ABOUT

Winston-Salem Delta Fine Arts, Inc. was incorporated in 1972 as Winston-Salem's first nonprofit cultural and educational organization established by African–American women. That same year, Delta established at Winston-Salem State University a permanent collection of paintings and sculpture by nationally recognized African-American artists born in North Carolina.

The collection, housed in the O'Kelly Library, includes works by sculptors William Artis and Selma Burke along with artists Romare Bearden, Samuel Brown and Stephanie Pogue. Two major murals by John Biggers and James Biggers were added to the collection in 1992.

The Delta Arts Center's programs has appealed to diverse segments of the community by encompassing a wide area of interests. This has been particularly true in classes and workshops for adults and children, which have ranged from crafts to creative writing, from acting to art lessons, from RAP (Reading Achieves Positives) to reinforcing kindergarten and first grade skills.

Exhibitions, classes and two staff persons were housed from 1982 to 2004 in a small house in a predominantly African-American neighborhood. Finally, a fundraising effort made it possible to purchase a former ABC store and convert it to a handsome gallery, now fully owned by the organization.

Internationally known artists who have exhibited at the Delta Arts Center include Charles Alston, Romare Bearden, Elizabeth Catlett, Malvin Gray Johnson, Lois Mailou Jones, Hughie Lee-Smith, and John Wilson.

Recent exhibits have included Hispanic artists as well. Photography exhibits are also popular. They range from James Van Der Zee, famed chronicler of the Harlem Renaissance, to the sensitive contemporary images of Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe to Michael Cunningham's stately portraits of African American women in their church hats.

In addition to fine arts and crafts, the performance arts are represented. Dance classes and instrumental and vocal performances have taken place in-house. Delta Arts Center has also sponsored important musical events like the Smithsonian Jazz Band in larger venues.

Winston-Salem Delta Fine Arts, Inc. infuses imagination and creativity in programming to vividly engage and inspire those who attend exhibitions or performances. It is our hope that a passion for the arts will be ignited and fueled for a lifetime!