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Deeper Dive Workshop
                                                            Photos by Owens Daniels Photography

HAPPY HILL NEIGHBORHOOD
ARTS ACTION PLAN
Putting Priorities into Action Steps
Prepared for the Happy Hill Neighborhood Association and the Thomas S. Kenan Institute
for the Arts at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA)

Winston-Salem // North Carolina                                            January 2021
HAPPY HILL NEIGHBORHOOD - ARTS ACTION PLAN - University of North ...
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Artspace Consulting would like to thank the staff at the
Thomas S. Kenan Institute for the Arts at the UNC School of
the Arts for guiding this process, Deeper Dive Consulting
for facilitating these important conversations and most
importantly the Happy Hill Neighborhood Association,
Happy Hill Arts and the individual neighborhood
stakeholders for engaging in this process.

This project was supported by the National Endowment
for the Arts’ Our Town grant program and the Z. Smith
Reynolds Foundation. The opinions expressed in this
paper are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily
represent the views of the Kenan Institute or the NEA.

`

      PARTICIPANTS

    Amatullah Saleem, President, Happy Hill                   Douglass Hayden, Resident, artist
    Neighborhood Association/Co-Founder, Happy Hill
                                                              Pastor Edith Jones, Resident and business owner
    Arts, artist
                                                              Zakia Allah, Former resident
    Virginia Martin, Vice-President, Happy Hill
    Neighborhood Association                                  Abio Harris, Happy Hill Neighborhood Association
                                                              Marketing Director
    Nadira Allah, Secretary, Happy Hill Neighborhood
    Association, artist                                       Donald Sawyer, Happy Hill Neighborhood Association
                                                              Planning Committee, artist
    Kayyum Allah, Treasurer and Historian, Happy Hill
    Neighborhood Association, artist                          Yolanda Taylor, Attorney
    Cheryl Harry, Asset Mapping, Triad Cultural Arts          Kevin Cheshire, Executive Director, Housing Authority
                                                              of Winston-Salem
    Jacinta White, Deeper Dive Consulting
                                                              Kelly Bennett, Planning and Development Department,
    James Hunder, Artist & former resident
                                                              City of Winston-Salem/Forsyth County
    Hazel Mack, Co-founder, Carter G. Woodson School
                                                              Lynda S. Lotich, Interim Executive Director, Kenan
    Council member Annette Scippio, Winston-Salem City        Institute for the Arts
    Council, East Ward
                                                              Liza Vest, Business Manager, Kenan Institute for the
    Kismet Loftin Bell, Supporter                             Arts
    Commissioner Fleming El Amin, County                      Nadiyah Quander, Program Manager, Kenan Institute
    Commissioner, former resident                             for the Arts

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HAPPY HILL NEIGHBORHOOD - ARTS ACTION PLAN - University of North ...
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction                                                                                                                                        4

Building Blocks For Action Items                                                                                                                    5
              Happy Hill Cultural Asset Mapping                                                                                                     5
              Happy Hill Neighborhood Bus Tour                                                                                                      6
             Facilitated Community Workshop                                                                                                         8
             Civic Leader Stakeholder Conversations                                                                                                11
Arts Action Plan: Overview                                                                                                                         14

Arts Action Plan: Action Items                                                                                                                     18
             Creative Placemaking/Placekeeping Committee Action Items                                                                              20
             Advocacy and Outreach Committee Action Items                                                                                          30

Concluding Remarks                                                                                                                                 37

Addendum I: Deeper Dive Report                                                                                                                     38

Addendum II: Setting the Stage for Strong Partnerships                                                                                             45

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HAPPY HILL NEIGHBORHOOD - ARTS ACTION PLAN - University of North ...
INTRODUCTION
In January 2020, the Thomas S. Kenan Institute at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA)
contracted with Artspace Consulting to help develop an Arts Action Plan. This Arts Action Plan is one component of
the Happy Hill Cultural Restoration Project, a series of community engagement activities and cultural asset research
work intended to help Happy Hill Neighborhood Association (HHNA) and Happy Hill Arts (HHA) envision, plan and
advocate for cultural/creative spaces, programs and art-activations that are a reflection of their unique history,
community and vision for the future. The Arts Action Plan synthesizes and builds upon the work of three consultants
overseen by the Kenan Institute by offering action-based recommendations and inspirational case-studies that are
based on the community-voiced priorities documented in through the Kenan Institute and its partner consultants. The
Arts Action Plan is intended to help the HHNA and HHA communicate their short and long-term priorities and organize
to implement these priorities through a series of initial steps. This plan should be considered a living document from
which to launch efforts. That is, it belongs to the community and if priorities, opportunities or obstacles shift, so might
the goals, actions and tactics taken by the community members to achieve the outcomes they desire.

Artspace Consulting follows the best practices from the University of Minnesota’s Center for Urban and Regional
Affairs (CURA)’s Changing the Narrative and Playbook on Racially Concentrated Areas of Poverty when it comes
to developing these goals and action items. Most important is changing the way decisions are made about these
communities by asserting the expertise of residents about their own lives and insisting upon the participation of those
residents in policymaking. The whole report can be found here.

For these recommendations and this Arts Action Plan to succeed, the residents need to feel reflected and engaged in
these priorities and the subsequent Goals and Action Items. The HHNA/HHA and the work underway can help move
these priorities forward. Creating an historic district and associated programs will also overlap many of the goals
listed in these priorities.

We also believe Happy Hill would benefit from a city-sanctioned neighborhood plan that is compatible with the area
plan and includes an historic preservation lens to fully help shape development in the years to come.

Note that due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, Artspace Consulting conducted its research and interviews virtually through
the Zoom platform. Having Deeper Dive Consulting as a local partner was pivotal to these Arts Action Plan findings.

Background
The Happy Hill Community is the oldest African American
community in Winston-Salem, and arguably the first or second
oldest truly African American Community in the state of North
Carolina. The HHNA is a continuation of the Happy Hill Community
Association that was founded in 1998. In 2018, permission was
granted to Amatullah Saleem, a resident of Happy Hill Alders
Point Senior Apartments, to reactivate the organization, from two
original members of the Happy Hill Community Association; Pastor
Edith Jones, (former President of HHCA), and Maurice P. Johnson
(former Secretary of HHCA). Since the reactivation of Happy Hill
Neighborhood Association, Happy Hill Arts, a program of HHNA has
been added.
                                                                              Bus Tour Photo by Owens Daniels Photography
In 2016, Amatullah Saleem and Rebecca Williams approached the Kenan Institute for help developing an arts
program for youth. Happy Hill Arts grew into a collaboration between the Happy Hill Neighborhood Association
and community partners—including the Kenan Institute and UNCSA—to develop arts-centric, neighborhood-based
programming designed to awaken the joy of learning, restore community pride and share the rich history of Happy
Hill. The collaboration with the Kenan Institute has resulted in support for HHA to conduct strategic planning, receive
professional development for its members, and to continue their annual arts program for youth through 2021.
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BUILDING BLOCKS FOR ACTION ITEMS
The Action Items offered in this report are founded on community input from a cultural asset mapping exercise and
report, neighborhood bus tour and reflective feedback, facilitated workshop with neighborhood stakeholders, and
conversations with three key civic leaders. Information about each of these important components and how each
informed the culminating Action Items follow.

