boston-thurmond community asphalt mural

The Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Public Art Commission and Boston-Thurmond Community Network are issuing a Request for Qualifications for an artist or artist team to design and install asphalt murals in up to three locations throughout the Boston-Thurmond neighborhood.

Artwork Context

Boston-Thurmond is a historically Black residential neighborhood north of downtown Winston-Salem. Residents have been working together to revitalize parts of the neighborhood through several public art projects. The sites identified for this project are near schools and on major throughways in the neighborhood. With each asphalt mural, the committee hopes to slow down drivers and bring awareness to the school zones.

The three asphalt mural sites include Kimberley Park Elementary, Cook Literacy Model School, and Paisley Magnet & Lowrance Middle School. Kimberley Park Elementary is a neighborhood elementary school that will celebrate its 100th anniversary this year. The school neighbors City-owned tennis courts that honor Charles and Ruth Archie and their nine children. The Archie children learned to play tennis on the courts and were well-known in the community for their many successes in the sport.

Cook Literacy Model School was renamed from Cook Elementary in 2016 when the neighborhood elementary school went through a major overhaul to increase student scores. Aside from the designated crosswalks on Thurmond and 12th Street, there are additional opportunities to paint the sidewalks near the school to encourage safe pedestrian practices.

Paisley Magnet School & Lowrance Middle School share a building, meaning that Lowrance serves as the neighborhood middle school while Paisley is a magnet school for the International Baccalaureate program for students in grades six through ten. The school also sits next to the Dr. CB Hauser trailhead for the Stuart & Emma Thomas Memorial Trail, a nature trail that cuts through 92 protected acres of rolling pastures, forested groves, and views of downtown Winston-Salem.