Series delves into city’s past and present
The New Winston Museum is presenting its free bi-monthly Salon Series through June. The series features a broad range of local historians, artists, writers, musicians, crafts-folk and other specialists. Speakers discuss aspects of their work and their process to find interpersonal connections with their work to the broader community.
Today (Feb. 28) at 5:30 p.m., architect David Gall and Maurice Pitts Johnson will discuss the restoration of the historic Happy Hill Cemetery and discovery of a terra cotta section of the 1892 Old Town Hall.
Pitts Johnson, a descendant of some of Happy Hill’s first settlers, has led a years-long campaign to clear and restore the cemetery, which had fallen into a great state of disrepair over the years. The series’ next speaker will be writer Joe Mills on March 14 at 11:30 a.m. He will discuss the state’s historic transition from agricultural tobacco crops to viticulture and wine vineyards. Historical architect Marc Bryson will join Pat Michal on March 28 at 5:30 p.m. to discuss the restoration of eight stained glass windows at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church.
April’s speakers are horticulturists David Bare, Eric Jackson, Margaret Norfleet Neff and Salem Norfleet Neff, who will discuss heirloom gardening and seed preservation at 11:45 a.m. on April 11, and artist Jan Detter, who will speak on the evolution of textiles as art on April 25 at 5:30 p.m.
There are several other presentations: On May 9 at 11:45 a.m, historian Fam Brownlee will present “The Golden Hyphen,” a discussion about life in Winston-Salem in 1913.
On May 23 at 5:30 p.m. four Winston-Salem writers will share their tales of the city with musical interludes.
On June 13 at 11:45 a.m., Winston-Salem Foundation Executive Director Scott Wierman and Tom Lambeth, former head of the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation, will talk philanthropy.
On June 27 at 5:30 p.m., Bethabara Park’s Ellen Kutcher will talk about Bethabara’s unique shared history.
The mission of the New Winston Museum is to preserve the cultural history of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County and to inspire local residents to incorporate the past in creating a great future. New Winston Museum Executive Director Katherine Foster said the Salon Series aims to do just that.
Foster
“The Salon Series is going be an exciting opportunity for the Museum to feature the best and brightest that our community has to offer,” she said. “These are people who make our community vibrant with their talent and passion. The series will feature the people who are making history now.”
The Museum is located at 713 S. Marshall St. Learn more at www.newwinston.org or by calling 336-724-2842.