Happy Hill Cultural Asset Mapping
The Arts Action Plan work began in 2019 with an asset
mapping exercise by Cheryl Harry of Triad Cultural Arts
which provided a history of the Happy Hill Neighborhood,
local demographics, an Asset Map, Asset Inventory, survey
data and recommendations based on community input.
The recommendations were subsequently prioritized by
community members through a facilitated workshop with
Deeper Dive Consulting and re-emerge as Action Items in
this plan.

Many of the recommendations from the Cultural Asset
Mapping report are centered around the identified cultural
assets. The Happy Hill Cultural Asset Mapping inventory
included:
   1.   Site of the Former Schumann Plantation
   2.   Site of the Former African School
   3.   Happy Hill Historic Cemetery
   4.   Metal Truss Bridge
   5.   Historic Shotgun Houses
   6.   Brothers’ Spring
   7.   Sims Recreation Center
   8.   Renovated Happy Hill Park (Shelter, Track,
        Playground, Splash Pad)
   9.   Clock Tower
Historic Markers for: A. Happy Hill Neighborhood, B. The
Brothers’ Spring and The African School, C. Salem and
Liberia, Africa

The Cultural Asset Mapping report priority projects
related to these assets will be discussed on page 10.

                                                                     Happy Hill Cultural Asset Mapping by Cheryl Harry
                                                             Deeper Dive Workshop Photo by Owens Daniels Photography

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Happy Hill Neighborhood Bus Tour
HHNA and the Kenan Institute conducted a group bus
tour of Happy Hill on October 2, 2020 led by Happy Hill
Neighborhood Association Treasurer and Historian
Kayyum Allah. This tour laid the groundwork for the
workshop conducted by Jacinta White, by encouraging
participants to take a fresh look at the neighborhood and
answer a series of questions to capture their reflections
about creative and cultural spaces and opportunities for
activations. The tour stops included some of the identified
cultural assets.
Bus Tour Stops:
 1. Clock Tower
 2. Waughtown Street
 3. Mock Street Bridge
 4. Special Services Center, formerly Diggs Elementary
 5. Vacant housing lots on Free Street
 6. Happy Hill Historic Cemetery
 7.   Rising Ebenezer Baptist Church
                                                                       Bus Tour Map by The Kenan Institute
 8.   Historic Shotgun Houses
9.    Sims Recreation Center
10. Bitting Bridge (Metal Truss Bridge)

Bus Tour Feedback
Tour participants were given a questionnaire to capture
reflections and feedback. For purposes of the Arts Action
Plan, the responses relating specifically to creative
work and space assets, opportunities and obstacles are
included below. The responses help inform the Action
Items. The full questionnaire and participant responses
can be found in Addendum I starting on page 38.

                                                              Bus Tour Photos by Owens Daniels Photography

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HAPPY HILL NEIGHBORHOOD - ARTS ACTION PLAN - University of North ...
Creative Spaces in Happy Hill/Surrounding area:
On the tour, attendees identified existing creative spaces that they use currently and new ones that they may not
have noticed before in their own community. There is some overlap with the identified cultural assets. Along the
Cultural Asset Map, the locations listed below suggest opportunities for art activations, art spaces and other creative
placemaking activities. The locations noted by participants include:
  ● Individual home studios
  ● Sims Recreation Center
  ● Parking lot of Sims Center
  ● Clock Tower (art exhibits)
  ● Willows Peake Community Room (children’s art/education)
  ● Happy Hill Garden (Tai-Chi, exercise classes)
  ● Little White Church

Obstacles to creative work and space:
Tour participants reflected on a lack of space for creative work/practice which underscores the voiced desire for a
cultural center in Happy Hill.

  ● There is no creative space/studio in Happy Hill for painting, printmaking, doing online research. A connected,
     state-of-the-art culture center is needed on the level of what Old Salem and UNCSA would have.
  ● No dedicated place to practice their work/art.

Ideas for new creative space:
Tour participants shared their ideas for new creative space that was inspired by the tour. A cultural center again
emerges as a desired space that could meet a series of creative program and work needs.

  ● The new Happy Hill park
  ● Take over the Sims Recreation Center and build another rec center
  ● Build a cultural center and update/expand the Sims Center with a technology lab
  ● A multi-cultural center for dance, music, art, drama
  ● Stores and businesses can occupy much space
  ● The Clock tower
Participants also offered the following Inspirational models for a future cultural center: Hayti Heritage Center in
Durham, NC, Caldcleugh Multicultural Arts Center in Greensboro, NC, Weeksville Heritage Center in Brooklyn, NY.

Areas in Happy Hill that can be activated in new ways:
The following development opportunity areas were noted by participants.
  ● Alexander Street
  ● Humphrey Street
  ● Pitt Street
  ● Mock Street

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HAPPY HILL NEIGHBORHOOD - ARTS ACTION PLAN - University of North ...
Surprises from the tour:
  ● Bitting Bridge
  ● The panoramic view
  ● That the area that is now Waughtown used to be
     considered a part of Happy Hill
  ● The size of the cemetery
The questionnaire also asked about existing housing
options in Happy Hill and any changes that the community
members would like to see made. This was asked in part
because the Housing Authority of Winston Salem owns
land slated for new housing (notably in the areas the
participants mentioned as locations that would benefit
from new activations).

There is the possibility that some creative space/creative
placemaking priorities could be realized through future
development projects and the HHNA might want to
advocate for that to happen. Workforce housing, mixed-
use and mixed-income projects nationally have included
new community-centered, creative spaces including
gallery/exhibition spaces, artist live/work housing, artist-
in-residency spaces and performance spaces.

