U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Gov. Roy Cooper, Creative Corridors Coalition, and local officials attended the groundbreaking of the multi-use path on Tuesday, July 2nd, 2024, in Winston-Salem, NC. The path is now under construction and expected to be complete in mid-2025. It will run beside the Salem Parkway from Truist Ball Park east to the heart of downtown. It will eventually extend west to Atrium Wake Forest Baptist Hospital. The path will intersect with the existing Strollway and the future site of The Peter Oliver Pavilion Gallery. To see the story in the Winston-Salem Journal click here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1aCpBCLql-g_5jBy-uVM24E_qN_wlRZf4/view?usp=sharing
Two Foundations Award $145K to Creative Corridors
We are thrilled to announce that the Richard J. Reynolds, lll and Marie M. Reynolds Foundation have awarded Creative Corridors $100,000 towards the building of the Peter Oliver Pavilion Gallery. Also Creative Corridors is the recipient of $45,000 from the Z. Smith Reynold's Community Progress Fund. To learn more about that fund click here: https://www.zsr.org/articles/zsr-awards-14-million-33-organizations-working-local-progress-across-nc
A birds eye view of the future site of The Peter Oliver Pavilion Gallery. The site will be located on the land that Peter Oliver once farmed. It is adjacent to the MUSE Winston-Salem building on Liberty Street.
Winston-Salem City Council Backs The Peter Oliver Project!
On Monday, June 17, 2024 the Winston-Salem City Council unanimously approved designating the land where Peter Oliver lived and farmed for The Peter Oliver Pavilion Gallery. There was great coverage of the event here are a few highlights:
Join us Virtually 0r in Person at the State Archives Thursday!
Peter Oliver: Freedman and Family, a Journey of His Enslavement and Persistence
When: June 13th, 12:00-1:30 pm
Where: In-person attendance –109 E. Jones Street, Raleigh, NC 27601 (Auditorium)
Online participation registration: https://archives.ncdcr.gov/news/events/peter-oliver-freedman-and-family-journey-his-enslavement-and-persistence
In the heart of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, lies the history, family, and legacy of Peter Oliver (1766–1810). As a formerly enslaved man who negotiated his way to freedom, Oliver’s life is documented with over 30 archival records, including one signing for his freedom, a type of eulogy when he died as a Moravian, and estate accounts. This documentation gives depth and understanding to his life in Salem and the region where he lived and worked as a potter and much more. Creative Corridors Coalition is planning for a new public space to celebrate Peter Oliver's life and legacy as well as mark the historic site of Oliver’s farm and Homestead.
Martha Hartley, Director of Moravian Research, Old Salem Museums & Gardens
Sabrina Garrity, Assistant Archivist with the Southern Province of the Moravian Church
Christie Willow Williams, Board Chair, Peter Oliver Pavilion, Creative Corridors Coalition
Video Content from Walter Hood, internationally renowned landscape architect for the Peter Oliver Pavilion Gallery
George C. Jones, Jr., Peter Oliver descendant, Executive Director of the Partners for Environmental Justice
Peter Oliver Featured at the North Carolina Museum of History
Peter Oliver, his story, and his life were featured at the 23rd Annual African American Celebration at the North Carolina Museum of History in Raleigh on Jan. 27th, 2024. Jordyn Jones, Old Salem’s education coordinator for African American Studies, and Creative Corridors board chair Christie Williams spoke about Peter Oliver's history and life. George Jones, Jr., an heir of Peter Oliver and executive director of Partners for Environmental Justice, spoke about what it meant to be a descendant of Oliver.
Walter Hood Wants to Change What it Means to Go Outside
Green Street Pedestrian Bridge Receives the Mayor's Award
Creative Corridor’s Coalition was recognized for its work on the Green Street Pedestrian Bridge with the Mayor’s Award at the Community Appearance Award ceremony on Wednesday, May 31st, 2023. The Mayor’s Award recognizes new construction within Winston-Salem that creates visual and economic revitalization of neighborhoods. Winston-Salem Mayor Allen Joines presented the award and noted the Green Street Pedestrian bridge had brought the “community together physically but also spiritually and created a beautiful addition to the city’s center.” In attendance were Creative Corridors Board Chair Christie Williams, Administrative Vice Chair Robert Egleston, Previous Chair and Board Member Bill Davis, Design Vice Chair Jimmy Hoots, Board Member Hobart Jones, Creative Corridors Board Member and former Forsyth County Commissioner Fleming El-Amin, Creative Corridors Board Member, and City Council Member Annette Scippio, Creative Corridors Board Member and City Council Member John Larson, former Board Chair Brenda Fulmore and long-time supporter Peggy Taylor
Arbor Investment Advisors Pledges $25,000 to the Peter Oliver Pavilion Gallery
Thank you to Arbor Investment Advisors for pledging $25,000 in honor of their 25th anniversary towards the trees that will grow at the Peter Oliver Pavilion Gallery site. “In our firm’s 25th anniversary year, Arbor Day represents a unique opportunity to connect with our area’s roots,” says Bill Hollan, a principal at the firm. “We are pleased to be able to support a project which has such significant meaning for our community’s history.” The extraordinary pledge brings Creative Corridors a step closer to creating the first public space in Winston-Salem that tells the story of an enslaved person who persevered and received his freedom. The space will illuminate the rich and varied African-American legacy in Winston-Salem and Forsyth County that Peter Oliver and his descendants helped forge.
