Creative Greensboro Annual Report 2022-23

IN THE COMMUNITY PARTNERS

This year, Creative Greensboro continued to bring arts close to home and enhance our downtown’s built environment with the Neighborhood Arts and Downtown Arts programs. The Neighborhood Arts Residency Program expanded to include Random Woods and the Mill District . Each community hosted a professional artist for a six-month, $22,500 residency to offer arts experiences and create community-informed artwork. In the Mill District, artist Chuck Johnson created two crosswalk murals, one honoring textile workers and one that highlights the fruit trees in the area. Emilio Marz created a basketball court mural and backboard art in Random Woods Park with input for the designs from students at Alderman Elementary. Neighborhood Arts also hosted a poetry and visual art workshop for Dudley Heights at Barber Park, supported the Blues and Foods Market concert series near the Kings Forest neighborhood, and hosted story-telling and arts activities with artist Tamra Hunt at The People’s Market in Glenwood . Hunt’s work highlighted the Native/Indigenous community’s history in CONNECTING COMMUNITIES WITH CREATIVITY

Creative Greensboro aligns with my goals in that their platform provides a stage for creativity, inclusivity and connectedness. Creative Greensboro encourages artists to build on their skills and creates a public showcase for the community.

— Bevelyn Ukah Artist

My team and I were thrilled to work within the neighborhood to learn about its rich history to honor the mill workers of the past and to connect with residents today. This program sparked an interest in art and community- building within the neighborhood that feels very rewarding to me to be a part of it.

— Chuck Johnson

Mill District Artist in Residence

including the eagle feather, figures representing family, and a hair braid. In its second year, the Downtown Arts program chose 10 artists to be featured on downtown electric kiosks. Bevelyn Ukah was chosen to do a special commission piece, entitled “Our Collective Table.” A large reproduction of the mixed-media piece hangs at city hall. The original is now part of the City’s permanent art collection.

Greensboro, and inspired a crosswalk mural which, according to Hunt, features colors representing the eight Native tribes of North Carolina and symbols of cultural importance,

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