Housing priorities from the Bus Tour
Feedback:
  ● Build and complete housing developments
                                                               Deeper Dive Workshop Photos by Owens Daniels Photography
  ● Homes for income levels of $30,000 - $40,000
  ● New management and operations that provide training to office managers on how to employ respectful,
     proficient service to the tenants.
  ● Safe housing

Facilitated Community Workshop
Deeper Dive Consulting, led by Jacinta White, facilitated two sessions with a group of individual stakeholders invited
by the HHNA/HHA. The first session was introductory and held via Zoom, on September 26, 2020. It set the stage for
the second session, an in-person workshop held, 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m., October 3, 2020, at 500 W. 5th Street, Suite 300,
Downtown Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

Workshop Objectives:
The workshop had four main objectives:
  ● Gain insight into and prioritize collective vision, needs and desires for the community.
  ● Motivate continued ownership of process(es) and collaboration within the community.
  ● Advance the cultural asset mapping recommendations into stakeholder-supported creative project priorities
     (Action Items).
  ● Develop a framework that can be translated into an Arts Action Plan.

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HAPPY HILL NEIGHBORHOOD - ARTS ACTION PLAN - University of North ...
SWOT Analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats):
During the in-person workshop, the attendees were divided into three groups and asked to come up with responses
to four questions related to the Happy Hill neighborhood generally and creativity/arts spaces specifically. These
responses form the SWOT framework for Happy Hill.

Those responses in bold were mentioned by more than one group, suggesting some consensus for the shared
observations. The Action Items were developed by expanding upon this workshop-informed SWOT framework.

                        STRENGTHS                                                   WEAKNESSES
  • Picturesque/Beautiful location                              • Limited community participation
  • Diversity of community members/artists                      • Lack of indoor performance space
  • Historical sites                                            • Limited engagement with surrounding colleges –
  • Functional space/open space                                   Winston Salem State University, UNC School of the Arts,
                                                                  Salem College
  • Land, hills, houses, history
                                                                • No youth involvement
  • Blank canvas with many possibilities
                                                                • City ownership of developable land
  • New park, festive gathering place
                                                                • Lack of a cultural center
  • Community artists, past and present
                                                                • Lack of appreciation for arts and culture
  • HHNA collaboration with Kenan Institute
                                                                • Lack of compensation for time and effort

                       OPPORTUNITIES                                                   THREATS
  • Establish a multicultural arts/youth center                 • Broker and contractors bringing materialism that
  • Preserve the history/become a historic district               threatens art/community (ex: gambling)

  • Outreach to youth/expose youth to surrounding               • Commercialism
    opportunities for culture/art                               • Restrictions and lack of collaboration with city/county
  • Preservation of African American culture                    • Someone else owns the land
  • Community-lead revitalization                               • Gentrification
  • Growth and prosperity                                       • Tax shift
  • “Heritage Properties” can be used for artist residencies
  • Collaboration with local universities and colleges

                                                               Deeper Dive Workshop Photos by Owens Daniels Photography

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HAPPY HILL NEIGHBORHOOD - ARTS ACTION PLAN - University of North ...
Asset Mapping Report: Community Priorities
In a separate task, Deeper Dive had the community members review and prioritize the recommendations made in
Cheryl Harry’s 2020 Asset Mapping Report. To do this, participants were asked to choose their top three, rank them
and give feedback.

Further, Deeper Dive Consulting organized the recommendations and related feedback into three categories as shown
below:
Creative/Art
 1. Develop a Cultural Arts Center where the clock tower serves as a connector/anchor. Within this art center will
    be space for performances, art, educational, and technical classes, and a computer/technology lab.
 2. Develop a craft/market and entrepreneur outdoor space in a high trafficked area.
 3. Develop artists’ residencies for local and global artists, perhaps in historical homes currently not being used.
 4. Create a public art project utilizing the stones from the former picnic shelter that was torn down during the
    park renovations.
 5. Replicate the Across the Creek from Happy Hill exhibit for Millennials that lived in Happy Hill.
 6. The Clock Tower has the potential to be a connector for the entire community. It could include rotating art
    exhibits on the panels, small shows, storytelling, etc, and a vendor’s market from time to time.
Housing/Community
 1. Decide if Happy Hill should be established as a historical district or historical neighborhood in order to preserve
    the history, ensure the historic fabric and integrity of the community are not compromised, and gain access
    to grants and/or revenue as it relates to arts from that community. Understand how a designation relates to
    zoning and land ownership and begin the process towards a designation.
 2. Partner with Liberia, Africa to have a student exchange program and student housing.
 3. Institute a Mentor Advocacy Program to help the youth/younger generation know their legal rights as it relates
    to land ownership and other issues and stress the importance of voting.
 4. Happy Hill Neighborhood Association should consider tweaking the name of the association to be more expansive
    and include cultural/ historical restoration and preservation.
 5. Institute a Mentorship Advocacy Program to help the residents advocate for their community.
Relationships/Collaborations (Partnerships)
 1. Get support from absentee landlords as it relates to historical district designation and accountability/
    responsibility of renters.
 2. Collaborate with Rising Ebenezer Baptist Church to create an arts and educational program related to the
    cemetery
 3. Re-engage with the city’s Parks & Recreation department to gain priority of use of facilities at Happy Hill
    without fees and restrictions.
 4. Re-engage City’s Recreation Department/paid staff to work with the community in presenting the reunion.
 5. Contact Carter G. Woodson Charter School to see if they would consider outreach programming in the community.
 6. Develop a closer relationship with the staff at HAWS.
 7. Work with Rising Ebenezer Baptist Church to enhance the cemetery. Ideas included developing an art project
    that could list the names of the burials or some other memorial that pay tribute as well as develop an educational
    program about the history of the cemetery.
 8. Get buy-in from absentee landlords, as well as the Housing Authority of Winston-Salem (HAWS), in order to
    ensure the vitality of the community.
(see Addendum I (page 38) for the full Deeper Dive Workshop report)
*The top community-prioritized recommendations for each category are in bold.
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Civic Leader Stakeholder Conversations
With assistance from the Kenan Institute, Artspace Consulting conducted one-on-one Zoom interviews with the Housing
Authority of Winston-Salem (HAWS), the Winston-Salem / Forsyth County Planning Department, and Councilmember
Annette Scippio. The purpose of these meetings was to identify civic and departmental goals or programs that align
with Happy Hill resident priorities, and to learn about any resources and other support that might be useful to HHNA
when implementing its Arts Action Plan. The following topics were discussed with each of the three participants:
  ● Their understanding of the vision for Happy Hill
  ● City goals that align with creative space development and activations
  ● The level of interest in accessing and supporting creative space and people in the neighborhood
  ● Input on the types of spaces needed
  ● Other planning and priorities that are happening locally that impact Happy Hill
Key takeaways from these conversations are summarized below.
Housing Authority of Winston Salem (HAWS) // Executive Director, Kevin Cheshire
  ● The Happy Hill primary development area that is owned by HAWS is close to and offers views of downtown.
     There is support for a mixed-income project and demand for 60-100 units of mixed-use housing.
  ● Happy Hill is slated as the next HAWS community priority and focus should shift within six months. This would
     make Happy Hill a priority by early 2021 suggesting a short window of time for the HHNA to determine what if
     anything it would want of the new development efforts in their community, and to organize its advocacy efforts.
  ● HAWS supports a new development concept that includes an arts component such as studio/creative
     workspace that serves the community alongside workforce housing. It is critical to preserve the cultural
     identity of the community.
Winston-Salem/Forsyth County, Planning Department // Planner, Kelly Bennett
  ● The Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Public Art Commission has just completed its Public Art Plan that puts
     public art in parks and city-owned facilities, community-led special projects, the creative sector economy
     (including small businesses) and local artist engagement at the forefront.
  ● There are a number of alignments with HHNA/HHA priorities in the October 2020 released Public Art Plan that
    can be found here.
Winston-Salem City Council // Councilmember Annette Scippio, East Ward
  ● It was shared that development interests and proposals for the HAWS owned sites are active, underscoring
     the need for focussed advocacy if HHNA/HHA is interested in advocating for new creative space in the
     development.
  ● There is a lack of retail and restaurants, and places where money can be spent in Happy Hill. The city does
     have funding that could be explored for initiatives that increase economic development activity in an area. She
     sees this as a two prong approach for Happy Hill: arts AND economic investment.
     NOTE: These are not mutually exclusive priorities. Placemaking/placekeeping projects that offer economic
     benefit through increased pedestrian activity, partnerships with local businesses, and support of local artists
     who may be selling or presenting creative, craft, and cultural work do both.
  ● Building upon this, she shared that a broad definition of who is an artist, maker/craftsperson, or culture bearer
     needs to be adopted and creatives of all types brought together for programs like demonstrations (for visibility
     and sales) and to learn the transferable value of their skills. An example of a seamstress who might find
     employment in a costume shop was offered.
  ● There needs to be a broader vision for new spaces in the area where people can gather and for resident-
     serving amenities like a grocery store.
  ● If Happy Hill has an actionable plan, she can help identify city funding.
  ● She voiced the importance of telling the history of Happy Hill for current and future residents and visitors.

