The Thomas S. Kenan Institute for the Arts works in partnership with the Happy Hill Neighborhood Association to present Happy Hill Arts, a place-based arts and cultural initiative in a historically African American community adjacent to the University.
Additionally, in 2019, UNCSA, in partnership with the Kenan Institute and the Winston-Salem Department of Community Development, was recomended for a $50,000 Our Town grant from the National Endowment of the Arts (NEA) to support an artist-led cultural restoration project in the Happy Hill neighborhood.
Happy Hill Arts sponsors cultural arts activities and events that engage both its youth and adult populations, thereby enhancing and enriching the quality of life and educational opportunities for residents. The Happy Hill Summer Arts Program, launched in the summer of 2017, offers participating children diverse experiences, including dance, drumming and photography classes, as well as field trips to arts and cultural destinations in Winston-Salem. In April 2018, Happy Hill Arts added After-School Arts, providing an opportunity to build on the success of the summer program and provide more consistent interaction with the community.
In May 2018, the Winston-Salem Foundation presented Happy Hill Arts founders Amatuallah Saleem and Rebecca Bryant Williams with an ECHO Award, presented to local individuals and organizations that are building social capital.
The program is led by the Happy Hill Neighborhood Association with technical and administrative support from the Kenan Institute.
In 2019, UNCSA, in partnership with the Thomas S. Kenan Institute for the Arts and the Winston-Salem Department of Community Development, was recommended for a $50,000 Our Town grant from the National Endowment of the Arts to support an artist-led cultural restoration project in the Happy Hill neighborhood. The grant was announced in May 2019 by the NEA.
The grant supports research and planning for the three-part Happy Hill Cultural Restoration Project. Led by a coalition of artists, residents and community leaders, the project will identify and build upon the historic neighborhood’s community assets, reenvision housing development, and create a master plan for reengaging the community through arts programming.
UNCSA, through the Kenan Institute, was inspired to apply for the grant after partnering with the Happy Hill Neighborhood Association on Happy Hill Arts.
The project includes three parts:
For more information about the Happy Hill Partnership, contact Liza Vest at vestl@uncsa.edu or the Happy Hill Neighborhood Association at hhnaofws@gmail.com.