Delta Arts Center hosts community day, shows off improvements
(Above: Photos by Erin Mizelle for The Chronicle- The interior and exterior painting of the Delta Arts Center was made possible by a generous gift from James Watson, proprietor of 360° Painting of the Triad, shown above.)
The Delta Arts Center threw a party to show off its new look. The nonprofit held a Community Day on Saturday, April 11, where residents were able to check out the center’s new look while participating in fun, food and fellowship.
“It was timely because it represents a year for us under new leadership,” said Nadiyah Quander, executive director at the center. “We are opening it back up to the community and we are hoping that the improvements at Delta echo the improvements for the entire community. It’s a special place and its back to looking very special. That’s very exciting.”
The event included live music, local vendors, a raffle and arts and crafts for families in attendance. The new paint also marked the agency’s 10th year at its current location at 2611 New Walkertown Road.
The agency is a funded partner of the Winston-Salem Forsyth County Arts Council. It also receives support from the North Carolina Arts Council Department of Cultural Resources.
The nonprofit has been going strong for 42 years and is designed to “enrich the lives of neighborhood and area residents by stimulating interest throughout the entire community in American arts and humanities, with emphasis on the contributions of African-Americans; to increase awareness and knowledge of the contributions of African-Americans to the arts and humanities in America and build pride in these contributions; to encourage individual creativity; and to provide quality cultural and educational programming for the entire community.”
The facility upgrades were made possible by Mr. James Watson, who donated all the time and materials needed for the project. Watson is the franchisee of 360 Painting Company and offered to paint the interior and exterior of the building.
“A business approached us and asked if we would be interested in a in-kind paint job,” she said. “Mr. Watson has been painting for years but he just purchased a franchise. They did an awesome job.”
Quander said that the partnership is a good example of how a nonprofit and small business can team up to assist their communities.
“We were really in need and didn’t know how we were going to meet that need. It was just the perfect partnership for a small business,” she said. “It lets people know that if they have a small business and a set of skills, and you see a need in your community, just use them.”
She hopes that the new facelift will continue through the surrounding community.
“It’s exciting to think that there’s a fine arts gallery right in the middle of the community. There is so much infrastructure in the community that has fallen to the wayside,” Quander said. “We can revitalize it, we can bring things back to life and make them gathering centers and places to celebrate.”
Cheryl Watson, who was visiting from Indiana, called the event lots of fun and said that she was looking forward to going in and checking out the quilt display.
“There are a lot of activities for the kids and great food,” Watson said. “I think it’s great to have this here. Arts is very important. It helps educate and well-round people.”