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Conversation Takeaways
There are some interesting synergies that came out of these three conversations that align with the identified
community priorities. Kevin Cheshire indicated support for helping to preserve the cultural identity of Happy Hill
and for incorporating creative spaces into new development efforts. Kelly Benett shared that the proposed Winston-
Salem / Forsyth County’s Public Art Plan calls for consideration of public art and implementation funding including a
percent for art program.

NOTE: Some percent for art ordinances nationally fund not only public art, but the spaces in which art is created and
shared with the public, which is something to consider in Winston-Salem.

In addition the Public Art Plan prioritizes advancing the local public art economy and supporting emerging artists
through special programs including artist initiated projects and mentorships. It calls out locations for public art
including neighborhoods and parks including public buildings such as recreation centers. It looks to emphasize
projects that honor history and significant people who have positively impacted the community. It also looks to fund
community-driven creative placemaking projects. The plan, if adopted, aligns well with HHNA/HHA priorities. Working
with the Public Art Commission, in the context of this new plan could lead to helpful infrastructure and resources.
Finally, Councilwoman Scippio expressed her support and willingness to continue working with the community to
advance specific projects and seek funding support from the city. She is an important ally and advocate for the
community.

Continuing the Conversation
The input from these three leaders suggests some possible next steps for Happy Hill including:
  ● Seek to have creative space incorporated into any new large-scale development planned for Happy Hill. The
     fact that HAWS owns the land and there may be public funds put toward a new project, both HAWS and
     possibly the city have significant leverage to require that interested developers include creative space for the
     community’s benefit. Keep Mr. Cheshire abreast of the HHNA’s advocacy work for this sort of space. Given
     the shortened timeline, determining what it would like to see in a new development should be prioritized if of
     interest to HHNA/HHA. Creative spaces could be for example:
       - Studio/work space,
       - Commercial space for emerging creative
         businesses,
       - Community garden/culinary space for serving
         healthy, local produce,
       - Artist housing,
       - Classroom/teaching space,
       - Gallery/exhibition space,
       - Artist-in-residency space, or
       - A space where a cultural center might operate.
         The vision put forth by HHNA/HHA could
         specify its organization as the long-term            Deeper Dive Workshop Photo by Owens Daniels Photography
         operator of the space.
  ● Work with Kelly Bennett and the Public Art Commission to support the Public Art Plan and understand how
     existing programs and an adopted plan might offer resources for advancing any of the public art oriented
     Action Items pursued by HHA.
  ● Advocate for both new creative space and city funding/policy resources with the help of Councilwoman
     Scippio that align with priority projects.

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SWOT Recommendations
As a next step in the Arts Action Plan development process, Artspace Consulting reflected on the SWOT analysis
conducted by Deeper Dive Consulting and expanded it to consider the relationships between the opportunities and
threats and the strengths and weaknesses and provided a framework to balance each attribute. The expanded SWOT
chart that follows, offers insight into how the overarching goals and the Action Items were developed.

                                 Strengths:                                        Weaknesses:
                                 ●   Picturesque/Beautiful location               ● Limited community participation
                                 ●   Diversity of community members/artists       ● Lack of indoor performance space
                                 ●   Historical sights                            ● Limited engagement with surrounding
                                 ●   Functional space/open space                    colleges – Winston Salem State
                                 ●   Land, hills, houses, history                   University, UNC School of the Arts, Salem
                                                                                    College
                                 ●   Blank canvas with many possibilities
                                                                                  ● No youth involvement
                                 ●   New park, festive gathering place
                                                                                  ● City ownership of developable land
                                 ●   Community artists, past and present
                                                                                  ● Lack of a cultural center
                                 ●   HHNA collaboration with Kenan Institute
                                                                                  ● Lack of appreciation for arts and culture
                                                                                  ● Lack of compensation for time and effort

  Opportunities:                 Opportunity-Strength (OS)                        Opportunity-Weakness (OW)
  ● Establish a multicultural     • The diversity and unique history of the        • Including performance space in any
    arts/youth center               community makes it prime to become a             new multicultural center, or using some
  ● Preserve the history/           historic district and tell the community’s       space in the Sims Rec Center for indoor
    become a historic district      story in a new unique way.                       performance.
  ● Outreach to youth/expose      • The path to a historic district can help       • Having a project around historic
    youth to surrounding            preserve the culture, make a plan for            preservation, cultural outreach,
    opportunities for culture/      heritage properties.                             storytelling that works with classes at
    art                           • Collaborate with local universities              the surrounding colleges.
  ● Preservation of African         and architecture departments around            • Finding a cross-sector project that
    American culture                storytelling and historic preservation of        involves the youth and other community
                                    the district.                                    members. Cultural and historic
  ● Community lead
                                  • It is a blank canvas with a great location,      preservation can have many facets.
    revitalization
                                    and open space to recreate and redefine        • City/public ownership of developable
  ● Growth and prosperity
                                    its history moving forward.                      land is an opportunity to make
  ● “Heritage Properties”                                                            community space come to fruition.
                                  • Space for a multicultural center that tells
    can be used for artist
                                    the history and serves the community.
    residencies
                                  • The existing HHNA can lead this process.
  ● Collaboration with local
    universities and colleges

