Creative Greensboro Annual Report 2024-25

2024 2025

ANNUAL REPORT CREATIVE GREENSBORO

CREATIVEGREENSBORO.COM • 336-373-2026 • GREENSBORO CULTURAL CENTER • 200 N. DAVIE ST., SUITE 101

Our Work

A NOTE FROM Jackie

Creative Greensboro is where imagination meets action. We’re here to fuel the city’s creative energy—supporting artists, championing cultural events, and making space for bold ideas that bring Greensboro to life. But we’re not doing it alone. Every step forward is powered by our amazing partners, from City Council and the Cultural Affairs Commission, to the City Manager’s Office and our vibrant community. Thanks to you, Greensboro isn’t just growing—it’s thriving.

JOCQUELYN BOONE City of Greensboro Chief Creative Economy Officer

Jocquelyn Boone

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Cover photo courtesy of Forty Three North Creative Studio

Creative Greensboro sparks creativity and helps shape a more vibrant Greensboro through various programs, partnerships, and services. Creative Greensboro’s work moves us closer to a creative ecosystem that’s sustainable, inclusive, and uniquely Greensboro. GOALS • Sustain Support: Fund artists and arts organizations to sustain a vibrant, creative ecosystem. • Advance Equity: Ensure all residents have access to arts and culture. • Empower Creatives: Provide opportunities for growth, funding, and recognition. • Promote Vibrancy: Highlight Greensboro’s creative sector and attract and engage residents and visitors. About Creative Greensboro 2024-2025 ACCOMPLISHMENTS • Provided $1 million of in-kind support to our tenant partners at the Greensboro Cultural Center. • Awarded $330,000 to support cultural organizations in Greensboro. • Supported more than 350 local creatives through funding, subsidies, and curatorial opportunities. • Delivered more than 200 opportunities for the public to engage with the performing arts. • Collaborated with more than 150 community partners and sponsors to bring vibrant citywide events and programs to life. • Provided more than 20 neighborhoods with unique programming opportunities.

ADMINISTRATIVE TEAM

Jocquelyn Boone Chief Creative Economy Officer Jake Neal

Building Manager Naomi Woods Community Partnerships Coordinator, Internal Karen Archia Community Partnerships Coordinator, External Todd Fisher Performing Arts Coordinator Meredith Gornto Music Programming & Operations Assistant Azzarea Tureaud-Borin Marketing Specialist Abi Mowbray Van Dyke Performance Space Operations Specialist

Catena Bergevin , Chair Victoria Milstein , Vice Chair Juliette Bianco Sasha Woods Cyril Howell CULTURAL AFFAIRS COMMISSION

Yolanda Ramos Leigh Ann Little Jocelyn Brown

CITY COUNCIL

Nancy Vaughan , Mayor Marikay Abuzuaiter , Mayor Pro Tem

Hugh Holston , At Large Jamilla Pinder , At Large Sharon Hightower , District 1 Goldie Wells , District 2 Zack Matheny , District 3 Nancy Hoffmann , District 4 Tammi Thurm , District 5

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Investment in Vibrancy

GREENSBORO ARTS & CULTURE ECONOMIC IMPACT

2022 Arts and Economic Prosperity 6 Study Results

3,629

JOBS SUPPORTED

TAX REVENUE $33.3M

$235.3M

ECONOMIC ACTIVITY

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The Necessity for Art and Culture What gives a city its pulse? What makes people want to move there, launch their businesses, and build their lives? The answer is vibrancy. It’s the spark that attracts, inspires, and sustains. When a city invests in vibrancy, it’s not just enhancing its image— it’s shaping its future, strengthening its economy, and laying the groundwork for a thriving, connected community. At Creative Greensboro, we’re proud to champion the creative sector— the heartbeat of our vibrant city. The future is bright, and we’re building it together. 5

Arts Sustainability

Poet Laureate Program

These funds allow us to move forward and to strengthen an already vibrant artistic community. Most importantly, it allows us to add the voices of Latino artists and our community to the cultural and artistic conversation of the city and beyond. Having a grant that allows us to use the funds according to the needs of the organization is the best thing that can happen to a small organization. It gives us agency in determining what we need to move forward. Creative Greensboro manages the City’s Poet Laureate Program to promote the art of poetry and literacy. Josephus Thompson, the inaugural laureate, led free Citywide programs and curated the City’s annual Poetry Month celebration over the last two years.

