your comfort zone and different from your full-time job,” she said.

To develop their strategies, the team visited the house and grounds and met with Jonnet. After spending the summer researching and analyzing the challenges involved, the team presented its recommendations to Jonnet as well as staff from the School’s Small Business Development Center. The team’s recommended plan included strategies to:

• Improve the property’s security
• Build community engagement (e.g., via an artist series and
  other events)
•  Raise revenue (e.g., via an artist development program)

Groundbreaking: A Big Step Forward 

Subsequently, NOH secured $2 million toward its $3-million-dollar financial goal. This enabled renovation of the former home of the National Negro Opera Company to officially commence. A groundbreaking ceremony was held on May 24, 2022. In 2023, NOH released an RFP soliciting construction companies to complete the second phase of construction. While the RFP process continues, NOH is offering tours to potential RFP partners, providing workforce training, and hosting workshops for the community.