The Peter Oliver Pavilion Gallery

Creative Corridors Coalition, in partnership with diverse stakeholders, is honored to launch The Peter Oliver Pavilion Gallery. The gallery will be the first public space in our community to tell an individual’s story of slavery and freedom. The space and story will illuminate the rich and varied African-American legacy in Winston-Salem and Forsyth County that Peter Oliver and his descendants helped forge. By telling these stories in a public space, the site will create new connections in our community, link our past and future, and build awareness of the often unseen historical contributions of enslaved and free blacks. Click here to learn more about Peter Oliver and The Peter Oliver Pavilion Gallery: Peter Oliver

Walter Hood, a world-renowned African-American designer with North Carolina roots, designed the Peter Oliver Pavilion Gallery. Hood gained acclaim for designing urban spaces with a philosophy of preserving history and building community. Hood believes careful design can provide a space where history is tangible, empathy is created, and diverse groups can share experiences. 

Hood was named a MacArthur Foundation Fellow in 2019 and is a 2009 recipient of the prestigious Cooper-Hewitt National Design Award for Landscape Design. In addition, he was a 1997 winner of the Rome Prize and recipient of the 2021 President's Medal from The Architectural League of New York. His completed projects include Splash Pad Park in Oakland, Calif., the DeYoung Museum in San Francisco, and the Center for Civil and Human Rights in Atlanta. Hood also designed the impressive Strollway Bridge over Salem Parkway in Winston Salem, the state's first “landbridge” of its kind.

Hood and the Creative Corridors Coalition engaged with Peter Oliver's descendants, community members, city and state officials, and others across the country over the last 5+ years to develop the vision for this space.

If you would like to support the building of this project: Donate Now