  Threats (Risks):               Threat-Strength (TS)                             Threat-Weakness (TW)
  ● Broker and contractors        • A strong unified HHNA voice can help           • Bringing new people into the process
    bringing materialism that       influence future development and                 can engage new community members
    threatens art/community         businesses growth in the community.              who may find a new interest
    (ex: gambling)                • Have a connection with the City                • Having a clear plan and process for
  ● Commercialism                   Planning/Historic Preservation office            neighborhood initiatives can help with
                                    that can be a resource through this              collaboration with the city/county
  ● Restrictions and lack of
                                    process as well as elected official            • Placemaking/Placekeeping projects
    collaboration with city/
                                    support.                                         that highlight the local community and
    county
                                                                                     bring pride. It can’t thwart gentrification,
  ● Someone else owns the                                                            but bring a new sense of place and
    land                                                                             ownership and highlight art/culture in
  ● Gentrification                                                                   new ways.
  ● Tax shift

                                                                                                                                    13
ARTS ACTION PLAN: OVERVIEW
ARTS ACTION PLAN: Themes
A number of important themes emerged during the SWOT analysis and include:
  ● Happy Hill is a great location with great city views, but there is a fear of gentrification for the community.
    This suggests an opportunity for the HHNA to play a lead advocacy role and influence how the neighborhood
    evolves.

  ● Creating a deeper sense of place and community is important to residents.

  ● The history and unique culture of Happy Hill is important and needs to be highlighted.

  ● New creative placemaking/placekeeping activities should be inclusive and involve all age groups and both
     residential renters and owners.

  ● There is a disconnect between the neighborhood, surrounding universities, city staff etc.

  ● There needs to be an economic development component that serves the neighborhood as part of any new
     projects.

  ● There is a need for dedicated space(s) for creativity, including for example, a cultural center.

                                     ARTS ACTION PLAN: Goals
     The themes that emerged from the community suggest four critical goals for Happy Hill.

     1.          Honor and share Happy Hill’s history and sense of place.
      2.         Use arts and culture as a community engagement and
                 economic development tool.
     3.          Build cross-sector partnerships and collaboration through new
                 programs and creative activities (e.g. area universities, W-S
                 creative businesses/organizations, city agencies, etc.)
     4.          Limit gentrifying impacts of new development.

                                                              Deeper Dive Workshop Photos by Owens Daniels Photography
                                                                                                                     14
ARTS ACTION PLAN: Priority Timelines
Deeper Dive Consulting in its work, organized the community-prioritized recommendations into short and long-term
categories. These are the length of time it might take to plan and implement related projects. Framing these as
short and long-term priorities helps to make undertaking new projects more manageable. Building upon this work,
Artspace consolidated similar priorities and modified some of the timelines to arrive at the following:

                                                            Short-term (1-3 years) priorities:
                                                              1. Outdoor space for a craft/market and entrepreneur
                                                                 pop-up space, and other creative placemaking
                                                                 activities.
                                                              2. Clocktower revitalization. The Clock Tower has the
                                                                 potential to be a connector for the entire community.
                                                                 It could include rotating art exhibits on the panels,
                                                                 small shows, storytelling, etc, and a vendor’s market
                                                                 from time to time.
                                                              3. Public art project that engages younger artists/
                                                                 creatives
                                                              4. Replicate the Across the Creek from Salem exhibit
                                                                 (see page 24 for the original)
                                                              5. Establish Happy Hill as an historic district or historic
                                                                 neighborhood.
                                                              6. Institute a Mentor Advocacy Program to help the
                                                                 youth/younger generation know their legal rights
                                                                 as it relates to land ownership and other issues and
                                                                 stress the importance of voting.
                                                              7. Partner with Rising Ebenezer Baptist Church to
                                                                 create an arts and educational program. Ideas
                                                                 included developing an art project that could list
                                                                 the names of the burials or some other memorial
                                                                 that pay tribute as well as develop an educational
 Deeper Dive Workshop Photos by Owens Daniels Photography        program about the history of the cemetery.
                                                              8. Re-engage with the City’s Parks & Recreation
                                                                 Department to gain priority of use of facilities in
                                                                 Happy Hill without fees and restrictions and to
                                                                 discuss presenting the annual reunion.
Longer-term priorities (3-7 years):
 1. Develop a Cultural Arts Center with space for performances; art, educational and technical classes, and a
    computer/technology lab.
 2. Artist residencies for local and global artists in vacant historic homes.
 3. Partnership with Liberia to have a student exchange program and student housing.
 4. Get buy-in from absentee landlords, including the Housing Authority of Winston-Salem (HAWS), in order to
    ensure the vitality of the community and develop a closer relationship.
 5. Partnership with Carter G. Woodson Charter School to see if they would consider outreach programming in the
    community.
 6. Get support from absentee landlords as it related to historical district designation and accountability/
    responsibility of renters.
                                                                                                                        15
Deeper Dive Workshop Photos by Owens Daniels Photography

IMPLEMENTATION INFRASTRUCTURE: Forming Committees
In order to tackle these priorities and related projects in the community, the people in Happy Hill are the biggest asset
and “The Who” that will drive these to completion. To get started, Artspace Consulting recommends forming two
leadership committees under HHNA/HHA. The two committees: Creative Placemaking/Placekeeping and Advocacy
& Outreach are defined below. To aid communication and coordination between the committees, having a few people
overlap between committees is advisable.

Artspace Consulting also suggests that the leadership of this committee attend the Creative Placemaking Leadership
Summit: South co-presented by South Arts and the National Consortium for Creative Placemaking (NCCP). The
annual gathering explores how arts and cultural programming can be forces for connection and community resilience
throughout the southeastern United States. “As our communities become more diverse, they may also become more
divided. Creative placemaking provides ways to build bridges across these differences in hopes of more inclusive,
connected, and resilient places. Join us as we explore how arts and cultural programming can bring people closer
together.” Learn more about the summit here.

1) Creative Placemaking/Placekeeping Committee
 ●   Goal of Committee: Advance projects related to artist/creative uses including pop-ups, The Clocktower
     activation, murals and public art, and other activities that enhance the quality of the place.

