FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC, 4/28/2022 — RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC, 4/28/2022 — PBS North Carolina, in partnership with the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation, presents Visibly Speaking, a new series that follows the creation of inclusive public art projects that honor the often-overlooked stories of Black, Indigenous and Latinx communities throughout the state. The broadcast series premieres on Thursday, May 5, at 7:30 PM, on PBS NC, with ten digital shorts to stream online and on the PBS Video app and YouTube. PBS North Carolina will also host a free virtual screening and a conversation about the series on Tuesday, May 10, at 7:00 PM.
In 2019, the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation awarded Inclusive Public Art grants to ten communities across North Carolina to foster dialogue and focus on historically underrepresented people and stories. Visibly Speaking captures the experiences of the ten communities as they develop public art projects with artists, residents, community organizations and civic leaders. Each episode highlights the diverse people of North Carolina and their stories of progress, creativity and resilience, from United States Colored Troops who won a crucial Civil War battle in Wilmington and migrant farm workers in Eastern North Carolina, to Snowbird Cherokee and Haliwa-Saponi tribal members preserving their heritage, to a legendary Black football team that united a segregated community in Hickory.
“PBS North Carolina is proud to shine a light on our vibrant art community and to share stories of diversity, equity and inclusion as they relate to the people and places of our state, especially those whose stories are often untold,” says PBS North Carolina’s Chief Content Officer Justine Schmidt. “We’re honored to showcase these ten important art projects that encourage people to engage in courageous conversations about their community’s past, present and future.”
On Tuesday, May 10, at 7 PM, PBS North Carolina will host a free virtual screening of the series’ first episode. After the screening, PBS North Carolina’s Director of Original Productions Heather Burgiss will moderate a virtual conversation about the positive impact of art on communities with local artists Cornelio Campos (lead artist of a mural made with the Latinx community in Durham) and Owens Daniels (artist of photomosaics that honor the legacy of a landmark hospital that served Black residents in segregated Winston-Salem); as well as Maurice “Mo” Green, executive director, Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation; and Kim Pevia, ZSR Public Art Advisory Council. To learn more and to register, visit Eventbrite.
“By shifting the narrative of public art from one of exclusion and power to one of inclusion and diversity, we develop deeper appreciation for those whose stories have gone untold or under-told but who have made significant contributions to our state and nation,” says Maurice “Mo” Green of the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation. “We’re proud to partner with PBS North Carolina in this effort.”
Schedule of Episodes
Each broadcast episode features two public art projects and premieres Thursdays, at 7:30 PM, on PBS NC, from May 5 to June 2. Each project will also be featured in digital shorts that will stream online and on the PBS Video app and YouTube.
Episode 1: Boundless & El Futuro
Premieres Thursday, May 5, at 7:30 PM, on PBS NC
This episode follows the creation of a sculpture honoring the legacy of the United States Colored Troops in Wilmington and a Durham mural depicting Latino immigrants’ hopes for the future:
Boundless: Near the end of the Civil War, the United States Colored Troops (USCT) won a pivotal Union victory at the Battle of Forks Road in Wilmington. The Cameron Art Museum (CAM), which oversees the battlefield site, commissioned artist Stephen Hayes to honor the USCT’s legacy with a public artwork. In response, he created a lifesize bronze sculpture cast from 11 African American men connected to the site and its story—USCT descendants, reenactors, veterans and community leaders.
El Futuro: In Durham, Mexican-born artist Cornelio Campos painted a welcoming mural at El Futuro, a mental health clinic that serves Latino families in a bilingual environment. Part of a therapeutic garden, the design of the mural was developed with the local Latino community and depicts their immigrant struggles and hopes for a brighter future. “The sign of a healthy and prosperous city is the art,” says Campos. “So for me, it is really important that people can create a space to start a conversation.”
Episode 2: Snowbird & The Untouchables
Premieres Thursday, May 12, at 7:30 PM, on PBS NC
This episode shows the creation of murals celebrating Snowbird Cherokee women in Robbinsville and a legendary Black football team in Hickory:
Snowbird: In Robbinsville, Appalachian artists Doreyl Ammons Cain and TJ Holland created with the Snowbird Cherokee a 400-square-foot narrative mural honoring three “Beloved Women of the Tribe.” This community is known for resilience, having hidden in the mountains to escape the forced removal of their people during the Trail of Tears. Direct descendants of the Snowbird Cherokee also contributed portraits of their tribal ancestors.
The Untouchables: In Hickory, artist Adele James McCarty and architect Ernie Sills made a sculptural archway and mural honoring the town’s legendary Ridgeview High School football team, who were undefeated state champs in 1964. Dubbed “The Untouchables,” these Black athletes united a segregated community with its remarkable winning streak, which remains unbroken to this day.
Episode 3: Black Light Project & Haliwa-Saponi
Premieres Thursday, May 19, at 7:30 PM, on PBS NC
This episode explores Rocky Mount photo installations that showcase the positive narratives of Black men and murals highlighting the achievements of the Haliwa-Saponi Indian Tribe in Hollister.
Black Light Project: The city of Rocky Mount partnered with director Tonya Lynch and photographers Bryce Chapman and Randy Curtis of the Black Light Project to create eight large-scale photo installations that celebrate Black men. Displayed in prominent locations throughout the city, the portraits depict men who light up their communities, upturning negative stereotypes and inspiring others.
