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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
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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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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3
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
5
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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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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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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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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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.
10Civic 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.
11Conversation 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.
12SWOT 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
13ARTS 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
14ARTS 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.
15Deeper 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.”
16WHAT 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.
17ARTS 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
18Creative 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)
19Advocacy/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
21ST1. 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.
22ST2. 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
23Action 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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