 ●   The membership of this committee can coincide with the membership/leadership of Happy Hill Arts, but also
     be a catalyst to encourage new younger members and creatives to join the leadership team. The programming
     ideas presented in the Arts Action Plan, can then be discussed by this group and agreed upon. We advise this
     committee to choose their top 1 or 2 action items to start with. Artspace has outlined ideas for most of the ones
     identified by the community, but know that community work like this takes time and energy and advancing 1 or
     2 projects forward at first is more effective than trying to do all at the same time.

 ●   Creative Placemaking across the country has become a misnomer for gentrification in certain instances. For a
     community such as Happy Hill, we want to emphasize “Creative Placekeeping” as well as Placemaking.

 ●   NOTE: “Placekeeping is the active care and maintenance of a place and its social fabric by the people who live
     and work there. It is not just preserving buildings but keeping the cultural memories associated with a locale
     alive, while supporting the ability of local people to maintain their way of life as they choose.”

                                                                                                                        16
WHAT IS CREATIVE PLACEMAKING?
 Creative placemaking projects help to transform communities into lively, beautiful, and resilient places with
 the arts at their core. Creative placemaking is when artists, arts organizations, and community development
 practitioners deliberately integrate arts and culture into community revitalization work - placing arts at the
 table with land-use, transportation, economic development, education, housing, infrastructure, and public safety
 strategies. Creative placemaking supports local efforts to enhance quality of life and opportunity for existing
 residents, increase creative activity, and create a distinct sense of place.
 Our Town is the National Endowment for the Arts’ creative placemaking grant program. Exploring Our Town
 features 78 case studies of Our Town-funded projects.
 Creative placemaking integrates arts, culture, and design activities into efforts that strengthen communities.
 Creative placemaking requires partnership across sectors and helps to advance local economic, physical, social,
 and/or systems change.
 Arts, culture, and design activities can help to:
  • Bring new attention to or elevate key community assets and issues, voices of residents, local history, or
    cultural infrastructure.
  • Inject new or additional energy, resources, activity, people, or enthusiasm into a place, community issue, or
    local economy.
  • Envision new possibilities for a community or place - a new future, a new way of overcoming a challenge, or
    approaching problem-solving.
  • Connect communities, people, places, and economic opportunity via physical spaces or new relationships.
 Source: Arts.gov

2) Advocacy and Outreach Committee
 ● Goal of the Committee: Advocate on behalf of the
    neighborhood to advance associated goals and
    projects identified in this Arts Action Plan. Pursue
    local historic district designation in an effort to
    preserve the cultural heritage and history of the
    unique Happy Hill community. Affordable housing
    and a better relationship with the Housing Authority
    of Winston-Salem was one of the stated goals, and
    this committee would also be the liaison between
    Happy Hill and HAWS and the advocate for the
    future of the community.

 ● The membership of this committee can be the
    Happy Hill Neighborhood Association leadership, or
    new residents interested in historic preservation,        Deeper Dive Workshop Photo by Owens Daniels Photography
    history, affordable housing, and supporting the cultural community. This committee would be focused on
    the projects and goals associated with larger advocacy and outreach on behalf of the neighborhood. This
    can include meetings with City stakeholders, Parks and Recreation staff, as well as pursuing the historic
    designation of the neighborhood and the associated tasks. Many of these projects are in the longer-term
    timeframe and take dedication and commitment to see true change happen.

                                                                                                                    17
ARTS ACTION PLAN: ACTION ITEMS
People within the Happy Hill community are at the heart of moving any of these action items forward, therefore
breaking down the action items first by committee and then by timeline was the approach Artspace Consulting used
to outline an action plan. The action items below are listed by committee and timeframe, not in order of importance.
Each of these items are further detailed in the report with a few partnership and funding suggestions and a synopsis
of an inspirational case study to glean from. Each of the goals listed align with the overall community goals from the
box on page 14.

                                                       Creative Placemaking/Placekeeping
                                                                                                              Relevant                      Page
                                Action Item           Alignment with Community Goals
                                                                                               Case Studies/ Resources for inspiration       #s

                              ST1. Arts            Goal 2: Arts and Culture as a community    Transforming a Vacant Lot                     20-22
                              Activation: Pop-     development and economic development       Pegasus Garden // Lansing, Michigan
                              up event space/      tool
                              outdoor market                                                  Engaging youth to redesign vacant space
                                                   Goal 3: Build cross-sector partnerships    Tired-A-Lot Project // Fort Wayne, Indiana
 Timeframe: SHORT-TERM (ST)

                                                                                              Creative Placemaking on Vacant Properties:
                                                                                              Lessons Learned from Four Cities

                                                                                              Project for Public Spaces

                                                                                              LISC Creative Placemaking
                              ST2. Revitalize      Goal 1: Honor and share Happy Hill’s       Imagining New Monuments                       22-23
                              the Clocktower       history and sense of place.                Paper Monuments // New Orleans, LA

                                                   Goal 4: Limit gentrifying impacts of new
                                                   development.
                              ST3. Create          Goal 1: Honor and share Happy Hill’s       Messaging Through Art                         24-25
                              a Public Art         history and sense of place                 Blights Out by Colloqate // New Orleans, LA
                              Project that
                              tells the story of   Goal 2: Arts and Culture as a community    Local Banner Art Program
                              Happy Hill           development tool                           Think Hopkins // Hopkins, Minnesota

                                                   Goal 3: Build cross-sector partnerships    Utility Box Art //Glendale, California

                                                                                              Forecast Public Art

                                                                                              Winston-Salem 2020-2030 Public Art Plan

                                                                                                                                                    18
Creative Placemaking/Placekeeping
                                                                                                           Relevant                         Page
                               Action Item         Alignment with Community Goals
                                                                                            Case Studies/ Resources for inspiration          #s

                             LT1. Plan for a    Goal 1: Honor and share Happy Hill’s       Advocating for Funding                           26-27
                             Cultural Arts      history and sense of place.                SPLOST Funding // Griffin, Georgia
                             Center
                                                Goal 2: Arts and Culture as a community    Cultural Space in an historic African-American
Timeframe: LONG-TERM (LT)

                                                development and economic development       context
                                                tool                                       Orange Mound Arts Council (OMAC)//
                                                                                           Memphis, TN
                                                Goal 3: Build cross-sector partnerships
                                                                                           Artspace Consulting Technical Assistance
                                                Goal 4: Limit gentrifying impacts of new
                                                development.
                             LT2. Develop       Goal 1: Honor and share Happy Hill’s       Turning Vacant Homes into Arts Destinations      28
                             artists’           history and sense of place                 // Maboneng Township Arts Experience
                             residencies for                                               Johannesburg, South Africa
                             local and global   Goal 2: Arts and Culture as a community
                             artists            development and economic development
                                                tool