Haliwa-Saponi: In Hollister, artists Karen Lynch Harley and Phillip Harley and members of the Haliwa-Saponi created two murals with carved wood features that highlight the achievements of its community in the face of colonialism and segregation. The murals act as a catalyst for conversation and a visual commentary of the community’s past, present and future.
Episode 4: AMEXCAN & Present Absence
Premieres Thursday, May 26, at 7:30 PM, on PBS NC
This episode examines a mobile sculpture that shares stories of migrant farmworkers in Eastern North Carolina and photo mosaics that honor the enduring legacy of a landmark hospital in Winston-Salem.
AMEXCAN: In Eastern North Carolina, artist and documentarian Sally Jacobs facilitated a mobile “living” sculpture with the Asociación de Mexicanos en Carolina del Norte (AMEXCAN) to share the stories of migrant farmworkers. Made from a school bus stationed in Greenville, the artwork features Indigenous design elements, photographic portraits, audio of workers’ stories and an interactive community component that will evolve over time.
Present Absence: In Winston-Salem, artist Owens Daniels collaborated with the community to gather stories and images for large-scale photo mosaics honoring the Black community of East Winston and its landmark Kate Bitting Reynolds Memorial Hospital, a symbol of pride for residents. Affectionately called “Katie B.,” the hospital opened in 1938, allowing Black patients and doctors access to a facility that rivaled the one serving the city’s white residents.
Episode 5: Sarah Key Evans & Here’s My Story
Premieres Thursday, June 2, at 7:30 PM, on PBS NC
This episode features artwork in Roanoke Rapids that tells the story of a Black woman’s stand against segregation and audio-enabled benches in Rowan County that share oral histories of its diverse communities.
Sarah Key Evans: In Roanoke Rapids, Eastern Carolina Christian College and Seminary and other local organizations partnered with artist Napoleon Hill to tell the story of Sarah Key Evans, an African American woman arrested in 1952 after refusing to move to the back of the bus. Her subsequent legal battle helped to dismantle Jim Crow transportation laws in the South. A plaza in Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park celebrates this story in an artwork entitled Closing the Circle, which includes eight chronological mural panels and two bronze plaques.
Here’s My Story: In Rowan County, the Rowan-Cabarrus Community College Foundation has collaborated with the Rowan-Cabarrus Community College to construct three audio-enabled benches that share residents’ stories in their own voices. The benches are strategically placed in public spaces throughout Rowan County. A platform for gathering, connecting and listening, the benches share stories that highlight how diversity makes communities stronger and more resilient.
Locations of Public Art Installations
Boundless, a public sculpture honoring the United States Colored Troops:
Cameron Art Museum (CAM)
3201 South 17th Street
Wilmington, North Carolina 28412
El Futuro, a collaborative mural depicting the hopes of a Latino community:
El Futuro clinic at Lakewood Shopping Center
2020 Chapel Hill Road #23
Durham, North Carolina 27707
Snowbird, a mural celebrating the Snowbird Cherokee community:
128 N. Main Street
Robbinsville, North Carolina 28771
The Untouchables, a sculptural archway and mural honoring Ridgeview High School’s legendary football team:
Samuel William Davis, Sr. Multipurpose Field
730 3rd Street SW
Hickory, North Carolina 28602
Black Light Project, photo installations that showcase the positive narratives of Black men at sites throughout Rocky Mount:
Rocky Mount Mills
Imperial Centre for the Arts & Sciences
South Rocky Mount Community Center
R.M. Wilson Gym
Booker T. Washington Community Center
Stith Talbert Park
Haliwa-Saponi, murals highlighting the achievements of the Haliwa-Saponi Indian Tribe at 2 sites in Hollister:
Haliwa-Saponi Multipurpose Building, 250 Capps Farm Rd, Hollister, NC 27844
On premises of the old council house along Highway 561
AMEXCAN, a mobile sculpture that shares stories of migrant farmworkers in Eastern North Carolina:
Alice F. Keene District Park
4561 County Home Road
Greenville, NC 27858
Present Absence, photo mosaics that honor the enduring legacy of a landmark hospital in Winston-Salem:
Forsyth County Department of Social Services
Winston-Salem, NC 27101
Viewable from N. Cleveland Avenue
Closing the Circle,anartwork that tells the story of Sarah Key Evans,a young Black woman who stood up against segregation in Roanoke Rapids:
Martin Luther King Jr. Park
Wyche Street & Virginia Avenue
Roanoke Rapids, NC 27870
Here’s My Story, audio-enabled benches in Rowan County that share oral histories of its diverse communities:
Rowan-Cabarrus Community College, Salisbury
Corriher-Linn-Black Library at Catawba College, Salisbury
Dixonville Cemetery, a historic African American cemetery in Salisbury
Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation (ZSR) is dedicated to improving the quality of life for all North Carolinians. Today, millions of diverse experiences and opinions are shaping our state and our communities in complex ways. We believe this growing diversity continues to make North Carolina a state of great promise. By becoming more flexible and adaptable as a funder, while simultaneously adhering to enduring values like fairness, dignity, integrity and equity, we are working with others to pursue a vision where we all thrive. Headquartered in Winston-Salem, the Foundation has invested $589 million in North Carolina. To learn more about its Inclusive Public Art Initiative, visit zsrinclusivepublicart.com.
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-PBS NC-
Media Contacts:
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kkramer@pbsnc.org
919-549-7059