Creative Greensboro awarded $330,000 to 15 local arts and culture nonprofits through its Sustaining Creativity: Community Partnership Grants program. These grants delivered vital funding to support the operational, administrative, and programmatic needs of organizations that bring creative experiences to our community.

SUSTAINING CREATIVITY GRANTS IMPACT

750 +

ADMINISTRATIVE AND CREATIVE PROFESSIONALS EMPLOYED

SERVED 120,000

AUDIENCE MEMBERS

$3M +

— Claudia Femenias Board Co-Chair, Casa Azul of Greensboro

WAGES INJECTED INTO THE LOCAL ECONOMY

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Connecting Communities with Creativity Bringing Art Close to Home in East White Oak

Creative Greensboro’s Neighborhood Arts program has illuminated the purpose of the 109-year-old East White Oak Community Center. The mural at Revolution Park, the creation of the studio space at our center, and the other experiences that artist Chuck Johnson provided on behalf of the EWOCC are influencing people. We’re seeing more people inspired by East White Oak’s history to affect the communities where they live, learn, or lead.

Creative Greensboro supports placemaking and placekeeping through Downtown Arts and Neighborhood Programming. Through Neighborhood Arts: Curated Programs, artist Chuck Johnson (pictured) created a mural, signage, and an art studio at Revolution Park and the East White Oak Community Center (EWOCC) to honor the neighborhood’s history.

— Cathy Gant Hill

Board Chair, East White Oak Community Center

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Creative Allies Residencies in Communities Creative Allies is a one-year, neighborhood-based residency program that pairs artists with both a City department and a local neighborhood to amplify community voices in support of development efforts. In 2024-25, the inaugural year, singer-songwriter Jada Weathers (right) partnered with the Department of Housing & Neighborhood Development and the Dudley Heights community. Visual artist Jessica Jackson (above) partnered with the Human Rights Department and the Kings Forest community.

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Downtown Arts Artists 2024-2025

Activating Downtown Downtown Arts promoted 10 talented Greensboro based visual artists and enhanced the city’s center with original artwork. Each artist earned a $500 stipend and had their work displayed on the electronic kiosks throughout the year. Their names and artwork titles are listed to the right. Works are featured on the back cover of this report from left to right.

ROW 1

Olutomi Balogun “Branches and Braids” red earthenware clay Rukiya Williams “Focused Baller” digital Gabrielle Edwards “Reborn” mixed media Karrington Gardner “Sleep” oil and acrylic on canvas

ROW 2

Roymieco Carter “Shall Emerge from the Flood” acrylic Patricia Sánchez “El Luto del Inmigrante” photography Iniobong Roberts “Fragment” digital photography

ROW 3

Melanie McAllister “Alex Undone” oil on canvas Sachi Dely “Reflection” acrylic and oil on canvas Shelby DeGarmo “Blue Willow” oil paint

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The Downtown Arts Special Commission Program

Art In City Hall Creative Greensboro awarded a $3,000 commission to artist Karrington Gardner (pictured) for his vibrant piece, Resilience in Bloom. The artwork honors the rich university culture that’s deeply woven into Greensboro’s identity. A striking 10-by-20-foot reproduction will be displayed in City Hall for one year, while the original painting will join the City’s permanent art collection. See all the works on the back page of this report.

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Art In Municipal Spaces

Started in 2025, the Arts in Municipal Spaces program

Jordan Lee

enlivens City Hall by showcasing local creativity and connecting artists with City leadership. In its first year, six local visual artists (pictured) are exhibiting works in the executive offices for 12 months, displaying the city’s diverse talent to officials and visitors.