                                                Goal 3: Build cross-sector partnerships
                             LT3. Begin a     Goal 1: Honor and share Happy Hill’s         Exposure to International Travel                 29
                             student exchange history and sense of place                   Son of a Saint // New Orleans, Louisiana
                             program and
                             student housing  Goal 3: Build cross-sector Partnerships      Sister Cities International
                             in partnership
                             with Liberia

                                                                   Advocacy/Outreach
                                                                                                           Relevant                         Page
                               Action Item         Alignment with Community Goals
                                                                                            Case Studies/ Resources for inspiration          #s
Timeframe: SHORT-TERM (ST)

                             ST1. Lay the       Goal 1: Honor and share Happy Hill’s       Winston-Salem Local Historic Districts           30-31
                             groundwork         history and sense of place
                             for the historic                                              Historic Preservation // Glendale, California
                             district           Goal 4: Limit gentrifying impacts of new
                             designation        development.
                             process
                             ST2. Re-engage     Goal 3: Build cross-sector Partnerships    Re-imagining Possibilities in Park Space         32
                             the City’s Parks                                              Detroit, Michigan
                             & Recreation
                             Department                                                    City Parks Alliance’s Equitable Parks Funding
                                                                                           Hub
                             ST3. Advocate      Goal 3: Build cross-sector Partnerships    Creative Spaces in Existing Housing              32-33
                             for Happy Hill                                                Developments
                             with the Housing   Goal 4: Limit gentrifying impacts of new   Engaged Aging // Multiple cities and states
                             Authority of       development.
                             Winston Salem
                             (HAWS)

                                                                                                                                                    19
Advocacy/Outreach
                                                                                                           Relevant                     Page
                                Action Item         Alignment with Community Goals
                                                                                            Case Studies/ Resources for inspiration      #s
 Timeframe: LONG-TERM (LT)

                              LT1. Institute a   Goal 1: Honor and share Happy Hill’s       Flowers and Bullets in Tucson, Arizona     34
                              Mentor Advocacy    history and sense of place
                              Program                                                       Son of a Saint in New Orleans
                              to help the        Goal 3: Build cross-sector Partnerships
                              youth/younger                                                 Foundation supported Youth Engagement
                              generation         Goal 4: Limit gentrifying impacts of new   LEAD // Colorado Springs, Colorado
                                                 development.
                              LT2. Continue     Goal 1: Honor and share Happy Hill’s        Partnering with Graduate Students          34-35
                              Historic District history and sense of place                  Hinge Collectives // Philadelphia,
                              Designation work                                              Pennsylvania
                                                Goal 3: Build cross-sector Partnerships

                                                 Goal 4: Limit gentrifying impacts of new
                                                 development.

                                          Creative Placemaking/Placekeeping Committee:
                                                   Short-Term (1-3 year) Projects
Action Item ST1: Arts Activation: Pop-up event space/outdoor market
An outdoor space for a craft/market and entrepreneur pop-up space, and other creative placemaking activities.

Placemaking activities can be as large or small as the organizers are looking to plan. Artspace Consulting has
provided projects of various sizes and scales that have been a source of pride for a community. Creative Placemaking/
placekeeping as a community-centered process, is a powerful tool to support equitable revitalization.

During the COVID-19 pandemic in light of not being able to gather inside, we’ve seen various small scale placemaking
activities from outdoor yoga, exercise, meditation and Zumba classes, to socially distant movies in the park/drive-ins,
outdoor dance and theater performances, and outdoor large picnic style meals in the streets.
        ● Step 1: Research activities that the community would like to see in Happy Hill. See example case studies on the
                             following pages and in the table above or from the feedback the community gave earlier in the report.
                                - For Inspiration: 78 Case study examples of creative placemaking projects funded by Our Town Grants
                                - Creative Placemaking on Vacant Properties: Lessons learned from four cities (2018 publication)
        ● Step 2: Identify outdoor and/or indoor spaces for a craft/market and entrepreneur pop-up space, and other
                         creative placemaking activities in a high trafficked area and work with the owner to host the event/pop-up.
                         The Sims Center parking lot used for recent Happy Hill Arts events is an example, but there may be others.
                         Reviewing the existing and new places for creativity from the Bus Tour community feedback on page 7 could
                         be helpful.
        ● Step 3: Identify local partners for programming.
                               - If looking to create a market, find potential vendors and organizations that would like to partner. Project
                                 for Public Spaces is a great resource on creating outdoor spaces for the public.
                               - If looking to create a dance/entertainment oriented placemaking program, look at partners working
                                 around Winston-Salem that may be interested in partnering on an event/outdoor pop-up.
                               - If exploring a project on vacant space, the Center for Community Progress has a wealth of resources and
                                 information.
                                                                                                                                               20
- Pop-up spaces/placemaking does not have to be limited to audiences in Happy Hill.
       - The beauty of creative placemaking is that art doesn’t necessarily only need to be shown in galleries and
         community arts centers. Unconventional places can be home to art displays and gallery shows as well,
         from the community rooms, hallways at the local housing development, inside businesses, and even in the
         Happy Hill Sims Recreation Center.
 ● Step 4: Develop a project plan and budget. (e.g. Will this take place once a week, once a month, or as a one-
    time event?, What is the “to-do” list?)
 ● Step 5: Pursue funding. Suggested funding paths for Creative Placemaking projects nationally include LISC
    (Local Initiatives Support Corporation), and locally the City’s philanthropic and public art commission funding
    may be good sources, depending on the size and scale. Project for Public Spaces has a list of innovative
    funding programs for placemaking.
        - Through LISC’s Creative Placemaking Program. They offer:
           * Financing for creative placemaking projects through loans, grants and equity investments.
           * Technical assistance for local community groups to integrate the arts and culture into their
             revitalization activities.
           * Research and learning opportunities for community groups and funders to understand and support
             more enduring, equitable placemaking programs
 ● Step 6: Have the event!

                        ST1. Example Case Study: Transforming a Vacant Lot
                               Pegasus Garden // Lansing, Michigan

Pegasus Garden is located in the Prospect Place neighborhood in Lansing, Michigan. Pegasus Garden is described
by the local community as “in addition to growing food, the space serves as a spot for neighbors to sit and visit,
kids to play, and where we sometimes hold potlucks, campfires, and neighborhood meetings. We even held a free
community concert adjacent to the space. The garden is also
the site of our communal compost bin, memorial flower bed,
tool shed (from which neighbors can borrow tools), and our
little free library. Several factors prompted neighbors to create
this place. A house was demolished, creating a vacant lot. Drug
activity was believed to be taking place across the street from
this location. Neighbors wanted to create a colorful space for
gathering and gardening that would signal to those who live
here and those passing by that we live in a connected, vibrant,
and caring community. Over the years we have improved our
garden adding a paved path and ‘really raised beds’ so that
when we had neighbors in wheelchairs they could garden with
us…Our garden is unique in that it is communal; there are no
individual plots. Anyone can plant, weed, water and/or share
in the harvest…The Pegasus Garden has become a bright and
colorful community asset.”

