Creativity Is on Display in Winston-Salem and Forsyth County
Large-scale public art pieces dot the City of Winston-Salem, thanks to the commitment of city officials to reflect the diverse community.
Sponsored by: City of Winston-Salem
Art has long held a special place in the heart of Winston-Salem, NC, and Forsyth County. In fact, way back in 1949, the city and county teamed up with the Junior League of Winston-Salem to establish the nation’s first local Arts Council. Over the years, the City of Winston-Salem became known as the “City of Arts and Innovation.”
These days, the arts are on display like never before, thanks to the formation in 2016 of the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Public Art Commission. One of the primary goals of the commission is to add large-scale public art pieces to downtown Winston-Salem – along with the surrounding neighborhoods, parks and public facilities – as a way to reflect the diverse community.
As the commission stated in its 10-year plan: “What we choose to display on our public property expresses our values as a community.”
As a result, there are now works of art on buildings, bus stops and along bike paths. Sculptures stand stoically at street corners and storefronts, while numerous vibrant murals provide a colorful backdrop.
“We’ve found that public art helps people identify with the city and gives them a sense of pride about living here,” says Kelly Bennett, a principal planner for Winston-Salem/Forsyth County, who oversaw the formation of the public art program. “Having murals and sculptures and art events helps attract a creative group of people. So, we really want to put our best face forward by supporting public art from our local artists.”
For example, the commission partnered with the Winston-Salem Transit Authority to start the Artistic Bus Shelter Program, compensating local artists to display their work throughout the city’s various transit stops.
“They’ll submit their art to us, and we’ll print it on vinyl and install it on bus shelters,” Bennett says. “It gives artists a pathway to building their public art portfolio.”
The commission also is assisting local sculptors in creating three-dimensional works of art. Officials connect artists with local material fabricators, who work together to construct and install the piece.
That is how Mona King was able to get her 14-foot-tall metal sculpture “Resilience – Still I Rise” placed in front of Link Apartments® 4th Street on the corner of Fourth and Spruce streets in downtown Winston-Salem. Bennett says the city and the developer split the funding cost for the piece, and the commission assisted her throughout the two-year creation process.
“My idea was to represent the past, present and future of Winston-Salem,” King says.
“Each beam has something on it that represents the city – business, education, innovation, arts – and then around the columns there are a series of vines to represent growth, and the resilience of Winston-Salem as the city has recreated itself over the years.
“I’m proud as a creative person that more emphasis is being put on public art,” she continues. “We’re starting to see more murals and other public displays. Public art makes you pause and think. It provides beauty. It’s just a great thing for Winston-Salem to have.”