Alexis Levine

Jessica Dame

David Haynes

Travis Hicks

W. Devaul Emmett

Engaging Experiences

THEATER PARTNERS Greensboro Playwrights Forum UNCG CVPA Shared Radiance Performing Arts Company Scrapmettle LLC AIG Productions little independent theatre Theatre For All and Triad Pride Performing Arts

From Page to Stage Creative Greensboro fuels the city’s love for local theater through in-house productions and partnerships with universities and venues. In the 2024-25 season, we staged nine productions involving hundreds of emerging and veteran theater professionals in every aspect of the craft, from auditions to live performances. To keep theater programming accessible, all shows were free or charged a minimal cost.

ARTISTIC ENDEAVORS

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FREE CONCERTS

THEATRICAL PERFORMANCES 28

300 + 350 +

LOCAL MUSICIANS SUPPORTED

DRAMA PARTICIPANTS

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Supporting Local Musicians

Creative Greensboro strives to make live music accessible to everyone. Through free concerts in neighborhood parks and university stages, the department gave nearly 100 emerging and established local musicians the spotlight they deserve. Thirteen concerts featured either the Greensboro Big Band, the Philharmonia of Greensboro, Greensboro Concert Band, or the Choral Society of Greensboro, along with special events for community partners. Summer wouldn’t be complete without Music for a Sunday Evening in the Park (MUSEP). Creative Greensboro provided seven additional concerts to green spaces throughout the city—turning Sunday nights into unforgettable gatherings filled with rhythm, harmony, and community spirit.

MUSIC PROGRAMMING BY THE NUMBERS

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FREE CONCERTS

MUSICIANS SUPPORTED 70 +

25,000 + $25,000 +

CONCERT GOERS

MUSICIANS’ FEES

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Arts Viability

Greensboro Cultural Center

The Greensboro Cultural Center is more than a hub for cultural enrichment—it’s a powerful economic engine and a catalyst for job creation. Through Creative Greensboro, the City provided more than $1 million in free space to 18 arts organizations, from visual arts institutions like the GreenHill Center for NC Art, to performance groups such as Dance Project. Our tenant partners provided more than 10,000 experiences for residents and visitors in the Greensboro Cultural Center and throughout the city. The impact is tangible. The 18 organizations collectively supported nearly 1,000 full-time, part-time, and contract jobs, and injected $6.5 million in wages into the local economy.

NONPROFIT VITALITY

560

INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

LOCAL JOBS 800 +

$1.1M $6.5M

GRANTS/HONORARIUMS AWARDED

GENERATED IN LOCAL WAGES (FT, PT, CONTRACTOR WAGES)

First Friday Activation Through Curation First Friday has become a cornerstone of Greensboro’s creative pulse. The monthly events burst with energy, movement, and artistic expression. These gatherings not only give the public something consistently exciting, but also offer local creatives a high-visibility stage to curate, perform, and shine. With nearly 5,000 attendees over the year, Creative Greensboro supported 29 artist-curators and performers who brought the Cultural Center to life with rhythm, color, and creativity.

Photo courtesy of Forty Three North Creative Studio

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Empowering Creatives Creative Greensboro invests in local talent to shape the city’s future through two main programs: Greensboro Residency for Original Works (GROW) and Residency at the Hyers. The department hosted 14 paid artist residencies at the Greensboro Cultural Center in 2024-25, offering free studio space and access to the Stephen D. Hyers Theater. These opportunities empowered local creatives to develop and showcase original works, and produced more than 150 public programs. More Space for Success In the 2024-25 fiscal year, Creative Greensboro provided space and equipment rentals to 126 partners for 233 days at the Van Dyke Performance Space, a 300-seat, black box theater that draws a broad segment of the creative community to the Greensboro Cultural Center. The Creative Activation Partners (CAP) Program offered studio and classroom rentals at the Greensboro Cultural Center for just $10 an hour for creative entrepreneurs. This initiative reflects Creative Greensboro’s commitment to help small businesses grow their audiences and income. This past year, more than 200 CAP renters delivered programs that engaged nearly 25,000 guests.

Every single event held in the space— whether our CultureCon brunch, the Unity Mixer, or the ACEx Awards—was elevated because we had a responsive partner who said, ‘How can we make this work?’ instead of, ‘This won’t work.’

— Jordan Lee

Executive Producer, ACE Spirit Week Festival

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@CreativeGreensboro 2025 Downtown Arts Kiosk Art