Celebrating Brenda Fulmore
Brenda Fulmore first joined the Creative Corridors board in 2012 and served in a variety of ways, supporting many projects. In 2021 she became Chair of the Board and led the organization through key moments of project design and implementation, collaborating with local and state leaders, elected officials, and the community at large. In September 2022, Brenda stepped into the organization's new part-time Executive Director role.
Over her years with Creative Corridors, she has brought leadership, passion, and boundless joy to the work and everyone involved in it. From speaking to community groups and doing media interviews, to golf tournament fundraisers, walking tours and ribbon cuttings, countless emails and meetings with city staff and elected officials; Brenda has been deep in the work of Creative Corridors.
In early 2023, Brenda decided to step down from the Executive Director role to pursue personal goals. However, will continue to be involved. She has accepted a role as Honorary Advisor for the Peter Oliver Pavilion Gallery capital campaign. We are forever grateful for her years of hard work and dedication to the Creative Corridors mission. We wish her all the best in all her endeavors!
Local Leaders Join Screening of Creative Corridors Film
Winston-Salem, Forsyth County, and North Carolina leaders joined the Creative Corridors Coalition on April 19th for a screening of the film “Bridging A Community: The Creative Corridors Coalition Story” at the RiverRun International Film Festival. The film documents the history of the Creative Corridors Coalition. Creative Corridors board member Talitha Vickers moderated a panel discussion, and filmmaker Seth Wingate of Twin City Media also attended the event. The panel that discussed the film included Winston-Salem Mayor Allen Joines, Creative Corridors Board Member and former Forsyth County Commissioner Fleming El-Amin, N.C. Department Transportation Division Engineer Pat Ivey, and Creative Corridors Board Chair Christie Williams.
Bridging a Community: The Creative Corridors Coalition Story. A new Short film about CCC will show at the 2023 RiverRun International Film Festival
Bridging a Community: The Creative Corridors Coalition Story is a new short film that documents the history of the Creative Corridors Coalition and profiles its pioneering work benefiting Winston-Salem and serving as an inspiration to other cities. The film will be shown on Wed., April 19th, from 3:00-4:30 pm. Tickets are free. To find out more about the event and get a ticket, click here: https://riverrunfilm.com/events/bridgingacommunity/
Community Conversations-Thursday April 6th, 12:00pm at Bookmarks in Winston-Salem
Continuing the conversation from Wake Forest University's Face to Face Speaker Forum that brought social justice activist, public interest lawyer, and founder of the Equal Justice Initiative Bryan Stevenson to town.
Let’s reflect together on how Bryan Stevenson’s remarkable vision of social and economic justice, and his dedication to candid historical reckoning with difficult pasts, can translate into a more just Winston-Salem.
Come to one or more of three follow-up conversations MUSEws is co-hosting with Bookmarks, Creative Corridors Coalition, Love Out Loud, and the United Way of Forsyth County.
--Thursday, March 2, 6:30 pm: Love Out Loud, at The Hub at Augsburg Community Center, 502 N. Broad Street. Come 30 minutes early for refreshments and networking.
--Thursday, March 16, 6:30 pm: MUSE Winston-Salem, 226 S. Liberty Street. Come 30 minutes early for refreshments and networking.
--Thursday, April 6, 12:00 pm: Bookmarks, 634 W. Fourth Street. Come 30 minutes early to network and browse the shelves.
Creative Corridors Coalition is thrilled to receive National attention with the story from NPR’s Here and Now just 5 weeks after the Public unveiling.
Click here to listen: Here & Now
Winston-Salem Journal covers the unveiling of the Peter Oliver Pavilion Gallery
To read the story click here: Winston-Salem Journal Story
Renderings released of new Winston-Salem park that will honor former enslaved person Peter Oliver
To read the WFMY News 2 story click here: Story
CCC Announces New Board Chair, Executive Director
Creative Corridors Coalition is excited to announce that it has hired an executive director, Brenda Fulmore, and has a new board chair, Christie Williams.
The changes come as CCC builds, strengthens, and sustains its mission to provide the Winston-Salem community with a network of green, artful, iconic corridors, footpaths, and bridges.
Fulmore has been involved with CCC for 12 years and most recently served as the board chair. Beyond CCC, she is known in the community for her advocacy for minority- and women-owned businesses. Fulmore is excited about transitioning to the executive director's role to continue the work of the CCC.
"We have an exciting new project on the horizon this fall, and it will need all hands on deck. This upcoming project is a passion project for me, and I think our city will "GAIN" positively from its impact," Fulmore said. "GAIN," a guiding principle for CCC, stands for Green, Artful, Iconic, Network.
