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Exhibition tells stories of historic Happy Hill neighborhood

Works from the Happy Hill Neighborhood Association Art Anthology Exhibition were curated to archive history and rebuild the community.

Splitscreen of artists each holding artwork on canvas outdoors. On the left, a person holds a painting of a green forest with a house. On the right, a person hold a vibrant painting of people farming with mountains in the background.

Artists Amy Binns (left) and Jerry Hanes (right) hold original pieces that are included in the exhibition.

Photos courtesy of Arts Council of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County

You can see efforts to preserve and reclaim the history ofone of the oldest African American communities in NC in a new exhibition. The Happy Hill Neighborhood Association Art Anthology is on view in the Main Gallery at Milton Rhodes Center for the Arts.

Happy Hill is located less than a mile from Old Salem. Much of the vibrant neighborhood was demolished or removed over time. Today, efforts are in place to rebuild + revitalize the community.

Local artist and Happy Hill resident Kayyum Allah served as curator for the exhibition. He founded the Association’s Art Anthology in 1999 to archive visual interpretations of the neighborhood. This exhibit is the first collaboration on display.

Works from Allah, Jerry Hanes, Don Sawyer, Gilbert Young, Amy Binns, Phebe Pankey, Brianna Hariston, Mikaila Muhammad, and Gerald Hayden are included in the exhibit. An artist reception will be held Thursday, Feb. 1 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. The exhibition will be open to the public through Sunday, Feb. 18.

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