Source: Center for Community Progress

                                                                                                                      21
ST1. Example Case Study: Engaging youth to redesign vacant space
                           Tired-A-Lot project // Fort Wayne, Indiana

The Mount Vernon Park Neighborhood Association in
Fort Wayne, Indiana runs the Tired-A-Lot project and
studio for neighborhood youth to involve them in the
transformation of vacant properties, explained Réna
Bradley, Community Development Director at Bridge of
Grace Compassionate Ministries Center, in an interview.
Several years ago, a community listening tour surfaced
four priorities: safety, recreation for kids, a welcoming
environment/community pride, and beautification. Youth
worked with local architects to redesign a vacant lot, and
were even the ones who took the project to the Zoning
Land Use Board to advocate for the needed zoning
changes and special use permit. They were present when
the Board approved the request, laying the foundation of
what would eventually become the Tired-A-Lot studio.

Source: Center for Community Progress

Action Item ST2: Revitalize the Clocktower
The Clock Tower has the potential to be a connector for the
entire community. It could, as suggested by community
members, include rotating art exhibits on the panels,
small shows, storytelling, etc, and a vendor’s market
from time to time. Given that the clocktower still needs
repairing and is an on-going project in itself, it is separate
from Action Item 1.
  ● Step 1: Determine what the community would like
     to see from the completed clock tower.
  ● Step 2: Set up a meeting with the city (owner) and
     demonstrate the values, interest, importance, and
     momentum from the community around revitalizing
     the Clock Tower.
        - The Happy Hill Art Anthology event in June
          around art at the Clock Tower is a great
          example of creative placemaking and advocacy
          working hand in hand (at right).
  ● Step 3: Have the City (owner) determine the budget
     for fixing the clocktower, if this has not already
     been completed.
  ● Step 4: Work towards funding the Clocktower
     revitalization project. These funds can work in
     tandem with a grant for a creative placemaking
     project, or as part of the lead-up to historic
     preservation district designation on page 30.               Source: Happy Hill Neighborhood Association Twitter

         - ArtBlocks provides a handy step by step guide on Creating Community Centered Spaces.

                                                                                                                   22
ST2. Example Case Study: Imagining New Monuments
                            Paper Monuments // New Orleans, Louisiana
Paper Monuments was a public art and public history project
designed to elevate the voices of the people of New Orleans, as
a critical process towards creating new narratives and symbols
of our city that represent our collective vision, and to honor the
erased histories of the people, places, movements, and events
that have made up the past 300 years as we look to the future.

Project Values: The core values of Paper Monuments were equity,
integrity, and collaboration. We envisioned the role of our team
as coordinating the efforts and supporting the visions of a broad
collective of residents, scholars, artists, and activists.

In centering equity, we set an honorarium for artwork that
recognizes the value of our local visual artists, often overlooked
in discussions of New Orleans’ cultural economy and we worked
to ensure that both the content and the creators of all our pieces reflect the diverse populations of our city.

In centering integrity, we committed to honor all public proposal submissions, and to include them in archives and
maps, knowing that some may be offensive or abusive. We provided an opportunity for all community members to
speak at our events.

In centering collaboration, we built relationships with small business owners throughout the city to distribute posters
while helping to drive new customers to their stores. We partnered with public institutions such as the University
of New Orleans and the New Orleans Public Library to provide research and archival support locally, and are part of
an emerging cohort of organizations and projects across the country working to reconsider the role of public art and
public history in our cities.

Art, in the form of murals, installations and galleries, may be a tool of gentrification and displacement, particularly
in resource-deprived communities of color. Framing Histories seeks to ‘frame’ reinvestment through the stories of
these neighborhoods, their people and their spatial practices, rather than displacing and replacing them.

                                                                                         Photo Source: Paper Monuments
                                                                                                                          23
Action Item ST3: Create a Public Art Project that tells the story of Happy Hill
and engages younger artists/creatives

Public art has such a profound impact on a community and can be used as a storytelling tool. It’s a great way to get
younger artists/creatives involved in the community with a low barrier to entry.
  ● Step 1: Determine the size and scale of the public art project that the committee would like to undertake.
       - Ideas from the community workshops and feedback include: a modern replica of the “Across the Creek
         from Salem” exhibit (see sidebar of the original). With such an interesting history, showcasing it in Happy
         Hill and in and around Winston-Salem, could bring new audiences to the community.
       - Another idea included partnering with Rising Ebenezer Baptist Church to develop an art project that
         could list the names of the burials or some other memorial that pay tribute as well as the history of the
         cemetery.
       - Another idea included creating a public art project utilizing the stones from the former picnic shelter that
         was torn down during the park renovations.
       - Other ideas from Artspace’s experience are public art projects on City-owned utility boxes, similar to the
         Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Public Art Plan’s recommendation for a traffic signal box mural program
         (See a handy how-to guide here from Glendale, CA), Banners on light poles, or take advantage of existing
         advertising billboards with low advertising costs. Of course empty walls also provide for a great canvas.
       - There are examples of youth involved mural programs nationally. One example is the Daily High School
         in Glendale CA whose art students work in
         partnership with a local muralist to create new
         works on school walls and public or private
         spaces. Workshop examples can be found on the
         artist’s website.
 ● Step 2: Reach out to Forecast Public Art, a nonprofit
     in St. Paul, MN, that works nationally and often in
     tandem with Artspace, who fosters dynamic,
     inclusive and resilient communities through
     public art, community-engaged design and
     transformative placemaking. They have a
     wealth of resources and information, and
     offer some pro-bono consulting services.
 ● Step 3: Meet with Kelly Bennett, City Planner
    with the City of Winston-Salem to learn more
    about the Public Art Plan and how Happy Hill
    might align its priorities and projects with it.
    The Winston-Salem, Forsyth County Public
    Arts Plan was recently approved and as it is
    implemented over the coming years, offers a
    number of opportunities for Happy Hill and
    its artists.
 ● Step 4: Area universities and schools are
    also great partners on public art projects.
    They may be able to assist with providing
    students and leaders interested in art,
    community development, history etc. One
    example highlighted below from New Orleans                                 Above: Glendale Beyond the Box Program
    was a project between the community and the University of                 Below: Across the Creek Exhibit, 1998, 2010
    New Orleans students to capture stories of local residents.              Source: Asset Mapping Report, Cheryl Harry

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