Williams has served on the CCC board for six years and was most recently the Community Relations Committee co-vice chair. Beyond CCC, Williams is known in the community for her work with the nonprofit organizations Love Out Loud and Cycle Recycle. Williams is thrilled about her new role at CCC because she knows there is so much work to be done. In addition to the new project CCC is launching this fall, the organization is also working on the multi-use paths in Winston-Salem, corridor signage, and beautifying the Martin Luther King Jr. Drive corridor.
Williams says Brenda Fulmore is the right person for the executive director role at CCC.
"Brenda will be a great executive director because of her passion, understanding of the community, and persistence," Williams said.
Conversely, Fulmore knows that Williams brings a wealth of knowledge about the community to the role of board chair.
"I am grateful that we will continue to work together to support the organization's mission," Fulmore said.
Remembering Joycelyn Johnson
We are saddened to announce that Joycelyn Johnson, a long-time board member of Creative Corridors Coalition, died Tuesday, June 21, 2022, of natural causes. Joycelyn was a kind and loving person who was always concerned about other people's needs. She was a fierce advocate and dedicated public servant for the causes she believed in and worked to make Winston-Salem better for everyone.
Creative Corridors Coalition board chair Brenda Fulmore said, "Joycelyn was a tremendous asset to the Creative Corridors Coalition organization. Her passion for this city was unmatched, and her commitment to growth and inclusion was paramount for the community she served. Joycelyn's friendship will be missed, and she will forever hold a special place in my heart."
Former CCC board chair Bill Davis noted that Johnson's city government connections, knowledge, wisdom, and experience helped guide CCC projects and choices smoothly. Likewise, design vice-chair Jimmy Hoots remembered that Johnson helped keep the CCC projects community-focused and fostered the conversations that led to those outcomes.
In addition to her community service with CCC, she served the East Ward of Winston-Salem for 16 years, first on the board of aldermen and then on the city council. She chaired the Public Works Committee and worked tirelessly to improve working conditions for the city sanitation employees. To honor her outstanding work, the building that houses the city's public works department was named after her.
For most of her career, Joycelyn worked as a social worker at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center. She graduated from Atkins High School and received her bachelor's degree in social work from Bennett College in Greensboro.
Honoring Sylvia Sprinkle-Hamlin
Winston-Salem was illuminated in purple the week of January 10, 2022 in honor of Sylvia Sprinkle-Hamlin. Sprinkle-Hamlin passed away January 3. She was director of the Forsyth County Public Library, leader of the Black Theater Festival and a Creative Corridors Coalition Board Member. We are eternally grateful for her many contributions to our city.
Vote for Salem Parkway - AASHTO 2021 America's Transportation Awards
The greatness of Salem Parkway is a result of many years of planning and fundraising, creativity and innovation of world renown designers, and dedicated collaboration between North Carolina Department of Transportation, the City of Winston Salem, and Creative Corridors Coalition. Along with all the workers who contributed to it’s construction.
The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) has posted the Top 12 Finalists for the 2021 America's Transportation Awards and we are pleased to share that the Reconstruction of Salem Parkway (U.S. 421/I-40 Business) Project , aka U-2827B - Business 40 in Winston-Salem, is one of the 12 finalist. AASHTO will select from these 12 projects for two awards, the Grand Prize winner and the People’s Choice Award. A panel of industry experts will select the Grand Prize winner. The general public will decide the People’s Choice Award winner through online voting.
If you like the improvements to the Salem Parkway please go to the site and vote for the Reconstruction of Salem Parkway (U.S. 421/I-40 Business) Project for the People’s Choice Award.
VOTE HERE
Online voting ends at 11:59 PM EST on October 25. Note: You can vote one time per Project per 24 hours. AASHTO will announce the winners of both awards during their Annual Meeting in San Diego, October 26-29.
CCC Presents $1.6M to the City of Winston Salem
Creative Corridors Coalition has been working since 2007 to make areas across the city of Winston Salem more beautiful and welcoming. The bold vision of a green, artful, innovative, and connected network of public corridors required large sums of money to hire talented designers, purchase exceptional materials, and construct high quality and iconic structures and artful spaces.
On June 8, 2021 Creative Corridors Coalition Chairwoman Brenda Fulmore and Treasurer Bill Rose presented a check for $1.6 million to the city of Winston Salem. Mayor Allen Joines along with Council Members Scipio, Burke, MacIntosh and Mundy were also present for the exchange.
Creative Corridors Coalition (CCC) has raised a total of $3.1 million to enhance the Green Street and Strollway Bridges and incorporate various betterments along Salem Parkway. Thes funds enabled the project to go above and beyond the minimal standards North Carolina Department of Transportation would have implemented without the vision and funding coordinated by CCC. $1.5 million of the total contribution came from grants and an additional $1.6 million was raised by private donations.
The $1.6 million presented to the City of Winston Salem represents years of hard work from past and present CCC Board Members and many generous contributions from donors across the city. These community-driven funds results in the iconic Green Street and Strollway bridges which can now be enjoyed by all Winston Salem residents and visitors.